Benoit illustrations for the Bronze Horseman. Illustrations by A.N.

FEDERAL AGENCY FOR EDUCATION

State educational institution of higher education

vocational education

"RUSSIAN STATE HUMANITIES UNIVERSITY"

Faculty of Art History

Department of General History of Art

DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS OF ILLUSTRATIONS BY A. N. BENOIT FOR “THE BRONZE HORMARD” BY A. S. PUSHKININ PUBLICATIONS1903-23 ​​GODOV

Course work of a first-year evening student

Petrova Maria Igorevna

Scientific adviser:

Ph.D. in History of Arts,

Associate Professor Yakimovich E. A.

Moscow 2011

INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………..…. 3

CHAPTERI. Book graphics. Alexander Benois.

I.1 . Book illustration in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century ………… 4

I.2. Alexandra Benois in art …………………............................ 7

CHAPTERII

II. 1 . Creation and publication of illustrations……….…………... 11

II. 2 . Description and analysis of illustrations………….……………... 14

CONCLUSION …………………………………………...…………….. 20

LIST OF SOURCES AND REFERENCES …………………...….. 21

INTRODUCTION

In this work we will talk about the cycle graphic works, performed by the famous Russian artist and art critic Alexander Benois, as illustrations for the poem by A.S. Pushkin - " Bronze Horseman", as well as the chronology of its creation and publications. We will get acquainted with the concept of “book art”, with its development and principles.

The main objective of the work is to analyze and compare illustrations in the 1903 edition, published in the magazine “World of Art” with later ones, published with the assistance of the St. Petersburg Committee for the Popularization of Art Publications in 1923. And also to follow the stylistic and content changes in illustrations over two decades and the artist’s view of Pushkin’s work, its symbolism and topicality.

CHAPTERI. Alexandre Benois and the “art of the book”

"The Art of the Book"

According to B. R. Vipper, book graphics are one of the main areas of application of graphic art. Development is connected with the book graphic drawing, as well as engravings, type and other graphic forms.

On turn of the 19th century– The 20th century saw the rise of Russian graphic art. In Russia there were a large number of different directions and contradictory artistic movements. At the same time, the art of book graphics also underwent changes, which, in the opinion of artists of new formations, had previously been taken insufficiently seriously and carelessly. There was a concept of “art in the book” rather than “book art” as the harmonious coexistence of all elements within the space of each publication.

Fundamentally new approach To book illustration announced Alexander Benois, he introduced the very concept of “the art of the book,” although attention was paid to this term only in 1922, after the publication of the book by A. A. Sidorov, the future famous Russian art scholar and bibliographer, which was called “The Art of the Book” . In it he wrote: A “decorated” book is not at all any better; the purpose of illustrations is not to decorate the book at all, to explain the story or to lead one’s own story in parallel... Illustrations, if they are good, will be good outside the text (Dürer, Beardsley, Holbein); the highest danger is where it is unknown what is what: an illustration to a text or a text to an illustration; but an ideal book does not need any decorations or tricks of typographic art” 1. But he sees a direct connection between the content of the text and the illustration, calls on artists to be even to a greater extent"readers" rather than draftsmen.

Benoit also advocated harmony between text and illustration: “Even when an artist is called only to decorate a book, he is obliged to remember its integrity, that his role is subordinate and that it can become beautiful and exemplary only if he manages to create beauty in this subordination, in this harmony. ..” 2, but, adhering to the same position as Sidorov’s regarding the “architecture” of the book, he saw the true “art of the book” not in the complete subordination of the drawing to the text, as in Sidorov, but rather in the expression of the spirit and mood of the work, as it is said by Vipper: “The task of the illustrator is not only to accurately repeat the text, not only to transform verbal images into optical ones, but also to strive to create anew those positions, moods and emotions that the poet cannot give, in the ability to read between the lines , interpret the spirit of the work with completely new stylistic means and at the same time determine your attitude to the main idea of ​​the book, give a judgment about it” 3. Subsequently, Sidorov will write: “from a book, as from any product of human hands, we have the right to first demand mastery. It must be “appetizingly” made” 4, thus refuting his categorical statement about the self-sufficiency of the “naked” book in favor of an aesthetics close to Benoit.

Methods, methods and techniques of drawing are also closely related to the technical capabilities of reproduction. Those. Every drawing that comes from the artist’s pen, brush or chisel must become a print and be processed into a printing form, due to which the quality of the image sometimes suffers to the detriment of the original. This feature also needs to be taken into account by the book illustrator. All this gives book graphics a special, dual position in the 20th century. On the one hand, it was closely connected with literature and, in general, a wide range of artistic and spiritual interests, i.e. - belonged to high art, on the other hand, each publication was subject to strict technical requirements, and thus became an object of industrial and applied art. It was precisely due to this duality that the development of book graphics of that time was determined.

We can summarize and conclude this section with the words of B. R. Vipper about the art of book illustration: “Here it is especially difficult to establish fundamental foundations and objectives; here the change of tastes and the evolution of artistic needs are especially pronounced. In any case, the basic proposition that an illustration best suits its purpose if it is as close as possible to the text, if it accurately and completely embodies the images toptically created by the poet, is subject to peculiar changes in the course of evolution” 5 .

2. Alexander Benois in art

Alexander Nikolaevich Benois born in St. Petersburg in 1870. He belonged to a Russified French family. His grandfather moved from France to St. Petersburg almost a hundred years before the artist was born. Benoit himself speaks about his origin: “I have no homeland” 6. And in 1934, in his “Memoirs”, he admits that he lacks any patriotism and writes: “.. in my blood there are several (so feuding with each other) homelands - France, Nemetchina, and Italy. Only the processing of this mixture was carried out in Russia, and I must also add that I don’t have a drop of Russian blood in me” 7 . But, despite the denial of all patriotism: “Only the homeland, St. Petersburg, etc. After all, this is vile literature” 8. Throughout his life, Benoit continually returned to St. Petersburg subjects, and, working abroad, he actively promoted Russian art.

Art can rightly be called Benoit’s homeland. The artist himself was ironic, suggesting that, according to his activity, he would need to write on the card: “ Alexander Benois, Servant Apollo» 9 .

Each representative of the Benois family was related to art, and Alexander could not help but connect his life with art: “My interest in works of art, which naturally led me to “nobility”, began to manifest itself with very early years. They will say that born and raised in an artistic family, I simply could not avoid such a “family infection” that I could not help but be interested in art - since there were so many people around me, starting with my father, who knew a lot about it and had artistic talents . However, environment is environment (it is not for me to deny its significance), but still, undoubtedly, there was something inherent in me that was not in others who were brought up in the same environment, and this forced me to absorb all sorts of things differently and with greater intensity. impressions" 10. His grandfather and father were architects, his great-grandfather was a composer and conductor. The elder brother taught watercolor painting to Alexandre Benois when, having become disillusioned with the Academy of Arts and entered the Faculty of Law, he decided to study fine arts in his own program.

With equal persistence and hard work, he mastered both the practice and theory of fine art, not inferior to those of his peers who studied at the Academy.

At the end of the 1890s, together with Sergei Diaghilev, they created the “World of Art” association, which included friends and associates of Alexandre Benois: L. Bakst, K. Somov, M. Dobuzhinsky, E. Lanceray and others. Their main idea was a protest against everything inert and unreal, which, in their opinion, the Academy of Arts and the Wanderers represented at that time. World of Art students talked about the aesthetic principle in art; and the main thing, in their opinion, in art is beauty, expressed through the personality of each individual artist. Diaghilev wrote about this in one of the issues of the World of Art: “A work of art is important not in itself, but only as an expression of the personality of the creator.” World of Art scholars saw modern culture as unattractive and unaesthetic and turned to the ideals of the past. Alexandre Benois’s work is “Versailles Landscapes” on the theme of the era of Louis XIV, but he is not interested in the historical painting itself, although, as a costume designer and art historian, he pays great attention to historical details. He is much more interested in aesthetics, mood and atmosphere, the poetry of the era.

