The Union of Youth : an Artists' Society of the Russian Avant-Garde
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THE UNION OF YOUTH An artists’ society of the Russian avant-garde Jeremy Howard I fO The Union of Youth For Albina The Union of Youth An artists’ society of the Russian avant-garde Jeremy Howard MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY PRESS Manchester and New York distributed exclusively in the USA and Canada by St. Martin's Press Copyright © Jeremy C. Howard 1992 Published by Manchester University Press Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK and Room 400, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010, USA Distributed exclusively in the USA and Canada by St Martin’s Press, Inc., 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010, USA British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress cataloging in publication data Howard, Jeremy. The Union of Youth : a society of artists in St. Petersburg, 1910-14 / Jeremy Howard, p. c.m. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-7190-3731-X 1. Soiuz molodezhi (Saint Petersburg, Russia) 2. Avant-garde (Aesthetics)—Russian S.F.S.R.—Leningrad—History—20th century. 3. Arts—Russian S.F.S.R.— Leningrad. L Title. NX556.L46H69 1992 709-.47’45309041—<ic20 92-8989 ISBN 0-7190-3731-X hardback Printed in Great Britain by Biddles Ltd, Guildford and King’s Lynn Contents List of plates page vi Acknowledgements viii Introduction 1 1 The prologue 8 2 Act I Scene i, The triangle breaks: the founding of the Union of Youth 41 3 Act I Scene ii, 1911 72 4 Act I Scene iii, And the Donkey’s Tail 104 5 Act I Scene iv, What is Cubism? 134 6 Act II Scene i, Becoming declamatory 156 7 Act II Scene ii, The final curtain 186 Epilogue 223 Biographical notes 225 Select bibliography 228 Index 233 Plates These plates, many of which illustrate works long lost and unreproduced since the 1910s, are almost exclusively taken from archival sources in Russia and Latvia. Most were published in Petersburg magazines between 1910 and 1915, several appearing as illustrations to the journal The Union of Youth. (All measurements are given in centimetres) 1 N. Kurbin,c. 1912. page 10 2 Photo of The Impressionists/Triangle Group at their Exhibition, St Petersburg, March 1909. 25 3 V. Matvejs, c. 1910. 44 4 P. L’vov, Tobolsk. Reproduced in Novyi zhurnal dlya vsekh, St Petersburg, No. 8, 1915, p. 5. 53 5 S. Nagubnikov, Still-Life with Oranges. Oil on canvas on cardboard, 667.5 X 68. Russian Museum, St Petersburg. 54 6 V. Matvejs, The Seven Princesses. Oil on canvas, 66 x 71, Museum of Art, Riga. 60 7 Khoromnyya deistva. Reproduction from Ogonek, St Petersburg, 5 February 1911. 83 8 E. Spandikov, Self-Portrait (My Self). Tempera on cardboard, 45 X 29.5, Russian Museum, St Petersburg. 91 9 S. Shleifer, The Shepherd Boy. Reproduced in Soyuz Molodezhi, No. 2, St Petersburg, 1912. 92 10 S. Baudouin de Courtenay, Scene in a Tavern. Reproduced in Ogonek, 23 April 1911 (unpaginated). 95 11 P. Potipaka, Earth. Reproduced in Soyuz Molodezhi, No. 2. 108 12 P. Filonov, Sketch (Adoration of the Magi). Reproduced in Soyuz Molodezhi, No.2. 111 13 CovtT oiSoyuz Molodezhi,'Ho.2,\9\2. Persian Miniature. 135 14 0. Rozanova, Seated Lady. Illustration to Soyuz Molodezhi, No. 3, 1913. 142 15 ‘Vystavka “Soyuza molodezhi” (“Kubistov”) v Peterburge’, Ogonek, 6 January 1913. Reproductions from top left: K. Malevich, Portrait of Ivan Vasil'evich Klyunkov, In the Fields, Peasant Funeral', E. Spandikov, Lady with Guitar, O. Rozanova, Portrait of Alevtina Rozanova. 145 16 I. Shkol’nik, Wash-Howse Bridge. Petersburg. Lithograph. Reproduced in Soyuz Molodezhi, No. 3, 1913. 174 17 1. Shkol’nik, Cover for 5oyMZ A/o/ocfez/i/No. 3, 1913. 174 18-20 I. Shkol’nik, lithographs. Reproduced, Soyuz Molodezhi, 1913. 175-6 21 O. Rozanova, lithograph. Reproduced, Soyuz Molodezhi, 1913. 177 22 M. Sinyakova, untitled work. Reproduced: ‘Vystavka kartin “Soyuza molodezhi” v Peterburge’, Ogonek, 1 December 1913. 194 23 I. Shkol’nik, The Provinces. Reproduced: ‘Vystavka kartin “Soyuza vi molodezhi” V Peterburge’, Ogone/c, 1 December 1913. 196 List of plates 24 A. Zel’inanova, Self-Portrait. Reproduced: ‘Vystavka kartin “Soyuza molodezhi” v Peterburge’, Ogonek, 1 December 1913. page 199 25 K. Dydyshko, Sheds, 1913. Reproduced: Novyi Zhurnal dlya Vsekh, No. 10, 1915, p. 15. 199 26 Vladimir Mayakovsky: A Tragedy, sketch ‘from life’ by S. V. Zhivotovskii. Reproduced in Ogo«eA:, 22 December 1913. 