Vikentii Trofimov
Encyclopedia
Vikentii Pavlovich Trofimov (Russian
: Викентий Павлович Трофимов; November 24, 1878 in Talizky Zavod
, Perm Governorate – February 10, 1956 in Zagorsk, Sergiyevo-Posadsky District, Moscow Oblast
) was a Russian painter.
, explorers and merchants. His father Pavel Trofimov was a well-known ship-owner; his partners and he decided to restart merchant navigation through the famous Northern Sea Route
and fairs in Mangazeya
(the ancient merchant town). For this purpose in 1911 the famous Fridtjof Nansen
had been invited to investigate the river basin of the Ob River
, and Pavel Trofimov was among the sponsors of this project. There were ten children in Trofimov's family, and every one became a well-educated person.
, informally named Stroganovka). He and his friend Ignaty Nivinsky were both recommended for the gold medal. As there was only one gold medal, the two friends instead were encouraged to travel and teach abroad, and they agreed. A little later Trofimov married Ignaty's sister Vera, a very talented person with abilities in theatre. Trofimov continued his painting education in the private school of Zhukovsky and Halyavin, and travelled extensively in Europe.
for several years and Trofimov taught watercolour painting in private school. From 1909-1911 he was headmaster of the Stroganovka branch in Sergiyev Posad.
From 1911 to 1922 the family lived in Voronezh
where Trofimov was headmaster of Kolomenkin Art school, another branch of Stroganovka. The beginning of the First World War, Nicholas II of Russia
visited Voronezh, and Trofimov made a sketch dedicated this visit. The sketch is now kept in the State Historical Museum of Russia. Some paintings from this period of Trofimov's life are kept in the Voronezh Museum of local lore as well. In spite of living in a small town, Trofimov continually took part in many art exhibitions such as All-Russian contests of art trade in Moscow and St. Petersburg from 1900–1916 and was awarded first prizes. In 1918 his painting "Boys Bathers" was sold during the first day of the show in Moscow..
) to draw old places of the town in order to save them for the future. Trofimov painted some works about the Old Voronezh. For this task he studied archive documents in order to recreate monuments which were no longer in existence at the time. His painting "Uspenskaya Church and the houses of Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov
and Apraksin in Peter the Great Period" drew on the ancient prints and other works kept in the Ivan Kramskoi Museum in Voronezh. These works were also published in the book "Old Voronezh" by Prof. Uspenskiy. Much later, in March 1986 on the Conference of Regional Studies in Voronezh, an address on Trofimov was presented as well as a show of his works. Some articles about his art were published; for example, there is a little citation: "The painter Vikentii Trovimov mostly worked in his favourite watercolour technique though he was able to paint in oil in the same light and transparent manner. His style was honoured by Igor Grabar
, who described the paintings by Trofimov as documentary and pictorial portraits of architectural monuments which were correct down to the number of bricks"..
. Trofimov was a headmaster of the painting branch of Mikhail Vrubel
Art School, and additionally he became a director of the New Siberia
branch. In Omsk he painted such works as "Near the crossing of Irtysh
", "Ob River near Belokurikha
", "The Spring in Omsk Creek" and others. Among them, he created a number of monumental works in the public houses. In the 1930s the portrait of his young son Lev under the name "Our Relief" was published as a postcard by Association of the Painters of the Revolution; 25,000 copies were made.
Vikentii Trofimov was a fine yachtsman and he passed this love to his children. His knowledge of sea-skills gave him the ability to draw sailors with a high degree of accuracy not usually seen in paintings of seascapes.
and Shchusev Museum of Architecture, etc.
At the end of the 1930s the family moved to Zagorsk. There Trofimov took part in the very complex and important restoration works in Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra
, together with his son Ignaty who was invited as general director and architecture restorer. Vikentii Trofimov created art reconstructions of the monuments of Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra based on the working drawings made by his son. His reconstructions include "Holy Spirit Church and Trinity Cathedral. Perspective view eastwards"; "Holy Spirit Church. Perspective view south-west"; "Hospital Wards and Church of Zosima and Savvaty. Perspective view south-east"; "Refectory
. Perspective view north-east"; "Refectory. Section according to east-west axis" and others; these were published in the book written by his son
Vikentii Trofimov didn't stop his easel painting and constantly took part in art exhibitions. On August 23, 1955, he presented a solo exhibition in Zagorsk Preserve Museum. All his masterpieces were presented, from the earliest works to the latest sketches. The main part of the exhibition consisted of the paintings dedicated to Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra. The catalogue was published with the comment that "the watercolors may serve as documents for the future investigator of Old Russian architecture, so precisely is every detail trimmed up"..
