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Sergey Konenkov

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Sergey Konenkov
Сергей Тимофеевич Коненков
Pavel Korin,Sergey Konenkov,1947, oil on canvas,Tretyakov Gallery,Moscow;appears as shown on the 1974 Soviet postage stamp
Born(1874-07-10)July 10, 1874
Karakovichi,Smolensk Governorate,Russian Empire
DiedDecember 9, 1971(1971-12-09)(aged 97)
Moscow,Russian SFSR,Soviet Union
Resting placeNovodevichy Cemetery,Moscow
NationalityRussian
EducationMoscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture
Alma materSt. Petersburg Academy of Arts
Known forSculpture
Spouse
​
​
(m.1922)​
AwardsGolden star of the Hero of Socialist Labour

Sergey Timofeyevich Konenkov,alsoSergei Konyonkov(Russian:Серге́й Тимофеевич Конёнков;10 July [O.S.28 June] 1874 – 9 December 1971) was a Russian andSovietsculptor.He was often called "the RussianRodin".

Early life

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Pensador, 1898, Sergey Konenkov

Konenkov was born in apeasantfamily, in a village ofKarakovichiinSmolenskprovince.[1]Sergey studied at theMoscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture,graduating in 1897,[2]and at theSt. Petersburg Academy of Arts.His diploma work at the Academy - a huge clay statue ofSamsontearing the chains - broke most existing laws of academic art and put him at odds with his teachers, who apparently destroyed the work with hammers.[2]

1900-1922 period

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He travelled to Italy, France,Egypt,Greece,and Germany.

During theRussian Revolution of 1905Konenkov was with the workers on the barricades, soon after creating portraits of the heroes of the rebellion inMoscow.

When Konenkov visited the house of the art collectorIvan Morozov,an eye-witness account says he was very dismissive: He claimed that the works byMaurice Denis,Manet,DegasandAristide Maillolwere rubbish. Morozov replied that he just loved Konenkov, who replied that he did not care. When Morozov showed Konenkov works byVrubelandVictor Borisov-Musatov,which he praised, but questioned why they were being hidden in Morozov's bedroom.[3]

Konenkov sold three sculptures to Morozov before the war: A pair entitledTorsomade of marble with one created by Richard Guinot, Maillol's assistant, and Konenkov wooden carving entitledYoung Woman.During the war he sold Morozov two more.[3]

Konenkov supported theRussian Revolution of 1917.Following theBolshevikseizure of powerKonenkov started work forNarkompros,the new People's Commissariat for Enlightenment. In this capacity he returned to the Morozov mansion to deliver a preservation order for Ivan Morozov's art collection.[3]

Work in US

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In 1922 Konenkov marriedMargarita Ivanovna Vorontsova,[a]and in 1923 they travelled to the United States to take part in the Russian Art Exhibition,[7]which was held in 1924 at the Grand Central Palace. The trip was supposed to last for a few months, but Konenkov stayed in the States for 22 years, living and working inNew York City.

In 1928–1929 the sculptor visited Italy to meet and work on a portrait of the Soviet writerMaksim Gorky.He had a personal exhibition inRome.

During the American period, Konenkov created a large body of work focusing onBiblethemes, notably theApocalypse.He produced works depictingJesus Christand theChristianprophetsandapostles.

In 1935 he was commissioned by thePrinceton Universityto do a sculpture ofAlbert Einstein.It is said that Einstein was interested in the work of the Russian sculptor, but was more focused on his wife, Margarita Konenkova. Einstein and Margarita, who also was acquainted with the physicistRobert Oppenheimer,allegedly had a love affair, judging by "nine of the great scientist's apparently genuine love letters, written in 1945 and 1946."[8][9]There have been allegations that Margarita was working in those years for the Soviet Government, but no concrete evidence has been provided to support the theory.[10][11]

Return to Russia

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Konenkov working on the bust of S. N. Bazalyants

