Moses
Solomonovich Nappelbaum

In the history of Russian and Soviet photography of the many glorious names of the masters who worked in the portrait genre. And yet, among them, the name of Moses Solomonovich Nappelbaum is perhaps the most significant. Born in 1869, he passed a long life and career. Fate decreed that he was lucky enough to meet outstanding people of Russia two most important historical stages: the period when the change H1H century came the twentieth century and the period of formation of new social relations after the October revolution of 1917. But before these meetings, Nappelbaum was a long way of mastering the photographic craft is very similar to the way many others and at the same time is quite unusual. At the age of 14 parents gave it to an apprentice in a portrait Studio“, Boretti” in Minsk, where their family lived. The boy, as expected, had to master one after the other three main occupations: first copyist, Retoucher and then finally photographer. Possessing abilities, he has done it faster than others - for three years.

In search of knowledge and experience Nappelbaum sent to the journey, in large and small cities of Russia. Smolensk, Moscow, Kozlov, Odessa, Evpatoria, Vilna, Warsaw follow each other, then sent to a distant America, based in new York, Pittsburgh, other U.S. cities

Only in 1895, when he returned to Minsk he opens his portrait Studio, starting to work independently. Fifteen years spent in his native city, became an important stage in the formation of the creative principles of photography. First of all, he felt the need to drop some familiar to portraitists norms, rejected the usual commercial brand of artificiality and prettiness of poses, refused the usual, wandering from the picture in the accessories, have ceased to use white or plain grey backgrounds. Colleagues Nappelbaum the search for the young photographer did not inspire confidence. He, in turn, paid them with indifference: it should be noted that in the following decades, Nappelbaum usually eschewed professional environment, preferring it to communicate with artists, writers, actors.

Making sure that in Minsk, he will not find understanding, Nappelbaum decided to move to the capital. So, in 1910 he was in St. Petersburg, began working in a richly illustrated magazine “Sun of Russia”, where he enjoyed his work, made in Minsk. In connection with the approaching fiftieth anniversary of the Moscow Conservatory the magazine asked him a series of portraits of musicians-professors. The anniversary issue of "the Sun of Russia", created from images Nappelbaum, attracted attention: the photographer became a regular contributor to popular publications.

These years were critical in the work of the portraitist. He became the owner of his own Studio, and located in the heart of Nevsky Prospekt, in a beautiful six-storey building.

The family portrait was large and friendly wife, four daughters, a son. The older daughter was fond of poetry, and in the house Nappelbaum formed a kind of club, whose members gathered on Monday. Famous poets Akhmatova and Gumilev, Luntz and Kuzmin, Tikhonov and Christmas were regulars of the "Mondays".

Already at this time, finally formed the tastes of the photographer: he was interested in visual arts, theatre, literature. Later he never tired of repeating that their teachers found in art museums - the Hermitage and the Tretyakov gallery. This is Rubens and van Dyck, Repin and Serov, Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci. However, the strongest impact on Nappelbaum-portrait had, of course, Rembrandt. In the beginning of the century in the world of photographers was fashionable the so-called "Rembrandt" lighting. Having studied the works of the great painter, Nappelbaum realized that fashion follow the artist was very far from the essence of his quest. “What was the lighting "Rembrandt" in photography? - wrote the portrait, remembering that time. Sharp side or rear lighting beam, directed at the face, hands or part of the figure. That's all. Unless we understand that the Rembrandt location of light and shadow in accordance with the background of the reports a sense of liveliness to the shape or relief of the subject that passed the inspired hand of Rembrandt, he begins to live his real life thanks to the distribution of light and shadows”.

Developing their understanding of the importance of light in the portrait, he began to use as a sole light source tysjacheletnego light bulb placed in a makeshift spotlights. “The rest of his life, confessed Nappelbaum much later, I worked with one light source. If I have achieved anything in the art of the photograph, in large measure due to this rather primitive in design lamp. She gave a light, which I lacked”.

Written in the later years of the book “From craft to art”, the photographer admits that the need to remove everyone who came in the Studio was for him a heavy burden. The ability to take close-musicians, professors of the Conservatoire given to him by the editor of “the Sun of Russia”, was very close to the creative preferences of the photographer. The split between day-to-day work in his Atelier and creative orders received from the press started to bother the photographer. Once, in January 1918, after two and a half months after the October revolution Appelbaum announced that he was come from the publisher to do a portrait of V. I. Lenin. This work was a turning point in life and in art Nappelbaum. For the January shooting in Smolny was followed by other. A good portrait of Lenin was the beginning of a series of images of the leaders of the young Soviet state. When in the spring of 1918 the government moved from Petrograd to the new capital - Moscow Nappelbaum organized a portrait Studio of the Central Executive Committee. At first he hesitated to part with his St. Petersburg Studio and lived in two houses, as if not believing that the state print shop is able to give him a livelihood. However, the glory shot them portraits of Lenin and other leaders of the revolution were so great that to him in the Studio of the Central Executive Committee (and later in his Studio, located on Petrovka street, in the heart of Moscow) began to come to the people that make up the elite of the social and spiritual life of the country. Nappelbaum was most attracted representatives of creative professions: writers, artists, actors, scientists. With many of them, as I said, he was a friend, others know their work, the third for the first time saw in his Studio. However, it's amazing! in all cases he was able to penetrate deeply into the essence of man, to decipher the most important thing, sometimes hidden in it.

In 1935, in connection with semicentenial anniversary of the creative, in Moscow was held the second solo exhibition of works Nappelbaum. It was a triumph for the photographer. He was awarded the honorary title of honored artist of the Republic is a unique case in the history of photography. 400 portraits, the exposition became a significant phenomenon in the cultural life of the country.

During the great Patriotic war, despite his advanced age, the photographer continued to work. No wonder his third solo exhibition, held in Moscow House of scientists in 1946, among the 250 portraits exhibited significant proportion were previously unknown works. In the postwar time Nappelbaum removed for less: main business was to work on a book in which he summarized his vast artistic experience. The book tells in detail the story of the path traversed by the portraitist of understanding of the basics of the photographic craft to the heights of art. The book and called the author “From craft to art,” was published in 1958, a few months after the death of the photographer.

(The author of the article Vartanov, Anri, the magazine "Soviet photo" №11, 1988.)