Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin: adventurer, "great talent", the prophet

[Artem]

Kuzma Petrov- Vodkin : adventurer , " great talent " , the prophet

 05 November 2013 at 11:50 am,


135 years ago , November 5, 1878 , in the provincial town of Khvalynsk of the shoemaker and the maid was a boy . Kuzma called it , which in Greek means " decoration ».

It turned out that way : Kuzma Petrov- Vodkin was the decoration - and his family and the city. Yes, and the country too.

Vodka ancestor

I remember in school, name of the author " Bathing the Red Horse " and led me to the same blockheads veal delight. But he hardly would have shared our fun . The fact is that the grandfather of future celebrity , Peter, too, was a celebrity. However, the local - known throughout the Khvalynsk an alcoholic . In a fit of delirium tremens kroilnym he stabbed his wife with a knife and a couple of hours later, he died . But that Kuzma father , Sergei , was the only one (!) Cobbler who does not drink the whole town knew , but did not apply . All descendants of Peter himself , a lover of " little white ", called Petrov-Vodkin.
  Stamp of its origin is not too honorable Kuzma was carrying all my life. However, in the Soviet time it was, rather, help. But that's up to the revolution ... Even famous for his " populism " and emphasized democratic Itinerant Ilya Repin , having become acquainted with the painting Petrov- Vodkin , first in terms not shy about seeking more painfully hurt , " the cook's son ": " This is not art ! This is an outrageous disgrace ignoramus , a shoemaker, little man with slavish soul! " However, a few years later, in 1912 , in a show of that" Red Horse " Ilya E. changed his mind . Long stood at the web and was able to squeeze out only the " great talent ... "
But up to that point had yet to live . But how ? Only 15 years old , he graduated from the parish school . Four classes. Having traveled to Samara learn Railroad , Kuzma floods the entrance exam. I could not write an essay on "The History of Russia ." And no wonder - the level of teaching in the district parish school was the more . And then, just when the name of Petrov- Vodkin said with a respectful aspiration, he never got rid of the militant provincialism . But who knows , maybe he so specially teased capital mods ? Here's a perfect example. On one of the shows he was approached by esthete poet and critic Rurik Ivnev in glamorous velvet jacket . There was a significant dialogue . Ivnev , languidly , " Scola your beautiful red horse and a young man , the Messiah ! " Petrov- Vodkin, with a malicious mockery : " The horse is good . And here is the Messiah , then with bare Well ... first ! "
Africa and the blockade

Although this once healthy nerve to its highly summarized . In one of the versions , where Petrov- Vodkin brought his poem ( and who, incidentally , was a good writer ) , met a man , remarkably like him. Tall, with a mustache , high cheek-bones , a healthy and just shaved bald . He asked Kuzma question: " What is also going? " It was a bitter , that place of " talented nugget " jealously laid up for themselves . Soon, the newspaper published an article about the presumptuous provincial dropout who is too pretentious . Almost the first mention of the name of Petrov- Vodkin in print.

Did not add up with the money . Yes, Kuzma was patronage - Julia Kazarina , the wife of a wealthy merchant , seeing the pictures of the young men decided to send him something like monthly stipends to 25 rubles. And sends a regular basis , until the revolution .
For those times - not bad, but not much more. And he's already an artist , a graduate of the Moscow School of Painting , Sculpture and Architecture. And , if it is good , it is not bad to go abroad , as was the custom among young artists. And then - 25 rubles! And Petrov- Vodkin , apparently in a fit of despair, decides to confirm the old adage : " The rich clever with money , and necessity is the mother - in fiction ." After learning that a certain company promises to pay a European cruise for those who will travel by bicycle from Moscow to Paris , Petrov -Vodkin also agrees immediately . Firmachi not fooled , though , our hero just got to Warsaw. But for 12 days. It's a hundred miles every day - not a bad advertisement for the two- rydvanov .
His adventurism knew no bounds . For several years , finally reached the coveted Paris , the artist suddenly leaves him and goes ... to Africa. In his African adventure contemporaries do not really believe. Well, let's say : " I ​​was attacked by nomads in the Sahara . I shot back , but ran out of ammo . And then I began whistling in two fingers , as has happened over the river . I have not touched , and even the rest were told to protect " Russian , who is whistling ." Or again: " In Italy, I was kidnapped and forced to write copies of old masters ... "

They laughed at him , saying that this does not happen . It might be. But everything Petrov- Vodkin consists of such " fantastic story ." Is it happens that the artist suddenly appeared allergic to paint ? The only example in the world - our hero . And his gift of prophecy? When he finished his work " Herring " was 1918 's colleagues took him to laugh , " Vodkin draws herring! " And he said something absurd : "This ration siege of time." Before the siege of Leningrad remained for 23 years. And in general, " the most advanced proletarian artist" in the midst of persecution openly talks about "universal icon-painting " and openly , by renaming their old picture in the " Petrograd Madonna ?" And that's it. Man paradox. He should stay in Khvalynsk ought to become a shoemaker . And he somehow became an ornament ...

http://www.aif.by/timefree/culture-n...2-pet-vod.html