Book illustrations occupy a separate page of Benoit’s creativity. Before him, illustrators little connected their drawings with the printed text and the space of the book, or completely subordinated the image to the text, one way or another, they did not think at all about the “architecture” of the book, about harmonious combination it contains text and illustrations. And so Benois writes: “Russian books and Russian illustration from the 1860s to the 1890s. represent some kind of systematic demonstration of bad taste and, what is even more significant, simply negligence and indifference” 11. Introducing the concept of “book art,” he is convinced: “Even when an artist is called only to decorate a book, he is obliged to remember its integrity, that his role is subordinate and that it can become beautiful and exemplary only if he succeeds.” create beauty in this subordination, in this harmony..." 12

Benoit worked a lot with the book. Among his works are the famous “The ABC in Pictures” and an unrealized edition of “The Last of the Mohicans” by Fenimore Cooper. But the main place in this list is occupied by the illustrations of A. S. Pushkin. A. Benoit illustrates it a lot and willingly. In general, a kind of “cult of Pushkin” was characteristic of many World of Arts students. Benois made several illustrations for “The Queen of Spades” for the three-volume collected works of A. S. Pushkin, published on the poet’s centenary in 1899, and a number of illustrations for “The Captain’s Daughter” in 1904. And, of course, his grandiose cycle, his most significant work, according to many contemporaries, is the illustrations for The Bronze Horseman, which will be discussed in the next chapter.

In addition, Alexandre Benois was an outstanding set and costume designer, director, and librettist. The theater occupied a separate, almost home page in his life. He himself said that, no matter what type of art he does, one way or another it leads him to the theater. He worked at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, at the Paris Grand Opera, Milan's La Scala, and collaborated with other opera and drama theaters in Russia and Europe. For some time, Benois directed the Moscow Art Theater together with K. S. Stanislavsky, organized tours of the Russian ballet in Paris with Diaghilev.

Alexandre Benois died in Paris on February 9, 1960. A universal artist, he made an invaluable contribution to Russian art.

CHAPTERII. Illustrations for “The Bronze Horseman”

I. 1. Creation and publication of illustrations

In 1903, the Circle of Lovers of Fine Editions approached Alexandre Benois with a proposal to illustrate one of the Russian authors. At that time, Benoit was working on materials for the “World of Art” dedicated to Peter I, and decided to illustrate “The Bronze Horseman” by A. S. Pushkin. Almost immediately he left for Rome, where he began, constantly interrupted by other activities, to work on illustrations. In the summer he returned to St. Petersburg and, with enthusiasm caused by the lack of other things to do, completed a series of 33 ink and watercolor drawings. In addition, I developed the layout of the publication, after which I sent the drawings to the printing house. He gave the resulting prints a light tone, and then the drawings had to be printed using the lithographic method. Benoit expected the book to be published by the end of the year, but the “Circle of Amateurs”, represented by former “lyceum students” who knew Pushkin personally, despite the generally favorable assessment of his work, demanded a reworking of the image of the poet, whom the artist depicted with a lyre in his hand against the background Peter and Paul Fortress. Benoit refused on principle to redo anything, and he had to return the fee he received in advance.

When Sergei Diaghilev saw the drawings, he insisted on their publication in the first issue of the World of Art magazine for 1904 full text"The Bronze Horseman" But in the magazine the illustrations lost significantly. Benoit intended them for a small-format publication, and the large sheets of the magazine distorted the proportions intended by the artist. Later, Diaghilev wanted to publish them as a separate book, but this intention was not realized, and soon the right to publish was bought by the publishing house “M. O. Wolf."

And in the fall of 1903, a flood occurred in St. Petersburg, which, however, did not reach the scale of destruction that occurred during the flood of 1824, but vividly reminded many of this event, colorfully described by A. S. Pushkin in the same “Horseman.” Benois received a new order, this time from the Commission of People's Publications under the Expedition for the Procurement of State Papers. The artist worked on this series, consisting of six large sheets, in the spring of 1905 (in Versailles) and in November of the same year. At that time, he was in dire need of money, sending numerous requests to the publishing houses with which he worked. In addition, the artist is trying to find new forms to continue the cycle to “The Horseman”. On November 23, 1905, he writes in his diary: “Composing The Bronze Horseman.” Too similar to the previous one” 13. And a week later, another unpleasant news: “the head of the Expedition, instead of the “Bronze Horseman” ordered for me, accepted another one” 14. This series was never published. The drawings were made in ink with watercolors and white, some of them were reproduced in books: “A. S. Pushkin. The Bronze Horseman" (St. Petersburg: Literacy Society, 1912); "A. S. Pushkin. Works" (vol. 3, St. Petersburg: Brockhaus-Efron, 1909) 15. And one of them, depicting the pursuit of Eugene by the “Horseman,” was included in the famous publication of 1923.

However, the artist does not give up work and in the winter continues to work on “The Horseman”: “I drew Evgeniy again. I like all my new illustrations of “The Bronze Horseman” better than the previous ones. 3relay" 16.

Benoit resumed work on “The Horseman” only a decade later, by order of the Commission of Art Publications at the community of St. Eugene of the Red Cross. He worked on this third series of illustrations, consisting of 36 sheets, in Crimea in the summer of 1916. The artist, in addition to the illustrations, designed the cover, splash screens, and endings for the future edition. Here Benoit combined everything he created for “The Horseman” earlier. He redrew his first works, from 1903, with some changes. They turned out to be similar in plot, but their style and character are different. And he repeated the work of 1905 almost without changes.

However, this time the publication, which had already been typed and prepared for printing in 1917, never took place.

In 1921-1922, the book was already being published, and at the same time Benoit made the latest changes to the cycle. A full-fledged edition was finally published in 1923 in the form intended by the artist.

II. 2. Description and analysis of illustrations

This chapter will focus primarily on the illustrations in the 1923 edition. But, since they have many similarities and even repeat, with some changes, earlier ones, then the comparison artistic techniques, used by the artist in different time, the emotional and semantic content of the illustrations, as well as their place in the space of the book, is inevitable and necessary when analyzing the cycle.

In 1903, Alexandre Benois wrote: “I conceived these illustrations in the form of compositions accompanying each page of text. I set the format to a tiny, pocket-sized one, similar to the almanacs of Pushkin’s era” 17 . They were supposed to become such after the production of typographical prints, and Benoit’s drawings themselves were quite large in format for graphics. It is known that the format of the magazine “World of Art” was significantly different from what the artist intended for placing his illustrations. Therefore, the images were somewhat “lost” on the spacious magazine pages. In addition, Benoit planned to place one drawing on each page, to the corresponding section of Pushkin’s text, and in “World of Art” the illustrations either burst between fragments of the text or were located above it. Thus, the integrity of the “text-picture” perception was violated. It should be noted that Benoit’s goal was not strict adherence to the text, but he wanted to create a holistic poetic image, where the illustration is a guide to understanding what the poet wrote, something that can be read between the lines.

