[Тютчев]

A man with a family tree

Eug. VASILIEV

Lev Bruni once joked that he had "in their veins than blood, and watercolor. You bet - at least recall his famous ancestor, one of the prominent pillars of Russian academic Feodor Bruni: his "The Bronze Serpent" became a classic of art. His ancestors on his mother's side - no less famous watercolorist Pushkin epoch Petr Sokolov. Such a pedigree might well replace the university and the Academy of Arts.

Therefore Lev early and quickly emerged as an artist. In 1910-ies he attends the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. Then, in Paris, engaged in painting, studying the art of the French Impressionists. But do not fall under their influence, as many Russian artists.

Читать дальше... 

  From 1915 begins to appear at trade shows, especially "World of Art". In his workshop at the University Embankment going to St. Petersburg artistic elite, young innovators and rebels, ready to overthrow everything. This - Mayakovsky, Osip Mandelstam, Khodasevich, V. Tatlin, D. Mitrokhin, P. Miturich, N. Punin, N. Tyrsa, I. Zdanevich, VA Voinov, N. Altman ...

God and the idol of Bruni and his followers became avant-garde art, through which he passed with enthusiasm, passion and even radicalism. Passed, but did not remain, as many of his friends. It was this, rather, the obsession with youth, spectacular and promising novelty. His non-figurative compositions of this period are deprived of individuality, identity.

The flowering of creativity Lev Bruni accounts for 1920 - 30-ies. He actively participates in exhibitions. Especially striking and significant in such iconic as "Makovets" and "4 Arts", which establishes the continuity of artistic tradition and the high professional quality of work - are the main goals and objectives, which Bruni followed all his life. In whatever genre it acted - in painting, drawing, book illustration, in the monumental and decorative art.

Starting as a painter, Lev Bruni finally comes mainly to watercolors and drawing as the most suitable to its own inner freedom.

In my opinion, Lev Bruni, there was no secondary, anadromous themes and subjects. Even fast-situ sketches became one piece, fully finished products with their imaginative vision and profound meaning. Even, say, simply "Aspen", just "branch above the water," "Shed" or "Aryk. Whatever he represented - a pine forest in the Urals or the sea near Sudak, "winter" or "May in Izmailovo", "Portrait of a writer Novikova," or "aunt's Bazaar" - did so gracefully and elegantly, without any visible effort or strain, making inspiration and enthusiasm.

And more fun, with humor, with a smile. Actually, people, animals, things under the brush or pencil Lev Bruni seemed to become kinder, happier, warmer. Particularly charming, sweet and touching his "animal" work - illustrations for "Fairy Tale" by R. Kipling, in his book "The children of зверятах" O. Perovskoy, sketches of a tiger, wolf, dog, falcon ...

Lev Bruni illustrated many books - Gumilev, V. Khlebnikov, Ferdowsi, Musset, Merimee, A. Gaidar ... At the end of life conceived a great work - mounted illustrations for "Lyrics" Nizami - this book was published after his death.

The work of Lev Bruni imbued with such inner artistic and spiritual culture, such high taste - and for him was wonderful the whole world in all its manifestations - that you know: all this can not work out, all this comes only by inheritance, it is - from the deepest roots of the family. And in the work of Lev Bruni was that in 1916, said his friend N. Punin: "The Bruni is somehow ... the elements, lyrical power, which often rises to great pathos to this high sense of harmony with the universe. .."