Sergey Dmitriyevich Merkurov (Russian: Серге́й Дми́триевич Мерку́ров, 7 November [O.S. 26 October] 1881 – 8 June 1952) was a Soviet sculptor-monumentalist of Greek-Armenian descent.[1] He was a People's Artist of the USSR in visual arts, an academic at the Soviet Academy of Arts,[2] and director of the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts from 1944 to 1949. Merkurov was considered the greatest Soviet master of post-mortem masks.[3][4] He was the sculptor of the three biggest monuments of Joseph Stalin in the USSR.[5]
Sergey Merkurov
A 1981 Soviet stamp commemorating the 100th anniversary of Sergey Merkurov's birth
2006 Armenian stamp featuring Sergey Merkurov and his 1907 work
Sergey Merkurov was born in Alexandropol (now Gyumri). He left the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute after a political scandal and moved to Switzerland, where he became a student of the Swiss sculptor Adolf Meyer. He attended art college in Germany (1902–1905) and then entered the Auguste Rodin studio in Paris.
Merkurov had met Vladimir Lenin when the revolutionary leader was living abroad, and listened to his speeches. Among many others, the statue of Lenin that stood in Lenin Square, Yerevan during Soviet times also was the work of Merkurov.
Merkurov returned to the Russian Empire in 1907 as he was called by the Armenian Apostolic Church authorities to execute a post-mortem mask of CatholicosMkrtich Khrimian. It was his first work of this kind. Then he lived in Tbilisi, Yalta, Moscow, and made post-mortem (death) masks of Leo Tolstoy, Hovhannes Tumanyan, Vladimir Lenin and his wife, Maxim Gorky, Vladimir Mayakovsky and other famous people. The technique itself is not an easy process. The author pours plaster on the body's face and puts a thread in the middle of it. Then, another material like bronze or plaster is poured inside the mask and this is how an actual-size face of the deceased results.[4]
Merkurov was an outstanding representative of academic modern style, employing the themes of death and stone blocks. As a philosopher of the arts, Merkurov also used motifs of thought (Monument of Dostoevsky, 1911–1913; The figure-portrait of Thought, 1918).
Merkurov was known as a free-thinker and an extraordinary person. He was a member of the "United Workers' Brotherhood", the Association of Painters of Revolutionary Russia and the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
For Joseph Stalin's 70th birthday, Merkurov made a special gift, a costly granite monument called "Death of the Leader". Stalin refused to accept it and a difficult period in the sculptor's life began.[8]
Merkurov was honored with burial at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow. In 1953 his Notes of a Sculptor was published.
Merkurov Museum in Gyumriedit
In 1984 the Merkurov Museum was opened in his family house in Gyumri. The post-mortem masks of 59 Soviet leaders and famous people are displayed in the museum, including the only original death mask of Lenin.
Referencesedit
^Rosenberg, Suzanne (1991). A Soviet odyssey. Toronto: Penguin. p. 55. ISBN9780140129274.
^"Меркуров С.Д. (in Russian)". Monulent.ru. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
^. Deathmask.kiev.ua. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
^ abVladica, Viorica (27 June 2003) Art of the Departed: Gyumri museum houses rare, if creepy, death masks. armenianow.com
^"Меркуров, Сергей Дмитриевич". Krugosvet.ru. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
^Торжество Екатерины (in Russian). Российская газета, №3977. 23 January 2006. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
^Заголовок комментария (13 July 2014). "Сергей Меркуров, Дорогой подарок". Peoples.ru. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sergey Merkurov.