A later series of illustrations works well on this principle. Here, each picture occupies a separate page, located above the poetic piece related to it. She is closer to the viewer. This is characterized by O a larger format of illustrations on the pages, and greater openness: the artist seems to invite us into the picture, reducing the distance between the viewer and the foreground. However, critics' opinions on this issue are very mixed. Pushkinists considered that Benois was “crushing” Pushkin and, thus, did not fulfill the purpose of illustrating the Poet. Others have hailed Benoit's new illustrations as "the highest among attempts to illustrate Pushkin" 18 . Efros wrote: “They didn’t talk about Pushkin in the language of drawing, in the language of graphics. Benois created the only, almost congenial page of Pushkin” 19. Still others reproach the artist for the lack of balance in the book between font, text and drawings, speaking out in favor of publication in the World of Art, or even in favor of an edition illustrated by another artist.

Since the opinions of respected experts book art diverge to the opposite, we can conclude that different artistic and spatial interpretations of these publications are allowed, which will always be subjective. Therefore, we will adhere to the position that Alexandre Benois achieved in the new edition exactly the principle that he asserted.

This work is not like the verbose, luxurious, colorful publications loved by early World of Art artists, such as Somov’s “The Book of the Marquise” and “Daphnis and Chloe,” or Benoit’s “ABC.” Monochrome and laconicism are its main features. This technique does not in any way affect the quality of work. St. Petersburg, which is static in its architectonics, suits this rigor and brevity. Illustration and text harmoniously complement each other, being at the same time the ideal ensemble that we, following Alexandre Benois, call “the art of the book.”

At the beginning of the publication, on title page, The Bronze Horseman on his pedestal, rearing up and looking at us, seems to greet the reader (viewer), but his greeting is rather alarming, threatening. However, there is no impression that it is about to fall off the pedestal; the monument seems to be hanging in the air. Dark paper tinted with lilac, smoothing out the contrast, enhances the impression, that is, it expresses not a momentary emotion, but anxiety, as the beginning of a process. Even clouds, only outlined as a line, seem heavy (see Appendix I, Fig. 1). The plasticity of the monument itself by Etienne Falconet also works for this.

The next, largest illustration in this edition is placed on a separate page and is a preface to the “story”, indicating its main motive - the pursuit of the “Horseman” after the main character (see Appendix I, Fig. 2) This full-page illustration, based on a cycle performed in 1906, depicts the climax of the “story”, and, preceding the beginning of the poem, seems to illustrate it “as a whole.” Therefore, being easel in nature, it does not violate the harmony of the book space.

Although the “story” is more metaphorical than narrative in nature, more ideological than personal, the reader empathizes with the hero and experiences fear of the elements, hears the clatter of the Horseman’s copper hooves. Alexandre Benois brilliantly manages to convey this impression. He guides us throughout the “story,” complementing and saturating the vague pictures of the imagination with an emotional figurative picture. The illustration depicting Eugene in the foreground, hiding around the corner of the building, and in the background, the black threatening silhouette of a horse galloping behind him, is one of the most intense in this sense (see Appendix I, Fig. 3)

Behind him is the Bronze Horseman everywhere

galloped with a heavy stomp.

Here, more than anywhere else, one can feel the fear of the hero, who has already lost his mind, in front of the “Horseman”: leaning against the wall and spreading his legs wide apart to maintain balance, he presses it to his chest right hand, trying to calm his heartbeat, listening to the inevitably approaching copper beats of hooves on the uneven pavement after the flood. Empty streets emphasize Eugene's loneliness and despair. If we recall the analogue of this illustration, made in 1903 (see Appendix I, Fig. 4), then it seems emotionally paler. The figure of the horseman is very far from the viewer and from the hero, so it does not seem so huge, although it is clear that it towers over the surrounding houses. Heavy dark clouds add to the impression, but they, in comparison with the new version, are not convincing enough. The line is lively, uneven, the drawing is more like a sketch of the situation, and the new one - more static and solid - speaks of frozen deep fear. Critics rightly note the spontaneity in the early illustrations. New ones are accused of excessive “stagedness”, which appeared in the artist, according to their opinion, after a stormy theatrical activity.

Among the illustrations for “The Horseman” there are also sharply satirical ones. This illustration refers to Pushkin’s lines about the old-fashioned “singer of the Neva” Count Khvostov, whom the poet mentions more than once with extreme irony in various of his works, including in “The Bronze Horseman”:

Count Khvostov,
Poet beloved by heaven
Already sang in immortal verses
The misfortune of the Neva banks.

Benoit extremely wittily depicted the bust of Khvostov, resting on a cloud with a deliberately majestic appearance, surrounded by a shining halo, with a notebook and pen in hand. However, under the clouds, watered by the sounds of his poems, all living things are dying. Benoit made two illustrations for these lines (see Appendix I, Fig. 5 and 6): one in 1903, and the next, much more poignant one, which was just mentioned above - in 1916. This allows us to think that the artist could not help but speak out together with the poet on the topic of everything that is inert, outdated and unreal. In general, Pushkin was for the World of Art students “the embodiment of the Europeanism of the new Russian culture” 20, despite the fact that they were separated by a whole century.

I.E. Grabar, after the publication of the illustrations in the World of Art, wrote Benoit about his impressions: “They are so good that I still can’t come to my senses from the novelty of the impressions. The era and Pushkin are conveyed damn well, and there is no smell of engraving material at all, no patina. They are terribly modern - and this is important...” 21

And L. Bakst, at about the same time, wrote with inspiration to the artist that these illustrations are the most significant thing in his work: “a mad love for “Peter’s creation”, here, indeed, “the rivers flow like a sovereign” and “boredom, cold and granite.” And “The Bronze Horseman” will remain in Russian art as an example of a loving, artistic image Motherland". Critics spoke about the intrusiveness of St. Petersburg in the latest edition. However, it is possible that this feeling can be attributed not to shortcomings, but to advantages that correspond to the main ideas of the poem. Petersburg can easily be considered one of the heroes of the work. It is Petersburg, being at the same time the embodiment of power or its product, that oppresses the “little man” Eugene. Therefore, the details with which the illustrator is reproached also play a role in his artistic concept. Naturally, it is in some way different from what it was twenty years earlier.

Alexander Benois was a person quite far from politics, believing that art does not depend on social reality and is barely connected with other cultural phenomena. However, in his drawings for the “St. Petersburg Tale” one can also notice political shades. Being a highly spiritual and educated person, he could not help but worry about the events taking place in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century. All this was reflected in his St. Petersburg images, and his solidarity with Pushkin, who condemned tyranny and lawlessness.

And he said: “With God's element

Kings cannot control.”

Here Benoit depicts the backs of high military officials, hopelessly peering into the foam of raging waters. Their backs, better than any facial expressions, tell the story that absolutely nothing can be done, but at the same time they assert their significance. The same motif is repeated several times. In general, the whole cycle expresses some kind of hopelessness. Stormy political situation: repression, Red Terror, undoubtedly, many factors influenced Alexander Benois’ conscious or unconscious rethinking of his works. Here, Benoit’s characteristic metaphorical nature was especially noticeable when embodying his own experiences and painful thoughts generated by reality. This contributed to the undoubted success of the cycle, placing it at the top not only of the work of Alexandre Benois himself, but of the “art of the book” in general.

Conclusion

To sum up, it is necessary to say how great importance Benois had an activity in the “art of the book.” But not only in it. Alexander Benois made a great contribution to Russian art history, theatrical scenography, painting, graphics, museum work.

One of his most significant works, according to the artist’s contemporaries, are illustrations for “The Bronze Horseman”. In total, over seventy of them were made in different periods, some of them overlapped or repeated each other with minor changes, more often of a stylistic than substantive nature.

