[Тютчев]

Lev Bruni (1894 - 26.02.1948)

Lev Bruni pedigree reads like a gripping historical novel. His name - Italian. Rhode artists Bruni was known in Northern Italy and Switzerland with the Renaissance of XVI century. On the maternal line - too solid artists. Sam Lev Bruni's childhood was sure: "All people - artists.

Famous academic painter's great-grandfather was Leo Alexandrovich paternal Bruni Feodor Antonovich. His painting "The Brazen Serpent" - once the second most popular domestic historical painting (the first place, of course, belonged to the "Last Day of Pompeii"). On the maternal line - too solid artists. The brilliant watercolorist Peter Fyodorovich Sokolov, another great-grandfather, Nicholas I himself posing with the family ...

Читать дальше... 

And finally, another genealogical detail: his wife, PF Sokolova was Julia Brullov, sister of the great Charles. In the immediate surroundings - the artist's grandfather, father, architect. Sam Lev Bruni, later recalled that as a child was sure: "All people - artists. His own natural gift was inevitable. When one of the drawings came to himself, Alexander Benois, he praised the 14-year old boy as an account of the talent. Vocational Bruni was quite short: two winters at the Academy of Arts, a year in Paris. The young artist, who just turned 20, begins to exhibit together with the "World of Art" and immediately became known. Everything is given to him easily, everyone else loves him, calling none other than Lyovushka. One of those who knew him recalled: "He was younger than all of us, seemed to the boy, but was able to collect and people to push their foreheads ..." In his workshop in the house on the University Embankment regularly occurred "evening", which became a fact of history of Russian culture. They are now referred to as the literary and artistic circle "Flat No.5". Its permanent members were artists Altman, Miturich, Tyrsa, poets, M., Klyuev, Balmont, Lurie, a composer, critic Punin. Appeared in the apartment No.5 Mayakovsky, Chagall, Khlebnikov, Rozanova, Zaitsev, Tatlin ... Under the influence of Tatlin Lev Bruni began creating constructivist "kontrrelefy" - abstract rebounds from different materials. Together with Tatlin and Rodchenko took part in a futuristic exhibition "Shop" where shown "broken barrel of a cement and glass, pierced by a bullet." But it is hardly possible to argue that Bruni seriously immersed in a battle that led supporters of gay avant-garde. For him there was no struggle, but was friendly solidarity and, most importantly, search for - "living" art that make life so rich and intense. Later in his unfinished memoirs, NN Punin admitted that, if they were all "was given another piece of history, perhaps, these meetings have survived ... would be remembered as the time period most life complete ..." However, times have not choose. " It was in 1916, and the time that they all fell, with the arrogant certainty intruded in such a happy and full life. In November, the artist called in the army. And soon with all the growing insistence sounded "music revolution". She succumbed to the hypnotic rhythm of many, but not Lev Bruni. For it is far more important was another sound - let no one else heard, but for him a distinct melody of its own destiny. In the summer of 1917 he traveled to the Urals, in Miass. Lives there with his family Konstantin Balmont and goes to school the poet's daughter - Nina. The wedding of Nina Balmont and Lev Bruni held in the same Miasse spring of 1919.
Around the world will crumble in the chaos of civil war. They go to the east - in Omsk, then Novo-Nikolaevsk. During this period, the homeless wandering artist and stop using oils. But he, like never before, learn to paint everything: the lake and sleeping wife, flower pots and carriage of their first child, surrounded by chickens and puppies ... It will not just diary "clipping" or protocol reports. This will be that the language of definitions of art is called "easel chart. In short, complete and self-sufficient works of art. "When you knew of a litter \ grow verses without knowing shame ..." The most simple things have infinite value and beauty. This truth is clearly distinct from opened Bruni is in those "damn day. It turned out that this homeless and not burdened with material things of life had many - love, the world around in the infinity of forms and diversity of mysterious relations. And, then, was that oppose the chaos and confusion that bedevil all.
When he returned to Petrograd, Bruni once again closely communicates with Tatlin, even lived in his studio, where the model going utopian monument III International. And illustrates the phantasmagoria of Hoffmann. In general. Lev does not become an active creator of the new revolutionary art. Circumstances seemed to divert him from this. Thus, at the last moment was rejected already prepared a draft November decoration of the Palace Square. And he Bruni moved to Moscow at the invitation of V. Favorsky. With family went to Optina desert and lived there for a long time. It is in the 20 years in Optinoj artist creates his best stuff.
In his works, nothing happens, or rather, is the most important thing: they bend under the weight of wet snow, the first trees that glisten just washed with rain, the roof, the sunlight penetrates the forest thicket ... All are one, well, animation and brittle. This fragility and impermanence simply require that to be etched. The artist responds to a silent demand.

It operates continuously, life and art to it are tangled, twisted. Creativity highest test becomes part of everyday life, should be, because he was a carefree attitude to Mozart's already completed their work and their future. When in the mid 30's a prominent art critic A. Chegodaev decided to select the exhibition several of his works. Lev launched from under the sofa battered suitcase. He was brim full of watercolors - crumpled, with edges that curved in order to put the sheets in a suitcase, then izgryzannymi someone - as it turned out, dog. One sheet was eaten by a third. Shaken by what he saw, turned to art restorers ...
Now, this saved watercolor - one of the best works of Bruni, among those, unfortunately, the few that are kept in the Tretyakov Gallery. Pink frog froze between the thin blades of grass. It may be a long talk about the profundity of that in the visual arts equivalent gesture in favor of sound, movement, and space is always - a repository of mysterious silence, and that this work of Lev Alexandrovich it leaves the space, turning space in the world, has a decisive importance ... But probably better just to stay in the middle of the hustle of life addictive to watch and see. And with the sharpness, usually accessible only to children but to artists, to experience wonder and admiration of every drop of this world.

Author: Tanya YUDKEVICH