Biography
Graphic artist, famous children's illustrator and book designer. Member of the Union of Artists of the USSR. Corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Arts. Honored Artist of the RSFSR.
Lived and worked in Moscow, graduated from high school. He studied at the Moscow School-Studio of F. I. Rerberg in 1923–1924, at the preparatory department of VKHUTEMAS (1924), VKHUTEMAS - VKHUTEIN (1924–1930), first at the textile faculty, then at the graphic department under D. Shcherbinovsky, P.I. Lvov and the famous graphic artist N. N. Kupreyanov. After graduating from VKHUTEMAS, he was mainly involved in easel and book graphics. He worked a lot in the technique of sanguine, ink, watercolor, and pastel; used coal, sauce and other materials.
Since 1925, he constantly worked as an illustrator in many magazines. Later, in 1929, he began working in the field of book graphics; in the 1930s–60s he collaborated with various publishing houses in Moscow: GIZ, DETGIZ, GOSLITIZDAT, Young Guard, Soviet Graphics, Children's Literature and others.
During the Great Patriotic War, Alexey Mikhailovich remained in Moscow and was a member of the graphic brigade of the Moscow Union of Artists, which published satirical posters “Windows of the Moscow Union of Artists” and propaganda leaflets. He participated in the publication of TASS Windows, worked at the publishing house Iskusstvo, worked on posters, postcards, leaflets, and created a series of front-line drawings (1942–1943). He worked in the children's magazine “Funny Pictures” from its founding. He illustrated books for children: “The Adventures of Dunno and His Friends” by N. Nosov, “Fables” by I. A. Krylov (1944–1945).
Alexey Laptev also illustrated works of Russian and Soviet classics: “Dead Souls” and “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka” by N.V. Gogol, “Who Lives Well in Rus'” by N.A. Nekrasov, “Virgin Soil Upturned” by M.A. Sholokhov and many others.
The works of A. M. Laptev were exhibited at personal exhibitions in Moscow (1940, 1949). He took part in exhibitions of Soviet art in cities of the USSR and abroad: in the USA, India, and European countries. In 1966, a memorial exhibition of works by A. M. Laptev was organized in Moscow.
The artist's works are in many regional museums, as well as in private collections in Russia and abroad.
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Graphic artist, corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Arts, Honored Artist of the RSFSR. He graduated from high school in Moscow. Studied in Moscow: at the school-studio of F.I. Rerberg (1923–1924); Testing and Preparatory Department of Vkhutemas (1924); Vkhutemas - Vkhutein (1924–1930), first at the textile faculty, then at the graphic department with D.A. Shcherbinovsky, P.I. Lvov (drawing) and N.N. Kupreyanov (lithography). In the 1920s - a member of the Vkhutemas volleyball team.
Lived in Moscow. He was engaged in easel and book graphics. He had excellent command of the entire technical “arsenal” of drawing: he used pressed charcoal, sauce, sanguine, ink, watercolor, pastel, chalk and other materials.
Since 1925 he worked as an illustrator for magazines; drew for Pioneer magazine (1927–1929). In 1929 he began working in the field of book graphics (“The First Pasture” by G. Zamchalov). In the 1930s–60s, he collaborated with various publishing houses in Moscow: GIZ, Detgiz, Goslitizdat, “Young Guard,” “Soviet Graphic,” “Soviet Artist,” “Children’s Literature” and others. Illustrated textbooks commissioned by Uchpedgiz.
Poster 1929
He painted portraits, landscapes, still lifes, and genre compositions; created several autolithographs on historical and revolutionary themes. In 1935, on the instructions of the organizing committee of the All-Union Exhibition “Industry of Socialism”, he made a trip to the Urals; the result was the series of drawings “Factory of Krasnouralsk” (1936). In 1937–1939 and 1940 he went on creative trips to collective farm villages; created a series of drawings “Collective farms of Ukraine” and “Sala steppes”. In 1941 he was sent to the Caspian Sea, where he completed a series of sketches depicting fishing villages and steppe landscapes (“Caspian Suite”, “Near Astrakhan”).
During the Great Patriotic War he remained in Moscow. Member of the graphic brigade of the Moscow Union of Artists, which published satirical lithographed posters “Windows of the Moscow Union of Artists” and propaganda leaflets. He collaborated with TASS Windows and the Art Publishing House, working on posters, postcards, and leaflets. Traveled to the Kalinin and Southwestern fronts; created a cycle of front-line drawings (1942–1943), for which in 1944 he was awarded a 1st degree diploma from the Committee for Arts under the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR. 
