Vladimir
Evgenievich Egorov

In 1900 he graduated from the Moscow Stroganov art school. Since 1900 he worked as an artist-decorator of the Opera theatre of S. Zimin. In 1905-1912, worked at the Moscow art theatre, the Maly theater, etc. Since 1915 moved into film; one of the founders of the national centerarizona art, set designer and decorator of the film "Russian gold series" P. Timana. People's artist of the RSFSR (1944). 1946 - Stalin prize (II degree, the film "guilty Without guilt")

"In the movie Egorov came in 1915: at the invitation of the kinofirmy "Timman, Reinhardt, Osipov and Co." he carried out decorative design of the film "the picture of Dorian gray", directed by Sun. Meyerhold. Definition of rhythmic proportions, perspective, the play of textures, light and shadow, perspective the decision of the scenery, the presence of characteristic features expressed the distinctive style of the artist, sensitively catch the specifics of the new art forms. Egorov describes one of the film: "the chair, with the feet of a London dandy, corner fireplace and all... For forty years we did a lot of offices, but this I think is the best for a movie..." In mastering the techniques of filmmaking a great influence on the artist has rendered the cameraman A. Levitsky.

Egorov first introduced in kindegarten designing the graphical method, allowing to clearly and concisely identify visual accents in the light projection on the two-dimensional plane of the screen. Unprecedented for that time was the method of conceptual realization of the complex decorative pattern. Vladimir Gardin recalled that with the advent of Yegorova in the film Studio "everywhere talking about a new direction in productions of company, vision, painting techniques, building a frame, based on the principle of beauty obseleting plan". Minopacity ahead of the visual form of the film as "the highest achievement of Russian cinema", highly appreciating the scenery of the artist. Yegorov is a welcome party films. Bringing the culture of scenography in film, he creatively addresses new decorative tasks. Each painting, which involved Egorov, becomes visible in the fine decision. In the advertising messages of "Russian Gold series" for the first time the name of the artist is close to the name of the Director. In the film "Tsar Ivan the terrible" precisely and expressively recreates the era in "the Praise of madness", the decorations stylish character in the film "Love's surprises are futile" (1916) play space is solved in the conventional way, "the young Lady and the hooligan" seamlessly combines the natural and the Studio. The artist builds a three-dimensional spatial frame, telling him shaped certainty and cinematic expression.

The artistic result of a considerable number of paintings of the 1930-ies and 1940-ies, which was attended by Egorov, could be more significant. It is often sketchy ideas unrecognizably changed upon the Director's translation to the screen, deprived of drama and expressive expression. Feature film as fine art during these years was completely rejected.

But in spite of adverse circumstances creativity Egorova has not lost the unique identity and accuracy of cinematic vision.

Creativity Egorova fully determined canadacraig as a visual Director. Plastic the idea of the artist was the complete embodiment of the image film in its synthetic manifestation. Egorov first revealed the features of the new profession — artist-Director of the film and rightly considered the founder of centerarizona art in the Russian cinema".

Victor VOEVODIN. Great cinema: Catalogue of the surviving fiction films of Russia (1908-1918). M., 2002

"Timana appeared artist V. E. Egorov. Everywhere talking about a new direction in productions of the company, the introduction of painting techniques, building a frame, based on the principle of beauty obseleting plan.

V. E. Egorov was the first to introduce the graphical method in stage design.

For a given scenario scenery he always found her synthetically-semantic graphic expression. The details eliminated, and "valuable" is designated so clearly that the eye is not looked at, and seen as a good poster.

The office of the Minister Egorov will never pile up like Sabine, twelve chairs, two cabinets, three sofas and hung on the wall a dozen paintings and photographs. No, a huge Desk and chair of appropriate size, one picture and the right things on the table immediately identify the scene. Bedroom he lets hyperbolic, in some meters, a bed, a living — light banners and a Grand piano with raised lid, with exquisite design of the stand, translucent against the wall, plant — a huge wheel with drive belts, rows of long Windows and a system of small spinning circles in depth.

Do you think you can talk about scenery in the movie. Need to see them, you have to wonder at the ingenuity of the artist, examining his sketches.

For each new setting he was introduced to the Director of dozens of their "reasons". Dazzled with choice! The artist went to war on screen-writing utensils on the tables,bored cards or postcards on the Wallpaper of the walls, bored Chinese vases in living rooms and bugarchich, become familiar stuffed birds in the dining rooms, the boring of the gun on the carpets on the couches.

His sketches for historical films is wonderful. One can only regret that many of them probably died in the archives of the film studios.

Our joint with Vladimir Evgenievich work began in 1917 and continued at long intervals until the production of "Stepan Razin" in 1939."

Vladimir GARDIN. Memories. Volume 1 1912-1921. M., 1949

"Production group "Four hundred million" was composed of two artists: V. Egorov and A. Arapov.

On the work of V. E. Egorov, I have been told. In HFSA (when the production of "Last bet", "Locksmith and Chancellor" and other pictures), and now Egorov drew their sketches sweeping strokes in a free style poster. Often he built pavilions, very vaguely reminiscent of his own sketches, but the scenery was convenient for shooting, having a depth, acquiring on a flat screen three-dimensionality.

Egorov accurately foresaw-point shooting. Often left half or some corner unpainted, unfinished. It looked ugly, it seemed very sloppy... but when I started shooting, I discovered that just half is not included in the frame, unpainted angle did not prevent anything, as it is not visible in the frame. Operators were pleased to work with Vladimir Evgenevich. Actors always felt at ease in the halls Egorova; he was able to accommodate any staging.

