Abram Efimovich Arkhipov

Abram Efimovich Arkhipov (Pyrikov) was a Russian artist, a member of the Travellers' Association, academician and full member of the Academy of Arts, one of the founders of the Union of Russian Artists and People's Artist of the RSFSR. Abram Efimovich Pyrikov was born in 1862 in Ryazan province, in a peasant family of Efim Nikitich and Arina Fyodorovna Pyrikov. The more euphonious surname ‘Arkhipov’ Abram Efimovich later adopted in honour of his great-grandfather, Arkhip Rodionovich. It is no coincidence that the leitmotif of the whole creative life of the artist was the peasantry, because the boy drew from early childhood and at every opportunity. The only available teachers for the young talent were visiting icon painters, one of whom, Zaikov, by chance, was a free student at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. The master appreciated the eagerness of the young men and helped them prepare for admission to the School, where Arkhipov studied in 1877-1883 and 1886-1888. Among Arkhipov's teachers were also gravitating towards peasant themes V. G. Perov, landscape painter V. D. Polenov and other prominent painters I. M. Pryanishnikov, A. K. Savrasov and V. E. Makovsky. The break in training at the School was due to the fact that in the period from 1884 to 1886 Abram Efimovich began to improve his skills at the Academy of Arts. At the Academy he was successful, his works were even transferred for permanent storage to the Academic Museum, but despite this, Arkhipov returned to Moscow rather quickly. In 1896 Arkhipov travelled abroad for the first time, visiting Germany, Austria, Italy and France. Familiarity with the works of the masters of European art and the achievements of modern painting had a certain influence on the artist, in particular in his work Arkhipov also used the techniques of Impressionism. A. E. Arkhipov also devoted a substantial part of his life's work to teaching, he began as early as 1894 at his native school. After the revolution of 1917 he took part in the transformation of the then school and became a member of the artistic council of the Tretyakov Gallery. Arkhipov left the School only in 1924, as he was an adherent of the old realist school and did not support the reforms taking place there. At different times K. F. Yun, A. A. Plastov, F. S. Bogorodsky and many others studied at Arkhipov's school. The artist participated in foreign exhibitions since 1900, and his works were presented at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900, as well as at leading exhibitions in Germany, France, Italy and the USA. Abram Efimovich was an active exhibition space practically until his death. The artist died in 1930 in Moscow.