In the post-war years, he was one of the initiators of the movement for the preservation of ancient monuments, marched over the Rodina youth club, which helped in the protection of cultural monuments. He sketched monuments of ancient Russian architecture for the proposed exhibition “Masterpieces of Russian Architecture”
(published in the album “Monuments of Old Russian Architecture in the Drawings of A.M. Laptev” M., 1969) 
He created cycles of drawings “Uglich”, “Collective Farm Series” (1947), portraits of noble workers of Moscow factories (1958), travels through Czechoslovakia (1958) and Italy (1956–1962).
He worked in small sculpture. He made wooden toys (“Foal”, “Karand`Ash”, both - 1948). In the early 1950s, he became interested in sculpture from roots (“Sancho Panza and the Donkey”, “Don Quixote”) 
In 1948–1954 he created an extensive series of illustrations for the novel by M.A. Sholokhov “Virgin Soil Upturned”, for which he made a trip to the Don (several publications, one of them: Sholokhov M.A. Collected Works. M.: Molodaya Gvardiya. 1956– 1960, vol. 6–7). At the end of his life he worked on a series of illustrations for N.A. Nekrasov’s poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” (not completed, published - 1971).
Since 1926 - participant of exhibitions (1st exhibition of the Association of Graphic Artists in Moscow). Member of the Union of Artists of the USSR. Exhibited at exhibitions: exhibition-review of works by young artists (1936), works by Moscow artists (1939, 1942, 1947), drawings, illustrations and posters (1940), painting, graphics, sculpture (1941), “The Red Army in the fight against the Germans” -fascist invaders" (1943), "The heroic defense of Moscow in 1941–1942" (1944), All-Union art exhibition (1946), "30 years of the Soviet armed forces. 1918–1948" (1948), 1st All-Union exhibition of graphics and posters (1950), books and book graphics by Detgiz (1951), "N.V. Gogol in the works of Soviet artists" (1952) in Moscow; “Military valor of the Russian people” in Sverdlovsk (1943) and others. Exhibitor of numerous traveling exhibitions of Soviet art in the Union republics and cities of the RSFSR. Participant in a number of foreign exhibitions: the international exhibition “The Art of the Book” in Paris and Lyon (1931–1932), “Modern Art of the USSR” in San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York (1933), “Soviet Graphics” in Bucharest, Helsinki , Prague, Budapest (1950), Soviet fine art in Delhi, Calcutta, Bombay (1952), “Soviet and classical Russian art” in Berlin, Dresden, Halle, Budapest (1953–1954), XXVIII International Biennale in Venice (1956) . Held personal exhibitions in Moscow (1940, 1949).
Author of drawing textbooks: “How to Draw a Horse” (M., 1953), “Pen Drawing” (M., 1962).
The publication “Alexey Mikhailovich Laptev” (series “Masters of Soviet Art”; M., 1951) is dedicated to the artist’s work.
Author of memoirs: “On the way...: notes of an artist” (M., 1972) 
A memorial exhibition of Laptev's works was organized in 1966 in Moscow.
Creativity is presented in many museum collections, including the State Tretyakov Gallery, the Pushkin Museum. A.S. Pushkin, State Russian Museum and others.
Tver Regional Art Gallery "Palace in the city of Kalinin, built in the 18th century by the architect Kazakov" 1942. 
Biography http://artinvestment.ru/auctions/14850/biography.html
*Soviet Land. Literary and artistic monthly magazine No. 2. M. 1929 64c cover, enlarged. Cover artist M. Shegal. Rice. in the text by A. Laptev, G. Shchegal, Khrapovsky.
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Ruderman M. Relay race. Rice. and model by A. Laptev M.-L. Guise 1930 16 with lithographed cover. 17*22 cm. t.50000 copies. 20k. The propaganda texts of the poems are adjacent to the similar in spirit poems of Marshak and Nathan Vengrov. Constructivist in spirit, the construction of the layout and font techniques of Alexey Laptev with the complete interpenetration of text and illustrations most effectively solves the propaganda task set by the social order of the Five Year Plan)
*Ruderman M. Relay race. Rice. A. Lapteva Publishing house 2nd. M. Mol.guard 1931 16s t. 30000 copies. 20k.
