Konstantin
Nikolaevich Istomin

He studied at the private Studio of the artist E. Schrader in Kharkov, then in art school sh holloshi in Munich (1906-09). In the 1920s, was part of the artistic Association "Makovets" and "Four arts". Taught at the VKhUTEMAS (1923-30), the Polygraphic Institute (1930-39), the Moscow art Institute named after V. I. Surikov (during the evacuation in Samarkand, 1941 — 1942). In his genre scenes, landscapes and portraits Istomin high professional culture fused with soulful lyrical perception of the world; a frequent motif in his paintings were cityscapes old and modern Moscow 1920s-30s ("Winter landscape. Moscow lane", 1926; "In the room. At the window", 1928; "Bouzouki", 1933, — all in Tretyakov gallery). Intense internally "complex simplicity", the integrity of the artistic vision of the world, precise but soft lines, color and light contrasts - the essence of pictorial language Istomin. Istomin's works are in state Tretyakov gallery, Moscow; state Russian Museum, St. Petersburg; Saratov state art Museum and other meetings.

26.XII.1886(7.I.1887) – 28.VIII.1942] — the member of the society "Makovets", "4 art", AHRR. B. in Kursk, in the family of an officer. In Kursk, he spent his childhood, here he began to study in high school. In 1901 the family moved to Vladivostok, where his father was transferred. Along with school I. attended a school of drawing. When did the Russo-Japanese war I. the family moved to Kharkov, where I. had completed secondary education and some time worked in the art Studio of the artist E. Schrader. During the revolutionary events of 1905 I. participated in the protests were arrested and imprisoned. Coming from prison, in the summer of 1906 he went to Germany with the intention to devote yourself to painting. Returning to Moscow in the autumn of 1909, he entered the art Department of the Moscow University, a student made (in 1912) a trip to Greece and Italy. I. in the summer of 1913 he was drafted into the army. During the first world war, commanded an artillery battery, and suffered a concussion and surgery. In 1917 he was elected to the regimental Committee, but soon was demobilized, and in March 1918 he arrived in Moscow. Get a job in the section of fine arts of the Moscow Soviet, I. was engaged in design of agitation trains and the first Soviet holidays. In the spring of 1919 he joined the Red Army, but after being wounded and transferred typhoid was released from military service. In 1921, after a short diplomatic service I. was sent at the disposal of the people's Commissariat of education to organize the art workers'. From the 1920s until the end of life I. — Professor of the Higher art workshops (VHUTEMAS), renamed after eight years at the Higher art and technical Institute (VHUTEIN), and reorganized into several independent universities, including the Moscow art Institute named after V. I. Surikov.

Despite the heavy workload of educational work, I. found time for creativity. In the 1920 – 30s, he wrote several landscapes, still lifes, portraits, genre paintings of "young girls" (1924), "Tea party", "Harvest", "Mother and child", "For cleaning vegetables", "Morning" (1928), "the Caucasian aul" (1928), "On the terrace" (1929), "Reading woman" (1931), "Quiet day" (1935) and others, participated in the exhibitions of the society "Four arts". Some notes and record the military time allowed him to prepare for the tenth anniversary of the October revolution, the graphic series "the Red Army in the Donbass", received an award. In the autumn of 1941 the Institute. Surikov was evacuated to Samarkand, where I. and died.

The most well-known works are, I. "Female portrait" (1922, Saratov state arts Museum), the painting "Bouzouki" (1933, State. The Tretyakov gallery), etc. the Plot "Bouzouki" is extremely simple: in a modestly furnished Dorm room at the table, engaged two girls, simply dressed, short hair. Outside, visible winter cityscape, and one of the "vuzovok" for some time admiring its beauty. The picture is under strict, almost graphic color scheme is characterized by a lyricism and stands out among the solemn and magnificent works of art of the 1930s. Several years, and worked on the painting "the revolt of the Romanian peasants", which were only in outline. The artist tried his hand as an Illustrator, performed sketches of scenery and costumes for some productions, but the main force was given to easel painting. While vacationing in the Crimea, he with youthful passion was fond of southern nature and wrote a number of excellent seascapes. The first exhibition of paintings I. was organized in Moscow in 1961 and his disciple I. V. Savitsky, the Director of the Karakalpak Museum. The second solo exhibition in 1975. In 1985 in Moscow was published the album of reproductions of "Selected works". I. works are in state Tretyakov gallery, Moscow; state Russian Museum, St. Petersburg; Saratov state art Museum and other meetings. In the Kursk art gallery houses a painting by I. "the Suburbs (Crimea)" (1928).

(N. F. Shakhov)

Lit.: Great Soviet encyclopedia, 3rd ed., vol. 10, p. 548. E. Kurlyandtsev. Konstantin Nikolaevich Istomin. //STO anniversaries. Art calendar 1987. M., Sov. the artist, 1986, pp. 19 – 21.