Alexandre Benois paintings. Aesthetic views of the "World of Art"

Working on a painting in the studio, creating sketches of theatrical costumes and scenery, preparing for the publication of another article about art... This was an ordinary day for Alexandre Benois, an artist, critic, art critic and theater figure.

From the Benois dynasty

Alexander Benois was born in St. Petersburg in the family of architect Nikolai Benois and his wife Camilla. Among Alexander Benois's relatives were Albert Kavos, the creator of the Mariinsky Theater project, actor Peter Ustinov, and artist Zinaida Serebryakova. Almost half of the representatives of the Silver Age culture were in one way or another connected with the Benois family.

In his memoirs, the artist emphasized that his artistic and aesthetic views formed two categories of experiences. The first and most powerful is the theater. Alexandre Benois forever linked the concept of “artistry” with the concept of “theatricality”. It is on the stage, in his opinion, that it is possible to achieve the highest goal of art - the synthesis of arts. The second category of experiences is the impressions of getting to know the St. Petersburg royal residences and suburbs.

“From these various Peterhof impressions... probably my entire subsequent cult of Peterhof, Tsarskoye Selo, and Versailles originated.”

Alexander Benois

“Cover the subject as widely as possible and study as deeply as possible”

Alexander Benois studied at the private Karl May gymnasium in St. Petersburg. Here he became close to Sergei Diaghilev and other participants in the future World of Art. For some time he attended evening classes at the Academy of Arts. His brother Albert taught him basic painting skills.

Alexander Benois believed that only through self-education can one achieve perfection in one's profession. Throughout his life he studied fine arts and became a brilliant art critic. Among his works is a chapter on Russian artists for the German collection “History of Painting of the 19th Century”, “History of Painting of All Times and Peoples”, one of the best guides to the Hermitage and much more.

“Towards the simplest and truest images of reality”

“In me, “passeism” began to manifest itself as something completely natural in early childhood. ... Much in the past seems to me to be well and long ago familiar, perhaps even more familiar than the present.<...>My attitude towards the past is more tender, more loving than towards the present.”

Alexander Benois

Benoit especially often painted Tsarist Petersburg and its palace and park ensembles, scenes from the lives of historical characters, landscapes of France and the parks of Versailles.

Benois wrote “The ABC in Pictures” and created illustrations for “The Bronze Horseman” and “The Queen of Spades” by Alexander Pushkin, which went down in the history of book graphics.

Theater occupies a special place in his work. Benoit created scenery for productions and developed costume designs. He helped design several performances for the Russian seasons in Paris.

Alexander Benois at the Gorky Commission

Alexandre Benois fought for the preservation of cultural heritage. Immediately after the October Revolution, he worked closely with Maxim Gorky in the Commission for the Protection of Monuments of Art. The artist was one of the first to visit the Winter Palace after its storming and described it in his memoirs.

Benois helped restore the activities of the Russian Museum and put together a new exhibition of art of the 18th–20th centuries. Later, the artist became the head of the art gallery at the State Hermitage, and at the same time carried out research work.

He also worked on the preservation of architectural monuments of St. Petersburg and its suburbs, and he covered the results of his work in a series of articles.

“This is the people’s property, this is our property, and we need to do everything in our power so that the people realize this and so that they take possession of what rightfully belongs to them. The very idea of ​​the nationality of all art, of everything in which people from the people invested their ideals of beauty, this idea should now come to light and come to life with special force.”

Alexander Benois

Aesthetic views of the "World of Art"

The World of Art circle (like its magazine) became, in Benoit’s words, “a practical necessity.” There was a crisis in the society of the Itinerants, and the artists needed a new vector of movement. The magazine introduced the audience to Western classics and modernism, Russian painting and architecture.

At various times, the association included Valentin Serov, Isaac Levitan, Mikhail Nesterov, Mikhail Vrubel, Lev Bakst, Konstantin Somov and, of course, Sergei Diaghilev. Ilya Repin also shared the views of the Miriskuniks.

“We were guided not so much by considerations of an “ideological” order, but by considerations of practical necessity. A whole number of young artists had nowhere to go.”

Alexander Benois

The “World of Art” declared beauty to be the main goal of creativity. The subjectivity of this goal gave artists complete freedom - both in choosing a topic and in choosing artistic means.