* Mayakovsky V.V. What is good and what is bad. Rice. A. Lapteva M. Giz 1930 15s t. 100000 copies. 12k.
http://www.book-illustration.ru/read-chitat-detskie-knigi.html
*Guryan O. All together. Rice. color A. Lapteva M.-L. Guise 1930 11s. 11x13cm t. 75000 copies. 6k.
* Zach Sophia. Pilot and cat. Rice. A. Lapteva Ed. 2nd. M. Guise 1930 15s. t.50000 copies. 12k.
http://rgdbarch.elpub.ru:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/22855#page/0/mode/2up
*Kovalensky A. Oh, oh, get it quickly. Rice. A. Lapteva M.-L. Guise 1930 16s t. 75000 copies. 12k.
*Barto A. About the war. Rice. A. Lapteva M.-L. Guise 1930 15s t. 75000 copies. 12k.
*Barto A. About the war. Rice. A. Lapteva Publishing house 2nd. M. Guise 1930 15s t. 75000 copies. 12k.
*Sofia Fedorchenko. In the forest. Rice. A. Lapteva M.-L. Guise 1930 16s t. 75000 copies. 12k.
* Chumachenko A. City in the rain. Rice. A. Lapteva M.-L. State from 1930 88s
http://rgdbarch.elpub.ru:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/22866#page/0/mode/2up
*Alexandrova Z. Collective Farm Spring: Poem. Rice. A. Lapteva M. Mol. Guard 1932 14s t. 50000 copies. 45k.
*May. The collection was prepared and designed by the end-to-end strike brigade of the children's sector of the Mol.gvardiya publishing house. Color ill. S. Boim, B. Sukhanov, A. Laptev, D. Moor, K. Kuznetsov M. OGIZ Mol. Guard 1932 12c (For preschool age)
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Murzilka No. 12 December 1937 Organ of the Central Committee of the Komsomol. M. Detgiz 1937 24c cover, enc. Answer: editor A.N. Dudina. Cover: pic. V. Zhitenev Christmas tree on Manezhnaya Square in Moscow. - N. Sakonskaya Twelfth of December. Poetry. Rice. A. Lapteva (Poems about the first elections to the Supreme Council, after the adoption of the new Constitution in 1936) - O. Ivanenko Inventor. Story. Rice. L. Radina - S. Marshak Twenty Years Old. Rice. E. Burgunker - Tale about a bull. Ukrainian fairy tale. Rice. A. Laptev - L. Voronkova Galilei. Rice. V. Vakidina - In memory of Comrade Kirov. - Golden apples. The myth of Hercules. Rice. S. Prusova - E. Tarakhovskaya Ten years. Poetry. Rice. V. Zhitenev - Murzilkina newspaper (Poems of 11-year-old Vera Mindel to Stalin.) - I. Rakhtanov Battle of the Ice. - Back cover: Murzilka at the North Pole. Ill. L. Smekhov
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Ivanenko Oksana. Forest tales. Drawing b/w by A. Laptev. M.-L. Detizdat of the Central Committee of the Komsomol 1937 60c binding, enlarged. square.
* Durov V. My animals. ill. A. Lapteva Detizdat M.-L. Central Committee of the All-Union Leninist Young Communist League, 1937, 178 pp., hardcover, reduced.
*Barto A. Poems. rice. A. Lapteva M.-L. Detizdat of the Central Committee of the Komsomol 1937 66c binding, regular.