Art Museum and his paintings are kept in many other museums of the Russian Federation. He brought up a lot of pupils in various fields of easel, monumental and applied paintings as well in art manufacture, and his children were first among his pupils. Lev and Valentina became well-known painters, and Valentina collaborated with her famous uncle Ignaty Nivinsky. Ignaty Trofimov, the general director of restoration of Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra, the honourable citizen of Sergiyevo-Posadsky District, a member of the Architectural Society, devoted his book to his father. He wrote: "The author revered his father's memory with particular gratitude. The painter Vikentii Pavlovich Trofimov from the years 1938 till 1956 had lived and worked in Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra and was adviser and leader of the author. His deep knowledge of art and architecture, his creative activities strongly expressed in his paintings, and his love for Russia gave the author the constant model in creation and the author is obliged to the model of all positive things he has in his work."
In spite of his bright and productive activity, Vikentii Trofimov had no titles and ranks as he was a non-Party
man and so had been kept in the background during the Communist period.
In 2007, on the XXIII Antiq Saloon, the art exhibition of Vikentii Trofimov was presented by Shishkin Gallery.
Works by Vikentii Trofimov are known and claimed as well abroad. In 2007 Christie's
sold one of his early paintings, "The Descent in Voronezsh," and in 2008 another of his pictures, "Kazakhs with a horse at a crossing," was sold through Christie's.
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
: Викентий Павлович Трофимов; November 24, 1878 in Talizky Zavod
Talitsa, Sverdlovsk Oblast
Talitsa is a town and the administrative center of Talitsky District of Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Pyshma River , near the Yekaterinburg–Tyumen segment of Trans-Siberian Railway, east of Yekaterinburg. The actual railroad station is located in the settlement of...
, Perm Governorate – February 10, 1956 in Zagorsk, Sergiyevo-Posadsky District, Moscow Oblast
Moscow Oblast
Moscow Oblast , or Podmoskovye , is a federal subject of Russia . Its area, at , is relatively small compared to other federal subjects, but it is one of the most densely populated regions in the country and, with the 2010 population of 7,092,941, is the second most populous federal subject...
) was a Russian painter.
The Trofimov family
Trofimov was descended from a family of Siberian CossacksSiberian Cossacks
Siberian Cossacks were Cossacks who settled in the Siberian region of Russia from the end of the 16th century, following the Yermak Timofeyevich's conquest of Siberia. In early Siberia practically the whole Russian population, especially the serving-men were called Cossacks, but only in the loose...
, explorers and merchants. His father Pavel Trofimov was a well-known ship-owner; his partners and he decided to restart merchant navigation through the famous Northern Sea Route
Northern Sea Route
The Northern Sea Route is a shipping lane officially defined by Russian legislation from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean specifically running along the Russian Arctic coast from Murmansk on the Barents Sea, along Siberia, to the Bering Strait and Far East. The entire route lies in Arctic...
and fairs in Mangazeya
Mangazeya
Mangazeya was a Northwest Siberian trans-Ural trade colony and later city in the 16-17th centuries. Founded in 1600, it was situated on the Taz River, between the lower courses of the Ob and Yenisei Rivers flowing into the Arctic Ocean....
(the ancient merchant town). For this purpose in 1911 the famous Fridtjof Nansen
Fridtjof Nansen
Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen was a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. In his youth a champion skier and ice skater, he led the team that made the first crossing of the Greenland interior in 1888, and won international fame after reaching a...
had been invited to investigate the river basin of the Ob River
Ob River
The Ob River , also Obi, is a major river in western Siberia, Russia and is the world's seventh longest river. It is the westernmost of the three great Siberian rivers that flow into the Arctic Ocean .The Gulf of Ob is the world's longest estuary.-Names:The Ob is known to the Khanty people as the...
, and Pavel Trofimov was among the sponsors of this project. There were ten children in Trofimov's family, and every one became a well-educated person.
Graduation from Stroganovka
In 1899 Vikentii Trofimov graduated from Stroganov Central College of Technical Drawing (now Stroganov Moscow State University of Arts and IndustryStroganov Moscow State University of Arts and Industry
Stroganov Moscow State University of Arts and Industry informally named Stroganovka is one of the oldest Russian schools for the industrial, monumental and decorative art and design. The University is named after its founder, baron Sergei Grigoriyevich Stroganov.-History:The school was founded in...
, informally named Stroganovka). He and his friend Ignaty Nivinsky were both recommended for the gold medal. As there was only one gold medal, the two friends instead were encouraged to travel and teach abroad, and they agreed. A little later Trofimov married Ignaty's sister Vera, a very talented person with abilities in theatre. Trofimov continued his painting education in the private school of Zhukovsky and Halyavin, and travelled extensively in Europe.
