In Ivanovka and Penza, Ivan Silych Goryushkin-Sorokopudov created a number of very expressive and psychologically insightful portraits. In one of such images, completed in 1912, he depicted the sculptor Konstantin Alexandrovich Klodt.
Konstantin Klodt was the grandson of the renowned sculptor Pyotr Karlovich Klodt (Peter Clodt von Jürgensburg), who is known for creating the equestrian statues on the Anichkov Bridge and the monument to Ivan Andreyevich Krylov in Saint Petersburg. Konstantin Klodt was born in the Orel Governorate and received art education at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. On multiple occasions, he was awarded grand and small silver medals.
Upon graduation, Konstantin Klodt received a gold medal and the title of class sculptor, with a rank of 14th class. Between 1898 and 1922, he taught at the Penza Art College. It was there that he met Ivan Goryushkin-Sorokopudov in 1908.
Konstantin Klodt taught drawing and sculpture, supervised practical ceramics training, created decorative vases and flowerpots, and carried out commissions for sculptures. In 1910–1912, he designed the stucco ornament for the Peasant Land Bank. Later, the building housed the Penza Art Gallery. Thanks to that, the stucco decor has been preserved in the interior.
In his portrait of Konstantin Klodt, Ivan Goryushkin-Sorokopudov captured the inner world of a gifted person searching for answers in art. The sculptor is shown as he was known and valued by his students and colleagues. A special warmth comes from the sitter’s “connection” with the viewer to whom he turns his gaze.
This connection is emphasized by both the sculptor’s posture and the overall composition. The artist chose an unusual horizontal format for the chest-length portrait painted with charcoal and pastels.
After the Soviet power was established, Konstantin Klodt was dismissed from the school. Between 1921 and 1928, the sculptor worked at the Kasli Iron Foundry. There, he established an enamel workshop, headed an artistic casting school, and taught modeling and drawing to the local workers.