Under direct orders fromJoseph Stalinin 1945, a ship was sent to New York to bring Konenkov back to theUSSR.The sculptor was given a large studio on Gorky street in the centre of Moscow. He "had found favor enough with the regime to be asked to design a plaque commemorating the first anniversary of the October Revolution on the Senate Tower of the Kremlin."[12]

Konenkov created sculptures ofAleksandr Pushkin,Anton Chekhov,Leo Tolstoy,Fyodor Dostoyevsky,Ivan Turgenev,Vladimir Mayakovsky,Konstantin Tsiolkovsky,Vasily Surikov,Johann Bach,Paganini,to name a few. He also made wood carvedcrossesand other pieces for theMarfo-Mariinsky Conventin Moscow.

Konenkov received numerous Soviet awards, including the golden star of theHero of Socialist Labour,theorder of Leninand the title Peoples artist of the USSR.

He is buried in Moscow'sNovodevichy Convent.

A street in the Northeastern District of Moscow is named after Konenkov.

Historical plaque on his home on Tverskoi Boulevard in Moscow
Historical plaque on his home on Tverskoi Boulevard in Moscow

Works

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^Margarita Ivanovna Kononkova also spelled Konenkova or Margarita Ivanovna Vorontsova was a Soviet intelligence agent that often met withElizabeth Zarubinaand also was a love interest ofAlbert Einstein.According toPavel Sudoplatovin his bookSpecial Tasks,Vorontsova, who Sudoplatov called "our trusted agent", was directed to gain information about theManhattan Projectand became a close confidant ofRobert Oppenheimerwho, later, was atLos Alamos.Vorontsova was to "influence Oppenheimer and other prominent American scientists who she met at Princeton" where Einstein lived.[4][5][6]

References

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  1. ^Sergei Konenkov, Marie Turbow Lampard, John E. Bowlt, and Wendy R. Salmond,The Uncommon Vision of Sergei Konenkov, 1874-1971: A Russian Sculptor and His Times,p. 3.Google books
  2. ^abThe Uncommon Vision of Sergei Konenkov.p. 5.
  3. ^abcSemenova, Natalya (2020).Morozov: the story of a family and a lost collection.New Haven: Yale University.ISBN978-0-300-24982-8.
  4. ^Yegorov, Oleg (January 11, 2018)."Einstein's love, Stalin's agent: How a Russian woman won over the world's greatest mind".Russia Beyond(rbth ).Archived fromthe originalon May 15, 2024.RetrievedMay 15,2024.
  5. ^Overbye, Dennis (May 7, 2002)."New Details Emerge From the Einstein Files; How the F.B.I. Tracked His Phone Calls and His Trash".New York Times.Archived fromthe originalon December 27, 2020.RetrievedMay 15,2024.
  6. ^Usborne, David (June 1, 1998)."Einstein's letters show affair with spy".The Independent.Archived fromthe originalon May 15, 2024.RetrievedMay 15,2024.
  7. ^"The Russian Art Exhibition".Igor Grabar. February 19, 1924 – via Google Books.
  8. ^Martin Kettle, "Letters reveal scientist's compromising passion: Einstein's affair with a spy from Moscow; Evidence found in Russia shows that the father of modern physics had a long relationship with a Soviet agent who was trying to extract nuclear secrets while the US was developing the atom bomb,"The Guardian,2 June 1998, p.3.
  9. ^Pogrebin, Robin (June 1, 1998)."Love Letters By Einstein At Auction".The New York Times– via NYTimes.
  10. ^Dennis Overbye, "New book describes FBI pursuit of Einstein," New York Times News Service,Deseret News(Salt Lake City), 7 May 2002.
  11. ^Fred Jerome,The Einstein File: J. Edgar Hoover's Secret War Against the World's Most Famous Scientist.
  12. ^Philip Marriott, "A Friend of the Einsteins,"Moscow News,22 September 2004.

Further reading

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