Nikolai Nikolaevich Baskakov (; May 8, 1918 – October 14, 1993) was a Soviet painter, a member of the Saint Petersburg Union of Artists (before 1992 known as the Leningrad branch of Union of Artists of Russian Federation),Directory of Members of the Union of Artists of USSR. Vol. 1. Moscow, Soviet artist, 1979. P.98. who lived and worked in Leningrad, regarded as one of the leading representatives of the Leningrad school of painting,The Leningrad School of Painting. Essays on the History. St Petersburg, ARKA Gallery Publishing, 2019. P.341. most famous for his genre and portrait painting.
Biography
Nikolai Nikolaevich Baskakov was born May 8, 1918, in a village seven kilometers from the Astrakhan city on the Volga River. His father, Nikolai Evlampievich Baskakov, was a carpenter. His mother, Evdokiya Vasilievna, was a housewife raising their children – nine sons and two daughters.
From 1933 to 1939 Baskakov studied under the Russian art educator Pavel Vlasov in the Astrakhan School of Art. In 1939 he was drafted into the Red Army, having served in the Far East. There, in 1943, he participated in an art exhibition. His work Khabarovsk, the year 1942 was one among the thirty-eight works of artists of Khabarovsk that had been presented in the exhibition in Moscow.Vianor A. Kirillov. Nikolai Nikolaevich Baskakov. Leningrad, Khudozhnik RSFSR, 1991. P.11.
In 1945 Baskakov went to Leningrad and entered the Department of Painting of the Leningrad Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, where he studied under Leonid Ovsannikov, Boris Fogel, Genrikh Pavlovsky, and Alexander Zaytsev.The Leningrad School of Painting. Essays on the History. St Petersburg, ARKA Gallery Publishing, 2019. P.341.
In 1951 Baskakov graduated from the Ilya Repin Institute of Arts under the supervision of the Boris Ioganson's workshop, together with Alexei Eriomin, Mikhail Kaneev, Maya Kopitseva, Anatoli Levitin, Avenir Parkhomenko, Arseny Semionov, Mikhail Trufanov, Boris Ugarov, and other young artists of the time. His graduation work had been the historical painting Lenin and Stalin in Smolny.Anniversary Directory graduates of Saint Petersburg State Academic Institute of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture named after Ilya Repin, Russian Academy of Arts. 1915 - 2005. - Saint Petersburg: Pervotsvet Publishing House, 2007. p. 64.
Since 1951, Baskakov had been a permanent exhibitor of the Leningrad Art exhibitions, where he presented his work among with others pieces of art by the leading painters of fine arts in Leningrad. He painted historical paintings and war-depicting works, genre scenes, portraits, landscapes and made sketches of everyday life. Baskakov worked in the technique of oil painting. In the same year together with artists Grigory Chepets and Mikhail Trufanov he performed his first large order – the painting Presenting of the Order of Lenin to the Kirov factory, for which he was admitted as a member of the Leningrad Union of Soviet Artists.Directory of members of the Leningrad branch of Union of Artists of Russian Federation. Leningrad, Khudozhnik RSFSR, 1987. P.11.
In the 1950 and 1960s, Baskakov also created the paintings On a floating fish factoryВесенняя выставка произведений ленинградских художников 1954 года. Каталог. Л., Изогиз, 1954. С.8. (1954), A Winter (1955), MashaОсенняя выставка произведений ленинградских художников. 1956 года. Каталог. Л., Ленинградский художник, 1958. C.6. (1956), A Letter1917 — 1957. Выставка произведений ленинградских художников. Каталог. — Л: Ленинградский художник, 1958. C.9. (1957), On the RiverОсенняя выставка произведений ленинградских художников 1958 года. Каталог. — Л: Художник РСФСР, 1959. — с.7. (1958), "Grandma and granddaughter",Выставка произведений ленинградских художников 1960 года. Каталог. — Л: Художник РСФСР, 1963. — с.7. "A Teacher", "Summer"Осенняя выставка произведений ленинградских художников 1962 года. Каталог. — Л: Художник РСФСР, 1962. — с.8. (all 1960), Pig farm workers, Chiefs on the farmВыставка произведений ленинградских художников 1961 года. Каталог. — Л: Художник РСФСР, 1964. — с.9. (both 1961), PlasterersЛенинград. Зональная выставка. — Л: Художник РСФСР, 1965. — с.10. (1964), and others. Notable among these are the paintings which date back to the dramatic events of wartime. Baskakov creates images filled with domestic drama, among them the paintings MusicВсесоюзная художественная выставка, посвященная 40-летию Великой Октябрьской социалистической революции. Каталог. — М: Советский художник, 1957. — с.11. (1957), During the warСоветская Россия. Третья Республиканская художественная выставка. Каталог. М., Министерство культуры РСФСР, 1967. C.19. (1967), On the Russian landVianor A. Kirillov. Nikolai Nikolaevich Baskakov. Leningrad, Khudozhnik RSFSR, 1991. P.56-57. (1968), A Victory (1974), and Conversation with son and Day of Victory (both 1980).