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Murzilka No. 1 January 1938 M. Detizdat of the Komsomol Central Committee 1938 24c cover, enc. Cover: V. Zhitenev Climbing Lenin Peak. - Editorial: To be like Lenin. (Mainly about Stalin..) - V. Safonova Lenin Museum. Engravings by M. Polyakov - N. Zabila House over the lake. rice. E. Burgunker - Stories about Lenin, from the words of the workers of the state farm in the village of Gorki Leninskie. Rice. A. Laptev Ilyich in the hills. Ilyich and the fisherman. How the old man repaired Lenin's stove. How Ilyich learned to weave baskets. Chief worker. - Agnia Barto Letter. Lolita. Rice. R.Barto-Ya.Taits Story. Rice. G. Corwin Fig. L. Smekhova Winter entertainment in the Murzilka Zoo. - Murzilkina newspaper. Poems by ten-year-old Inna Lisichkina about Lenin and Stalin. - L. Alpatov Orlan. Rice. G. Tuganov - Back cover: This is what our guys see in their dreams. Rice. L. Smekhov
* Murzilka No. 7 July 1938 M. Detizdat of the Komsomol Central Committee 1938 24c cover, enc. Cover: A. Laptev On the collective farm. - M. Gorky Pepe. rice. B. Dekhtereva - Nightingale. Children's song. - I. Kipnis About the boy Berele. Per. from Hebrew. Rice. E. Burgunkera - E. Tarakhovskaya 16 parrots. Rice. M. Khrapkovsky - N. Naydenova How I scared the bear. Rice. N. Radlova - N. Artyukhova Sasha the teaser. rice. E. Endrikson - M. Andrievskaya The Adventure of Three Nouns. Grammar task. Rice. L. Smekhova - Murzilkina newspaper. - A cunning man. Russian folktale. Rice. M. Khrapkovsky - M. Andrievskaya Murzilka caught the thief. Rice. M. Khrapkovsky - M. Pustynin Murzilka-fisherman. Rice. N. Radlova
* Murzilka No. 8 August 1938 M. Detizdat of the Komsomol Central Committee 1938 24s enc. cover: N. Mashkova Harvesting. - Misha Stelmakh To the Leader... Shine on our Stalin, with bright glory... - N. Grigoriev An incident in the mountains. Rice. A. Isaacson - Letter to Lebedev-Kumach from Lelya Genina. - A song about Mishka. - A.Ai I will join the cavalry. Poetry. Rice. A. Lapteva - Ya. Taits Rope. Rice. N. Tolstova - My native country is wide. Rice. V. Zhitneva To the turn. - Z. Alexandrova Watch. Rice. M. Michaelis - Murzilkina newspaper. N. Plavilshchikov Do you know? - V. Lifshits Rybolov. Rice. N. Radlova-Murzilka - rope dancer. Rice. M. Khrapkovsky
* Zhitkov B. Stories. Series: School library. Rice. A. Lapteva M.-L. Detizdat 1938 48c binding, regular.
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Happy childhood. Collection of stories and poems. M.-L. DetLit 1938 140c binding, enlarged. To the XX anniversary of the Komsomol. V. Gusev, K. Paustovsky, R. Fraerman, G. Zamchalov, L. Kassil, L. Kvitko, S. Marshak, Dzhambul, A. Pismenny, E. Blaginina, A. Barto, N. Sakonskaya, N. Kaurichev, J. Taits, S. Gekht, S. Mikhalkov, L. Kvitko, G. Ryklin, G. Kubansky, L. Sobolev. With b/w V. Shcheglova, E. Afonasyeva, V. Ermolov, D. Shmarinova, K. Rotov, A. Laptev, V. Ladyagin. With color frontispiece `Stalin surrounded by children`, art. color endpapers.
* Shatilov B. In the camp. Hood. A. Laptev M. DetLit 1938 48c binding, enlarged.
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Barto Agnia. Poetry. b/w pic. A. Lapteva. M.-L. Detizdat of the Central Committee of the Komsomol 1939 64c binding, regular.
*Laptev A. Draw. Pictures for coloring with poems. For preschools. age. Il. and text by A. Laptev M. Sov.graphic 1943.
*Laptev A. Paint! Pictures for coloring with poems. For preschools. age. M. Soyuzpechat 1944
* Krylov I.A. Fables. Ill. A. Kanevsky, A. Laptev, G. Echeistov M. GIHL 1944 224s t. 100000 copies binding, regular.
*Puzzles. For juniors age. Il. A. Laptev M. All-artist 1945 (6th type. OGIZ)
*Trutneva E. Zoo. Rice. A. Lapteva. M. Sov.graphic 1945 16s t. 500000 copies. 60k.
*Gernet N. Paint! Rice. A. Lapteva. M.-L. Detgiz 1945 24s t. 50000 copies. 2r.50k. Before the title author: A. Laptev. Text by N. Gernet.
*Marshak S. Where did the sparrow have dinner? Ill. A. Lapteva. M. All-artist 1946 16s t. 500000 copies. 1r.
*Laptev A. Funny pictures. Rice. and text by A. Laptev. M. Soviet graphic 1947 12c cover, enc.
*Laptev A. Gramophone Fig. and text by A. Laptev M. Sov.graphic 1947 12s t. 25000 copies. 5 rub.
*Laptev A. Gramophone Fig. and text by A. Laptev M. Sov.graphic 1947 10s t. 100000 copies. 15 rub.
