Aristarkh Lentulov

**Aristarkh Lentulov**  (4 January 1882  15 April 1943) was a major Russian avant-garde artist who also worked on set designs for the theatre. His work shows strong influences of fauvism and cubism.

## Biography

Aristarkh Lentulov was born in Penza Oblast, 625 kilometers (388 mi) southeast of Moscow, into the family of a country priest. He studied art in the Penza and Kiev art schools from 1897 to 1905. Then he went to the private studio of Dmitry Kardovsky in St Petersburg in 1906.

He lived in Moscow from 1909, and he was one of the founders of the avant-garde Knave of Diamonds (Jack of Diamonds) group.

From 1910 to 1911 Lentulov studied at the Le Fauconnier studio and the La Palette Academy in Paris. While there, he met contemporary French painters  such as Albert Gleizes, Jean Metzinger, Fernand Léger and Robert Delaunay. He took in the fauvists' and cubists' principles, and developed his own colourful style of painting. Later, after his return to Russia in 1912, he became a big influence on what became Russian futurism. Wassily Kandinsky and Kazimir Malevich were both influenced by him.

Lentulov also formed another group, with Vladimir Mayakovsky and Kazimir Malevich, called _Today's Lubock_ (_Segodnyashnii Lubok_). They produced satire art that was anti-Austria and anti-Germany. The art pulled inspiration from Russian folklore and lubok art. Lentulov's own art was heavily inspired by traditional and folk Russian architecture.

From Russian Revolution of 1917 times, Lentulov was actively involved in various theatrical projects, designing for plays in the Kamerny Theatre (_The Merry Wives of Windsor_, 1916) and contributing sets for a production of Alexander Scriabin's _Prometheus_ in the Bolshoi Theatre in 1919.

In 1928 Lentulov entered into the Society of Moscow artists, and became chairman of the Society. He also started teaching at the Russian State Art and Technical School.

Lentulov died in Moscow and is buried in the Vagankovo Cemetery.

## Related pages

- Kazimir Malevich

## References and sources

- References

- Sources
- Povelikhina Alla, Kovtun Evgeny. Russian pictorial signboard and avant-garde artists. - L.: Aurora, 1991. ISBN 5-7300-0274-2. (Повелихина Алла, Ковтун Евгений. Русская живописная вывеска и художники авангарда. — Л.: Аврора, 1991. ISBN 5-7300-0274-2).
- Evgueny Kovtun. Avant Garde Art in Russia (Schools and Movements). Parkstone Press Ltd, 1998.
- Murina Elena. Early Avant-garde. Moscow, Galart Publishing House, 2008. ISBN 978-5-269-01053-3 (Мурина Елена. Ранний авангард. Москва, издательство Галарт, 2008. ISBN 978-5-269-01053-3).
- Faina Balakhovskaya, Vladimir Kruglov, Jean-Claude Marcadet, Gleb Pospelov, Dmitry Sarabyanov. Jack of diamonds in the Russian avant-garde. St. Petersburg, Palace Editions, 2004. ISBN 5-93332-143-5. (Фаина Балаховская, Владимир Круглов, Жан-Клод Маркадэ, Глеб Поспелов, Дмитрий Сарабьянов. Бубновый валет в русском авангарде. Санкт-Петербург, Palace Editions, 2004. ISBN 5-93332-143-5).
- Sarabjanov, Andrey. Unknown Russian Avant-garde in Museums and Private Collections. Moscow, Sovetsky Khudozhnik Editions, 1992. ISBN 5-269-00326-0 (Неизвестный русский авангард в музеях и частных собраниях / Автор-составитель А. Д. Сарабьянов. — М.: Советский художник, 1992. — 352 с. — 20 000 экз. — ISBN 5-269-00326-0).

## Other websites

- Artcyclopedia Links to Lentulov's works
- Virtual Museum  Biography