Background
Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin was born on November 5, 1878 in Khvalynsk, Russian Federation into the family of a local shoemaker. He spent his youth in Khvalynsk, living in harsh conditions.
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Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin was born on November 5, 1878 in Khvalynsk, Russian Federation into the family of a local shoemaker. He spent his youth in Khvalynsk, living in harsh conditions.
In his early childhood, Petrov-Vodkin took some lessons from a couple of icon painters and a signmaker. After graduating from middle school, he took a summer job at a small shipyard with plans to get into railroad college in Samara. After failing his exam, he turned to "Art Classes of Fedor Burov".
Later, after Burov's death, Petrov-Vodkin got an invitation to study art at Saint Petersburg. The education was financed by a charitable subscription among local merchants. He also met at this time Borisov-Musatov, an important painter resident in Saratov, who encouraged Petrov-Vodkin to continue his studies.
Petrov-Vodkin stayed in Saint Petersburg from 1895 to 1897 studying at the Baron Stieglits School (now Saint Petersburg Art and Industry Academy), before moving to the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. There Petrov-Vodkin was a student of Valentin Serov, Isaak Levitan and especially Konstantin Korovin. In 1901 he travelled to Munich to take classes with Anton Ažbe. He graduated in 1904.
In the years between 1901 and 1907, Petrov-Vodkin traveled extensively in France, Italy, Greece, and North Africa. His first well-known work was "The Dream" (1910). In 1912, at the exhibition of the World of Art Group, he presented his painting "Bathing the Red Horse" (1912), his most iconic work - a symbol of the coming social changes. During this stage in his artistic development, Petrov-Vodkin extensively used an aesthetic of Orthodox icon together with brighter colours and unusual compositions. His works were often deemed blasphemous and erotic.
In 1922 he painted a portrait of the Russian poet Anna Akhmatova. From 1924 to 1926 Petrov-Vodkin lived in France. With help from the Soviet government, he made several trips across the Soviet Union, producing many works.
In 1927, Petrov-Vodkin contracted pulmonary tuberculosis and had to curtail painting for several years. He turned to literature and wrote three major semi-autobiographical volumes, "Khvalynsk", "Euclid's Space" and "Samarkandia". Petrov-Vodkin's other important pieces during this period include "1919. Alarm." (1934).
He died of tuberculosis on February 15, 1939 in Saint Petersburg City, Russian Federation.
Petrov-Vodkin was best known for combining many traditions of world art in his work and creating an original language in painting. His major works included "Boys at play" and "Bathing of a Red Horse", which became a trademark for Petrov-Vodkin.
He was also noted for his writings "Khvalynsk" and "Euclid's Space" that were considered on a par with the finest Russian literature of the time.
Currently, the largest collection of Petrov-Vodkin's works is in the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg.
Mother
Portrait of the Artist's Wife
Samarkand
Costume Design by Marina Mnishek to the tragedy of Pushkin's Boris Godunov
Sketch of the painting Girls on the Volga
Etude spherical perspective
Self-portrait
Bacchante
In the veil
Sketch panel Stepan Razin
Bathing of a Red Horse
Lenushka in bed
Portrait S.N. Andronikova
Shah-i-Zinda
Apples
Yellow face (female face)
Hurricane
Sacrifice of Abel
Motherhood
Head of boys
The first sketch for the painting in 1919
Mother
Self-portrait
Mother and child
The Dream
Still life
Thirsty Warrior
The samovar
Paris.Notre-Dame
Peter's denial
Boys on the background of the city
Boy
Neighborhoods Khvalynsk
Portrait of M. Ehrenburg
Two Girls
Portrait of Grekova (Kazachka)
Sketch of makeup for Satan to "Diary of Satan" (by L. Andreev)
Still Life with Mirror
Archangel Michael
Still Life with Prism
Type the Cluny Museum in Paris
Girl in red scarf (worker)
Still Life (with a female head)
Bathing boys
Boy jumping into water
1st of May
Portrait of a Woman (Portrait of an Unknown)
Angels with a way Savior
The first demonstration (Family working on the first anniversary of October)
The Model
Two
Trinity
Figure of S.F.Petrova-Vodkin, the artist's father, on his knees from the back
Portrait of N.L.
