Born on a farm Narbutivka (now Sumy oblast, Ukraine) 14 (26) November 1886 in the family of the landowner. Talent book graphics showed in his gymnasium years in Hlukhiv (1896-1906). Enrolling at the philological faculty of St. Petersburg University (1906), was introduced in this period with the “world of art”, including I. Ya. Bilibin. Finally having made a choice in favor of art, he studied in the Studio of V. E. Zvantseva arts (1908-1910) under L. S. Bakst and K. S. Somov.
Working for publishers I. N. Knebel, “the Rose,” “the Community of St. Eugenia” and others, have drawn their illustrations, ornaments, hand-drawn fonts a lot of books, – the best he managed fabulous and historical themes (the latter, however, also gained him a fabulous character). Its fine uzoroche (in the technique of drawing in ink, gouache and watercolours) were acquired with time an increasing stylistic diversity: he turned to the silhouette (in editions of Krylov's fables, 1911-1912, and numerous portraits), based on the toys and the lubok (books Matthew, don't worry bast, 1910; Toys, 1911), was added dramatic sound images (“war allegory”, performed in 1914-1916 for the magazine “Lukomorie”).
In 1917, the wizard settled in Kiev. Special love Narbut for “heraldic”, symbolic national images to the limit increased in a short period of hope for the independence of Ukraine. His masterpieces this time (the cycles of illustrations to the Aeneid, I. P. Kotlyarevsky's Ukrainian alphabet, 1917-1919; both of the cycle – at the Kharkov art Museum) exquisitely decorative and at the same time (especially ABC) ironic on the verge of surrealism. In 1919-1920 designed the magazines “art”, “the Sun of labour”, “dawns”, “the National economy of Ukraine”, freely varying motifs of Communist propaganda. He taught at the newly formed Ukrainian Academy of arts, and was its rector.
Died Narbut in Kiev on 23 may 1920.
G. I. Narbut was born in the family that belonged to the old but impoverished noble family. Cravings for their future secret case - book design - he felt a schoolboy, when he suddenly became interested in the ancient "Charter" and the letter for himself rewrote several large texts. Then he began to draw illustrations, imitating the "world of art", especially I. Bilibin.
In 1901, Narbut moved to St. Petersburg, where he met with Bilibin, who took him under his wing, introducing the circle "world of art". No education Narbut and has not received: he tried to attend art school E. N. Zvantseva arts, but painting did not come, and he remained a surprising nugget, by nature endowed with sophisticated graphic culture.
Debuted in 1907 Narbut illustrations for children's books, which immediately brought him fame. A big success was "Dance, Matthew, don't worry bast" (1910) and two books with the same name "Toys" (1911); in all three he skillfully used stylized images of Russian folk toys. In these illustrations, thorough outline drawing, subtly colored with watercolors, still bore traces of the influence of Bilibin that Narbut but soon it outlived its usefulness.
New, Mature style of the artist was influenced by passion for Russian culture of first half of XIX century - is so passionate that Narbut even furnished his apartment, got dressed and comb your hair in the spirit of the time. In three editions of Krylov's fables (1910, 1911), he skillfully used the decorative techniques of the Russian Empire, creating a lot of imitators. In two of these books, and also in the famous edition of "the Nightingale" by H.-K. Andersen (1912), where the varied traditional Chinese, he brilliantly revived the art of the silhouette.
Famous as one of the reformers of children's books, no less successfully Narbut illustrated and designed books for adults. Together with S. V. Chekhonin and D. I. Mitrokhin, he determined the high level of Russian book graphics of the pre-revolutionary years undoubtedly excelled in all subjects related to antiquity, and, in particular, heraldry, motifs which he developed a special love.
After the February revolution of 1917, Narbut returned to Ukraine. The best work of this period was begun in Petrograd sheets to the "Ukrainian alphabet", inventive themes and sophisticated graphic skills.
In Kiev in the autumn of 1917 he became Professor of the newly formed Ukrainian Academy of arts, and six months later - its rector. Publishing was in decline and frequent changes of regime prevented a normal life. Languishing without a favorite cause, Narbut played graphic products for themselves and their friends (so he designed a gorgeous private family archive). When the orders from the magazines and publishers finally went, he, starting from the forms of the Ukrainian Baroque, composed a new original font, subsequently taken up and is still widely replicated Ukrainian artists.
