Nikolai
Andreevich Tyrsa

Born in the village Aralik, Erivan lips. (now Aralik, Turkey). Died in Vologda. The Illustrator and Illustrator. He also worked in the field of decorative-applied arts (glass).

The son of an officer of the Kuban Cossack army. He studied at the Academy of arts (1905-1909, with interruptions); the school of E. N. Zvantseva arts (1907— 1910) L. S. Bakst; in the etching workshop of V. V. Matai. He taught at the Central school of technical drawing Stieglitz (until 1922), Petrograd state free art studios (1918-1922), later — the Institute of painting, sculpture and architecture (1923-1936), in Leningrad Institute of engineers of communal construction (1924-1942). Member of art societies: "Union of youth", "Left join", "4 art". In 1939— 1942, he participated in the production of posters "Fighting pencil" in Leningrad.

In 1940-41, he took up glassmaking and working together with Vera Mukhina in the experimental shop of the Leningrad mirror factory, designed about two dozen items - decanters, glasses and vases, distinguished by conciseness and nobility of the original form and with a keen sense of the nature of glass, it can be considered one of the founders of the Leningrad school of art glass.

The son of an officer of the Kuban Cossack army N. A. Tyrsa studied intermittently at the architectural Department of the Academy of arts (1905-09) and at art school E. N. The Zvantseva (1907-10). He first drew the attention of critics in 1914, presenting at the exhibition brilliant drawings with Nude models. His creative interests were very diverse, and in each of the areas he showed himself highly professional and original.

In his youth Tyrsa gave several years to the study of ancient art by copying the frescos and participating in their restoration; then engaged in decorative painting of St. Petersburg mansions.

In the 1920s, the artist's attention was focused on the chart. In the easel chart - numerous drawings and watercolors from nature - he honed his skills. Industrial graphics was for him primarily a means of income, but over it he labored with enthusiasm.

To graphics book Tyrsa walked back in 1921, issued the "Comedy of king Maximilian," and illustrations for "Goat" (1923) marked the beginning of the work in the children's book, where he soon became one of the most important masters. Focusing on readers and students preferring themes of modernity, or of the nearest past, he designed dozens of books, notably "the Siege of the Palace" VA Kaverina, "Republic SHKID" by G. G. White and L. Panteleyev, "the snow book" V. Bianchi, "War horses" N. Tikhonov, "Childhood" by M. Gorky; more often than not, he turned to books BS Zhitkova, his constant and favorite author. In a fascinating, dynamic illustrations Stipa realistic precision was connected with romantic feeling.

In the 1920s, he began teaching drawing and watercolor in different institutions, nurtured many great artists. Since the mid-1920s, Stipa paid more attention to watercolors, as if preparing for a transition to oil painting in the 1930s.

His paintings - landscapes, still lifes, interiors, images of Nude models - grew out of field studies and, in contrast to the illustrations, were of a contemplative nature, but they are full of admiration for the wealth and beauty of the world and captivate the temperament of the embodiment of this world on canvas.

In those same years, for his self-interest has acquired a lithograph, which he used only in the illustrations. The idea of the spread of highly massive pictures fascinated him and inspired the creation of a great multi-color prints (including the famous "Bouquet", 1939), and the vigor of the mind pushed to the invention of completely new technology, "blur the ink on the stone," an unprecedented expanding the possibilities of lithography. In the children's book Tyrsa now working less, but turned to books for adults and performed a beautiful illustration of "the Queen of spades" by Alexander Pushkin (1936), "Anna Karenina" by L. N. Tolstoy (1939) and "Hero of our time" by Mikhail Lermontov (1940). In 1940-41. he took up glassmaking and working together with Vera Mukhina in the experimental shop of the Leningrad mirror factory, designed about two dozen items - decanters, glasses and vases, distinguished by conciseness and nobility of the original form and with a keen sense of the nature of glass, it can be considered one of the founders of the Leningrad school of art glass. Major solo exhibition Stipa opened June 15, 1941, but lasted only a week - the war began. January 29, 1942, he, prostrate in the winter besieged, evacuated from Leningrad, but it was too late.