10 famous artists of the Silver Age who went down in theater history

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

They had a chance to create in the era of the Silver Age and did not limit themselves only to the usual forms of fine art. Each of these artists was talented and original in their own way, and the opportunity to try themselves in a new quality seemed very attractive. Perhaps that is why the theatrical costumes and sets of that time are filled with incredible atmosphere and some kind of special magic.

Mstislav Dobuzhinsky

Mstislav Dobuzhinsky received his first theatrical orders from the Moscow Art Theater, and the beginning of his activity in this field was closely connected with Konstantin Stanislavsky. The great director not only declared his idea, but instructed the young artist, trying to convey to him his vision of the design of this or that performance.

At the Moscow Art Theater, Mstislav Dobuzhinsky designed "A Month in the Country", "Freeloader", "Where it Tears Thinly" and "Provincial" after Turgenev, "Nikolai Stavrogin" and "Stepanchikovo Village" after Dostoevsky. At the Bolshoi Theater, he was in charge of the artistic department, and after emigration he designed opera performances in Kaunas, including Don Giovanni, Boris Godunov, Pagliacci and The Queen of Spades. Later he took part in the design of performances in London, Paris and the USA, where he moved in the last years of his life.

Konstantin Korovin

He began his theatrical activity at the opera of Savva Mamontov, where he worked for 15 years, having managed to design more than ten performances and gain fame as a talented set designer.

"The Little Wives of Windsor", "Aida", "Lakme" - the artist's work in these productions deserved the highest praise from critics. Later, Konstantin Korovin created the design for the Bolshoi Theater and the Mariinsky, and in Paris he was able to surprise even the most spoiled theatergoers with the incredible design of the play "Prince Igor" at the Russian Opera.

Alexander Golovin

The artist served at the Bolshoi Theater, worked for Diaghilev's Russian Seasons, at the Mariinsky Theater and at the Moscow Art Theater. At the same time, he worked in his own manner, he never began to develop the scenery from the first scene, preferring to draw the finale or the middle first. In addition, the artist did not know how to work with assistants, but did everything on his own.

Vasily Polenov

The performances were designed by the outstanding Russian artist and educator Vasily Polenov. For the most part, he worked for the Private Opera of Savva Mamontov, and then organized his own theater. For him, he not only designed the scenery and costumes, but staged performances with the children and admired the talented guys who came from peasant families.

Lev Bakst

For the most part, the famous artist designed performances in St. Petersburg and Paris, worked for the Alexandrinsky and Hermitage theaters, created costumes and sets for Diaghilev's Russian Seasons, and especially loved the process of working on costumes. He, so to speak, felt with color. For him, every shade was sad or chaste, full of despair, triumph or pride. It was not for nothing that many of his stage outfits were subsequently reflected in the fashion of that time.

Nicholas Roerich

The artist began his theatrical activity back in 1907 with the play "Three Wise Men" for the St. Petersburg "Ancient Theater". Despite the failure of the production itself, the scenery for the play was favorably accepted by the critics. Later, Nicholas Roerich developed the design for Diaghilev's Russian Seasons, who greatly appreciated the artist, and the Parisian critics subsequently spoke enthusiastically about Roerich's sets and noted their historical reliability in the complete absence of platitudes.

Viktor Vasnetsov

Viktor Mikhailovich practically did not work for the theater, but his sketches for Ostrovsky's "Snow Maiden" alone were a kind of revolution in the scenography of that time. At the same time, the artist himself played Santa Claus in this performance in Abramtsevo, and together with him Ilya Repin appeared on the stage in the image of the boyar Bermyaty and Savva Mamontov in the image of Berendey. Subsequently, the artist reproduced the same scenery and costumes, but already in the Moscow opera of Savva Mamontov … Then critics noted the originality of the ancient Russian forms and ornaments recreated by the artist.

Ivan Bilibin

For the most part, Ivan Bilibin was a book illustrator, while specializing in Russian epics and fairy tales. Decorating the ballet suite "Russian Dances", he was carried away so much that the result of his own creativity delighted the artist. However, each of his theatrical works, be it "Fuente Ovehunu" for the Ancient Theater or "Boris Godunov" for the Theater des Champs Elysees, was distinguished by originality, courage and some kind of pristine beauty.

Alexander Benois

He began working at the Hermitage Theater, then designed performances for the Mariinsky Theater, and became famous in Europe for designing productions for Diaghilev's Russian Seasons. At the same time, many contemporaries noted: the artist's only passion is art, to which he is ready to surrender himself with all the ardor of his nature. Probably, the scenery and costumes created by him turned out to be lively and sensual for this very reason.

Sergey Sudeikin

Sergey Sudeikin began his theatrical activity with cooperation with Savva Mamontov. Alexander Blok, after watching the designed "Sister Beatrice" by Maeterlinck, wrote about the effect of the scenery and costumes on the viewer. The scene literally blossomed with a miracle and fully conveyed the feelings and emotions of the author. However, every performance, in the creation of which the artist participated, was filled with this very miracle.

For many artists, Savva Mamontov became the person who opened the door for them to the magical world of theater. Anyway, he was one of the most prominent figures of the late 19th century. But in his declining years, Mamontov went to prison, went bankrupt and lost almost all his friends and relatives.