These illustrations went through a long, multi-stage journey before they were published in a full-fledged edition. They had two main publications: in the magazine “World of Art” in 1903 and in a separate book only in 1923. The illustrations were highly appreciated by critics and book experts, who could not agree on which of the publications should take the palm. Their criticism can be generally reduced to the fact that the illustrations of the first cycle are more spontaneous and lively, which is characteristic of youth in general, while the later ones are more mature, more accurate and strict. Their place in the space of the book was also hotly debated. But it must be said that both editions, of course, have high artistic value and great significance for the Russian “art of the book,” and are also one of the most comprehensive and voluminous illustrated editions of the works of A. S. Pushkin.

BENOIT Alexander Nikolaevich. A set of postcards with the artist’s illustrations for the poem by A.S. Pushkin "The Bronze Horseman" (Publishing "Soviet Artist". Moscow. 1966)

Illustration from 1916
On the shore of desert waves
He stood there, full of great thoughts,
And he looked into the distance. Wide before him
The river rushed...

Illustration from 1903

Illustration from 1916

I love you, Petra's creation,
I love your strict, slender appearance,
Neva sovereign current,
Its coastal granite,
Your fences have a cast iron pattern,
of your thoughtful nights
Transparent twilight, moonless shine,
When I'm in my room
I write, I read without a lamp,
And the sleeping communities are clear
Deserted streets and light
Admiralty needle,
And, not letting the darkness of the night,
To golden skies
One dawn gives way to another
He hurries, giving the night half an hour.

Illustration 1903

Terrible day!
Neva all night
Longing for the sea against the storm,
Without overcoming their violent foolishness...
And she couldn’t bear to argue...
In the morning over its banks
There were crowds of people crowded together,
Admiring the splashes, mountains
And the foam of angry waters

Illustration 1903

And Petropol surfaced like Triton,
Waist-deep in water.
Siege! Attack! Evil waves
Like thieves, they climb into windows. Chelny
From the run the windows are smashed by the stern.
Trays under a wet veil,
Fragments of huts, logs, roofs,
Stock trade goods,
The belongings of pale poverty,
Bridges demolished by thunderstorms,
Coffins from a washed-out cemetery
Floating through the streets!

Illustration 1916

Then, on Petrova Square,
Where a new house has risen in the corner,
Where above the elevated porch
With a raised paw, as if alive,
There are two guard lions standing,
Riding a marble beast,
Without a hat, hands clasped in a cross
Sat motionless, terribly pale
Eugene….

Illustration 1916

The water has subsided and the pavement
It opened, and Evgeny is mine
He hurries, his soul sinking,
In hope, fear and longing
To the barely subdued river.
But victories are full of triumph,
The waves were still boiling angrily,
It was as if a fire was smoldering underneath them,
The foam still covered them,
And Neva was breathing heavily,
Like a horse running back from battle.
Evgeny looks: he sees a boat;
He runs to her as if he were a find;
He's calling the carrier...

Illustration 1903

And long with stormy waves
An experienced rower fought
And hide deep between their rows
Every hour with daring swimmers
The boat was ready...

Illustration 1903

Illustration 1903

But my poor, poor Evgeniy...
Alas, his troubled mind
Against terrible shocks
I couldn't resist. Rebellious noise
The Neva and the winds were heard
In his ears. Terrible thoughts
Silently full, he wandered.
...He'll be out soon
Became alien. I wandered on foot all day,
And he slept on the pier; ate
In the window served in a piece.
His clothes are shabby
It tore and smoldered. Angry children
They threw stones after him.

Illustration 1903
He found himself under the pillars
Big house. On the porch
With a raised paw, as if alive,
The lions stood guard,
And right in the dark heights
Above the fenced rock
Idol with outstretched hand
Sat on a bronze horse.
Evgeny shuddered. cleared up
The thoughts in it are scary. He found out
And the place where the flood played,
Where the waves of predators crowded,
Rioting angrily around him,
And lions, and the square, and that,
Who stood motionless
In the darkness with a copper head,
The one whose will is fatal
A city was founded under the sea...

Illustration 1903

Around the foot of the idol
The poor madman walked around
And brought wild glances
The face of the ruler of half the world.
His chest felt tight...

Illustration 1903

And its area is empty
He runs and hears behind him -
It's like thunder roaring -
Heavy ringing galloping
Along the shaken pavement...
And, illuminated by the pale moon,
Stretching out your hand on high,
The Bronze Horseman rushes after him
On a loud galloping horse...

Illustration 1903

And all night long the poor madman
Wherever you turn your feet,
Behind him is the Bronze Horseman everywhere
He galloped with a heavy stomp.

Illustration 1903

And from the time when it happened
He should go to that square
His face showed
Confusion. To your heart
He hastily pressed his hand
As if subduing him with torment
A worn out cap,
Didn’t raise embarrassed eyes
And he walked aside.

BENOIT Alexander Nikolaevich. A set of postcards with the artist’s illustrations for the poem by A.S. Pushkin "The Bronze Horseman" (Publishing "Soviet Artist". Moscow. 1966)

Illustration from 1916
On the shore of desert waves
He stood there, full of great thoughts,
And he looked into the distance. Wide before him
The river rushed...

Illustration from 1903

Illustration from 1916

I love you, Petra's creation,
I love your strict, slender appearance,
Neva sovereign current,
Its coastal granite,
Your fences have a cast iron pattern,
of your thoughtful nights
Transparent twilight, moonless shine,
When I'm in my room
I write, I read without a lamp,
And the sleeping communities are clear
Deserted streets and light
Admiralty needle,
And, not letting the darkness of the night,
To golden skies
One dawn gives way to another
He hurries, giving the night half an hour.

Illustration 1903

Terrible day!
Neva all night
Longing for the sea against the storm,
Without overcoming their violent foolishness...
And she couldn’t bear to argue...
In the morning over its banks
There were crowds of people crowded together,
Admiring the splashes, mountains
And the foam of angry waters

Illustration 1903

And Petropol surfaced like Triton,
Waist-deep in water.
Siege! Attack! Evil waves
Like thieves, they climb into windows. Chelny
From the run the windows are smashed by the stern.
Trays under a wet veil,
Fragments of huts, logs, roofs,
Stock trade goods,
The belongings of pale poverty,
Bridges demolished by thunderstorms,
Coffins from a washed-out cemetery
Floating through the streets!

Illustration 1916

Then, on Petrova Square,
Where a new house has risen in the corner,
Where above the elevated porch
With a raised paw, as if alive,
There are two guard lions standing,
Riding a marble beast,
Without a hat, hands clasped in a cross
Sat motionless, terribly pale
Eugene….

Illustration 1916

The water has subsided and the pavement
It opened, and Evgeny is mine
He hurries, his soul sinking,
In hope, fear and longing
To the barely subdued river.
But victories are full of triumph,
The waves were still boiling angrily,
It was as if a fire was smoldering underneath them,
The foam still covered them,
And Neva was breathing heavily,
Like a horse running back from battle.
Evgeny looks: he sees a boat;
He runs to her as if he were a find;
He's calling the carrier...

Illustration 1903

And long with stormy waves
An experienced rower fought
And hide deep between their rows
Every hour with daring swimmers
The boat was ready...

Illustration 1903

Illustration 1903

But my poor, poor Evgeniy...
Alas, his troubled mind
Against terrible shocks
I couldn't resist. Rebellious noise
The Neva and the winds were heard
In his ears. Terrible thoughts
Silently full, he wandered.
...He'll be out soon
Became alien. I wandered on foot all day,
And he slept on the pier; ate
In the window served in a piece.
His clothes are shabby
It tore and smoldered. Angry children
They threw stones after him.