Benois Alexander Nikolaevich(1870-1960) graphic artist, painter, theater artist, publisher, writer, one of the authors of the modern image of the book. Representative of Russian Art Nouveau.
A. N. Benois was born into the family of a famous architect and grew up in an atmosphere of reverence for art, but did not receive an art education. He studied at the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg University (1890-94), but at the same time independently studied the history of art and was engaged in drawing and painting (mainly watercolors). He did this so thoroughly that he was able to write a chapter on Russian art for the third volume of “The History of Painting in the 19th Century” by R. Muter, published in 1894.
They immediately started talking about him as a talented art critic who upended established ideas about the development of Russian art. In 1897, based on impressions from his trips to France, he created his first serious work - a series of watercolors “The Last Walks of Louis XIV” - showing himself in it to be an original artist.
Repeated trips to Italy and France and copying artistic treasures there, studying the works of Saint-Simon, Western literature of the 17th-19th centuries, interest in ancient engravings were the foundation of his artistic education. In 1893, Benois acted as a landscape painter, creating watercolors of the environs of St. Petersburg. In 1897-1898, he painted a series of landscape paintings of the Versailles parks in watercolors and gouache, recreating in them the spirit and atmosphere of antiquity.
Towards the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, Benoit again returned to the landscapes of Peterhof, Oranienbaum, and Pavlovsk. It glorifies the beauty and grandeur of 18th century architecture. The artist is interested in nature mainly in its connection with history. Possessing a pedagogical gift and erudition, at the end of the 19th century. organized the World of Art association, becoming its theoretician and inspirer. He worked a lot in book graphics. He often appeared in print and published his “Artistic Letters” (1908-16) every week in the newspaper “Rech”.
He worked no less fruitfully as an art historian: he published the widely known book “Russian Painting in the 19th Century” in two editions (1901, 1902), significantly revising his early essay for it; began publishing serial publications "Russian School of Painting" and "History of Painting of All Times and Peoples" (1910-17; publication was interrupted with the beginning of the revolution) and the magazine "Artistic Treasures of Russia"; created the wonderful “Guide to the Hermitage Art Gallery” (1911).
After the revolution of 1917, Benoit took an active part in the work of various organizations, mainly related to the protection of monuments of art and antiquities, and from 1918 he also took up museum work - he became the head of the Hermitage Picture Gallery. He developed and successfully implemented a completely new plan for the general exhibition of the museum, which contributed to the most expressive demonstration of each work.
At the beginning of the 20th century. Benois illustrates the works of Pushkin A.S. Acts as a critic and art historian. In the 1910s, people became the center of the artist’s interests. Such is his painting “Peter I on a Walk in the Summer Garden,” where in a multi-figure scene the appearance of a past life, seen through the eyes of a contemporary, is recreated.
History decisively predominated in the work of Benoit the artist. Two topics invariably attracted his attention: “Petersburg XVIII - early XIX centuries.” and "France of Louis XIV". He addressed them primarily in his historical compositions - in two “Versailles series” (1897, 1905-06), in the well-known paintings “Parade under Paul I” (1907), “The Entry of Catherine II in the Tsarskoye Selo Palace” (1907 ) etc., reproducing a long-gone life with deep knowledge and a subtle sense of style. His numerous natural landscapes, which he usually executed either in St. Petersburg and its suburbs, or in Versailles (Benoit regularly traveled to France and lived there for a long time), were essentially devoted to the same themes. The artist entered the history of Russian book graphics with his book “The ABC in the Paintings of Alexandre Benois” (1905) and illustrations for “The Queen of Spades” by A. S. Pushkin, executed in two versions (1899, 1910), as well as wonderful illustrations for “The Bronze Horseman” ", to three versions of which he devoted almost twenty years of work (1903-22).
During these same years, he took part in the design of the “Russian Seasons”, organized by S.P. Diaghilev. in Paris, which included in their program not only opera and ballet performances, but also symphony concerts.
Benois designed R. Wagner's opera "Twilight of the Gods" on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater and then performed scenery sketches for N. N. Tcherepnin's ballet "Armida's Pavilion" (1903), the libretto of which he composed himself. The passion for ballet turned out to be so strong that on Benoit’s initiative and with his direct participation, a private ballet troupe was organized, which began triumphant performances in Paris in 1909 - “Russian Seasons”. Benois, who took over the post of artistic director in the troupe, performed the designs for several performances.
One of his highest achievements was the scenery for I. F. Stravinsky's ballet "Petrushka" (1911). Soon Benois began collaborating with the Moscow Art Theater, where he successfully designed two performances based on the plays of J.-B. Moliere (1913) and for some time even participated in the management of the theater along with K. S. Stanislavsky and V. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko.
From 1926 he lived in Paris, where he died. The artist's main works: "The King's Walk" (1906), "Fantasy on the Versailles Theme" (1906), "Italian Comedy" (1906), illustrations for the Bronze Horseman by A.S. Pushkin. (1903) and others.