In 1956 Baskakov created the painting Lenin in the Gorki,Изобразительное искусство Ленинграда. Каталог выставки. — Л: Художник РСФСР, 1976. — с.14. where Lenin was depicted sitting in a chair on a summer day in the garden. The author's approach is seen in large genre painting Lenin in KremlinNikolai Baskakov. Lenin in Kremlin // 80 years of the Saint Petersburg Union of Artists. The Anniversary Exhibition. Saint Petersburg, 2012. P.203.The Leningrad School of Painting. Essays on the History. St Petersburg, ARKA Gallery Publishing, 2019. P.20, 324, 329.Иванов С.В. Баскаков Николай Николаевич // Страницы памяти. Справочно-биографический сборник. 1941—1945. Художники Санкт-Петербургского (Ленинградского) Союза художников — ветераны Великой Отечественной войны. СПб., Петрополис, 2014. Кн.1. С.91. (1960). Later Baskakov created the paintings Lenin on vacation (1970) and On New Year's celebration in GorkyVianor A. Kirillov. Nikolai Nikolaevich Baskakov. Leningrad, Khudozhnik RSFSR, 1991. P.16. (1972).
Baskakov also gained fame as a portraitist. Among his best-known works created in this genre were GuitaristVianor A. Kirillov. Nikolai Nikolaevich Baskakov. Leningrad, Khudozhnik RSFSR, 1991. P.15. (1949), Portrait of a Mother (1955), Portrait of a tractor driver (1956), Portrait of a Fisherman (1959), The Son of a shepherd (1962), Girl with willows (1967), and a large series of portraits of the workers of the Kirov factory, created in 1960–1980 years, including Schoolgirl, Hunter Grisha EriominНаш современник. Третья выставка произведений ленинградских художников 1973 года. Каталог. Л., Художник РСФСР, 1974. С.7. (both 1971), Grandma with the grandchildrenНаш современник. Вторая выставка произведений ленинградских художников 1972 года. Каталог. — Л: Художник РСФСР, 1973. — с.5. (1972), The guy from Dudinka and Old NganasankaНаш современник. Зональная выставка произведений ленинградских художников 1975 года. Каталог. Л., Художник РСФСР, 1980. С.12. (both 1973), A worker Fadeev with pupils,Художник. 1976, № 2. С.16. Collective Farm keeper MitrichПортрет современника. Пятая выставка произведений ленинградских художников. Каталог. — Л: Художник РСФСР, 1983. — с.6. (both 1975), Portrait of an old Uzbek womanВыставка произведений ленинградских художников, посвященная 60-летию Великого Октября. — Л: Художник РСФСР, 1982. — с.12. (1977), Sisters (1979), Portrait of a welderЗональная выставка произведений ленинградских художников 1980 года. Каталог. — Л: Художник РСФСР, 1983. — с.10. (1980), Portrait of Vasily ShukshinVianor A. Kirillov. Nikolai Nikolaevich Baskakov. Leningrad, Khudozhnik RSFSR, 1991. P.77. and Portrait of the Artist (both 1984), A Group portrait of Kirov factory workers (1985), and A Portrait of the poet Nikolai Rubtsov (1988).
Baskakov was most known for his impressive portraits of contemporaries painted in realistic style.
The West discovered the art of Baskakov in 1989, when his portraits and genre paintings were first shown in Paris at the auctions of the Leningrad school artists. Subsequently, many of his works were acquired by American private collections.Vern G. Swanson. Soviet Impressionism. - Woodbridge, England: Antique Collectors' Club, 2001. - pp. 186-188.
