Anna Ostroumova-Lebedeva Facts for Kids

Anna Ostroumova-Lebedeva. Portrait by Filipp Malyavin (1896)

Ostrumova-Lebedeva as the letter О in "Mir iskusstva ABC" by Mstislav Dobuzhinsky

Anna Petrovna Ostroumova-Lebedeva (Russian: Анна Петровна Остроумова-Лебедева, born May 17, 1871 – died May 5, 1955) was a talented Russian and Soviet artist. She is best known for her beautiful watercolor paintings. Anna was also one of the first artists in Russia to use the woodcut technique.

Her Life and Art
Her Famous Artworks
See Also

Her Life and Art

Anna Ostroumova was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia. In 1905, she married a chemist named Sergei Vasilyevich Lebedev.

Early Life and Education

Anna began her art studies at the Stieglitz School of Technical Drawing. Later, she went to the Imperial Academy of Arts. This academy only started accepting women in 1892. Anna was one of the very first women to graduate from there. She studied under the famous artist Ilya Repin.

In 1898 and 1899, Anna traveled to Paris, France, to continue her studies. She attended the Académie Colarossi and also learned from James Abbott McNeill Whistler at the Académie Carmen.

Becoming an Artist

In 1900, Anna graduated from the Academy, focusing on graphic arts. That same year, she joined an art group in Saint Petersburg called Mir iskusstva (which means "World of Art").

In 1901, she created her first series of woodcuts. These artworks showed scenes of Saint Petersburg. A famous art promoter, Sergei Diaghilev, asked her to make them.

During the early 1900s, Anna traveled a lot around Europe. She also worked as an illustrator for books, adding her unique drawings to stories.

Later Years and Legacy

From 1934, Anna Ostroumova-Lebedeva became a professor. She taught art at the Repin Institute in Leningrad. She lived through the difficult Siege of Leningrad during World War II. After the war, she sadly lost her eyesight. Anna passed away in 1955 in Leningrad.

Her main artworks, both woodcuts and watercolors, often showed city views. She especially loved painting the cityscapes of Saint Petersburg. Her travels in Europe also inspired her to create artworks of other European cities.