7/9 Universitetskaya Emb., 199034, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Saint Petersburg State University
7/9 Universitetskaya Emb., 199034, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Saint Petersburg State University
Ukrainian State Academy of Arts
educator illustrator painter graphic designer
Ethnicity:
His father had ancient Lithuanian nobility origins.
Heorhiy Narbut was born on February 25, 1886 in Narbutivka, Chernigov Governorate, Russian Empire (present-day Narbutivka, Sumy Oblast, Ukraine). He was the son of Ivan Yakovlevich Narbut and Neonila Nikolaevna Narbut. Heorhiy had two sisters and five brothers, one of which was Vladimir Ivanovich Narbut, a poet.
Initially, since 1896 till 1906, Heorhiy studied at the gymnasium in Hlukhiv, a provincial town with a rich historical background (in the 18th century, it was the capital of the Ukraine). During the first ten years of his life, Heorhiy held neither brush nor pencil in his hands. The drawing lessons in the gymnasium were of no use, as he would later say.
In 1906, he entered Saint Petersburg State University. He also studied under such painters, as Ivan Bilibin and Mstislav Dobuzhinsky.
In 1910, Narbut left for Munich, where he attended the studio of Simon Hollosy.
During the period from 1910 to 1912, Narbut created illustrations for Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales, Ivan Krylov's fables and folktales.
In 1913, Heorhiy took part in the creation of "Armorial of Little Russia".
Since 1914 to 1916, Narbut was working on the creation of a series of military paintings, which were made in a new style, worked out by the painter.
After the February 1917 revolution, that overthrew Russian Emperor Nicholas II, Narbut left for Ukraine and was appointed a professor of the Ukrainian State Academy of Arts, becoming its rector in February 1918. He laid the foundations for advanced art education in Ukraine and fostered the rebirth of the national style of Ukrainian art together with other contemporary Ukrainian artists, such as Vasyl Krychevsky. During this time, he also created Ukrainian banknotes, postage stamps and charters for the newly created Ukrainian National Republic.
At the end of 1919, he started to write autobiographical notes.
Narbut also collaborated with such Ukrainian magazines, as Nashe Mynule (Our past), Zori (Stars), Sontse Truda (The Sun of Work) and others.
Heorhiy Narbut was famous for his covers and graphics for post-revolutionary books and journals, graphic designs for the Coat of arms of Ukraine, currency, postage stamps, seals and charters of the Ukrainian People’s Republic.
In 2006, the National Bank of Ukraine issued a commemorative coin, dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the birth of Heorhiy Narbut.
Cover for the book "The crane and heron. Bear."
The arms of hetman Cyril Razumovsky
Cover of "Wooden Eagle"
Cover of "Fairy Tales: Teremok. Mizgir"
Cover of Volodymyr Narbut's book "Hallelujah"
Design of hundred hryvnias bill
100 karbovanets of the Ukrainian State (revers)
Family Coat of Arms of Narbut family
Playing cards
Playing cards
Front page of "Apollo" magazine
Cover of magazine "Our past"
Design of two thousand hryvnias bill of the Ukrainian National Republic (avers)
Cover for the book "The Russian Red Cross. 1867-1917"
100 karbovanets of the Ukrainian National Republic (avers)
Design of five hundred hryvnias bill of the Ukrainian National Republic (revers)
Cover of magazine "Art"
Galicia Governorate coat of arms
Playing cards
Design of ten hryvnias bill of the Ukrainian National Republic
Cover of album "Ukrainian alphabet"
Playing cards
Front page to "Three Fables of Krylov"
Cover of the project of the large coat of arms of the Ukrainian State
100 karbovanets of the Ukrainian State (avers)
100 karbovanets of the Ukrainian National Republic (revers)
Cover of "Three Fables of Krylov"
Akta Narbutorum. Cover sheet with the image of the founders of the Narbut family.
Cover of magazine "Art"
Small coat of arms the Ukrainian State
Design of five hundred hryvnias bill of the Ukrainian National Republic (avers)
Cover of "Nightingale" by Hans Christian Andersen
Illustration to "The crane and heron. Bear."
