Lev
Alexandrovich Bruni

Russian artists in 1910-early 1920s belonged to futurism and constructivism, creating the counter-reliefs and abstract compositions. Virtuoso drawing, light color spots, and later moved on to more traditional painting and drawing (including the landscapes of Optina) in the spirit of "quiet art". He was also a master of monumental painting (1935-48 was the head of the appropriate school at the Academy of architecture), building on the principles here alien the officialdom of a free, rhythmically-sophisticated creativity.

Born into a family of artists, father painter, A. Bruni, was the architect, great grandfather of F. A. Bruni is a painter, another great-grandfather, PF Sokolov — renowned master of watercolor portrait. Art education has received in St. Petersburg in a private Studio of A. I. Titov and V. M. Schulz (1904-1909), then at the Higher art school of painting, sculpture and architecture at the Academy of fine arts in battle class at F. A. Roubaud, N. S. Samokish and Y. F. Tsionglinskogo (1909-1912). Of course not finished. In 1912 he went to Paris, stayed there for about a year, when visiting the Academy R. Julien, where he studied with Jean-Pierre Laurent. On his return to St. Petersburg and entered the circle of young artists (N. I. Altman, N. A. Tyrsa, P. V. Miturich, and P. I. lions) who had a mutual interest in constructivism of V. E. Tatlin. Graphic works of Bruni in 1913-1915 were published in the magazine "Voice of life", "the New magazine for all". Since 1915 a member and Exhibitor Association "World of art". Was fascinated by the art of Japan and China. In 1916 he worked together with Tatlin. He created concave reliefs, which were exhibited at the exhibition "the Store" in Moscow. In 1916, called up for military service. In 1917 he painted together with other artists interiors of the café pittoresque in Moscow. In the same year joined the Association "Jack of diamonds". In 1919 he married the daughter of the poet K. D. Balmont Nina Balmont. For some time he lived in the southern Urals. In 1920 he returned to Petrograd. Created a series of non-figurative compositions. Participated in festive decoration of streets and squares of the city. In 1920-1921 he taught at the High workshops of decorative and applied arts (former School of technical drawing of Baron A. L. Stieglitz). In 1923 he moved to Moscow. In 1923-1927 he taught at the graphic Department of the VKhUTEMAS (from 1924 — Professor), and in 1927-1930 — Vhuteina. In 1924-1925 a member and Exhibitor Association "Makovets", in 1925-1926 — "4 art". In 1930 he also taught at several institutions: in 1930-1933 — at the Moscow textile Institute, 1931-1938 at the Moscow Institute of fine arts, in 1935-1938 — at the Moscow polygraphic Institute. In 1935-1938 he headed the workshop of monumental painting at Moscow architectural Institute. The summer months in the 1920s — 1930s held at the Optina Hermitage in Kaluga. These trips were for Bruni extremely fruitful in the creative respect: there was made a significant part of the drawings and watercolors of the 1920s and 1930s. In the 1930s, worked in the field of monumental art, creating murals and paintings in the Central House of pioneers in Moscow (1935), pavilions VSHV (1938-1939), the USSR pavilion at the world exhibition in Paris (1937), the Central theater of the red Army in Moscow (1939-1940). From the late 1910s was actively engaged in book illustration, he designed many books, including the book N. S. Gumilev "MIK I lui" (1915), V. V. Khlebnikov's poem "Bug death" (1917-1920), "Stories for children" I. Potapenko (1910), "Stories" by R. Kipling (1929), the book "Children about animals" by O. Perovskaya (1933), "Algerian prisoner" O. Profitable, "Lyrics" Nizami "Shah-Name" of Firdousi (1930) and others. During the second world war was evacuated to Kazakhstan. In 1944 he returned to Moscow. In 2000, the State Tretyakov gallery held a retrospective exhibition of the artist's works. Bruni entered the history of Soviet art primarily as a first-class master drawings, watercolors, and book Illustrator. In the beginning of his career he turned to painting and sculpture: creating portraits, paintings of mythological character, the counter-reliefs; but from the beginning of the 1920s was almost exclusively engaged in graphics: easel and book illustration. In place of painting came the watercolor. In the 1930s, along with graphics, worked as a master of monumental painting. Created his own style in the illustration, the formation of which was strongly influenced by French drawings late XIX — early XX century, had seen them during their stay in Paris in 1912, Japanese and Chinese watercolors and avant-garde experiments in which he took an active part in 1910.