Alexandre Benois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alexandre Nikolayevich Benois
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| Алекса́ндр Никола́евич Бенуа́ | |
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Portrait of Benois by Léon Bakst, 1898
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| Born | May 3, 1870 |
| Died | February 9, 1960 |
| Resting place | Batignolles Cemetery, Paris |
| Nationality |
(1870-1926)
(1927-1960) |
| Education | Saint Petersburg Imperial University |
| Occupation | Artist, historian |
| Movement | Aesthetic |
| Spouse(s) | Anna Karlovna Kind |
| Parent(s) |
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| Family | Benois |
Alexandre Nikolayevich Benois (Russian: Алекса́ндр Никола́евич Бенуа́) was a famous Russian artist, art critic, and historian. He was also a preservationist, meaning he worked to protect old buildings and art. He helped start the Mir iskusstva (World of Art) movement and magazine.
Benois was a key designer for the Ballets Russes dance company. His work had a huge impact on modern ballet and stage design. He helped shape how ballets looked on stage.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Alexandre Benois was born on May 3, 1870, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. He came from the artistic Benois family. This family included many important thinkers and artists in Russia.
His father, Nicholas Benois, was a well-known architect. His brothers, Albert Benois and Leon Benois, were also artists and architects. His sister, Maria, married the composer Nikolai Tcherepnin. Alexandre would later work with Nikolai.
Even though he grew up in an artistic family, Alexandre did not plan to be an artist at first. He studied law at Saint Petersburg Imperial University. He graduated in 1894.
Starting His Art Career
In 1897, Benois painted a series of watercolors in Versailles, France. These paintings showed the "Last Promenades of Louis XIV". When they were shown by Pavel Tretyakov, they caught the eye of Sergei Diaghilev and the artist Léon Bakst.
These three men then started the art magazine and movement called Mir iskusstva (World of Art). This group helped bring new art styles like the Aesthetic Movement and Art Nouveau to Russia.
Important Works and Illustrations
In the early 1900s, Benois continued to work on Mir iskusstva. He also wrote detailed books about Russian art from the 1800s. He wrote about places like Tsarskoye Selo.
In 1903, Benois created illustrations for Pushkin's poem The Bronze Horseman. These illustrations are now seen as very important in art. In 1904, he published his "Alphabet in Pictures." This was a children's book that was also a beautiful art book. Illustrations from this book were even shown at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014.
Stage Design and Ballets Russes
In 1901, Benois became the scenic director for the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg. This was where the Imperial Russian Ballet performed. In 1905, he moved to Paris, France. From then on, he spent most of his time designing sets and costumes for plays and ballets.
His work with Diaghilev's Ballets Russes was revolutionary. His sets and costumes for ballets like Les Sylphides (1909), Giselle (1910), and Petrushka (1911) were huge successes. Benois mostly worked with the Ballets Russes. However, he also worked with the Moscow Art Theatre and other famous theaters in Europe.
Later Life and Legacy
After the Russian Revolution of 1917, Benois was recognized for his knowledge. From 1918 to 1926, he worked as a curator at the Hermitage Museum in Leningrad. He was in charge of the gallery of old master paintings. During this time, he made sure that a famous Leonardo da Vinci painting of the Madonna from his family was given to the museum. It became known as the Madonna Benois.
In 1927, Benois left Russia and settled in Paris. He continued to work mainly as a set designer. He published his Memoirs (his life story) in two books in 1955.
His Family
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In 1894, Alexandre married Anna Karlovna Kind. She came from a well-known Russian music family. They met when Alexandre was learning music from Anna's grandfather, Karl Ivanovich Kind. Karl was a famous violinist for the royal court.
Anna and Alexandre were married for 60 years. They are buried together in Paris. Anna was always by Alexandre's side and was well-liked in artistic groups. She was even a model for famous painters like Léon Bakst and Valentin Serov.
Notable Relatives
- Alexandre's son, Nicola Alexandrovich Benois (also known as Nikolai Benois), became a famous opera designer. He created costumes and sets for opera companies around the world.
- Alexandre's nephew, Nikolai Albertovich Benois, married the opera singer Maria Nikolaevna Kuznetsova.
- Alexandre was also the uncle of Eugene Lanceray and Zinaida Serebriakova, who became recognized Russian artists.
- He was one of the great-uncles of the British actor Sir Peter Ustinov.
See also
- Benois family
Works
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Set design for Le Pavillon d'Armide, Ballets Russes, 1909
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Promenade of Empress Elizabeth through the Noble Streets of Saint Petersburg, 1903
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Peter the Great Meditating the Idea of Building Saint Petersburg at the Shore of the Baltic Sea
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Military Parade of Emperor Paul in front of Mikhaylovsky Castle, 1907
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Set for Stravinsky's Petrushka, 1911
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At the German Quarter, 1911
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Cultural Depictions
- Anna Pavlova, a film by Emil Loteanu; Benois was played by Anatoli Romashin (1983).
See also
In Spanish: Alexandre Benois para niños
- List of Russian artists