Alexander Nikolaevich Benois (French Alexandre Benois; April 21, 1870, St. Petersburg - February 9, 1960, Paris) - Russian artist, art historian, art critic, founder and chief ideologist of the World of Art association.

Born on April 21 (May 3), 1870 in St. Petersburg, in the family of architect Nikolai Leontyevich Benois and his wife Camilla, daughter of architect A. K. Kavos. He received his primary education at the gymnasium of the Humane Society. From 1885 to 1890 he studied at the private gymnasium of K. I. May, where he met his future colleagues in the “World of Art” Dmitry Filosofov, Walter Nouvel and Konstantin Somov.

He studied at the Academy of Arts for some time, but did not graduate, believing that one can become an artist only by continuously working. He also studied fine arts independently and under the guidance of his older brother Albert. In 1894 he graduated from the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg University.

He first presented his works at an exhibition and attracted the attention of specialists in 1893. In 1894, he began his career as a theorist and art historian, writing a chapter on Russian artists for the German collection “History of 19th Century Painting.” At the end of 1896, together with friends, he came to France for the first time, where he painted the “Versailles Series” - paintings depicting the parks and walks of the “Sun King” Louis XIV. In 1897, he gained fame with a series of watercolors “The Last Walks of Louis XIV,” painted under the impression of his stay in Paris and Versailles. Three paintings from this exhibition were acquired by P. M. Tretyakov. In 1896-1898 and 1905-1907 he worked in France.

He became one of the organizers and ideologists of the art association “World of Art” and founded the magazine of the same name. Together with S.P. Diaghilev, K.A. Somov and other “World of Art” artists, he did not accept the tendentiousness of the Wanderers and promoted new Russian and Western European art. The association attracted attention to applied arts, architecture, folk crafts, and raised the authority of book illustrations, graphics, and design art. Promoting old Russian art and Western European masters of painting, in 1901 he began publishing the magazines “Old Years” and “Artistic Treasures of Russia”. Benoit, one of the most significant art critics of the early 20th century, introduced the expressions avant-garde and Russian Cézanne into circulation.

In 1903, Benoit created a series of illustrations for A. S. Pushkin’s poem “The Bronze Horseman” - one of the masterpieces of Russian book graphics. Subsequently, the artist repeatedly returned to this plot; in total, his work with illustrations for Pushkin’s last poem lasted 19 years - from 1903 to 1922. During this period, Benoit worked a lot for the theater, creating scenery and directing. In 1908-1911 - artistic director of Sergei Diaghilev's Russian Seasons, which glorified Russian ballet art abroad.

In 1919, Benois headed the Hermitage Art Gallery and published its new catalogue. He continued to work as a book and theater artist and director, in particular, he worked on staging and designing performances at the Petrograd Bolshoi Drama Theater. Benoit’s last work in the USSR was the design of the play “The Marriage of Figaro” at the Bolshoi Drama Theater. In 1925 he took part in the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris.

In 1926, A. N. Benois left the USSR. He lived in Paris, where he worked on sketches of theatrical scenery and costumes. Participated in S. Diaghilev’s ballet enterprise “Ballets Russes” as an artist and director of performances. While in exile, he worked a lot in Milan at the La Scala Opera House.

In recent years, he has been working on detailed memoirs. Died on February 9, 1960 in Paris. He was buried in the Batignolles cemetery in Paris.

He came from the Benois artistic dynasty: son of N. L. Benois, brother of L. N. Benois and A. N. Benois and cousin of Yu. Yu. Benois.

He married in 1894 the daughter of musician and bandmaster Karl Ivanovich Kind, Anna Karlovna (1869-1952), whom he had known since 1876 (since the marriage of Alexander’s older brother, Albert Benoit, with Anna’s older sister, Maria Kind). They had children:

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Alexander Nikolaevich Benois. Portrait by Leon Bakst

Alexander Nikolaevich Benois is a major art critic, painter, publisher and author of magnificent illustrations, writer and theater artist, one of the founders of Russian Art Nouveau.

Biography of the artist Alexandre Benois

The artist Alexander Nikolaevich Benois was born in 1870, in St. Petersburg, in the family of the famous architect Nikolai Leontievich Benois. In the family of the future artist, art was simply revered, but the parents insisted that their son enter St. Petersburg University and become a lawyer.

While studying at the university, Alexander Nikolaevich independently studied art history, took up drawing, and mastered watercolor painting. History is silent about what kind of lawyer Benoit was. In 1894 (the year Alexander graduated from university), the third volume of “The History of Painting in the 19th Century” by R. Muter was published. This volume includes a chapter on Russian art, authored by Alexandre Benois.

