Robert Genin

Robert Genin

Robert Genin, beginning of the 1920s
Born (1884-08-11)August 11, 1884
Vysokoye, near Klimovichi in the Region of Mogilev, Russian Empire
Died August 16, 1941(1941-08-16) (aged 57)
Moscow, USSR
Nationality Russian
Occupation Artist
Spouse(s) Martha Genin née Karpow (m. 1907) Margarethe Genin née Gurth (m. 1920)

Robert Genin (Russian: Роберт Генин; French: Robert Guénine; born 11. August 1884 in Vysokoye near Klimovichi in the Region of Mogilev, now Belarus; died 16. August 1941 in Moscow) was a Russian artist - painter, draftsman, Illustrator of Jewish origin, who lived in Russian Empire, Germany, France, Switzerland and the USSR.[1][2][3]

Biography

Born on 11.08.1884 in the family of a Jewish tradesman, Genin studied art in Vilna (1898-1900) and in Odessa (1900-1902).

At the end of 1902 he went to Munich where for a couple of weeks he attended the school of Anton Ažbe.

1903 he went to Paris, where 1905-1907 he lived in La Ruche.[4] In Paris he admired the art of Puvis de Chavannes, the early works of Genin (until 1914) bear his influence.

1907 Genin went back to Munich and began to work for the magazine Jugend, where 40 illustrations by him have been published. 1912 he became one of the founding members of the artists group Sema, 1913 - member of the Münchener neue Secession. During the First World War (1914-1918) he has been interned in Munich as citizen of a hostile state; after it he has moved to Berlin.

1919 Genin has acquired a small house in a fishermen village of Ascona in Switzerland, where since then he used to spend several months a year.[1]

Within the period of 1915-1926 the manner of Genin's painting and drawing has developed in line with the direction, later called German expressionism.
1926 Genin has undertaken a voyage to the island of Bali, which has given an important impulse to his work.[5] A book about his impressions, written and illustrated by Genin, has been published 1928.[6]

1929 he has moved to Paris, where his artistic manner has undergone further development under the influence of Fauvism and Neo-primitivism.

1936 Genin finally went back to the USSR with an intention to take an active part in building-up the new socialist society by painting frescos on the walls of Moscow newbuildings. In March 1936, as Genin was already in Moscow, his first (and the last) American exhibition has been held in NYC at Lilienfeld Galleries.[7]

In Moscow his first major order was a fresco for one of the pavilions at the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition (VSKhV). In October 1938 the fresco has been covered-up in line with the political processes which gained strength in the USSR.[2] His second major order in Moscow were frescoes for the Palace of Soviets, which has been terminated by the Second World War. Robert Genin has committed suicide in August 1941 a few days after one of the strongest air raids of German bombers.[2]

Solo exhibitions during his lifetime

Major museum collections

Major publications about him

Monograph and catalogue-raisonné

During his life the artist did not take care of his works, their integrity and preservation. During the nazi time in Germany some of his works belonging to museums have been removed along with other so called degenerate art; some of works belonging to Jewish art collectors have been confiscated. Those works which have survived after the Second world war are widely spread. Information about them needs collection to make possible publishing the monograph and the catalogue-raisonné.

Gallery

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Fischer, Matthias. Der Briefwechsel mit Robert Genin// Sie lieber Herr Im Obersteg sind unser Schweizer für alles, Kunstmuseum Basel, 2011, S. 41-75. (in German)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Proceedings of Marc Chagall Museum in Vitebsk, 2011 (in Russian) Родионов, Алексей. Художник Роберт Генин (1884-1941). Творчество и судьба// Бюллетень Музея Марка Шагала, 2011, №19-20, с. 137-156.
  3. ↑ Art Museum Basel newspaper, 2012 (PDF in German)
  4. 1 2 Warnod, André. De la Ruche à Java… et retour. In: Comoedia, 28.11.1931, p.3 (in French)
  5. 1 2 3 Rodionov, Alexej. Robert Genin. Auf der Suche nach dem Paradies: Bali, 1926. St-Petersburg, 2013, 96 S. (in German)
  6. ↑ Genin, Robert. Die ferne Insel. Aufzeichnungen von meiner Fahrt nach Bali in Wort und Bild. Verlag des Volksverbandes der Bücherfreunde, 1928, Berlin. (in German)
  7. 1 2 NN. "An artist who was born in Russia..." In: Brooklyn Daily Eagle, NYC, 29 March 1936, p. 34
  8. ↑ Scheffler, Karl. Kunstausstellungen. In: Kunst und Künstler, 1922, H.7, S. 253-254. (in German)
  9. ↑ Salmon, André. Les Arts. In: Gringoire, 04.12.1931, p. 7. (in French)
  10. ↑ Salmon, André. Deux peintres: Guenine et Kisling. In: Bravo, 01.01.1932, p. 46. (in French)
  11. ↑ Genin in the collection Im Obersteg in Kunstmuseum Basel
  12. ↑ Works of Genin in the Art Institute of Chicago
  13. ↑ Works of Genin in MOMA
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