Fedor Ivanovich Shubin, sculptor: biography, works

Fedot Ivanovich Shubin - sculptor, born in May 1740 in a peasant family. His father, the archangel Pomor Ivan Afanasievich, wore a slightly different name - Shubnoy. He was not serf, he knew the letter and cut it beautifully on the bone. It was thanks to his lessons that the famous sculptor Fedot Shubin turned out to be. His surname was slightly altered later, upon admission to the Academy of Arts.

How did it happen

Peasant son Fedot Shubin, a sculptor who almost completely repeated the path of his great compatriot Lomonosov, but who did not back away from art and science, studied not only in Russia, but also in France and Italy, skillfully mastered carvings on marble. Among sculptors-portraitists, he truly was not equal. His father was not only a diligent master, he managed to do both fishing and sowing, but he worked with mother of pearl, and with a bone, cutting out really interesting and interesting things.

And he was apparently a talented teacher. It was he who taught the young Lomonosov literacy. And his great disciple did not forget the first mentor. In 1759, Ivan Afanasievich Shubnoy died, and his young son, in the future Fedot Shubin, a sculptor by birth, and by vocation, went with the same fishing cart to the capital, closer to his compatriot Lomonosov. For two whole years the young man studied Petersburg, he did not live in poverty, as he easily cut fans, snuffboxes, combs and other trinkets - to ladies for joy. His products were always disposed of willingly and paid dearly.

Academy

Lomonosov was glad to patronize his first teacher's son, and in 1761 Fedot entered the Academy of Arts. He was added to the lists of his students under a new surname, and they called him Fedot, then Fedor, and so this artist resignedly addressed Fedot Shubin. The sculptor in it was visible initially talented, and all the rest was not too important for him. Even Count Shuvalov was amazed at the first works of the young man and also willingly patronized him. Especially since the Russian sculptor Shubin studied and overseas things persistently. He was constantly awarded not only praise from teachers, but also awards.

In 1766, he made a bas-relief on a subject he always loved, "The Murder of Askold and Dir," which not only was awarded the Great Gold Medal, but the author also received a personal nobility and the first officer's rank - "Attestat with a sword." Unfortunately, time did not tell us everything that Shubin-sculptor did, many of his works, especially academic ones, were lost. So, there are many references and descriptions of beautiful genre figurines "Walnut with nuts", "Valdaika with sheep" and others, but we will not see their charms.

Paris

For his laudable behavior, for his honesty and good successes, Fyodor Shubin, a sculptor, was encouraged by a trip to Paris and in 1767, with a group of the same retired fellows, left for France under the tutelage of the Russian ambassador Golitsyn, an educated and advanced man, an amateur and connoisseur of the arts, Besides - the patron of art. Golitsyn also introduced Fyodor Ivanovich Shubin, a sculptor from Russia, with the famous Diderot, with whom he was friends, and he advised the teacher Jean-Baptiste Pigalle.

It was a wise decision. Because Pigal created not only beautiful mythological and allegorical compositions, to which Shubin the sculptor directed his work, but also very realistically created portrait busts. This is for Shubin was new, and fresh, and later brought him fame.

Mastery training

Working in the workshop at Pigal, Fedot Afanasyevich carefully copied both modern French sculpture and antique statues, and in many sculpted bas-reliefs from the paintings of Poussin and Raphael, and especially a lot of his time was occupied with work from nature.

Almost every evening, Fyodor Shubin, a sculptor, began his work in the field class of the Academy of Fine Arts of Paris, but from time to time he disappeared from the whole world and in the Royal Library and in the workshop of some famous French sculptor. Sometimes he wrote letters about his impressions, and some can still be read today, marveling at the student zeal of a peasant son. His father, Ivan Shubin, a sculptor, too, probably looked with tenderness from heaven to what his son was doing. And the son did a lot, very much. And so it passed three years.

Italy

The three-year education in Paris was over, but Fedot was clearly not enough, so he asked permission from the Academy to continue his studies in Rome, and the authorities went to meet them. It was the time of the most successful creations. Fyodor Shubin, a sculptor whose works surprise even our contemporaries with his skill and accurate, portrait character transfer, created in 1771 portraits of Shuvalov and Golitsyn.

Now they are in the Tretyakov Gallery. Another work - a bust of marble Catherine the Great, which turned out to be successful despite the fact that it was not made from nature. The brothers Orlovs, favorites of the Empress, immediately ordered Shubin their portraits, and very quickly their order was executed. The sculptor sculpted these busts in his low-key manner, where realistic trends already triumphed.

Travels

In one place, however, Shubin did not sit, in 1772 he undertook a fascinating journey with the famous Demidov breeders in Italy. In Bologna, I stopped and worked a little, and as a result, the oldest academy in Europe made Shubin an honorary academician and gave him a diploma.

In the summer of 1773 the Demidovs rolled the sculptor across Europe again, this time to London. However, Shubin was already very bored about Russia, about friends and patrons left so long ago, and therefore immediately after this trip he returned to Petersburg.

At home

In 1775, one of the most magnificent works of the sculptor Shubin was born. This is the bust of Prince Golitsyn, Catherine's brilliant diplomat, educated nobleman, exquisitely refined and refined, intelligent. And today we can consider this work in plaster in the State Russian Museum, and in marble - in the Tretyakov Gallery. How splendidly Shubin handed the appearance of a slightly tired, aging man with a calm sense of his own superiority over others, as expressive and heartfelt!

The folds of the clothes flow and seem to be in motion, so dynamic is the turn of the shoulder and head of the diplomat. It is especially visible in marble. The stone seems to be breathing out of the master's incisor. Falcone himself was in awe of this work. A year earlier, in September 1774, the Academy of Arts was forced to violate its own charter. The title of an academician was never given to an artist if his work did not carry a historical or mythological load. Shubin in his portrait bust of Catherine the Great at that time had neither that genre, nor the other. But he received the title of academician.