*Mikhalkov S. Poems for children. Detgiz 1947 184с hardcover, enc. Cover, title and titles by V. Konashevich Contents: Song of the pioneers of the Soviet Union. Rice. A. Ermolaeva - True story for children. Conversation with my son. Rice. V. Vysotsky Map. Ten year old man. Komsomol ticket. Party card. Red Army soldier Petrov. Three comrades. Honorary passenger. Package. My friend. Dear side. School. Svetlana. Cheerful tourist. Nakhodka. About mimosa. About catfish. If. Ships. Song of friends. Drawing. What do you have? On New Year's Eve. Rice. A. Ermolaeva - Border. Arrival of a hero. Anti-aircraft gunners. Danila Kuzmich. Rams. Rice. V. Shcheglova - A good person. Cold shoemaker. Watch. One rhyme. Rice. V. Konovalova Cyclist. Rice. I. Semenova - Uncle Styopa. Thomas. Rice. I. Shabanova - Weirdos. About Janek. (From J. Tuvim) Fig. I. Semenova My friend and I. Dog. At the circus. Rice. N. Radlova - Horseman. Rice. V. Lebedeva - My puppy. Trezor. Rice. V. Lebedeva - Favorite things. Rice. D. Dubinsky - How an old man sold a cow. Where are the glasses? (From Yu.Tuvim) Poultry yard. (From Yu.Tuvim) Fig. V. Konashevich - Vegetables. (From Yu. Tuvim) ABC. (From Yu. Tuvim) Bird radio. (From Yu. Tuvim) Andryushka. Christmas tree. My phone. Rice. I. Semenova - Fables. Bear's vow. Hare and turtle. Polkan and Shavka. Fish affairs. Elephant painter. Cog. Fig.A. Laptev.
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Krylov I. Fables. Rice. A. Lapteva M. Detgiz 1947 80c binding, enz.
* Krylov I. Fables. For younger ages. Series: Golden Library. Binding and title by S. Telingater. Rice. A. Lapteva M.-L. Detgiz 1948 150c binding, 125x200mm On the frontispiece of coated paper there is a color portrait of Krylov.
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Laptev A. Funny pictures. b/w pic. A. Lapteva M. Soviet graphic 1948 32c cover, enc. t.25000 copies. 10 rub.
*Laptev A. Funny kids. Rice. and text by A. Laptev. M. Soviet artist 1948 16s t. 100000 copies. 2r.50k. http://blagoroden-don.livejournal.com/1243142.html
*Nedogonov A. Flag over the village council: Poem. Hood. A. Laptev. M. Goslitizdat 1949 96s t. 75000 copies. 1r.50k.
*Laptev A. Funny pictures. Rice. and text by A. Laptev. Ed. 2nd. M. Soviet graphic 1949 32s t. 25000 copies. 3 rubles
* Laptev A. Funny kids. Rice. and text by A. Laptev. M. Soviet artist 1949 16с 214х283 mm
1950s http://horoshkovaok.livejournal.com/142614.html
1960s http://horoshkovaok.livejournal.com/142990.html
1970s http://horoshkovaok.livejournal.com/143189.html
and reprints http://horoshkovaok.livejournal.com/143390.html 
LAPTEV Alexey Mikhailovich(1905-1965). Graphic artist and book illustrator, Honored Artist of the RSFSR. His work is presented in the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Museum of Fine Arts. A.S. Pushkin, the State Russian Museum and other museums.
A.M. Laptev was born and lived in Moscow. This is how he recalled his first artistic experiments:
« When did it start? Memory retains barely noticeable traces. Pieces of writing paper, cut smaller by mom to save money. I draw horses, their live line moves quickly. It’s like whole herds are jumping in front of me. I like to draw. My mother taught me this. How old am I? Apparently about three years. After my father’s death, we moved from Moscow to my father’s homeland to his relatives in the village. I remember running out onto a lawn with simple, but very fragrant grass, and an amazing picture appeared before my eyes. Having hooked the barn with ropes, the men pulled it, others placed logs in front of it. The result was rollers on which the barn slowly moved. Their friendly efforts were united by the melody of the drawn-out choral song “Dubinushka”. These childhood memories from an early age carry images of the sounds, colors, smells and shapes of forever loved ones.