У смерти симметричное лицо, Александра Марченко (in Russian)
May 08, 2024
sergey, merkurov, sergey, dmitriyevich, merkurov, russian, Серге, Дми, триевич, Мерку, ров, november, october, 1881, june, 1952, soviet, sculptor, monumentalist, greek, armenian, descent, people, artist, ussr, visual, arts, academic, soviet, academy, arts, dir. Sergey Dmitriyevich Merkurov Russian Serge j Dmi trievich Merku rov 7 November O S 26 October 1881 8 June 1952 was a Soviet sculptor monumentalist of Greek Armenian descent 1 He was a People s Artist of the USSR in visual arts an academic at the Soviet Academy of Arts 2 and director of the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts from 1944 to 1949 Merkurov was considered the greatest Soviet master of post mortem masks 3 4 He was the sculptor of the three biggest monuments of Joseph Stalin in the USSR 5 Sergey MerkurovA 1981 Soviet stamp commemorating the 100th anniversary of Sergey Merkurov s birthBorn 1881 11 07 7 November 1881Alexandropol Erivan Governorate Russian EmpireDied8 June 1952 1952 06 08 aged 70 Moscow Soviet UnionNationalityRussian SovietStyleSocialist realism He was the cousin of George Gurdjieff a mystic and spiritual teacher 6 Contents 1 Biography 2 Merkurov Museum in Gyumri 3 References 4 External linksBiography edit nbsp 2006 Armenian stamp featuring Sergey Merkurov and his 1907 work Sergey Merkurov was born in Alexandropol now Gyumri He left the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute after a political scandal and moved to Switzerland where he became a student of the Swiss sculptor Adolf Meyer He attended art college in Germany 1902 1905 and then entered the Auguste Rodin studio in Paris Merkurov had met Vladimir Lenin when the revolutionary leader was living abroad and listened to his speeches Among many others the statue of Lenin that stood in Lenin Square Yerevan during Soviet times also was the work of Merkurov Merkurov returned to the Russian Empire in 1907 as he was called by the Armenian Apostolic Church authorities to execute a post mortem mask of Catholicos Mkrtich Khrimian It was his first work of this kind Then he lived in Tbilisi Yalta Moscow and made post mortem death masks of Leo Tolstoy Hovhannes Tumanyan Vladimir Lenin and his wife Maxim Gorky Vladimir Mayakovsky and other famous people The technique itself is not an easy process The author pours plaster on the body s face and puts a thread in the middle of it Then another material like bronze or plaster is poured inside the mask and this is how an actual size face of the deceased results 4 Merkurov was an outstanding representative of academic modern style employing the themes of death and stone blocks As a philosopher of the arts Merkurov also used motifs of thought Monument of Dostoevsky 1911 1913 The figure portrait of Thought 1918 Merkurov was known as a free thinker and an extraordinary person He was a member of the United Workers Brotherhood the Association of Painters of Revolutionary Russia and the Communist Party of the Soviet Union As director of the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts he saved the monument of Catherine the Great and secretly sent it to Yerevan where it was hidden for decades and finally returned to Russia in 2006 7 For Joseph Stalin s 70th birthday Merkurov made a special gift a costly granite monument called Death of the Leader Stalin refused to accept it and a difficult period in the sculptor s life began 8 Merkurov was honored with burial at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow In 1953 his Notes of a Sculptor was published Merkurov Museum in Gyumri editIn 1984 the Merkurov Museum was opened in his family house in Gyumri The post mortem masks of 59 Soviet leaders and famous people are displayed in the museum including the only original death mask of Lenin References edit Rosenberg Suzanne 1991 A Soviet odyssey Toronto Penguin p 55 ISBN 9780140129274 Merkurov S D in Russian Monulent ru Retrieved 17 July 2014 Skulptor Sergej Merkurov Deathmask kiev ua Archived from the original on 6 June 2014 Retrieved 17 July 2014 a b Vladica Viorica 27 June 2003 Art of the Departed Gyumri museum houses rare if creepy death masks armenianow com Merkurov Sergej Dmitrievich Krugosvet ru Retrieved 17 July 2014 Grossman Vasily 2013 An Armenian Sketchbook New York Review of Books p 127 ISBN 9781590176351 Torzhestvo Ekateriny in Russian Rossijskaya gazeta 3977 23 January 2006 Retrieved 17 July 2014 Zagolovok kommentariya 13 July 2014 Sergej Merkurov Dorogoj podarok Peoples ru Retrieved 17 July 2014 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sergey Merkurov U smerti simmetrichnoe lico Aleksandra Marchenko in Russian Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sergey Merkurov amp oldid 1211889840, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
