Born February 22 (March 6) in 1881 in Palekh to a family of tailors. In 1890-1896, he studied in the Studio of N. M.Safonova. Teacher - I. A., Varvarin, V. I. Mazaev, I. M. Nefedov, P. A. Plekhanov. In 1896-1916, he worked in the Studio of Safonov. Was engaged in wall paintings of churches in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra in Kalyazin, Peterhof, Kostroma. In 1916, drafted into the army. Painted the walls of the barracks in the Orel military training grounds. In 1917 he returned to Palekh, but the work was not. To avoid starvation and his family moved into the Perm region. Worked as a loader of wood Kama, timekeeper in the locomotive depot at the station Yanaul. In 1921 returned to Palekh. Engaged in painting of wooden products, christiansteven. In 1925 he joined the Artel of ancient painting. Teachers of I. I. Golikov, I. M. Bakanov. From 1928 he taught at the vocational school (later the Palekh art school). Died November 4, 1947 after a long illness, was buried in the village of Red Palekh district, Ivanovo region.
The works of A. I. Vatagin distinguishes compositional simplicity, the clarity of silhouette, local color, expressive contours, sparse, but appropriate application of the gold. The first independent work - "the demonstration in the village" - has acquired the Tretyakov gallery. Was engaged in monumental painting and restoration (frescoes of the assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin (1946)), book illustration. The theme of the work: history, literature, genre scenes, hunting, battle. Participated in exhibitions since 1925.
A. I. Vatagin are stored in museums: gmpi, TG, Umgeni, PIM, SHAMS, Ivanovo OC, NGKHM, Yaroslavl HMM, the Russian Museum of A. S. Pushkin "Moika 12", GMANN, CMS, CMI.