Early career
In 1900 Trofimov started his pedagogical work at his alma mater, then continued as director of one of its branches. From 1903-1905 he worked as a painter and as the director of the domestic department of Sudga Zemstvo (a form of local government). There his first son, Ignaty, was born. Later the family lived in MoscowMoscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
for several years and Trofimov taught watercolour painting in private school. From 1909-1911 he was headmaster of the Stroganovka branch in Sergiyev Posad.
From 1911 to 1922 the family lived in Voronezh
Voronezh
Voronezh is a city in southwestern Russia, the administrative center of Voronezh Oblast. It is located on both sides of the Voronezh River, away from where it flows into the Don. It is an operating center of the Southeastern Railway , as well as the center of the Don Highway...
where Trofimov was headmaster of Kolomenkin Art school, another branch of Stroganovka. The beginning of the First World War, Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
visited Voronezh, and Trofimov made a sketch dedicated this visit. The sketch is now kept in the State Historical Museum of Russia. Some paintings from this period of Trofimov's life are kept in the Voronezh Museum of local lore as well. In spite of living in a small town, Trofimov continually took part in many art exhibitions such as All-Russian contests of art trade in Moscow and St. Petersburg from 1900–1916 and was awarded first prizes. In 1918 his painting "Boys Bathers" was sold during the first day of the show in Moscow..
Old Voronezh
At the beginning of 1920 Vikentii Trofimov was invited to take part in very interesting work. Professor Uspenskiy created a Committee of Archeology (the predecessor of the Community of Saving of Art Monuments) and this Committee invited some painters (locals as well as famous painters such as Apollinary VasnetsovApollinary Vasnetsov
Apollinary Mikhaylovich Vasnetsov , 1856, the village of Riabovo, Vyatka province - January 23, 1933, Moscow) was a Russian painter and graphic artist whose elder brother was the more famous Viktor Vasnetsov. He specialized in scenes from the medieval history of Moscow.Vasnetsov was a painter and a...
) to draw old places of the town in order to save them for the future. Trofimov painted some works about the Old Voronezh. For this task he studied archive documents in order to recreate monuments which were no longer in existence at the time. His painting "Uspenskaya Church and the houses of Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov
Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov
Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov was a Russian statesman, whose official titles included Generalissimus, Prince of the Russian Empire and Duke of Izhora , Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, Duke of Cosel. A highly appreciated associate and friend of Tsar Peter the Great, he was the de facto ruler of...
and Apraksin in Peter the Great Period" drew on the ancient prints and other works kept in the Ivan Kramskoi Museum in Voronezh. These works were also published in the book "Old Voronezh" by Prof. Uspenskiy. Much later, in March 1986 on the Conference of Regional Studies in Voronezh, an address on Trofimov was presented as well as a show of his works. Some articles about his art were published; for example, there is a little citation: "The painter Vikentii Trovimov mostly worked in his favourite watercolour technique though he was able to paint in oil in the same light and transparent manner. His style was honoured by Igor Grabar
Igor Grabar
Igor Emmanuilovich Grabar was a Russian post-impressionist painter, publisher, restorer and historian of art. Grabar, descendant of a wealthy Rusyn family, was trained as a painter by Ilya Repin in Saint Petersburg and by Anton Ažbe in Munich...
, who described the paintings by Trofimov as documentary and pictorial portraits of architectural monuments which were correct down to the number of bricks"..
Omsk
In 1924 the Trofimov family moved to OmskOmsk
-History:The wooden fort of Omsk was erected in 1716 to protect the expanding Russian frontier along the Ishim and the Irtysh rivers against the Kyrgyz nomads of the Steppes...
. Trofimov was a headmaster of the painting branch of Mikhail Vrubel
Mikhail Vrubel
Mikhail Aleksandrovich Vrubel is usually regarded amongst the Russian painters of the Symbolist movement. In reality, he deliberately stood aloof from contemporary art trends, so that the origin of his unusual manner should be sought in Late Byzantine and Early Renaissance painting.-Early...
Art School, and additionally he became a director of the New Siberia
New Siberia
New Siberia is the easternmost of the Anzhu Islands, the northern subgroup of the New Siberian Islands lying between the Laptev Sea and East Siberian Sea. Its area of approximately 6,200 km² places it just outside the 100 largest islands in the world. New Siberia Island is low lying, rising...
branch. In Omsk he painted such works as "Near the crossing of Irtysh
Irtysh
The Irtysh River is a river in Siberia and is the chief tributary of the Ob River. Its name means White River. Irtysh's main affluent is the Tobol River...
