Boris Grigoriev

Key facts

Lived

1886–1939, Russian^[1]

Movement

• Russian avant-garde

^[1]

Works held in

6 museums

Wikipedia

View article

Plan your visit to see Boris Grigoriev →

• What is Boris Grigoriev's most famous work?+

  Boris Dmitrievich Grigoriev (1886^[1]-1939^[1]) was a Russian^[1] painter and graphic artist. He is best known for his series of paintings called "Russia" (Raseja). Grigoriev began this series around 1915^[1], and it offers a critical view of Russian peasant life. The works depict the poverty, hardship, and spiritual depth of the peasantry. "Russia" cemented Grigoriev's reputation as a significant figure in early 20th-century Russian art. Other important works by Grigoriev include his portraits of famous contemporaries, such as Sergei Rachmaninoff, Vsevolod Meyerhold, and Anna Akhmatova. These portraits display his skill in capturing the psychological depth of his subjects. He also produced a series of paintings and drawings inspired by his travels, including works created during his time in Brittany and South America. These pieces demonstrate his interest in different cultures and his ability to adapt his style to new environments. While Grigoriev explored various themes and subjects throughout his career, "Russia" remains his most recognised and celebrated artistic achievement.
• What should I know about Boris Grigoriev's prints?+

  Boris Grigoriev was a Russian^[1] artist active in the early 20th century. Although he is better known for his paintings and drawings, he also produced prints, a medium that gained importance as an art form during his career. The rise of printmaking allowed artists to reach a wider audience due to the ability to produce works in larger quantities at a lower cost, compared to unique works. By the late 19th century, prints were increasingly viewed as a major artistic medium. Artists began signing their prints to distinguish original works from commercial reproductions. They also started to limit the size of editions and number them, influencing the price and preventing excessive printing from worn plates. Printmaking has a long history, with early examples including impressions from seals and stamps in ancient Egypt and China. In Europe, printmaking flourished with the availability of paper in the late 14th century. Woodcuts were used for book illustrations, religious icons, and other popular items.
• What style or movement did Boris Grigoriev belong to?+

  Boris Grigoriev (1886^[1]-1939^[1]) is associated with several styles, including Post-Impressionism, Symbolism, and Art Nouveau. He moved through these styles during his career. Early in his artistic development, Grigoriev was influenced by Russian^[1] Symbolism. This is visible in his interest in spiritual and mystical themes. Later, he adopted elements of Art Nouveau, seen in his decorative lines and stylised forms. Grigoriev's work also shows Post-Impressionist traits. These include his focus on subjective vision and the use of expressive brushwork. He experimented with colour and form to convey emotion, rather than aiming for realistic representation. His portraits, such as those in the "Raseia" series (1918^[1]), demonstrate his move toward more expressive, emotionally charged imagery. These paintings offer a critical view of Russian society. Grigoriev's diverse approach makes it difficult to assign him to a single category. His art combines elements of various movements, reflecting his individual artistic journey.
• What techniques or materials did Boris Grigoriev use?+

  Boris Grigoriev employed varied techniques and materials in his art. Examination of seventeenth-century Latvian churches reveals some period practices, such as a ground layer of calcium carbonate bound with animal glue. Gilding was achieved using water-gilding over a chalk-glue ground, or oil-based mordant techniques with ochre and minium. Pigments included smalt, indigo, hematite, charcoal black, and copper resinate. Oil was a common medium, sometimes mixed with gum. Silver leaf was also utilised, glazed with copper resinate. These methods created polychromatic effects, with marbling achieved using various pigments. For canvas preparation, artists often applied animal-skin glue followed by layers of gesso tempered with linseed oil. Outlines were sketched with black oil paint, and light areas blocked in with white or pale grey. Hog's hair brushes were favoured for their stiffness, particularly on coarser canvases.
• What was Boris Grigoriev known for?+

  Boris Grigoriev (1886^[1]-1939^[1]) was a Russian^[1] painter and graphic artist. He is known for his portraits, genre paintings, and for being part of the Russian avant-garde^[1] movement. Grigoriev explored themes of urban life, peasantry, and the human condition. Grigoriev was associated with the Union of Youth, an influential group of early twentieth-century Russian avant-garde artists and writers. The Union of Youth sought a synthesis of the arts, staging exhibitions, lectures, and theatrical productions. Other members included Vladimir Baranov-Rossine, Aleksandra Ekster and Kazimir Malevich. Grigoriev's work often combined elements of Expressionism and Symbolism, characterised by bold brushstrokes, intense colours, and distorted forms. His portraits captured the psychological depth of his subjects, while his genre paintings depicted scenes of everyday life with a critical eye.
• When did Boris Grigoriev live and work?+

  Boris Dmitrievich Grigoriev (1886^[1]-1939^[1]) was a Russian^[1] painter and graphic artist. He was born in Moscow, the illegitimate son of Dmitry Leontievich, a statistician and surveyor. Grigoriev studied at the Stroganov School of Art and Industry, then at the Imperial Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg (1907^[1]-1912^[1]) under Arkady Rylov and Dmitry Kardovsky. Grigoriev was associated with the art group Mir iskusstva (World of Art). From 1913 to 1918, he was close to the bohemian circle in Saint Petersburg, including Sergei Sudeikin and Velimir Khlebnikov. He produced a celebrated series of paintings, "Visages of Russia" (1918), depicting peasant life. In 1919, Grigoriev emigrated, living in Berlin and Paris. By 1921, he settled in the countryside near Paris. He travelled extensively, including to the United States. Grigoriev taught art and continued to paint, producing portraits, figure studies, and scenes inspired by his travels. He died in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France. His work can be found in major museums in Russia and elsewhere.
• Where can I see Boris Grigoriev's work?+