Illustration 1903
He found himself under the pillars
Big house. On the porch
With a raised paw, as if alive,
The lions stood guard,
And right in the dark heights
Above the fenced rock
Idol with outstretched hand
Sat on a bronze horse.
Evgeny shuddered. cleared up
The thoughts in it are scary. He found out
And the place where the flood played,
Where the waves of predators crowded,
Rioting angrily around him,
And lions, and the square, and that,
Who stood motionless
In the darkness with a copper head,
The one whose will is fatal
A city was founded under the sea...

Illustration 1903

And from the time when it happened
He should go to that square
His face showed
Confusion. To your heart
He hastily pressed his hand
As if subduing him with torment
A worn out cap,
Didn’t raise embarrassed eyes
And he walked aside.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE OF RUSSIA

State educational institution of higher professional education

"RUSSIAN STATE HUMANITIES UNIVERSITY"

(RGGU)

FACULTY OF ART HISTORY

Higher School of Restoration

DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS OF A. BENOIT’S ILLUSTRATIONS FOR A. S. PUSHKIN’S POEM “THE BRONZE HORSEMAN”

Coursework for a 1st year student in the evening department

Moscow 2011

1. Introduction _________________________________________________ 3

2. Chapter I. Analysis of historical and artistic context______ 5

3. Chapter II. Graphic sheets 3rd edition: description and analysis ____ 9

4. Chapter III. Features of the art of book graphics _____________ 15

5. Conclusion_______________________________________________ 19

6. List of sources and literature______________________________ 21

Introduction

In the process of working on illustrations for the poem “The Bronze Horseman,” which lasted almost 20 years, A. Benois created three editions of the illustrations - 1903, 1905, 1916. The subject of analysis in this work is the illustrations of the third edition, which were published in the book edition of 1923. The original graphic sheets were made by Benoit in ink, graphite pencil, and watercolor. The illustrations are printed using lithography technique.

A copy of the 1923 edition is in the Russian State Library, also in the State Museum (GMP). The original sheets of different editions are divided into different museums: the Pushkin Museum named after. Pushkin, State Historical Museum, Russian Museum, and are also in private collections.

The nature of the analyzed material, book illustration, determines two directions of analysis: book edition and graphic sheets.

The purpose of the work is to explore the relationship between the artistic and technical features of illustrative material in the context of a book publication, the embodiment of poetic images of the poem by artistic and graphic means.

To achieve this goal, the following tasks are solved: to identify Benoit’s artistic concept, the historical and cultural aspect in the creation of illustrative material, to identify the technical features of execution, to determine the significance of book graphics in the artist’s work. The objectives of the work also include a comparison of illustrations in the 1916 edition with previous editions, allowing us to trace the development of the artist’s creative thought.

In accordance with the stated goal and objectives, the subject of analysis, the work has a three-part structure. The first part is devoted to the analysis of the artistic and historical context of the artist’s work, as well as Pushkin’s poem. The second part is devoted to graphic sheets in the context of the overall artistic outline of the poem. The third part examines the features of book illustration in terms of technology and book architectonics.

ChapterI. Analysis of historical and artistic context

When studying and exploring the work of A. Benois, one should consider his artistic activity in the context of the “World of Art” association, which was one of the most significant cultural phenomena beginning of the 20th century. Benoit, along with Somov, Bakst, Dobuzhinsky, was one of its founders. As N. Lapshina notes: “... the range of interests of the World of Art, especially its largest representatives, was unusually wide and varied. Besides easel painting and graphics... belong to them high achievements in the art of books... One can even say that in theatrical decoration and book graphics the creativity of the artists of the World of Art amounted to the most important stage in the history of not only Russian, but also world art."

The beginning of the 20th century was marked by the flourishing of the art of book graphics, woodcuts and lithographs. Of note is the three-volume collection of works for the 100th anniversary of Pushkin with illustrations by Benois, Repin, Surikov, Vrubel, Serov, Levitan, Lanceray, in which Benois presented two illustrations for “The Queen of Spades.” The artist extensively studies the history of book art and engraving, gives a course of lectures on the history of styles and ornament; he is reputed to be an expert and skilled connoisseur of books.

The idea of ​​illustrating the poem “The Bronze Horseman” came to Benoit in 1903. Then he completed 32 drawings, but disagreements with publishers did not allow the planned enterprise to be realized. A feature of Benoit’s creative plan was verse-by-strophe illustration and strict adherence to Pushkin’s text. This is how Benoit describes the solution to his plan: “I conceived these illustrations in the form of compositions accompanying each page of text. I set the format to a tiny, pocket-sized one, like the almanacs of Pushkin’s era.”

The illustrations for the poem can be considered in the context of the general artistic activity Benois on the “rehabilitation” of the artistic and cultural status of St. Petersburg. For many, Petersburg by that time seemed to be the center of the spirit of officialdom, bureaucracy; modern buildings violated the integrity of the architectural ensemble. In this vein, Benoit’s artistic publications appeared, including “Picturesque Petersburg,” a series of St. Petersburg watercolors. Benoit defines his attitude to the events taking place in the life of the city as “historical sentimentalism”, caused by the contrasts of the old, “classicistic” and new, industrial order of life, the onset of alien architectural elements (factory buildings, factory buildings), the destruction historical monuments. Therefore, turning to the “Petersburg Tale” has strong justification for the artist. “It is still customary to look at St. Petersburg as something sluggish and pale, devoid of own life. Only for the most last years They began to somehow understand that St. Petersburg has a completely original and unique beauty. ... St. Petersburg is something truly precious for the entire Russian culture.” In this we discover the commonality of the plan of Pushkin and Benoit - to create a hymn to the creation of Peter. The city is present in the poem not only as a decoration, a space for the events taking place, but it reveals its own character and dominates the fate of a person. Peter is the genius of this city, and the Falconet monument is his personification.

Researchers point to the deep rootedness of the work of the World of Art artists in the history of St. Petersburg. “Their art was born in St. Petersburg. ... with their art they made us see the graphic nature of the city.”

Benoit is a wonderful, subtle historical painter. Here you can recall his work “Parade under Paul I”. The city in Benoit’s illustrations for “The Bronze Horseman” is presented in all the richness of its architecture and everyday features. The illustrations essentially represent historical reconstruction, embody the spirit of the Alexander era. Benois’s work is rooted in the Pushkin era, poetry, because it was it that served as the key to recreate such dear to my heart artist of the world.

Undoubtedly, in the context of this study, Benoit’s appeal to the theme of disaster and natural disaster is interesting. The beginning of the 20th century was filled with forebodings of upheaval. Russia was on the eve of great changes. How much more philosophical and tragic the poem is filled with illustrations in the perspective of future events. In such a prophetic vein, many viewed the drawing that illustrated the scene of the chase and escape of Eugene, which became the frontispiece of the 1923 edition. Let us also note the flood that occurred in St. Petersburg in the fall of 1903. It did not have such tragic consequences as in 1824, “... the water in the Neva and in the canals overflowed its banks, and the streets ... turned into rivers for several hours,” but it provided the artist with the most valuable living material for his work.

Another aspect of Pushkin’s poem seemed to Benoit to be essential in the perception of the relationship between the hero (Eugene) and the city, the creation of Peter. This is the unreality, the fantastic nature of St. Petersburg, which lies in the very essence of the city, without awareness of which it is difficult to appreciate the depth of the hero’s tragedy. Benoit himself emphasizes his passion for this very characteristic feature: “... it was this poem that captivated me, touched and excited me with its mixture of the real and the fantastic...” Apparently, this is the characteristic “palette” of the city, where white nights create a feeling of illusory, illusory nature of the surrounding space, where swamp soil gives birth to crazy visions.