Especially good was the large-scale pavilions Egorova: large ceremonial halls, spacious lobbies, wide Grand staircase, the...

Incidentally, he was fond of easel painting and fine portraits... but always of gigantic proportions. Customers who wished to be immortalized by the brush of Vladimir Fortov, was rarely taken from the artist's Studio paintings with their images. It was difficult to fit in your living room.

And in the movies Vladimir showed a remarkably accurate understanding of proportions, professional knowledge of the business. Sometimes, I used to look at Yegorov built sets and will say:

— Something I don't like, Vladimir Evgenevich. On the sketch it looked much better...

— And you look at the screen! Pavilion built not in order to look at it alive to the human eye. It is necessary to shoot on film through the lens of the imaging camera, then projected on a screen through the projection lens apparatus. Then on the screen you will see that the scenery is a lot better than you liked the sketch.

And constantly proved that he was right. The scenery Egorova was always better than the sketches.

Not to be misinterpreted, should stipulate that the calculations Egorova was not based on "witchcraft" and the notorious intuition and accurate knowledge of cinematic techniques, lighting effects, geometrically weathered the distribution of light and shadow..."

Vladimir GARDIN. Memories. Volume 2. M., 1952

"The period of filming "Mother" refers to the beginning of my friendship with a great master of decorative art, a remarkable artist Vladimir Evgen'evich Egorov. I knew him before. But when in his workshop at the Baltschug before me was spread out the sketches "Mother", when the hospitable host showed me the portraits, written at different times, I was downright stunned by his talent.

As a theater artist Egorov worked for a long time, but in the film only debuted in 1915, suppliers together with Vsevolod Meyerhold, "the picture of Dorian gray". You can argue about the merits of this film (filmed, by the way, Levitsky), but it seems to me that earlier in the comic was not such scenery that make up a harmonious whole with the figurative solution of the painting, with its artistic conception. We, young artists, nothing of the kind up to that time on our screens is not seen. It is known that in the Art theatre Egorov designed the "Blue bird", which was a huge success in Russia, and during a foreign tour of the famous theatre. About the design of the play wrote a lot and fairly, emphasizing the striking beauty and solemnity of the scenery.

Vladimir was an excellent conversationalist, truthful and impartial critic. The man manly and handsome, he had great love of their students at the Stroganov school. They forgave him even ironic attitude to his work because he recognized him as the unquestioned authority. About this wizard before him at the time, I told a childhood friend of Alexander Osmerkin, with whom we spent hours on the lessons from F. Kazachinsko in Yelisavetgrad.

Learning that I was a countryman Osmerkin, Egorov proceeded to ask me about it. He appreciated the artistry and professionalism Osmerkin, his peculiar vision of the world, enriched with brilliant erudition and yet preserve the simplicity of children's perception of nature. Remember that Egorov, well knew his colleague's work at the Stroganov school was downright flabbergasted that my grandfather Osmerkin was a painter and that's what we in the workshop last Sunday a secret from all studied painting. He genuinely, without irony said, "So that's where he is from iconography!" and contagious laugh.

More interested Egorova what Osmerkin in every way tried to persuade me to leave the cinema — "it is not serious" — and go to work in the theater, which has a cultural tradition in contrast to "this farce".

My sinful, — said Egorov, — further in the movie grow want. So these are the sketches I think you put two of the film-a fairy tale (I "Neptune" offers!). But I'm afraid the accountant will be bugged: calculations, accounting... shooting will cancel the burn. I don't know how to be...

Browsing bright, original escasy to Pushkin's fairy tales, I was sincerely admire the imaginative thinking of a great artist. It prompted much anyone, even the most experienced Director.

— Moreover, — he continued — that I Osmerkin every day discourages. Watches sketches, swearing. But on the part of Pushkin — he dock, Professor!

Unable to stand, I opened the merry artist little "secret" friend: he was preparing at the time of the theatrical performance with A. Wild.

— Wait and see. Maybe before the movie comes?..."

Alexander REASONABLE. At the root of..., M., 1975.

"The perspective, the dynamic nature of visual expression, imaginative highlighting detail, sharp large-scale correlation of decorative elements, conciseness and clarity of their graphic definition – distinctive features of manners Egorova. In his graphic developments roam the enzymes of a new type of art, which at that time was taking its first steps. [...]

Items in the interior is not a passive framing of the action, and the extra touches of his imaginative saturation. Classic still life of the artist: palette, brushes in jars, paint become components of the action. Bristling, brush cut sharply into the space, dramatically oboznachaet on a dark background. In a small group, shifted to the edge of a small table and educated neighborhood crock and glass vessels with thinner and paint, the confrontation comes as if the texture of objects. Long hair, lying across the table outlines the distance between Hallward and Dorian. In the contrast between black and white colors are the clothes of the actors, the fabric on the hanger and the crossbar of the table. Side direction of the light enhances the drama of what is happening. [...]

The interaction of spatial plans in the rhythmic oscillation from the plane to the depth in the return movement and the intersection detects the manifestation of the temporal parameter in the visual solutions Egorova. His frames are separately existing, closed formation, beautifully illustrating the scenario of the film. They are a potential charge that is not permitted in the cinematic energy of the active phrase, which is achieved by connecting the mounting frame, where, with full freedom realizes itself time."

Victor VOEVODIN. V. Egorov – the artist film of Meyerhold "the picture of Dorian gray" // KZ, 1988, No. 1