People's Artist of USSR (1958), Hero of Socialist. Labor (1964), laureate of the State prize (1956). Created about a thousand works, a large number of portraits, distinguished by psychological insight and perfect plasticity. solutions (“Nikos Beloyannis”, “modest Mussorgsky”, “Self”, etc.), and a number of easel and monumental compositions, including “Samson”, sculpted many works related to folk tales and Russian epics. The whole of life and tireless creative activity enrichment is inseparably connected with the Smolensk region. In 1970 in Smolensk is a Museum of sculpture Konenkova, the basis of which was donated to the city 40 of his works. Honorary citizen of Smolensk (1964). Konenkova's name named street in Smolensk and have a copy of his famous “self-Portrait”.
Before the revolution who were called "the Russian Rodin".
Konenkov was born in the village of karakovichi, yelninsky district, Smolensk province into a peasant family. He studied at the Moscow school of painting, sculpture and architecture, and later in the Higher art school of the Imperial Academy of arts in Saint-Petersburg Professor V. A. Beklemishev. Thesis Konenkov "Samson tearing the bonds" seemed too revolutionary and by order of the officials of the Academy of arts were destroyed.
In 1897 travelled to France, Italy, Germany.
The revolutionary events of 1905 found Konenkov in Moscow. Under the impression of events, he creates a cycle of portraits of the combatants on Presnya ("worker-Thriller 1905 Ivan Churkin").
Konenkov prepares Filippov café on Tverskaya (1905), creates bas-relief "the Feast" (1910).
In 1912, visited Greece and Egypt.
Konenkov working on a "forest series", which is widely used in wood, using different processing techniques. For him the forest is the embodiment of the elemental forces of nature, symbol of beauty. He creatively reinterprets images of ancient legends, uses the techniques of folk carving. To the series belong such works as "Old man" (1909), "Old-polevychok" (1909), "Stribog" (1910), "Prophetic old woman" (1916), "Uncle Gregory" (1916), "Beggar brethren" (1918).
In parallel with the "forest cycle" Konenkov working on the "Greek cycle" ("Young man" and "Horus").
Konenkov was one of the first Russian sculptors of the turn of 19-20 centuries obrashatsja to the image of a naked female body. His work is often couched in the traditions of Russian folk art, wood carving. ("Winged" (1913), "the Firebird" (1915), "the Caryatid" (1918).
Sculptor supported the October revolution. His desire for monumentality has become a dominant trend in the art of those years. The search for new forms is reflected in the works of 1918-1919: the bas-relief "Fell in the struggle for peace and brotherhood of peoples" for the Kremlin wall and the monument, "Stepan Razin" for red square.
In 1922, Konenkov marries Margarita Ivanovna Vorontsova, and in the end of 1923, they go to the USA for participation in the exhibition of Russian and Soviet art. It was assumed that the trip will only last a few months, but the return of the native was only 22 years later. Main residency and work in this period — new York.
In 1928-1929 G. G. Konenkov makes a trip to Italy, where it occurs with A. M. Gorky and working on his portrait. In Rome there passes a personal exhibition.
The American period of creativity are drawings specially associated with reflections on the themes of the Bible "Apocalypse". The artist depicts Christ, prophets and apostles, creates thumbnails to the cosmogonies.
In 1935, the administration at Princeton University ordered Sergei Konenkova bust of the scientist albert Einstein. The great physicist with respect to the work of Russian sculptor, but with even more attention to his wife Konenkova, Margarita. Margaret was also acquainted with Robert Oppenheimer, "father of the American atomic bomb."
During the second world war Konenkov was a member of the relief Committee of Russia.
On the personal orders of Stalin in 1945, was chartered the ship "Smolny", which Konenkova and all of his work was transferred to the Soviet Union. Many more casts were then transferred into the material.
The sculptor got the Studio on Gorky street in Moscow.
Sergey Konenkov author of portraits of Turgenev, Mayakovsky, Tsiolkovsky, Zelinsky, monuments to Pushkin, Tolstoy, Surikov, tombstones to Prishvin.
The sculptor also fulfilled the promise given Bitter during their meeting in Italy, has created a portrait of the writer's granddaughter Martha, her daughter, Nina and mother Nadezhdy Alekseevny Peshkova, objednal them in the series "Three ages".
In the gallery of portraits occupy a special place image composers, including Bach and Paganini.
From the non-incarnate works project of the monument to Alexander II.
Sergei Konenkov was buried in Moscow at Novodevichy cemetery.
Konenkov sculptor — people's artist of RSFSR and people's artist of USSR, member of USSR Academy of arts. Winner of the Lenin prize. Awarded the order of Lenin, Hero of Socialist Labor.
- Artworks in 1 selection