The second edition of the illustrations was made by Benoit in 1905. The series consisted of six illustrations, including the famous frontispiece. The artist writes: “... I wanted the book to be “pocket”, in the format of almanacs of the Pushkin era, but I had to subordinate the drawings to the format of our magazine [“World of Art” No. 1 for 1904]. This is the reason why I decided to release the same series of compositions in a much larger format in our other publishing house.” In the original, the size of the frontispiece is 42x31.5 cm, while the illustrations of the first edition had a size of 21.3x21.1 cm.

The illustrative material for the 1923 artistic edition of the poem “The Bronze Horseman” is based on the third edition of Benoit’s drawings, which he completed in 1916. He repeated the six large sheets of the second edition almost without changes, the sheets of the first were drawn again with some corrections. Transferring the originals to the Russian Museum in 1918, the author made dedicatory and memorial inscriptions on almost each of them. These dedications are a kind of autobiographical subtext, an important link in the understanding of the illustrative material, introducing a personal aspect to their perception.

ChapterII. Graphic sheets 3rd edition: description and analysis

The drawings were made in ink, pen, and graphite pencil with different tonal watercolor underlays - gray, greenish, yellowish, applied with a brush. They create an atmosphere, convey the character of the city, its airspace, and the internal state of the main character. The color scheme of the drawings is quite monotonous and spare, thereby more clearly denoting Eugene’s inner experiences and the dramatic nature of the events. The techniques of watercolor, pastel, and gouache were favorite in the work of the artists of the “World of Art”; they served to embody such important sensations for artists as “the ephemerality of being, the fragility of dreams, the poetry of experiences.”

A special feature of the illustrations is the coexistence of different graphic styles - color lithographs are interspersed with graphic headbands that emphasize the final episodes of each part. This gave rise to criticism of the artist, which consisted of a reproach for the lack of integrity, the fluctuation of the artistic idea. However, this approach was based on Benoit’s desire to comply with the “generous diversity of stylistic flows of Pushkin’s St. Petersburg epic.” The graphic headpieces are symbolic and reflect the romantic, fantastic nature of the poem. Filling the pages with mythological images, such as Triton and the naiad (frequent characters in park sculpture), emphasizes the animation of the city, the element, which in Pushkin’s text is conveyed in various poetic images: “The Neva was tossing about like a sick person in her bed,” “waves were climbing like animals through the windows.” ", "The Neva was breathing like a horse running back from battle." The outbreak of the conflict at the end of the first part of the poem is resolved by Benoit precisely with the help of a graphic splash screen, which emphasizes the fantastic nature of the confrontation.

Let us dwell on the key episodes of poetic and illustrative material. The publication opens with a frontispiece depicting a chase scene. Formed as the basis of the poem, it seems to outline the leitmotif, the motive of confrontation, madness, phantasmagoria. It most significantly expresses the contrast between the greatness of the monument and the insignificance of Eugene - it seems to spread along the ground, rather representing its own shadow, the shadow of the Giant's Shadow. The shining reflection of the moon on the brow of the monument enhances the impression of the fantastic nature of what is happening.

The illustrations accompanying the introduction to the poem are dedicated to the glorification of the city in its arts and are directly related to the motifs of the art of Pushkin’s era.

Unlike the 1903 edition, in which Peter occupies the central part of the drawing, facing the viewer “en face”, in the 1916 drawing Peter stands in the distance and faces the viewer sideways, almost with his back. Here we observe a correspondence with Pushkin’s “He stood”, the replacement of the name with the pronoun. This imparts to Peter the character of sublime, unattainable greatness. In the illustration, Benoit solves this problem as follows. Peter's pose, in contrast to his retinue, literally blown off his feet, is balanced and calm. The waves seem to peacefully spread at his feet. We understand that this is not an ordinary person. Greatness in the text reveals his aspirations; in the picture it is the breadth of the horizon, Peter’s aspiration into the distance. Peter's gaze is directed not only into the distance, but also beyond the border of the illustration, which reflects the intentions known only to him. It is curious that Benoit “clears” the horizon of Pushkin’s images of “poor boat”, “blackened hut”. This reflected Benois’s plan and the features of Pushkin’s poetics - we perfectly see and feel the images beyond the boundaries of the drawing; gusts of wind, billowing clothes, make it possible to clearly distinguish the rustling forest behind the viewer. The stormy, hostile nature of the terrain is emphasized by expressive black lines and strokes.

“A hundred years have passed...” we read in Pushkin’s text, and the next illustration is a panorama of the city, which, according to N. Lapshina’s observation, goes back to the landscape works of the remarkable painter of the Alexander era F. Alekseev. On the right is the corner bastion of the Peter and Paul Fortress, in the distance the Exchange building, rostral columns, on the left in the distance is the Admiralty. The space is organized by a perspective expanding in all directions. In the distance, in the background, we see a floating, floating, fantastic city, ready to disappear into the ghostly white night if it were not balanced by the corner bastion. In the canoe floating along the river, emerging from the previous stanza, we see a rower and two riders - a man and a woman. People almost completely disappeared into the surrounding landscape, the elements of granite and water.

This drawing is dedicated to “his wife and friend Akita,” and perhaps the author represents himself and his friend in the riders, thus transporting the graphic story through two centuries. Combining time layers, introducing his own element of the author-lyrical hero, Benoit weaves personal feelings, his life into the fabric of the narrative. The poem acquires the character of historical continuity, and the events taking place - a transhistorical character.

The following interior illustration, located on one spread in contrast to the panorama, takes us to the innermost abode art world St. Petersburg. The poet, illuminated by the light of the white night, reads poetry to his friends in the darkness of the room. Poetry and graphics reign here. In this close circle, imperishable lines are born. The bright contrast between light and shadow of the composition emphasizes the mystery of what is happening.

In the introduction we discovered the titanic aspirations of Peter; at the beginning of the first part we learn the modest, human dreams of Eugene, which are about to “break” on the granite of the monument. The room depicted in the illustration, in which Eugene is sitting, refers the reader to a different Petersburg, the Petersburg of Dostoevsky’s “poor people,” Gogol’s “The Overcoat,” thereby emphasizing the historical continuity and significance of the theme of the little man raised by Pushkin in the poem.

The illustrations of the first part of the poem represent various scenes of flooding, the triumph of the elements, and mythical natural forces. In depicting the elements, Benoit uses diagonal, broken lines, and torn strokes. They destroy the integrity of the composition and the stability of the urban landscape. We can say that the graphic, harmonious rhythms of St. Petersburg are destroyed by the torn diagonals of waves and heavenly outlines.

Let us turn to the illustration with Eugene on a lion (“on a marble beast, astride, without a hat, with his hands clasped in a cross”), which is the beginning dramatic conflict. Here we observe a departure from the figurative structure of the poem. “The idol on a bronze horse” rises above the Neva “in an unshakable height.” However, the historical, topographical location of the lion on which Eugene was sitting did not allow Benoit to realize the conflict in one illustration; the silhouette of the monument is only barely outlined as a blur in the distance. Therefore, the occurrence of the conflict is transferred to the next page in the form of a graphic splash screen, imparting a mythical character to future events. We see Peter on a pedestal, on which a mythical lion, as if woven from the elements, is stepping. This decision, however, still somewhat detracts from the drama of the episode.

The illustrations of the second part are dedicated to Eugene’s personal tragedy, his madness and opposition to Peter, the genius of St. Petersburg.

