A painter and a teacher, Alexander Savinov was born in 1881 in Saratov. In 1900, he graduated from the Bogolyubov Drawing School. A year later, he moved to St. Petersburg, where he first entered the University, the Historical and Philological Department, and then — to the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. Ilya Repin, Dmitry Kardovsky, Yan Tsionglinsky became Savinov’s teachers.
In 1909–1911, as a pensioner of the Saint Petersburg Academy of Arts, Savinov traveled to Italy. In 1910, in Rome, he painted a study “Balcony Entwined With Flowers. Rome”, displayed at the exhibition. Abroad, the artist developed his own painting style. He combined features of different styles in his works: post-impressionism, fauvism, symbolism. In Savinov’s paintings, there was a lot of light and rich colors; his works resembled mosaics and stained-glass windows.
The works of the Italian period are made in light colors. There is not a single black or brown spot in the painting ‘Balcony Entwined with Flowers’. Savinov deliberately avoided these colors, creating the necessary contrast with the help of blue, green, and yellow shades. He placed them side by side but hid the boundaries of the strokes.
In 1918, Savinov became a professor at the Saint Petersburg Academy of Arts. Since 1910, he took an active part in exhibitions of various art associations: the Union of Russian Artists, World of Art, Four Arts, and other foreign communities.
Since 1922, Savinov taught at the State Free Art Studios in Saratov and at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. In 1913–1915, he painted the Cathedral of the Savior in the Kharkiv estate of the millionaire, a sugar refinery owner, Pavel Kharitonenko.
After the February Revolution of 1917, Alexander Savinov took part in the reorganization of the Saint Petersburg Academy of Arts. He was among the first to be elected a professor at the Petrograd State Free Art Educational Studios. In 1927–1930, together with Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin, he headed a monumental workshop, then a personal painting studio, headed the composition department, served as a vice-rector for scientific and educational work.
In addition, Savinov was also engaged in the theoretical work. In the last years of his life, he began to create the book ‘The Work of an Artist on a Painting’. In a large-scale study, he planned to summarize his many years of pedagogical experience but did not manage to complete the work. In 1941, Alexander Savinov took part in the evacuation of the Hermitage. The artist passed away in besieged Leningrad.
In 1909–1911, as a pensioner of the Saint Petersburg Academy of Arts, Savinov traveled to Italy. In 1910, in Rome, he painted a study “Balcony Entwined With Flowers. Rome”, displayed at the exhibition. Abroad, the artist developed his own painting style. He combined features of different styles in his works: post-impressionism, fauvism, symbolism. In Savinov’s paintings, there was a lot of light and rich colors; his works resembled mosaics and stained-glass windows.
The works of the Italian period are made in light colors. There is not a single black or brown spot in the painting ‘Balcony Entwined with Flowers’. Savinov deliberately avoided these colors, creating the necessary contrast with the help of blue, green, and yellow shades. He placed them side by side but hid the boundaries of the strokes.
The artist depicted the drapery on the wall, highlighting the folds with a contour of ocher tones. In his work, Savinov used a painting technique discovered by the French impressionists: he painted the view from the balcony not in shades and lines, but in spots, strokes. The foreground of the picture is worked out differently: flowers and leaves are painted with sharp fractional strokes.
In 1918, Savinov became a professor at the Saint Petersburg Academy of Arts. Since 1910, he took an active part in exhibitions of various art associations: the Union of Russian Artists, World of Art, Four Arts, and other foreign communities.
Since 1922, Savinov taught at the State Free Art Studios in Saratov and at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. In 1913–1915, he painted the Cathedral of the Savior in the Kharkiv estate of the millionaire, a sugar refinery owner, Pavel Kharitonenko.
After the February Revolution of 1917, Alexander Savinov took part in the reorganization of the Saint Petersburg Academy of Arts. He was among the first to be elected a professor at the Petrograd State Free Art Educational Studios. In 1927–1930, together with Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin, he headed a monumental workshop, then a personal painting studio, headed the composition department, served as a vice-rector for scientific and educational work.
In addition, Savinov was also engaged in the theoretical work. In the last years of his life, he began to create the book ‘The Work of an Artist on a Painting’. In a large-scale study, he planned to summarize his many years of pedagogical experience but did not manage to complete the work. In 1941, Alexander Savinov took part in the evacuation of the Hermitage. The artist passed away in besieged Leningrad.