Seventies

These were fruitful years. Many portraits were created, and Shubin worked very quickly: the month was a bust. The sculptor became extremely popular among the high society public, besides - a favorite of the empress. From customers there was no release. The sculptor's observation was exceptional, and the insight is deep, the imagination is inexhaustible. He knew how to find new solutions every time, not from external features, but from the inner content, the character of the model. Shubin the sculptor never repeated in his works.

All the higher light of St. Petersburg in those years can be seen in portraits. Here is the court lady Maria Panina. What grace, what grace! And what arrogance, what coldness! And how much power! Here is the Field Marshal - the famous commander Rumyantsev-Transdanubian. Not at all adorned, despite the Roman draped cloak. And you can see how strong, how significant this person is. And in the portrait of the head of all scientists VG. Orlov's irony of irony hits the spot. He is merciless, this Shubin. Not right Orlov heads the Academy of Sciences, he says. With such and such a face! It is not even with a shade of dullness, it is completely dull, and the expression is impudent.

More about the works

This bust depicts IS. Baryshnikov, a wealthy industrialist. The viewer can do this and not know, he will guess by the look of a prudent and clever businessman. Already in these early years, long before the Wanderers, one can talk about social motives in the artist's work. A portrait of State Secretary Zavadsky, on the contrary, shows all the excitement of a romantic nature, even fashioned with this mood - quickly, temperamentally. Particularly interesting is the "Portrait of the Unknown", where, as it seems, the most secret thoughts and aspirations were revealed to the artist by a stranger. The composition is calm, the modeling is soft - everything is like a deep thoughtfulness of the model.

Very large, it can be said - a great work was done by Shubin in the mid-seventies. Catherine the Great ordered him a series of bas-reliefs, number fifty-eight, with a diameter of the order of seventy centimeters. Marble portraits were intended for the Round Hall in the Chesme Palace, but now they can be seen in the Armory. They depict princes and reigning persons in Russia - everything from Rurik to Elizabeth.

Eighties

Now the sculptor was entrusted with a lot of work, each time bigger and harder. However, he did everything brilliantly. The relief and statues of the Marble Palace, the marble mausoleum to General Golitsyn, sculptures for the Alexander Nevsky Lavra and the Trinity Cathedral, but only Pandora from the big cascade of Peterhof is worth it! But he did not leave portrait busts either. In Kuskovo, the patrimony of Sheremetyev, you can see the wonderful work of Shubin, who portrayed the master of this palace.

Just as good is the portrait of General Michelson, and a medallion with the profile of Catherine the Great, as well as her sculptural bust (all this is kept in the Russian Museum). A special feature in the work of Shubin is the statue of the Empress "Legislator", where she is portrayed in the image of Minerva. The people and high society were enthusiastic about this work, but the Empress did not show any reaction - neither the reward nor the promotion the sculptor received. And from that moment on, interest in Shubin's work quickly faded away.

End of the way

For sixty-five years, a wonderful sculptor Shubin lived in the world. A brief biography of him is more like a description of the creative path, so much has been in his work life. Here in Bologna, Shubin is an honorary professor, and in Petersburg - in general, no. And this means only one thing: in addition to paying for the executed orders, you can not expect money from anyone. And orders are becoming less and less, and there is no more to live on. Painter and sculptor can not be poor, like poets and musicians, they can not create. Very expensive paints, brushes, canvases. And marble! Yes, and gypsum ...

Shubin intercedes with the help of Prince Potemkin before the Academy of Arts about the place of the professor in the sculptural class. Two letters remain unanswered. Then the sculptor turned directly to the empress. Two years later the answer was received and the professor's place too. But without payment! And Shubin has a huge family, it needs to be supported. He does not stop working, despite the fact that his vision begins to fail him.

The nineties

The works of these years even more eloquently speak of the talent of the sculptor. He has never previously embellished nature in his works, but now the realism of the created images is particularly vividly characterizes his work. This is the portrait of Admiral Chichagov - what stale cracker this warrior looks like! It's the bust of Potemkin's sybarite - it's clear that he's good-natured, but patronizing, haughty, slightly disgusted. This pedant, head of the Academy of Fine Arts Betskoi, is the mayor of Chulkov ... Portraits are very, very much appearing at this time.

Last works

A very expressive portrait of Lomonosov, which Shubin created from memory in 1792. There is not a gram of officialdom in it, it's a proper parade, it is simple and democratic in form and composition, but in the portrait of intellect! However, this masterpiece of these years was not a portrait of a brilliant countryman, but a bust of the emperor again. This is Paul the First - haughty, cold, cruel, at the same time painful and suffering. Shubin was even frightened of his own discernment, but Pavel liked this work very much. But also only. By 1797 Shubin's position had become very difficult. He turned to the academy and Paul, then, after a year, again to the academy. I asked for very little: a government apartment with candles and firewood, for there was nothing to live on. The answer was silence again.

In 1801 the sculptor's house burned down and his workshop together with the works - finished and no. However, no blows of fate can make a real artist change himself. One of the most recent works is the bust of Alexander the First. A handsome man, and behind all the beauty again cold, again indifference. This work is stored in the regional museum of Voronezh. The king for this bust granted the sculptor a ring with a diamond. Then the academy stirred and gave an apartment and a candle. In 1803 the year. Soon after the decree of Emperor Shubin and the professor with the salary was appointed. But it's too late. In May 1805, the remarkable sculptor was gone. His death then did not shock anyone and did not worry him. This is now all of us for the tragic fate of this man and it is painful and embarrassing.