  Boris Grigoriev's works can be found in numerous museum collections. These include the State Tret'iakov Gallery in Moscow, the State Russian^[1] Museum in St Petersburg, and the Museum Ludwig in Cologne (Ludwig Collection). Regional museums in Russia also hold Grigoriev's art. The Vyatka Art Museum has an extensive collection of early twentieth-century avant-garde art. The State Art Museum in Latvia, Riga, possesses several works, as does the Astrakhan Kustodiev Picture Gallery. The Museum of Fine Arts in Ekaterinburg also holds pieces by Grigoriev. Outside Russia, Grigoriev's art can be seen at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, and the Stadtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus in Munich. Additionally, the Musée national d'art moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, in Paris, has works by this artist. These are just some of the many locations where one can view Grigoriev's artistic output.
• Where was Boris Grigoriev from?+

  Boris Dmitrievich Grigoriev (1886^[1]-1939^[1]) was a Russian^[1] painter and graphic artist. He was born in Moscow, the illegitimate son of Dmitry Leontievich Grigoriev and Praskovya Rodionovna. His parents married later. Grigoriev studied at the Stroganov School of Art and Industry from 1903^[1] to 1907, training in the Department of Decorative Painting. From 1907 to 1912, he attended the Imperial Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg, where he was a pupil of Arkady Rylov and Dmitry Kardovsky. His early work included the series "Visages of Russia" (1909-1914^[1]), which explored peasant life. In 1913, Grigoriev spent time in Paris, where he was influenced by post-impressionism and cubism. After the Russian Revolution, he taught at art academies, but in 1919, he emigrated. He lived in several countries, including Germany and France. Grigoriev died in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France.
• Who did Boris Grigoriev influence?+

  Boris Grigoriev was part of a broad movement of Russian^[1] artists at the start of the 20th century. One possible influence on Grigoriev is the critic Apollon Grigoriev (1822-1864^[1]), who suggested that art should be viewed as a synthetic and spontaneous comprehension of life, determined by intuition, as opposed to rational cognition founded on scientific knowledge. Apollon Grigoriev, a follower of Friedrich Schelling, applied the metaphors of organic “growth” to artistic creation and thinking. His contribution to critical theory was the foundation of a new epistemology, based on intuitive knowledge, favouring a process independent of the individual creator, which instead “grew” out of “art” itself. Some scholars see a typological connection between Apollon Grigoriev and the philosopher Henri Bergson. Bergson's theory of creativity had an influence on Russian philosophy after the translation of his book *L'Evolution créatrice* into Russian in 1909^[1].
• Who influenced Boris Grigoriev?+

  Boris Grigoriev (1886^[1]-1939^[1]) studied under Dmitry Scherbinovsky at the Stroganov Central School of Art and Industry (1903^[1]-1907^[1]). He also studied with Alexander Kiselev and Nikolai Dubovsky at the Imperial Academy of Arts (1907-1912). Grigoriev's work was exhibited with the Impressionists in 1909. He also showed with the Fellowship of Independents (1912-1913), and the World of Art (1913, 1915-1918). He became a member of the World of Art in 1918. Later in his career, while teaching at the First Free State Art Workshops, Grigoriev was rejected by his students, who chose to form a collective without a supervisor. One student reported that his artistic views were influenced by the Futurists at that time, and that he preferred French artists displayed in the Shchukin gallery. Grigoriev emigrated in 1919 and lived in Finland, Germany, and France.
• Who was Boris Grigoriev?+

  Boris Dmitrievich Grigoriev (1886^[1]-1939^[1]) was a Russian^[1] painter and draughtsman. He studied at the Stroganov Central School of Art and Industry (1903^[1]-7), under Dmitry Scherbinovsky. He then studied at the Imperial Academy of Arts (1907-12), under Alexander Kiselev and Nikolai Dubovsky. Grigoriev participated in exhibitions, including Impressionists (1909), Fellowship of Independents (1912-13), and World of Art (1913, 1915-18, becoming a member in 1918). Grigoriev is known for the *Raseya* cycle (1917-22). Painted during the Russian Revolution and civil war, the series brought him nationwide recognition and defined his artistic identity. His *Land of the Peasants* (1916-17), part of the *Raseya* cycle, portrays wary, rustic figures expressing psychological tension, reflecting the revolutionary events. The combination of Russian Neoclassicism and Expressionism, along with simple, grotesque forms and restrained tones, transforms common Russian peasants into dramatic heroes. After emigrating in 1919, Grigoriev completed the *Raseya* cycle, which has been viewed as a nostalgic panorama of a lost homeland. He lived in Finland, Germany, and France.
• Why are Boris Grigoriev's works important today?+

  Apollon Grigoriev, a 19th-century Russian^[1] literary and art critic, has importance for understanding certain aspects of Russian art and thought. Grigoriev, originally a Hegelian, later embraced the philosophy of Schelling. He criticised what he saw as the materialism and rationalism of his contemporaries. Grigoriev argued that art should be viewed as a spontaneous synthesis of life, derived from intuition rather than rational analysis. He saw nature as driven by feeling, which he believed was lost under the scrutiny of reason. He defined art as "synthesis and inspiration", contrasting this with the "analysis" of theoreticians. His ideas predate, but show a connection with, the theories of Henri Bergson, whose ideas influenced the Russian avant-garde^[1]. Grigoriev's emphasis on intuition and feeling, as opposed to purely rational or scientific approaches, offers a counterpoint to other movements. His theories provide a framework for understanding art as something that "grows" organically, independent of the individual creator.