Alexander Osmerkin

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1951

Alexander Alexandrovich Osmerkin (Russian: Александр Александрович Осмеркин; 8 December [O.S. 26 November] 1892 - June 25, 1953) was a Russian painter, graphic artist and scene decorator. He was a member of the Jack of Diamonds, AKhRR and Society of Moscow Artists (OMKh) groups.

[edit] Biography

Osmerkin was born in Elisavetgrad (now Kirovohrad, Ukraine) to the family of a post-office clerk. He got his first lessons of painting at the drawing department at Elisavetgrad Regional Professional School under a Peredvizhnik painter Feodosy Kozachinskiy. In 1911-1913 Alexander Osmerkin took classes at Kiev Professional School of Art. He moved to Moscow and joined Ilya Mashkov artistic studio. He followed his teacher and became the youngest artist in "The Jack of Diamond" group.

Since 1918 Osmerkin worked as a Professor of Art, first in VKhUTEMAS then in Leningrad Academy of Arts and at the Surikov Institute of Fine Arts in Moscow.

In 1947 Osmerkin was accused of formalism, and spreading western influence to Soviet art. He was banned from teaching and exhibiting his works. On 25 June 1953 he died while working on a landscape painting He was interred at Vagankovo Cemetery in Moscow.

[edit] Works

As all of the Jacks of Diamonds he consider himself a Cezanne-ist. He also was influenced by fauvism and cubism. Later, not unlike another Jack of Diamonds, Robert Falk he was inspired with the experiments with the colors. Later in his life he became a neo-impressionist.

Osmerkin's successes were mostly connected with chamber landscapes, still-lifes and portraits. He also provided some Socialist Realism paintings like portraits of Stakhanovites or Taking the Winter Palace

Man in a Top Hat, 1915	Still life with a bandura, 1920	E.T. Barkova, 1921	Dukhan (Eastern Tavern), 1925
Osip Mandelstam	Woman taking off her glove. Portrait of V.I. Morozova	Moyka, White Night, 1927	Crimea. Road to the Sea, 1930
Anna Akhmatova	Still-life with a skull, 1921