In 1991 Saint Petersburg publishing house "Khudozhnik RSFSR" issued a monograph by V. Kirillov, devoted to the work of Nikolai Baskakov.Vianor A. Kirillov. Nikolai Nikolaevich Baskakov. - Leningrad: Khudozhnik RSFSR, 1991. - 104 p. Baskakov was elected a full member of Peter's Academy of Sciences and Arts.Artists of Peter's Academy of Arts and Sciences. - Saint Petersburg: Ladoga Edition, 2008. P.22–23. In 1989–1992 his paintings were exhibited in France in auctions of Russian paintings by L'École de LeningradL' École de Leningrad. Auction Catalogue. - Paris: Drouot Richelieu, 25 Novembre 1991. P.24-29. and others.Charmes Russes. Auction Catalogue. Paris, Drouot Richelieu. 1991, 15 Mai. P.48-51.
Baskakov died on October 14, 1993, in Saint Petersburg, at the age of 76. His paintings reside in the State Russian Museum and in art museums and private collections in Russia,Sergei V. Ivanov. Unknown Socialist Realism. The Leningrad School.- Saint Petersburg: NP-Print Edition, 2007. - c.6-7. Japan, the U.S.,Vern G. Swanson. Soviet Impressionism. - Woodbridge, England: Antique Collectors' Club, 2001. - pp.186–188. , . Germany, England, France,L' École de Leningrad. Auction Catalogue. - Paris: Drouot Richelieu, 21 Decembre 1990. - p.74-77. and other countries.
See also Fine Art of Leningrad Leningrad School of Painting House of creativity «Staraya Ladoga» List of 20th century Russian painters Saint Petersburg Union of Artists
References
Sources Central State Archive of Literature and Arts. Saint Petersburg. F.78. Inv.8/2. C.208. Весенняя выставка произведений ленинградских художников 1954 года. Каталог. Л., Изогиз, 1954. С.8. Осенняя выставка произведений ленинградских художников 1956 года. Каталог. Л., Ленинградский художник, 1958. С.6. 1917 — 1957. Выставка произведений ленинградских художников. Каталог. Л., Ленинградский художник, 1958. С.9. Всесоюзная художественная выставка, посвящённая 40-летию Великой Октябрьской социалистической революции. Каталог. М., Советский художник, 1957. С.11. Осенняя выставка произведений ленинградских художников 1958 года. Каталог. Л., Художник РСФСР, 1959. С.7. Шведова В. Над чем работают ленинградские художники // Художник. 1959, № 9. Выставка произведений ленинградских художников 1960 года. Каталог. Л., Художник РСФСР, 1963. С.7. Выставка произведений ленинградских художников 1960 года. Каталог. Л., Художник РСФСР, 1961. С.9. Выставка произведений ленинградских художников 1961 года. Каталог. Л., Художник РСФСР, 1964. С.9. Осенняя выставка произведений ленинградских художников 1962 года. Каталог. Л., Художник РСФСР, 1962. С.8. Ленинград. Зональная выставка 1964 года. Каталог. Л, Художник РСФСР, 1965. C.10. Третья республиканская художественная выставка «Советская Россия». Каталог. М., Министерство культуры РСФСР, 1967. С.19. Весенняя выставка произведений ленинградских художников 1969 года. Каталог. Л., Художник РСФСР, 1970. C.8. Выставка произведений ленинградских художников, посвященная 25-летию победы над фашистской Германией. Каталог. Л., Художник РСФСР, 1972. C.6. Художники народов СССР. Биографический словарь. Том первый. — М: Искусство, 1970. — с.298-299. Весенняя выставка произведений ленинградских художников 1971 года. Каталог. — Л: Художник РСФСР, 1972. — с.7. Наш современник. Каталог выставки произведений ленинградских художников 1971 года. Л., Художник РСФСР, 1972. С.8. Наш современник. Вторая выставка произведений ленинградских художников 1972 года. Каталог. Л., Художник РСФСР, 1973. C.5. Наш современник. Третья выставка произведений ленинградских художников 1973 года. Каталог. — Л: Художник РСФСР, 1974. — с.7. Дмитренко А. Мир современника. // Ленинградская правда, 1975, 12 октября. Наш современник. Зональная выставка произведений ленинградских художников 1975 года. Каталог. Л., Художник РСФСР, 1980. C.12.