Mom devoted herself entirely to us. Playing games at home became the best pastime for my older sister and younger brother. And I was passionate about drawing. One day my mother bought the book “Russian Fairy Tales” by Afanasyev. This book remained a source of irrepressible children's creativity in our family. My sister read aloud these wonderful works of the Russian people, and then she and I uncontrollably drew illustrations for what we read. When now, many years later, I attend exhibitions of children’s drawings, I involuntarily remember my early childhood and the too modest opportunities that my sister and I had. We drew only with graphite pencils on small, often lined sheets of paper, or rather, scraps of paper. Mom couldn’t buy paints or good drawing paper. But fairy tale images lived with us. We sat late into the night by the light of a kerosene lamp with a glass green lampshade and drew illustrations for fairy tales series after series.
It was not only the world of fairy tales that attracted my imagination. In the evenings I endlessly drew what I saw during the day in the yard or in the summer in the village. We were given the magazine “Firefly”. Everything there seemed interesting and interesting. But most of all I was attracted by the illustrations, especially by Alexei Nikanorovich Komarov. His pen drawings were imbued with such a warm feeling of sympathy for various animals, humor and enthusiasm. It was a special pictorial world where fairy-tale characters of animals and little animals beloved from early childhood acted and lived, laughed, jumped, ran, and talked to each other.
I started drawing voraciously very early. The drawings of three years old were already quite skillful. I drew from life, I remember when I was seven years old. Drawing from imagination (which included illustrations) and life drawing went side by side.
I was incredibly happy when something worked out. I loved my drawings and played with them like toys. On my bed I laid out my works and looked at them for a long time. The Indians were galloping in pursuit of someone, Cossacks with swords drawn were flying on horses, shots were thundering, emotions were accompanied by emotional exclamations - the game was going on.
The drawings accumulated, they went into the archives of my mother (she carefully collected everything). It’s curious that I almost never redrawn from pictures. It was somehow uninteresting to me. Apparently, I was very interested in the very process of the birth of an image out of nowhere. Mom couldn’t always buy us paints due to constant financial difficulties. Perhaps it was precisely this circumstance that laid in me a very early habit of drawing and a love for the stroke, for the line. When, a little later, I finally received the paints, I didn’t even know what to do with them. It seems that from an early age a child should have both pencils and paints in his arsenal, so that his desire to convey the visible and imaginary, as well as the color of living nature, will harmoniously develop.
Now I ask myself a question: what prompted me and encourages children to draw non-stop and with such zeal? Apparently, the very process of translating one’s ideas and observations onto paper. Life interested me not only in something particularly catchy and memorable. One of the early drawings shows an old bucket abandoned on the lawn. Seeing him, I sat down with interest and drew. Only now I understand what could have been the impetus for this. The bucket, the only object on the wide, flat meadow, emphasized the expanse of the lawn. Throughout my life, I have constantly been convinced that even the most ordinary-looking object can be interesting to depict. Without actually realizing it, I then chose the path for myself: to be able to draw everything».
Since 1925 A.M. Laptev worked as an illustrator in magazines, then in the field of book graphics, collaborated with various publishing houses in Moscow: GIZ, Detgiz, Goslitizdat, “Young Guard”, “Soviet Graphic”, “Soviet Artist”, “Children’s Literature”, etc. Since 1956 of the year - artist of the magazine “Funny Pictures”.
A.M. Laptev was one of the first to illustrate the poems of A.L. Barto (“About the War”, 1930), and also came up with graphic images of that same Nosovsky Dunno and his friends, who are known all over the world.
He not only illustrated children's books, but also painted portraits, landscapes, still lifes, genre compositions, created autolithographs on historical and revolutionary themes, composed poems for children, made toys from clay, wood and paper that continued the artistic tradition of folk art, and worked in sculpture small forms. During the Great Patriotic War, Alexey Mikhailovich remained in Moscow and was a member of the graphic brigade of the Moscow Union of Artists, which published satirical lithographed posters “Windows of the Moscow Union of Artists” and propaganda leaflets. He collaborated with TASS Windows and the Art Publishing House, worked on posters, postcards, leaflets and created a series of front-line drawings (1942–1943).
Also A.M. Laptev illustrated works of Russian and Soviet classics: “Dead Souls” and “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka” by N.V. Gogol, “Who Lives Well in Rus'” by N.A. Nekrasov, “Virgin Soil Upturned” by M.A. Sholokhova and others.
In the post-war years, Alexey Mikhailovich was one of the initiators of the movement for the preservation of ancient monuments; his sketches were published in the book “Monuments of Ancient Russian Architecture in the Drawings of A.M. Laptev". As an author and artist, Alexey Mikhailovich created books for children: “Gromophone”, “Funny Kids”, “Funny Pictures”, “How I Drew at the Zoo”, “Foot-Chickpeas”, “Funny Pictures”, “Forest Curiosities”, “Kids”, “One, two, three...”, etc., prepared tutorials “How to draw a horse” and “Pen drawing”.