208 VII Acknowledgements It was in 1983 when I first thought of writing a book on the origins of modernism in St Petersburg, and in particular the art of Nikolai Kul’bin and the Union of Youth. I had come to sense a gap in the history books, although at the time I had little grasp of its scale or significance. Under the guidance of my first tutor in Russian art history, the uniquely inspirational Boris Kalaushin, I gradually began to explore this gap and soon arrived at the belief that it was a gaping hole that needed to be filled. Having decided that I was the one to do the filling I set to on a task that was to involve many years work and the help of many people and institutions. This book is the culmination of that work. While it is not possible to record here the names of all those whose assistance I received I should like to thank the following: Boris Kalaushin, who started the whole process; Christina Lodder, who guided the work through its many stages as a PhD thesis; Anthony Parton, who provided much support as the writing got under way; Georgii and Janna Kovenchuk, who introduced me to Kul’bin’s paintings; Sergei Kuznetsov, who helped me in my searches in the Russian Museum, taught me of Leningrad/St Petersburg and filled my head with many other projects; Elena Stolbova and other members of staff at the Russian Museum who showed me the collections; the staff of the Petersburg Theatrical Museum; Irena Buzinskis; Peteris Savickis for his warm encouragement, and all the staff at the Latvian Museum of Art, Riga; all the other libraries, academies and museums in which 1 worked in Russia and Latvia; Martin Kemp for facilitating my passage at St Andrews; the British Council and University of St Petersburg for their funding and realisation of my research in the Soviet Union; the Academy of Science library staff in St Petersburg for their willing supply of much material; my family for their patience; and my wife, Albina Ozieva, for the love and belief. J. H. Introduction This book represents the first attempt to analyse the development of the St Petersburg avant-garde between 1910 and 1914, with special reference to the art society ‘The Union of Youth’. This group of artists played a fundamental role in the establishment of an artistic ambience particular to Petersburg. This ambience is shown to involve an approach that was characterised by its retention of ‘idealistic’ and ‘realistic’ symbolism within a variety of modem styles. The Union of Youth was bom out of the short-lived art society ‘Trian¬ gle’, led by the unorthodox figure of Dr Nikolai Kul’bin. For this reason much attention is given to Kul’bin’s aesthetics in the early part of the book. His panpsychic ideas and their relation to the art of Triangle are introduced in the attempt to demonstrate their place and transmission within the context of the local Russian avant-garde, and the Union of Youth in particular. This, in turn, establishes their symbolist and scientific heritage and their Neo-Primitivist potential. An important and unprecedented feature of both Triangle and the Union of Youth was that neither was limited by parochialism or dogma. It can be argued that their breadth of outlook primarily stemmed from Kul’bin’s position as an untrained artist and ‘outsider’ to the art establishment. Their diversity hints at a certain synthesism, which became apparent in their attempts to unite the visual, musical and literary arts. They welcomed contact with all artists concerned with renewal in the arts and frequently took steps to broaden their spheres of activity - both creatively and geo¬ graphically. Thus the Union of Youth held talks with German and Nordic artists and took its exhibitions to Riga and Moscow and planned to take them further afield (to Baku, Berlin and Helsinki). It also planned a mu¬ seum of modem art, an idea circulated by Kul’bin, and sent Matvejs abroad to purchase works, organise exhibitions and get acquainted with European movements. It could be argued that it was the initial lack of parochialism and dogma that led to the swift collapse of the Union of Youth, and that naive immaturity and lack of confidence hindered its creative development. Certainly, its all-embracing qualities, together with the call for modernisa¬ tion, led to the participation of many amateur artists and students who subsequently gave up painting, as well as to many divergent views. Yet ultimately, the brevity of its existence was primarily the result of the call 1 The Union of Youth for continual self-appraisal and change. Moreover, it was this very open¬ ness to ideas that stimulated the development of certain individuals, such as Baudouin de Courtenay, Rozanova, Shkol’nik, Dydyshko and Matvejs. Western scholarship has tended to underestimate the contribution of the Petersburg avant-garde between 1910 and 1914, and has concentrated more on the Moscow developments such as ‘The Blue Rose’ and ‘Golden Fleece’ salons, as well as major figures such as Malevich and Tatlin. When Triangle is mentioned it is generally dismissed as ‘decadent’ or ‘neo¬ symbolist’, while the Union of Youth is mistakenly labelled ‘Cubo-Futur- ist’ on the basis of its production of Victory over the Sun.