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Nikolai Vasilieff

  • Vasilieff was not only one of the Union of Russian Painters in Istanbul’s leaders, but he is also remembered for his stage settings and costumes for the ballet [i]Scheherazade[/i] at the Theatre des Petits Champs.
  • Nikolai
  • Vasilieff
  • Николай Васильев, Nicholas Vasilieff, Nikolai Vassilieff

  • 03-11-1887
  • Moscow Oblast (RU)
  • 13-10-1970
  • Williamstown (US)
  • PainterScene DesignerMuralist
  • Vasilieff was not only one of the Union of Russian Painters in Istanbul’s leaders, but he is also remembered for his stage settings and costumes for the ballet Scheherazade at the Theatre des Petits Champs.

    Word Count: 36

  • Consuelo Kanaga (American, 1894-1978). [Untitled] (Nicholas Vasilief, Painter). Gelatin silver photograph, 9 5/8 x 7 5/8 in. (24.4 x 19.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Wallace B. Putnam from the Estate of Consuelo Kanaga, 82.65.414
  • Before Nikolai Vasilieff fled to Istanbul, he lived in the Russian Empire, where he received an excellent art education. First, he attended a private art school run by Konstantin Yuon in Moscow and later he studied at Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, where the principal teachers included Leonid Pasternak, Konstantin Korovin and Valentin Serov. This directed Vasilieff toward the use of "mass and colour in art and away from lines and graphics", which were very important in St. Petersburg (Friberg, “Vasilieff at the Benton”, 1977). Moreover, after having served in the Russian army during the war, he had the opportunity to work as Robert Falk’s assistant in the painting class at Vkhutemas.

    Nikolai Vasilieff stayed in Istanbul for nearly three years and was able to achieve a lot during this time. He was not only one of the leaders of the Union of Russian Painters in Constantinople, but he is also remembered by many people for his beautiful stage settings and costumes for the famous ballet Scheherazade (in Shanghai backdrops for this ballet were painted by Vera Kuznetzova), which was performed by Zimin in the city on 30 December 1921. To explain the significance of this performance, it is necessary to quote from one of the local Russian newspapers of that time: “It was a truly artistic performance – the maximum that could be given with the most conscientious attitude to the matter. It was a vivid performance, pleasing the eye and caressing the ear. The orchestra played beautifully under the direction of the talented Butnikov, and the wonderful music of Rimsky-Korsakov conquered even this diverse festive crowd. Vasilieff’s excellent scenery, evoking Bakst’s best works in terms of richness and splendour of colours, rich costumes and a general charm of the ambience, rich and colourful, created an atmosphere of captivating oriental fairy-tale that gripped the attention of the audience [...]. In a word, it was an excellent ballet performance that had never been seen in Constantinople. The financial success of the evening was in line with its artistic one. The theatre was full” (Anonymous, “Sheherezada”, 1921). Vasilieff worked in various fields; for example, during his stay in Istanbul he painted two walls of the Maxim restaurant which was a popular place at the time and actively participated in the Union's exhibitions (including First Russian émigré artists in Istanbul exhibition and Exhibition of Russian émigré artists at Taksim Military Barracks). In 1923, the Russian press in Istanbul made an emphasis on the portraits he exhibited at one of the YMCA venues in Pera/Beyoğlu, such as the portraits of Mrs. Fridolina, Mrs. Kuskova and Princess Volkonskaya (“perfectly conceived and skilfully executed”).

    He undoubtedly benefitted from his "Istanbul" experience in New York, where at first things did not go as well as he had dreamed. He took on any work in order to survive: There he not only painted the walls of local Russian restaurants and made drawings for The Pilgrim’s Almanac, but also baked bread and painted walls on construction sites. His situation improved in the second half of the 1930s when his patron Hugh Stigs helped arrange his first solo exhibition. Funds from clients allowed him to purchase a studio in New York (somewhere at Union Square where at the time among other organizations the New School for Social Research was located). Vasilieff worked there until 1966. Nevertheless, he decided to spend the last years of his life in his own house in Lanesborough (Massachusetts). Vasilieff’s paintings can be seen today in many famous galleries and museums around the world.

    Word Count: 590

  • Consuelo Kanaga (American, 1894-1978). [Untitled] (Nicholas Vasilief, Painter). Gelatin silver photograph, 9 5/8 x 7 5/8 in. (24.4 x 19.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Wallace B. Putnam from the Estate of Consuelo Kanaga, 82.65.414
    Nicholas Vasilieff, Still Life With Mushrooms, 1960. Oil on linen, 30 × 40 1/8 in. (76.2 × 101.9 cm). (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of Mrs. Ansley W. Sawyer 61.59).
  • Anonymous. “Vystavka Kartin.” Presse du Soir, 20 October 1921, p. 4.

