Sculptor Antokolsky Mark Matveyevich: biography, family, work

In the article, let's talk about the sculptor Antokolsky. This man is famous for his amazing creations, which have become loved by many. How did Mark Matveyevich live, what was his life like? The answers to all these questions can be found in the article.

Childhood

Mark Matveyevich Antokolsky was born in 1840, on November 2. The surname of the man goes back to the name of the suburb of Vilna Antokol, where the whole family lived. Mark had 8 brothers and sisters. All of them were born into a Jewish family. Mother and father lived modestly, because they were not rich people. At the same time, much attention was paid to religion. However, she was not particularly interested in the little Mark, who, from an early age, felt an interest in drawing. As the boy drew what he wanted and where he wanted, parents reacted to his enthusiasm at first frivolously, and then negatively. However, the reason was not only that - they did not want to see the artist in his offspring. Nevertheless, time passed, and the parental heart softened when they looked at the diligence of their child. When Mark grew up and already had a talent for drawing, he was sent to study as a wood carver. The guy quickly trained and soon surpassed his teacher. After a while, many already knew about the talented youth.

The future sculptor of Antokolsky was interested in the wife of Vilnius general V. Nazimova, who helped young talents. It was thanks to her perseverance and connections that Mark was accepted to study at the Academy of Arts. He was allowed to become an auditor in a sculptural class.

First achievements

Already in 1864 Mark Matveyevich Antokolsky receives a silver medal for the high relief created by him, the "Jew-tailor". After another four years of hard work, the guy receives a gold award for the high relief called "Miser".

By the way, already during his studies at the Academy of Arts, the guy was fluent in Russian, and was also interested in Russian literature and history. It should be noted that at home he spoke Yiddish. Fascinated by Russian culture, he creates a statue "Ivan the Terrible" in 1970, which raises it almost to the skies - the young sculptor Antokolsky receives the title of academician in his school. Princess Maria Nikolaevna, who was the patroness of the Academy of Arts, came to an indescribable delight at seeing Mark's work. It was she who told about the talented young man to Emperor Alexander II, whom the statue influenced the same way. He even decided to purchase it for the Hermitage and gave him 8,000 rubles for work, which at that time was a huge sum of money.

Maturity period

Antokolsky Mark Matveyevich, whose biography we are considering, after graduation from the Academy decided to go to Paris and Rome. By the way, in those days it was a common thing for graduates. So to speak, practice. It was believed that for a man to become a good master and was able to bring something new, he had to see the works of the best creators in the original and fully immerse themselves in the cultural atmosphere. The monument to Peter the Great in Taganrog was conceived by the sculptor during his studies at the Academy, but he began work on it only in Rome. In parallel, the man becomes a corresponding member of the Paris Academy. Already in 1878 he demonstrated his best creations at the World Exhibition held in Paris. By the way, the monument to Peter 1 in Taganrog is considered just one of the best.

Sculptor Antokolsky received the highest possible award and the Order of the Legion of Honor. After a while, the man was already a corresponding member of a number of Western European academies: London, Vienna, Berlin, and others.

Late years

In 1889, a man creates a statue of "Nestor the Chronicler". Two years later, the sculptor completes two more significant works: a statue made of bronze "Ermak" and a majolica "Yaroslav the Wise."

In addition to sculpture, Mark has written a lot in recent years. His articles on art published a variety of European magazines. In 1887 his "Autobiography" was published, and shortly before his death he wrote the novel "Ben-Isak", which dedicated the life of the Jews.

After the death of the great man, the book "Mark Matveyevich Antokolsky was published. His life, creativity, letters and articles. "

Antokolsky died in Frankfurt am Main, but some argue that he surrendered to heaven in the town of Bad Homburg. He was buried at the Transfiguration Jewish cemetery in St. Petersburg. It is worth noting that since childhood, the man was a believer, as he remained until the end of his days, observing the customs of Judaism. The tombstone is decorated with images of the Torah scroll, the menorah and the Star of David.

A family

As for the family, the sculptor did not have a wife or children. His family is the niece of Elena Tarkhanov, who was also an artist. The woman was married to the famous physiologist Ivan Tarkhanov. With Antokolsky they were kindred souls, that's why they always kept in touch, together experienced creative crises.

Interesting Facts

The sculptures of Mark Matveyevich Antokolsky are very well known. Such a talented person had many followers. Two of them are Boris Shats and Ilya Gunzburg.

The first sculpture of Russian production, which was purchased in the West, is the work of Antokolsky "Tsar John Vasilyevich Grozny." The work was purchased at the Kensington Museum.

In Jerusalem there is a street, which is named after M. Antokolsky.

"Ermak" and "Ivan the Terrible"

Consider one of the most interesting sculptures of Mark Matveyevich Antokolsky - Ermak. To begin with, it is worth saying that all of his sculptures performed in the style of realism, which is why they are so attractive. In addition, I want to note the accuracy and clarity of his creations. Work on the "Ermak" Antokolsky began in 1881. Ermak Timofeevich is a historical figure. A well-known Cossack ataman, who led the conquest of Siberia for the Russian state. It is not at all surprising that Mark, who was so interested in Russian history, was attracted to the figure of Ermak. And the idea itself was given a round date - the tercentenary of the conquest of Siberia. At the same time, officially the order for the creation of the sculpture came "from above".

Despite the fact that in the literature there were enough descriptions of this hero, Antokolsky wanted to convey a lively image, to show emotions. Before him was the task of creating an image that would represent the strength of the spirit of the entire Russian people. It's amazing, but Mark Matveyevich really managed to recreate all this in the features of one single person. A huge figure of a man is striking in its size and power. It is noteworthy that the warrior's armor is executed with great accuracy and historical certainty. A lot of effort and time was spent on creating this marvelous sculpture, but it was worth it.

The statue "Ivan the Terrible" was the first large-scale work of a man. This creation is executed with an unusual attention to the smallest details. The king is seated on a high throne, his shoulders are covered with a soft fur coat, and at his feet - power over the whole country. It's amazing how in one sculpture Mark Antokolsky was able to depict almost everything that a person has experienced and what was important to him. During his reign, the tsar had to go through many things, why he was terrified in his old age. However, it is very difficult for the king to admit his mistakes, because his back is tilted, making him look like a sullen old man. Despite the realization of his sins, he can not ask for forgiveness, which makes it even harder for him.

Mark Matveyevich Antokolsky: "The Death of Socrates"

The idea was born to the author in 1874. It is known that many of the works of this creator are filled with inner drama, especially the statues of ancient thinkers. This work was created in 1877.

Socrates had a choice: to renounce his views or die. The Thinker chose the second way. The task of sculpture was to depict the persistent extinction of life and the grandeur of the moral achievement. Mark Matveyevich himself said that he wanted to create a sculpture at the time of Socrates's death in order to depict the great tragedy of how a man perishes for his ideas.

We talked about the life and creative path of the sculptor Antokolsky. His life path was full of not only bright events, but also obstacles. Despite some internal conflicts, the man stubbornly went ahead and did his favorite thing, bringing it to perfection.