Illustration for the book of B. Dix "Toys"
Illustration to "Nightingale" by Hans Christian Andersen
Illustration to "The Song of Roland"
Urinating dog
Sheet "V" from unpublished "Ukrainian alphabet"
Illustration to the fairy tale "The War of mushrooms"
Sheet "V" from the album "Ukrainian alphabet"
Cossack and the Germans
Illustration to "Nightingale" by Hans Christian Andersen
Illustration for the book "How mice buried the cat" by Zhukovsky
Sheet "K" from the album "Ukrainian alphabet"
Sheet "A" from the album "Ukrainian alphabet"
Illustration to "Nightingale" by Hans Christian Andersen
Organ
Illustration to "The crane and heron. Bear."
Illustration to Volodymyr Narbut's poem "Before the Easter"
Sheet "Z" from the album "Ukrainian alphabet"
Illustration to "Nightingale" by Hans Christian Andersen
Illustration for the book "How mice buried the cat" by Zhukovsky
Illustration for the book "How mice buried the cat" by Zhukovsky
Illustration for the book "How mice buried the cat" by Zhukovsky
Illustration for Alexander Pushkin's poem "Ruslan and Ludmila"
Illustration to "Three Fables of Krylov"
Illustration. "Fairy Tales: Teremok. Mizgir"
Sheet "O" from the album "Ukrainian alphabet"
Illustration to "Wooden Eagle"
Illustration to "The crane and heron. Bear"
Illustration to "The crane and heron. Bear"
Illustration to "The crane and heron. Bear"
Sheet 'B' from the album "Ukrainian alphabet"
Sheet "A" from unpublished "Ukrainian alphabet"
Illustration to "Wooden Eagle"
Illustration for "Aeneid" by I. Kotlyarevsky
Illustration to "Nightingale" by Hans Christian Andersen
Illustration to Ivan Krylov's fable "The Ant and the Dragonfly"
Illustration. "Fairy Tales: Teremok. Mizgir"
Illustration to "The crane and heron. Bear"
Sheet "Ch" from the album "Ukrainian alphabet"
Illustration to "The crane and heron. Bear"
Illustration to "The crane and heron. Bear"
Illustration for the book "How mice buried the cat" by Zhukovsky
Sheet "I" from the album "Ukrainian alphabet"
Illustration. "Fairy Tales: Teremok. Mizgir"
Illustration to "Three Fables of Krylov"
Grasshopper in front a House of Cards
Illustration to "Wooden Eagle"
Illustration to "Wooden Eagle"
Sheet "N" from the album "Ukrainian alphabet"
Illustration to the fairy tale "The War of mushrooms"
Illustration to "Three Fables of Krylov"
Illustration. "Fairy Tales: Teremok. Mizgir"
Sheet "B" from the album "Ukrainian alphabet"
Illustration for the book "How mice buried the cat" by Zhukovsky
Sheet "L" from the album "Ukrainian alphabet"
Poetry. Headpiece to magazine "Art"
Illustration. "Fairy Tales: Teremok. Mizgir"
Illustration to "Wooden Eagle"
Illustration. "Fairy Tales: Teremok. Mizgir"
Illustration to "Wooden Eagle"
Sheet "S" from the album "Ukrainian alphabet"
Illustration. "Fairy Tales: Teremok. Mizgir"
Illustration to "Wooden Eagle"
Sheet "M" from the album "Ukrainian alphabet"
Sheet "F" from the album "Ukrainian alphabet"
Self-Portrait (Conversation of Narbut and L. Grabuzdov)
Landscape with a comet
Roses
Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin in the village Khokhlovka Chernigov region
Old Ukraine. Bandura-player.
Allegory of the destruction of the cathedral at Reims
Self-portrait with family
Portrait of B. Khmelnitsky
Allegory of 1916 (Chronos)
Narbut was a member of the association Mir iskusstva. In 1916, he was elected a member of the committee of the association.
Heorhiy married Vera Pavlovna Kiriakova on January 7, 1913. The following year, the couple gave birth to their daughter, Marina (Narbut) Berezowsky, who would later become a major figure in ballet in Australia. In 1916, their son, Daniil Narbut, the theater artist and painter, was born.
In 1918, Heorhiy and Vera divorced. Some time later, Narbut married Natalia Lavrentievna Modzalevskaya.