The scenes of Evgeniy approaching the monument and the chase have a cinematic character. Watching the monument from different angles, we seem to sense its materiality. Expressed in a series of successively unfolding scenes of the bypass of the monument and Evgeniy’s escape, the illustrative outline conveys the dynamism and tension of the chase. The horseman galloping after Eugene is not a living sculpture, but an imprinted monument to Falconet. By depicting the galloping monument in the form of a silhouette, Benoit emphasizes its phantasmagoric, ghostly character. Silhouette also denotes the conventionality of the background and transfers the characters from the depths of the scenery to the plane of the sheet.

The monument, rising at the level of a three-story building in the last scene, is overwhelming in its grandeur and seems to be the apotheosis of hallucinations. Evgeny, pressed with his back to the building, no longer sees or feels the idol behind him, it is everywhere. From the night streets of St. Petersburg we are transported to inner world Evgenia, it’s as if we look into his eyes and see a nightmarish vision there.

Drawing scenes of a night chase and Eugene's madness, Benoit uses contrasts, creating a sense of tension. The sky, filled with alternating, broken stripes of ink and white, conveys the rumble of thunder, the desertedness of the streets increases the tension of what is happening, the white used by the author creates the ghostliness of the lighting; full moon arises as the apotheosis of madness.

In contrast last picture Madness The following illustration has an everyday, realistic character. Eugene wanders among passers-by, he is completely destroyed by his madness, and his tragedy seems to be lost in the general varied rhythm of the city. The monument sits firmly and unshakably on the pedestal, just as Peter once confidently stood on the shore of the desert waves. We see a moment of movement when Eugene and the rider intersect on the same straight line of perspective, presenting complete opposites in their direction.

Let us additionally identify a number of artistic features of the illustrations. They are placed identically and sequentially on each page, determining the strict narrative nature of the illustrative material. In different places we see framing techniques. In the illustration “On the Shore of Desert Waves” Peter looks into the distance, filled with “great thoughts”; in the next frame we see, as it were, an image of his thoughts, the city that has arisen; The Emperor, looking towards the Exchange, and then the rostral column, with huge waves crashing on it; Eugene, sitting astride a lion, reflects on Parasha, and in the next illustration we see a house on the island being flooded by the waves. Also, the illustrative material is rich in plastic connections and repetitions. Watching Eugene destroyed by madness in the last scene against the backdrop of the monument, we see the same monument, unshakably rising among the waves of the flood.

If we follow Vipper’s apt remark that in assessing the work of an illustrator, “the criterion that ultimately decides is ... whether [the artist] has captured the spirit of the work,” then Benoit’s work seems to be the pinnacle of the skill of book illustration. He achieved remarkable authenticity in conveying the spirit of Alexander's, Pushkin's era, the depth of psychological confrontation, the tragedy of the contradiction between the greatness of Peter's cause and the sad fate of the “little man.” It can be argued that the depth of penetration into the text and its interpretation depend on the magnitude of artistic talent, which Benoit fully possessed. This determined the intrinsic value of his illustrations, which represent both an example of the remarkable unity of graphics and poetics, and an independent, self-valuable graphic cycle.

ChapterIII. Features of the art of book graphics

Speaking about a book as a single subject, we should talk about its architectonics, that is, its correspondence various parts general structure, holistic impression. This is the shape of the book, the features of the font and illustrative material in the organization of the space of the white sheet. Text and illustration (printed graphics), thus, appear to be related phenomena, and their stylistic unity comes to the fore. Whipper identifies the following consonant features: “... the desire for consonance with white paper, the language of black and white contrasts, decorative functions, a certain freedom in relation to spatial and temporal unity. These properties help book graphics to become closer to literature and poetry.”

Stylistic unity is most fully achieved when using the same technique for preparing cliches. This technique was woodcut printing. Clear, precise, laconic lines drawn with a chisel, the conventionality of the background corresponded to the type set. Here we can mention a block book, where the text and illustrations were printed from one board. Over time, other techniques were developed - engraving and lithography. They bring plasticity of images and depth of perspective to the illustration, giving the illustration a character of its own weight and separation from the book page.

Book illustrations for the poem are made using lithography technique. Let's turn to the author's comment: “I immediately colored the prints received from the printing house, reproducing my drawings (made in the style of polytypes of the 30s), in “neutral” tones, which were then to be printed using the lithographic method.” Lithography is characterized by the most complete transfer of features original technology, wide visual possibilities. Technical features of lithographic technology - soft strokes, smooth transitions, depth of contrasts. “Night and fog are closer to lithography than daylight. Her language is built on transitions and omissions.”

What else could be more suitable for conveying the spirit of St. Petersburg, “the most deliberate and abstract city,” its illusory, ephemeral nature? Stylistic features lithographs served to reveal the romantic appearance of the poem. Probably, in addition to purely craft features, it was the realistic, fantastic, romantic character of the “Petersburg Tale”, the city itself, which Benoit was so passionate about, that determined the artist’s choice in favor of lithography. Using a pen graphite pencil allowed the artist to convey the classicism of the city, expressed with a laconic touch and precise lines.

Book illustrations are a type of accompanying graphics. This determines the direction of the artist’s work - the interpretation of poetic images using graphic means and rhythms. For Benoit, the pictorial and poetic balance of the composition is especially important. Let us note that Pushkin's word has visual clarity, figurative richness of poetic and sound range. Literally following the text could bring discord into the composition and weaken the poetic experience. So, we can talk about the validity of various omissions, or the introduction of innovations on the part of the artist.

Conceived as a pocket almanac, the first edition of the illustrations reflected their character - laconicism, simplicity. The absence of a frame or frame transfers the characters directly to the plane of the page. In the rough sketches, Benoit resorts to some ornamentation in the design of illustrations, but later refuses in favor of simplicity and naturalness, consistent with the spirit of Pushkin’s poetry.

The drawings of 1916 are framed by a black line, adding weight and some picturesqueness to the illustrations. This affects some isolation of the illustrations from the text, which can be observed in comparison with the graphic headbands that appear in some places among the illustrations. They have a great connection with the text and font. For Benois the theater artist, there may have been an element of theatricality and convention here - the frame seems to separate the stage from the viewer.

Benoit was characterized by recognition of the personal significance of illustration and the responsibility of artistic interpretation. the main objective illustrations - “to sharpen the persuasiveness of those images that were generated by reading, ... remain in close harmony with the main content of the book...”. Illustrations should serve as “decoration... in the sense of truly enlivening the text, in the sense of clarifying it...”. We see here an indication of two accompanying functions of book illustration - ornamental and figurative. Vipper argues in a similar way in his work: “... a book illustration should be both an image and an ornamental sign.” Thus, united by the unity of the sheet and the fabric of the story, the text and the drawing represent two levels of storytelling, coexisting in a subtle unity.

Recognition of the merits of Benoit's graphic works was widespread; they were highly appreciated by Grabar, Repin, Kustodiev, and were enthusiastically received at the exhibition of the Union of Russian Artists in 1904. The 1905 frontispiece was also recognized as a significant phenomenon and made a huge impression. In Benoit's work there was a rapprochement between Russian poetry and Russian art books.

The “material” features of the publication, such as the quality of paper and printing, made it possible to speak of the book as “one of the largest printing achievements of the revolutionary time,” however, the separation of graphic styles, the pictorial, “non-book” nature of the illustrations, overwhelming the thin columns of text, led to critical comments to the publication. The “failure” of the 1923 book was also recognized by the most serious critics: the book evoked a feeling of disharmony, lack of coordination, and randomness.” But there were other opinions. A. Ospovat writes: “The emptiness of the impositions and margins, which arose due to the difference in the width of the text and illustrations ... reads like a knightly gesture of graphics towards poetry.” The whiteness of the book sheet in this case personifies the container of the author's voice, representing the sound ornament of the poetic work.