Works by A.M. Laptev were exhibited at personal exhibitions in Moscow (1940, 1949). He took part in exhibitions of Soviet art in cities of the USSR and abroad: in the USA, India, and European countries. In 1966, a memorial exhibition of works by A.M. was organized in Moscow. Laptev.
The book “Alexey Mikhailovich Laptev” (series “Masters of Soviet Art”; 1951) is dedicated to the artist’s creative path, and in 1972 his memoirs “On the Way... Notes of the Artist” were published.
Alexey Mikhailovich Laptev- graphic artist, book illustrator, poet. Corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Arts. Honored Artist of the RSFSR. The artist was born in Moscow. At the age of three he was left without a father. And his mother devoted her whole life to her children: Alyosha, his older sister Tanya and his younger brother Kolya. They lived poorly. The family did not have money for good paper and paint, so they had to make do with graphite pencils and small notebook leaves. But mother read books to the children and played different games with them. And she taught the children to draw. Alyosha preferred to draw from his imagination (for example, illustrations for fairy tales); from about the age of seven he began to draw from life. But he was not interested in redrawing other people’s pictures. Alexey’s mother worked in an insignificant position at Suvorin’s publishing house. As an exception, he was admitted free of charge to one of the best gymnasiums in the city - the Strakhov gymnasium. Studying was not easy for the boy. But his element was drawing lessons. To get someone's hint, Alexey went to the artist A.E. Arkhipov. He didn't like the way he drew. It’s good that his mother persuaded him to go to Vasily Mikhailovich Vasnetsov. From him he heard a completely different opinion: “I see a clear talent in you...”. While studying in high school, Alexey simultaneously studied drawing and painting in the studio of Fyodor Ivanovich Rerberg. This allowed him to enter the textile department of VKHUTEMAS (Higher Art Workshops). A year later he transferred to the graphic department. Alexey Mikhailovich worked a lot. At this time, he began to collaborate with magazines (for example, “Pioneer,” in which readers were entertained by the character Laptev created, the pioneer Kuzka, with his adventures); various publishing houses; performed portraits, landscapes, still lifes; participated in exhibitions; went on creative business trips. When the Great Patriotic War began, he began working in the Moscow organization of the Union of Soviet Artists: he painted leaflets, posters, and lithographs for TASS Windows. In 1942, as part of a creative brigade, he was sent to the Kalinin Front, and later visited the South-Western Front. For a series of front-line drawings in 1944, the artist was awarded a 1st degree diploma from the Committee for Arts. After the war, Alexey Mikhailovich was one of the initiators of the movement for the preservation of ancient monuments, worked on wooden toys, became interested in sculptures made from roots, and worked on cycles of drawings. The series of drawings “Collective Farm Series” (1947) was acquired by the Tretyakov Gallery and was on permanent display for a long time.
After this success, the artist was offered to illustrate Sholokhov’s novel “Virgin Soil Upturned.” And then there were wonderful illustrations for Gogol’s works “Dead Souls”, “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka”, for Krylov’s fables, for Pushkin’s “The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish”, many pictures for the magazine “Funny Pictures”, there were several children's books, in of which the author acted as not only an artist, but also an author. There was a book “On the Way...Notes of an Artist”, drawing tutorials “How to draw a horse”, “Pen drawing”; ...and, of course, the image of Dunno. Everyone knows about Dunno. All children, as well as adults, fell in love with this artist because he, together with the writer Nikolai Nosov, gave them Dunno. Alexey Laptev was the first to draw a portrait of this mischievous kid, which turned out to be very successful. A successful choice of illustrators played a significant role in winning Dunno’s love among young readers. The first two parts of the trilogy were illustrated by Alexei Laptev, the third part, after the death of A. Laptev, was illustrated by Heinrich Valk. Early editions of the books were richly decorated for their time - they had dust jackets and colored inserts (subsequent editions were decorated more modestly). The last work was illustrations for the poem by N. A. Nekrasov “Who Lives Well in Rus'.” One of A. Laptev’s books was republished in 2013. In 2015, Eksmo Publishing House, in the “Retro Classics” series, presented the book “The Adventures of Dunno and His Friends” with illustrations by A. M. Laptev. The artist’s works are in many regional museums, as well as private collections in Russia and abroad.