And they immediately started talking about Alexander Nikolaevich as a most talented art critic who simply overturned established ideas about the development of Russian art.

In 1897, after trips to France, Alexandre Benois presented to the public the first series of his watercolors under the general theme “The Last Walks of Louis XIV.” The public was completely delighted, and critics started talking about the emergence of a new, talented, original artist.

In 1893, Benois painted a series of watercolor landscapes of the outskirts of St. Petersburg. It must be said that his landscapes are more a tribute to history than to nature. The artist is more fascinated by historical figures, architecture, and costume. And nature serves only as a magnificent decoration for the events depicted by the painter.

From 1897 to 1898, Benoit painted a series of watercolor paintings about the parks of Versailles. And again, critics speak not about the splendor of nature, but about the clearly recreated spirit of bygone times, the atmosphere of a beautiful, magnificent past.

The next big theme in the artist’s work is Peterhof, Oranienbaum and Pavlovskoye. And again the grandeur of architecture, fountains, parks and history.

At the end of the nineteenth century, Alexander Benois created the “World of Art” association, in which he became the main theorist and inspirer, wrote a lot, appeared in print and became the author of the weekly “Art Letters” in the newspaper “Rech”.

Benoit also does not forget about the history of art - in 1901 and 1902 the widely known book “Russian Painting in the 19th Century” was published. The publisher Benoit begins publishing the series “Russian School of Painting” and “History of Painting of All Times and Peoples.” The production of these series ceased, for obvious reasons, in 1917.

There was also the magazine “Artistic Treasures of Russia” and the magnificent “Guide to the Hermitage Art Gallery”. And all this was done with the most active and direct participation (and under the leadership) of Alexander Nikolaevich Benois.

There was also a passion for book graphics and the creation of illustrations for a number of works by A.S. Pushkin. And the works of the magnificent theatrical artist Benoit. He created sketches of costumes and scenery for theatrical performances, ballets and operas. I will not bore you with a list of everything that has been done in this field - for some artists, theatrical creativity alone would be more than enough to last a lifetime. What is it worth to participate in the management of the Moscow Art Theater together with K.S. Stanislavsky and V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko!

The revolution of 1917 with an iron hand crossed out a huge number of projects and undertakings of Alexander Nikolaevich Benois, and he began working in a variety of organizations that tried to preserve monuments of antiquity and art.

Since 1918, Benoit was in charge of the Hermitage art gallery and developed a new plan for the general exhibition of the museum, which was noticed and noted by the art lovers still remaining in Russia.

Since 1926, the artist has lived and worked in Paris. He practically doesn’t paint anymore – he’s simply consumed by longing for his homeland. Sketches of costumes and scenery for Diaghilev’s theater, participation in the creation of theatrical productions...

And memoirs. Just the most valuable memories and thoughts about people, events, art.

The artist died in February 1960. Buried in Paris.

(1870-1960) Russian artist, critic, art historian

Alexander Nikolaevich Benois came from a family that made a significant contribution to the history of Russian culture. Maternal grandfather A. Kavos was an academician, the author of the Bolshoi Theater project. His father was a famous architect, in particular, one of the authors of the Hermitage reconstruction project. The elder brother was the rector of the Academy of Arts.

From early childhood, Alexander was interested in art. He studied at the private gymnasium of K. May, in his free time he copied drawings by old masters and studied painting techniques with his brother. The boy painted with watercolors no less willingly. His brother believed that he should have become a professional artist.

After graduating from high school, at the insistence of his father, Alexander entered the law faculty of St. Petersburg University. From that time on, his life was divided into two parts: at the university he studied law, and devoted all his free time to art.

During his university years, Alexander Benois became close to V. Nouvel, K. Somov, D. Filosofov. They formed a “Self-Education Circle”, on the basis of which the “World of Art” group was formed in the mid-nineties. Benoit becomes the soul of this association and its artistic director. Young enthusiasts publish their own magazine, come up with exhibition projects, Benois writes critical articles, analyzes the current artistic process.

During the summer holidays, he annually traveled to European countries, getting acquainted with collections of works of art and architectural attractions. From each trip he brought watercolor sketches.

Since 1891, the works of Alexander Nikolaevich Benois have been exhibited annually at art exhibitions. Fame came to him in 1893, when he published a chapter on the history of Russian art in the book “History of Painting” by the German researcher R. Meng. Later it will form the basis of his book “The History of Russian Painting.”

After graduating from university, Alexander Benois became the custodian of the collections of modern and Russian paintings, which were collected by Princess M. Tenisheva. With her money, he created one of the best collections in Russia, which later became part of the Russian Museum.