    Anonymous. “Scheherazade.” Presse du Soir, 31 December 1921, p. 2.

    Anonymous. “Russkoye iskusstvo za granitsey.” Teatr i Zhizn’, January 1922, n.p.

    Anonymous. “Nicholas. J. Vasilieff, 82, Dead; Artist an Emigre from Moscow.” New York Times, 14 October 1970, p. 50.

    Bournakine, Anatoliy, and Dominic Valery, editors. Al’manah Na Proschaniye. The Farewell Almanac. L’Almanach Nos Adieux (1920–1923). Imp. L. Babok & fils, 1923.

    Chave, Anna. “Nicholas Vasilieff.” Société Anonyme Catalogue: Modernism for America Resources, edited by Jennifer R. Gross, exh. cat. Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, 2006, pp. 677–678.

    Friberg, Hedda. “Vasilieff at the Benton.” Connecticut Daily Campus, 20 April 1977, p. 4.

    Leykind, Oleg, et al. Hudojniki Russkogo Zarubej’ya (1). Izd.dom “Mir”, 2019, pp. 335–336.

    Scott, Martha B. "N. Vasilieff Rediscovered in Colorful UConn Show." Bridgeport Sunday Post, 22 May 1977, p. 71.

    Ted’. “K Vystavke Hudojnikov.” Presse du Soir, 29 June 1923, n.p.

    Word Count: 137

  • Slavonic Library (Slovanská knihovna) in Prague.

    Word Count: 6

  • Ekaterina Aygün
  • Istanbul, Ottoman Empire/Turkey (1920–1923); New York, United States (1923–1966).

  • Küçük Yazıcı 4 (now presumably Tarlabaşı Blv. 79), Hüseyinağa, Beyoğlu, Istanbul (studio); Union Square, New York (studio).

  • Istanbul
  • Ekaterina Aygün. "Nikolai Vasilieff." METROMOD Archive, 2021, https://archive.metromod.net/viewer.p/69/2949/object/5138-10440325, last modified: 14-09-2021.
  • Vladimir Bobritsky
    PainterScene DesignerGraphic ArtistMusician
    Istanbul

    Bobritsky worked at the Theatre des Petits Champs, where he successfully dealt with stage designs and costumes, at the same time he participated in the Union of Russian Painters in Constantinople.

    Word Count: 31

    Wladimir Ivanoff
    PainterSculptor
    Istanbul

    Not only did Ivanoff become one of the founders and chairman of the Union of Russian Painters in Constantinople, but he also became famous for “Drawing Thursdays”, which took place at his apartment.

    Word Count: 33

    Leonid Tomiloff
    Scene DesignerDecorator
    Istanbul

    As a professional scene-designer, Leonid Tomiloff was in high demand in Istanbul. For many years, he worked at the Theatre des Petits Champs and was the chief decorator of the Constantinople Commercial Club.

    Word Count: 33

    First Russian émigré artists in Istanbul exhibition
    Exhibition
    Istanbul

    The first Russian-speaking émigré artists in Istanbul exhibition was a one-day event but its success led to the formation of the Union and paved the way for other exhibitions.

    Word Count: 29

    Exhibition of Russian émigré artists at Taksim Military Barracks
    Exhibition
    Istanbul

    The exhibition of Russian-speaking émigré artists at Taksim Military Barracks was the first major exhibition organised by the Union of Russian Painters in Constantinople.

    Word Count: 24

    Union of Russian Painters in Constantinople
    Association
    Istanbul

    The Union existed for less than two years but in that short space of time a tremendous amount of work was done by its members, refugees from the Russian Empire.

    Word Count: 30

    New School for Social Research
    Academy/Art SchoolPhoto SchoolUniversity / Higher Education Institute / Research Institute
    New York

    During the 1940s and 1950s emigrated graphic designers and photographers, along with artists and intellectuals, were given the opportunity to held lectures and workshops at the New School for Social Research.

    Word Count: 31

    Vera Kuznetzova
    ArtistDesignerIllustrator
    Shanghai

    A native of Harbin and a resident of Shanghai in the 1930s and 1940s, Vera Kuznetzova was among the most accomplished female artists of the Russian diaspora. Together with Mikhail Kichigin, she travelled extensively around China and Eastern Asia, exhibiting her work and conducting visual studies.

    Word Count: 46