Ilya
Yakovlevich Gunzburg

A native of Grodno. Worked in the Studio of M. M. Antokolsky in St. Petersburg (1870). He studied in a private school of English girs (1872), then moved the 2nd Real school, after which he enrolled in the Imperial Academy of arts, where he studied (1878-1886) A. R. von Bock, N. A. laveretskogo and I. Podrezova. Attended RSOP. He received a gold medal (1886) and the title of class artist 1-th degree for the program "the Cry of prophet Jeremiah on the ruins of Jerusalem." He worked in easel and monumental sculpture, in the field of small sculpture and portrait (1880-1890), in plastic medal (early twentieth century). Was awarded the title of academician (1911). Professor-head of sculpture at PGSKHUM (1918-1925). Dean of the sculpture Department (1921-1923). Worked mainly in small forms of sculpture. The author of numerous portrait statues. Executed a number of portrait busts of contemporaries – the greatest Russian artists, writers, musicians, scientists, artists and public figures.

The writer's son, the future sculptor Gunzburg as a child, living in Vilna, was fascinated by the cutting of a whetstone, various objects and figures. First job the boy was seen and appreciated by M. M. Antokolsky, who arrived in Vilna in 1870. Since then, the study of Ginzburg, the famous sculptor, grew later in the creative collaboration and friendship which lasted until death Antokolsky in 1902. In the workshop teachers in St. Petersburg and under his leadership, Gunzburg was filled with the ornaments on the throne of the statue of Ivan the terrible Antokolsky. Later also made the bust of K. K. Grota for a monument of the past on the Antokolsky project, and a number of other works. The appearance of the teacher and the other was captured a Mature sculptor of portrait statues (e.g. "M. M. Antokolsky at the bench", 1897) and a bronze bust (1907). Ginzburg was the author of tombstones Antokolskaia (1909). Strongly influenced by Antokolsky has developed a creative method of Gunzburg, very precise observations, careful interpretation of the details.

In 1878 Gunzburg adopted at the sculpture Department of the St. Petersburg Academy of arts. In 1886 for the software work - the relief "Lament of the prophet Jeremiah on the ruins of Jerusalem" - he received a gold medal and the title of class artist 1-th degree. Worked as a sculptor mainly in the plastic art of small forms. They made many of the genre statues of scenes from the lives of children: "the Boy is going to swim" (1886), "the Young musician" (1890), "On the swing" (1901).

The specific form of the small plastic became developed Also a special kind of portrait statues, depicting figures of culture and art and to convey them in everyday creative activities. These are plaster and bronze statues of painters I. I. Shishkin, V. V. Vereshchagin (both 1892), I. Repin (1897), V. I. Surikov (1914), writers L. N. Tolstoy (1891), M. Gorky (1894), composer and pianist Anton Rubinstein (1898), etc. in General, the area of the portrait became almost the main in the work of the sculptor. In addition to portrait statues, Gunzburg performs numerous busts of representatives of the artistic intelligentsia — I. N. Archaeology (1886, gypsum; 1887, bronze), D. V. Grigorovich (1884), V. S. Solovyov (1900). Another significant area of activity of the sculptor, which brought him fame was the creation of artistic tombstones. In 1900-1910 they created a series of tombstones (for example, V. V. Stasov, 1908).

Worked also in the field of monumental sculpture. His are monuments to figures of science and culture, which manifested a constant interest of the sculptor for a portrait. The most significant of them is the monument to N. V. Gogol in the village (1911), I. K. Aivazovsky in Feodosia (1915). In the Soviet period, Ginzburg participated in the implementation of the plan of monumental propaganda, by performing the well-known portrait monuments G. V. Plekhanov (1921 - 25) and D. I. Mendeleev (1930-1932) in Leningrad, and a number of sculptural groups dedicated to the revolution (1926).

Engaged in Gunzburg and teaching: in 1918 he was elected to the post of Professor and head of sculpture at Petrograd GShM; in 1921-1923 was the Dean of the sculpture Department VKhUTEMAS.