Conclusion

Illustrations for Pushkin’s “The Bronze Horseman” are one of the peaks in the work of the artist Alexander Benois. He managed to embody in his work the spirit of Pushkin's era, the beauty of the arts that filled the space of St. Petersburg, and at the same time convey one of the most important motives of Pushkin's story - the tragedy of a little man in the light of the greatness of the historical plan.

An important point in the birth of Benoit's artistic plan is its commonality with Pushkin's plan - the creation of a hymn to the creation of Peter. While exploring the origins of the idea, it was important for us to turn to the creativity of the World of Art association, one of the directions of which was the “rehabilitation” of the artistic heritage Russian culture XIX century.

Following the graphic narrative, we discovered a number of features - cinematic framing techniques, plastic repetitions, the use of contrasts and oppositions that reflect the dynamics, rhythm of the poem, the intensity of experiences, the drama of events. A feature of the illustrative material is also the coexistence of two graphic styles - these are color lithographs and graphic headbands, reflecting the diversity of stylistic flows of Pushkin's text, the coexistence of the real and mystical layers of the poem.

To understand the unity of illustration and text, the commonality of their tasks is essential - mastering the space of a white sheet of paper. Having examined the artist’s approach to book illustration, we identified two component functions: figurative and ornamental. It is the close unity of these functions that is the key to the coexistence of illustration and text.

Having determined the features of lithographic technique, such as soft strokes, smooth transitions, depth of contrasts, we came to understand their correspondence to the romantic, fantastic spirit of Pushkin’s poem.

Having studied the development of the artist’s creative concept in various editions, we identified their features. Thus, the first edition most closely corresponds to the woodcut technique and reveals closeness to the text and typesetting. The illustrations of the latest edition have a more picturesque, weighty character, representing a valuable graphic cycle in their own right. This approach reflected Benoit’s idea of proper meaning illustrations, responsible interpretation of poetic images.

List of sources and literature

Sources

1. Benoit A. My memories. In 5 books. Book 1-3. - M.: Nauka, 1990. - 712 p.

2. Benoit A. My memories. In 5 books. Book 4, 5. - M.: Nauka, 1990. - 744 p.

3. Pushkin’s horseman: Petersburg story / ill. A. Benoit. - St. Petersburg: Committee for the Popularization of Art Publications, 1923. - 78 p.

4. Pushkin's horseman. - L.: Nauka, 1978. - 288 p.

Literature

5. Alpatov on general history of art. - M.: Soviet artist, 1979. - 288 p.

6. Alexander Benois reflects... / edition prepared, . - M.: Soviet artist, 1968. - 752 p.

7. Whipper in the historical study of art. - M.: Publishing House V. Shevchuk, 2008. - 368 p.

8. Gerchuk graphics and art books: textbook. - M.: Aspect Press, 2000. - 320 p.

9. Gusarova art. - L.: Artist of the RSFSR, 1972. - 100 p.

10. Zilberstein finds: The Age of Pushkin. - M.: Fine Arts, 1993. - 296 p.

11. Lapshin art: essays on history and creative practice. - M.: Art, 1977. - 344 p.

Lapshin art: essays on history and creative practice. M., 1977. P. 7.

Benoit A. My memories. In 5 books. Book 4, 5. M., 1990. P. 392.

Gusarova art. L., 1972. P. 22.

Benoit A. Decree. Op. P. 394.

Alexander Benois reflects... M., 1968. P. 713.

Alexander Benois reflects... M., 1968. P. 713-714.

Gusarova. Op. P. 28.

Ospovat. Op. P. 248.

Whipper in the historical study of art. M., 2008. P. 91.

Gerchuk graphics and art books: tutorial. M., 2000. P. 5.

Whipper. Op. pp. 87-88.

Benoit A. Decree. Op. P. 393.

Whipper. Op. P. 72.

Alexander Benois reflects... M., 1968. P. 322.

Right there. pp. 322-323.

Whipper. Op. P. 84.

Ospovat. Op. P. 228.

Ospovat. Op. P. 233.

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A.S. Pushkin “The Bronze Horseman”

The history of the creation of the poem The poem is based on real story flood that occurred in November 1824 in St. Petersburg. During the flood, Pushkin was in exile in Mikhailovskoye, so in the poem he described the events according to eyewitnesses. The story about the “revived monument” could have been taken by Pushkin from the story about how in 1812 Emperor Alexander I wanted to remove the monument to Peter from St. Petersburg. But the emperor was stopped by reporting the dream of a major. In his dream, the major saw the “Bronze Horseman” galloping through the streets of St. Petersburg and, approaching the emperor, said to him: “Young man! What have you brought my Russia to! But while I’m in place, my city has nothing to fear.” According to another version, Pushkin could have borrowed the idea of ​​​​a revived monument from Don Juan.

Illustrations by A. N. Benois for the poem “The Bronze Horseman” Eugene at the place where his beloved lived Eugene talking to the Bronze Horseman

Alexander Nikolaevich Benois Alexander Nikolaevich Benois (April 21, 1870, St. Petersburg - February 9, 1960, Paris) - Russian artist, art historian, art critic, founder and main ideologist of the World of Art association.

Born on April 21, 1870 in St. Petersburg, in the family of architect Nikolai Leontievich Benois and his wife Camilla, daughter of architect A.K. Kavos. He studied for some time at the Academy of Arts, and also studied fine arts independently and under the guidance of his older brother Albert. In 1894 he graduated from the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg University. In 1894, he began his career as a theorist and art historian, writing a chapter on Russian artists for the German collection “History of 19th Century Painting.” In 1896-1898 and 1905-1907 he worked in France. Became one of the organizers and ideologists artistic association"World of Art", founded the magazine of the same name. In 1916-1918, the artist created illustrations for A. S. Pushkin’s poem “The Bronze Horseman”. In 1918 year Benoit headed the Hermitage Picture Gallery and published its new catalogue. He continued to work as a book and theater artist and director, in particular he worked on staging and designing performances of the Petrograd Bolshoi drama theater. In 1925 he took part in International exhibition modern decorative and industrial arts in Paris. In 1926, A. N. Benois left the USSR. He lived in Paris, where he worked on sketches of theatrical scenery and costumes. Participated in S. Diaghilev’s ballet enterprise “Ballets Russes” as an artist and director of performances. Died on February 9, 1960 in Paris. In recent years, he has been working on memoirs.

Illustrations by M. S. Rodionov for the poem “The Bronze Horseman” Death of Eugene Peter I on the banks of the Neva

Mikhail Semenovich Rodionov Mikhail Semenovich Rodionov (1885, Uryupinsky district Volgograd region- 1956, Moscow) - Russian artist and art teacher.

He studied in Moscow, initially in the studios of F. Rerberg and I. Mashkov, then at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in the painting department (1908-1910) and after a break in the sculpture department (1915-1918). In the 1920s was part of the art association "Makovets". In the pre-war period, he actively worked in the field of book illustration, especially for the works of L. N. Tolstoy; the best of these works Great encyclopedia“Terra” calls the lithographs for the story “The Canvasser” (1934, for the publishing house “Academia”). Among later works A series of lithographic portraits of cultural figures stands out. He was married to Elizaveta Vladimirovna Giatsintova (1888-1965), daughter of art critic Vladimir Giatsintov and sister of actress Sofia Giatsintova.