February 8 was born Leon Bakst

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Bakst Leon
Russian painter, stage designer, book illustrator
February 8, 1866 - December 27, 1924

Leon Bakst (real name - Leo Rosenberg Samoilovich) was born (January 27) February 8, 1866 in Grodno in a poor Jewish family. Boy spent his childhood in St. Petersburg. Prior to 1887 was volnoprihodyaschim student Academy of Fine Arts. Then he studied painting under the guidance of their own and Albert Benois. At this time, he moonlights as an illustrator of books.

In 1889 he participated in his first show under the pseudonym of Leon Bakst. In the early 1890s exhibited watercolors at the Society. But since the mid 1890s, Bakst is adjacent to the circle of writers and artists, emerging around the Sergei Diaghilev and Alexandre Benois. Later, the circle will turn into the "World of Art". In 1898 he, together with Diaghilev involved in the base of the eponymous publication. Graphics, published in this journal, brings him fame.

In 1902 in Paris, Bakst was commissioned by Nicholas II in "The meeting of Russian sailors." During the revolution of 1905 Bakst worked for the magazines "Bugbear," "Hell-mail," "Satyricon."

In 1907 Bakst lives mostly in Paris and is working on a theatrical scenery, which makes a real revolution. It creates a backdrop for the Greek tragedies, and from 1908 is included in the story as the author sets for Diaghilev's «Ballets Russes» («Russian Ballet").

One of his students was Marc Chagall (in 1908-1910). In 1914 Bakst was elected a member of the Academy of Fine Arts.

December 27, 1924, he died in Paris of lung edema.