", "Ob River near Belokurikha
Belokurikha
Belokurikha is a town and a balneological resort in Altai Krai, Russia, located on the Bolshaya Belokurikha River south of Barnaul. Population: 5,700 ....
", "The Spring in Omsk Creek" and others. Among them, he created a number of monumental works in the public houses. In the 1930s the portrait of his young son Lev under the name "Our Relief" was published as a postcard by Association of the Painters of the Revolution; 25,000 copies were made.
Vikentii Trofimov was a fine yachtsman and he passed this love to his children. His knowledge of sea-skills gave him the ability to draw sailors with a high degree of accuracy not usually seen in paintings of seascapes.
Zagorsk
In 1932 the Trofimov family moved to Moscow. There Trofimov painted on a heroic scale, including the decorated ceiling of the main staircase in the Soviet Army House, decorated ceilings of the White Hall of MossovetMossovet
Mossovet , an abbreviation of Moscow Soviet of People's Deputies, was the informal name of *parallel, shadow city administration of Moscow, Russia run by left-wing parties in 1917*city administration of Moscow in Soviet period...
and Shchusev Museum of Architecture, etc.
At the end of the 1930s the family moved to Zagorsk. There Trofimov took part in the very complex and important restoration works in Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra
Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra
The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius is the most important Russian monastery and the spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church. The monastery is situated in the town of Sergiyev Posad, about 70 km to the north-east from Moscow by the road leading to Yaroslavl, and currently is home to...
, together with his son Ignaty who was invited as general director and architecture restorer. Vikentii Trofimov created art reconstructions of the monuments of Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra based on the working drawings made by his son. His reconstructions include "Holy Spirit Church and Trinity Cathedral. Perspective view eastwards"; "Holy Spirit Church. Perspective view south-west"; "Hospital Wards and Church of Zosima and Savvaty. Perspective view south-east"; "Refectory
Refectory
A refectory is a dining room, especially in monasteries, boarding schools and academic institutions. One of the places the term is most often used today is in graduate seminaries...
. Perspective view north-east"; "Refectory. Section according to east-west axis" and others; these were published in the book written by his son
Vikentii Trofimov didn't stop his easel painting and constantly took part in art exhibitions. On August 23, 1955, he presented a solo exhibition in Zagorsk Preserve Museum. All his masterpieces were presented, from the earliest works to the latest sketches. The main part of the exhibition consisted of the paintings dedicated to Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra. The catalogue was published with the comment that "the watercolors may serve as documents for the future investigator of Old Russian architecture, so precisely is every detail trimmed up"..
Impact
The heritage of Vikentii Trofimov is not currently studied. His archive in 1990-1991 was shown in the TyumenTyumen
Tyumen is the largest city and the administrative center of Tyumen Oblast, Russia, located on the Tura River east of Moscow. Population: Tyumen is the oldest Russian settlement in Siberia. Founded in 16th century to support Russia's eastward expansion, the city has remained one of the most...
Art Museum and his paintings are kept in many other museums of the Russian Federation. He brought up a lot of pupils in various fields of easel, monumental and applied paintings as well in art manufacture, and his children were first among his pupils. Lev and Valentina became well-known painters, and Valentina collaborated with her famous uncle Ignaty Nivinsky. Ignaty Trofimov, the general director of restoration of Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra, the honourable citizen of Sergiyevo-Posadsky District, a member of the Architectural Society, devoted his book to his father. He wrote: "The author revered his father's memory with particular gratitude. The painter Vikentii Pavlovich Trofimov from the years 1938 till 1956 had lived and worked in Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra and was adviser and leader of the author. His deep knowledge of art and architecture, his creative activities strongly expressed in his paintings, and his love for Russia gave the author the constant model in creation and the author is obliged to the model of all positive things he has in his work."
In spite of his bright and productive activity, Vikentii Trofimov had no titles and ranks as he was a non-Party
Communist party
A political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
man and so had been kept in the background during the Communist period.
In 2007, on the XXIII Antiq Saloon, the art exhibition of Vikentii Trofimov was presented by Shishkin Gallery.
Works by Vikentii Trofimov are known and claimed as well abroad. In 2007 Christie's
Christie's
Christie's is an art business and a fine arts auction house.- History :The official company literature states that founder James Christie conducted the first sale in London, England, on 5 December 1766, and the earliest auction catalogue the company retains is from December 1766...
sold one of his early paintings, "The Descent in Voronezsh," and in 2008 another of his pictures, "Kazakhs with a horse at a crossing," was sold through Christie's.