In 1896, Benois organized an exhibition of Russian painting in Germany. It began a wide acquaintance of the European audience with the work of contemporary Russian artists. Along with the exhibition, Alexander Benois travels to European cities and gives lectures. Then he visited Paris for the first time, from where he brought a series of watercolors and gouaches with views of Versailles, later published in the World of Art magazine.

Simultaneously with exhibition activities, Benois creates numerous scenery for the theater. The artist's debut took place in 1900 in the play "Cupid's Revenge", staged at the Hermitage Theater in St. Petersburg.

After the premiere, Alexander Benois was invited as an artist to the Mariinsky Theater, where he created sets for productions of world opera classics (operas by R. Wagner, N. Rimsky-Korsakov, P. Tchaikovsky).

Since 1909, Benois has worked as artistic director of the Russian ballet seasons, which were conducted in Paris by S. Diaghilev. He prepares scenery for performances, organizes art exhibitions, writes the libretto for I. Stravinsky’s ballet “Petrushka”.

Thanks to the help of wealthy patrons of the arts - Prince S. Shcherbatov and entrepreneur W. von Meck - Benois was able to implement an extensive program of publications under the general title “Artistic Treasures of Russia”. He began the systematic scientific publication of works of art stored in Russian museums. Each volume of the series was accompanied by a detailed commentary, which was of independent artistic value. In terms of the number of facts reported in it, even today it has almost no equal. But the independent position of Alexander Benois and the rigidity of his judgments led to the fact that after three years the publication of books ceased.

Working on catalogs of museum collections allowed Benoit to organize several art exhibitions. The most famous of them was the exhibition of Russian portraiture, created together with Sergei Diaghilev. Benois first presented the history of the realistic portrait of Russia from the beginning of the 18th to the end of the 19th century. When Russian estates were destroyed in the fire of revolutions and wars, the catalog compiled by Alexander Nikolaevich Benois became an indispensable reference for restorers and art historians.

After the outbreak of the First World War, the active publishing activity of Alexander Nikolaevich Benois began to decline: issues of “Artistic Treasures of Russia” stopped being published, then the magazine “World of Art” closed.

In 1917, Benois worked as head of the Hermitage art gallery. Thanks to his titanic efforts, many outstanding works of art were preserved. In addition, he was able to convince the Bolshevik government to create a public museum in the Hermitage.

But soon the activities of Alexander Benois began to meet resistance from the authorities, and he was removed from the leadership of the Hermitage. For some time he worked on the board of the People's Commissariat for Education under the leadership of Anatoly Lunacharsky, and collaborated with the publishing house "World Literature".

But in 1926, after the authorities confiscated his collection of paintings, Benois left Russia. Formally, he went to Paris at the invitation of the management of the Grand Opera Theater. But in fact, he was leaving his homeland forever.

Alexander Nikolaevich Benois settled in Paris and became the leading set designer of the French opera. At the same time, he continues to collaborate with Diaghilev’s troupe, for which he designs performances in various European cities.

Alexander Benois combines theatrical activities with organizing art exhibitions. At the end of the twenties, he carried out a unique program of traveling exhibitions held in cities in Europe and the USA.

It was these exhibitions that opened Russian art as an aesthetic phenomenon to Western Europe. Benoit's work was highly praised. He becomes a Knight of the French Legion of Honor and the Order of the Crown of Italy. In parallel, Alexandre Benois continues to study painting and book illustration.

In 1930, he moved to Italy and began working as the chief artist of the La Scala theater. At that time, the production department of the theater was headed by Benois’s son, Nikolai.

During World War II, the artist returns to Paris. Since most theaters are ceasing production activities, he is engaged in illustrating works of Russian classics, releasing several albums of watercolors with views of St. Petersburg and its suburbs.

Since 1939, Alexander Nikolaevich Benois began working on a book of memoirs. Personal memories soon develop into a vast panorama of the history of artistic life in Russia at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries.

After the war, he resumed work in the theater, continued to design performances at La Scala, traveled to the USA with a troupe organized by entrepreneur S. Hurok, and designed performances in theaters in Buenos Aires and in Covent Garden (London).

Benoit spent the last years of his life in Italy; his personal exhibitions were held almost every year in museums in Rome and Milan.

In 1958, the first part of his memoirs in five books was published. However, the onset of illness prevented him from completing his fundamental work.

The family life of Alexander Nikolaevich Benois was happy. In 1893, he married the daughter of a German businessman A. Kind, and three children were born in the marriage. His only son, Nikolai Benois, became a famous decorative artist.