Gogol N.V. Evenings on a farm near Dikanka: Stories published by the beekeeper Rudy Panko/ N.V. Gogol; [Artist. A. Laptev; Entry Art. and comment. I. Vinogradova; Rep. ed. A. N. Pecherskaya] - M.: Children's literature, 2003. - 298, p.: ill., portrait - (School library)
Gogol N.V. Selected works: in 2 volumes./ N.V. Gogol.- M.: Fiction, B.G.- (Library of classics. Russian literature) T. 2. / [art. Yu. Korovin, D. Dubinsky, A. Laptev]. - 1978. - 475, p. l.: ill.:180.00
Gogol N.V. Dead souls: text analysis: main content: essays/[aut.-comp. L. D. Strakhova]; [reg. I. G. Salnikova; in the region use ill. artist A. M. Lapteva; artist A. A. Agin; resp. ed. T. D. Dazhina].- 5th ed., St.-M.: Bustard, 2003.- 93, p. ill.- (School program: mid. founded in 1997)
Krylov I. A. Fables: [for primary school age] / I. A. Krylov; artist Alexey Laptev.-Moscow: Children's literature, 2013.- 31, p.: ill., portrait.- (Book by book)
: fairy tale novel / N. Nosov; [art. A. Laptev].- M.: Children's literature, 1989.- 157, p. : ill..-- (Library series)
Nosov N. N. Adventures of Dunno and his friends; Dunno in Sunny City/ N. N. Nosov; [art. A. Laptev].- M.: Onyx, 2000.- 494, p.- (Golden Library)
Nosov N. N. Adventures of Dunno and his friends: fairy tale / N. Nosov; rice. A. Lapteva.-Moscow: Eksmo, 2015, [vol. e. 2014].- 188, p.: color. ill.
Yasnov M.D. Good morning!: [poems: for reading by adults to children] / M. D. Yasnov; ill. A. Laptev.- [Moscow: Speech, cop. 2012].- 16, p.: color. ill.
Alexey Mikhailovich Laptev- graphic artist, book illustrator, poet. Corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Arts. Honored Artist of the RSFSR.
Lived in Moscow. He studied at the school-studio of F. I. Rerberg (1923) in Moscow, with P. I. Lvov and N. N. Kupreyanov at VKHUTEMAS / VKHUTEIN (1924-1929/1930). From 1925 he worked as an illustrator for a number of magazines. Collaborated with book publishing houses in Moscow. Author of textbooks for art universities. In 1944 he was awarded a 1st degree diploma from the Committee for Arts under the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR for the series of drawings “Military Series” 1942-1943. Participant of exhibitions: incl. many republican, all-union, foreign; personal: 1938, 1949 – Moscow. Member of the Union of Artists. Awarded USSR medals. Author of illustrations for works of classical Russian and Soviet literature, including books for children. He worked in the field of easel graphics on modern and historical themes, as well as in small-form sculpture. He wrote poetry and published several children's books with his own illustrations. The last time one of A. M. Laptev’s books was republished was in 2010.
It was Dunno who first allowed him to draw himself. And the portrait turned out to be so similar to the original that all subsequent “portrait painters” only repeated and played up the image created by A. M. Laptev.
The pen and watercolor drawings of A. M. Laptev not only decorated the first two parts of the Nosov trilogy, they, as Yuri Olesha accurately noted in his review of “The Adventures of Dunno and His Friends,” emphasized “its lightness, its joyful, summery, we would say , field color." In the same review, the line from which we just quoted, Yu. Olesha noted that the whole book resembles a round dance: “a whole round dance of adventures, jokes, inventions.” This association arose among the reviewer, no doubt, thanks to the illustrations of A. M. Laptev. They are multi-figured and incredibly mobile. Images constantly “change places, configuration, cut into the text, cross it diagonally” (L. Kudryavtseva), not allowing our eyes to tear away from the magnificent, bright, varied round dance of funny and cute shorties. Alexey Mikhailovich’s illustrations are “tender, lyrical, fragile... with touching warmth and at the same time captivating “seriousness”, genuineness” (A. Lavrov) in detail, step by step, they draw the world of little people. And although these creatures in Laptev resemble children (they are dressed like children, they have childish habits), “but they are not children, not a parody, not a caricature of a child, and not dolls, but fairy-tale people” (L. Kudryavtseva).
The artist’s works are in many regional museums, as well as in private collections in Russia and abroad.
Prepared based on materials from the network.