In the teahouses
Sevres
African boy
Picture to picture game boy
Head of a boy
Biribi
Sketch of make-up to the tragedy of Boris Godunov Pushkin's Boris Godunov
Costume Design Boyar to the tragedy of Pushkin's Boris Godunov
Boy-rider
Self-portrait
Drawing for the painting's Dream
Herring
Morning Still Life
Portrait of M.F.Petrova-Vodkina
The girl at the window
Portrait of Ria (Portrait of A.A. Kholopova)
Motherhood
First Steps
Self-portrait
Sitter
Portrait of the Artist's Wife
Violin
Men's head
Portrait of a Girl
1918 in Petrograd
Earthquake in the Crimea
On the Line of Fire
Cacti
Drawing for the painting Death of Commissioner
Costume design for Archer to the tragedy of Pushkin's Boris Godunov
Negro
Female head
Kadusha
Youth (Kiss)
Artist's Model from the back
In the children's chamber
Fecteau
Morning
Gypsy
Seated Boy
Apple and cherry
Workers
In the
Monumental Head
Mother
Sketch for the painting Bathing the Red Horse
Still Life with Letters
Anxiety
Portrait S.D. Mstislavsky
Old Dieppe
The girl on the beach
Sketch of a woman's head to the picture Mother
Coast
Murder of Abel by Cain
Sketch for the painting Bathing the Red Horse
The city of Constantine
Glass and lemon
Chaos
Sleeping Woman
Self-portrait
Street
Mother
Roofs
Portrait of the Artist's Wife
Portrait of a Boy
Design for magazine cover Krasnaya Niva
Still life
Krasulin
Grapes and apples
A woman in a chiton
The daughter of an artist
The Model
Head of young man (Adam)
Portrait of M.F.Petrova-Vodkina, the artist's wife
Samarkand
Fantasy
After the battle
Head of the boy-Uzbek
The girl in sarafan
Madonna and Child
Raznoschitsa
Sketch for the painting Bathing the Red Horse
Still life with roses
Boys (game boy)
Head of a boy
Costumes and make-up to the tragedy of Pushkin's Boris Godunov
Arrangement
Negro Village
Model
Sitter
Portrait of Professor Beloborodov
Set Design prologue to the staging of Satan's Diary (by L. Andreev)
Youth
Still life
Samarkand
Khvalynsk
Violin
Head of a boy
Epitaph
Noon
Portrait of the Poet
Kitchen
Landscape
Death of Commissar
Fruit on a blue tablecloth
Over a cliff
Violin
Portrait of Anna Akhmatova
Interior
Portrait of M.F.Petrova-Vodkina
In Shuvalovo
Garson Parisian cafe
Pink Still Life
Self-portrait
Portrait of A.P.Petrovoy-Vodkin, artist's mother
Set Design for staging Diary of Satan (by L. Andreev)
Still Life with an ashtray
Still life with samovar
The girl in the garden
Boys
Alyosha
Portrait of M.F.Petrova-Vodkina
Lying boy
Ivan Karamazov
Head of a girl
Boys (on top)
Female Model
Samarkand
Hand
Vasya
Head boys against the backdrop of the rural landscape
Virgin of Tenderness evil hearts
Study for painting Sleep
Drawing a picture of the Witch
Seated naturschitsa
Costume Design for the tragedy of Pushkin's Boris Godunov
Female head
Drawing hands
Girls on the Volga
Cafe
Costume Design for the tragedy of Pushkin's Boris Godunov
Garden Beneventum
Leg
Sketch of makeup for a fool (The tragedy of Alexander Pushkin "Boris Godunov" )
Female head
Petrov-Vodkin was elected the first president of the Leningrad Union of Artists in 1932.
Petrov-Vodkin was an excellent semi-professional violinist.
While in Paris in 1906 Petrov-Vodkin met and married Maria Jovanovic (1885-1960), a daughter of Serbian immigrant hotel-keepers. She remained his lifelong companion. They had two daughters, one of whom died in childhood.
