Stepan Dmitriyevich Erzya: biography and photos

Stepan Dmitrievich Erzya (real name - Nefedov) - a famous Russian sculptor, thanks to which the whole world learned about the existence of a Mordvinian tribe. The article provides a brief overview of his life and work.

The origin of the sculptor

Stepan Dmitrievich Erzya was born in Ardatovsky district of Mordovia (Baevo village) on October 27, 1876. His parents were peasants belonging to the Mordovian tribe Erzya (hence the pseudonym of the sculptor). In this tribe, pagan beliefs persisted in the 19th century. It is known that Erzya revered the souls of rivers, springs and stones, worshiped sacred trees. Nevertheless, Stepan himself was Orthodox, and already in the third generation.

Period of study

The future sculptor began an independent life at the age of 14 years. For the next 10 years, Stepan Dmitrievich Erzya was engaged in various crafts, including the painting of churches. Only after returning to their parents in the city of Alatyr, where they moved by that time, Stepan began to engage in what became his real vocation. Local merchants highly appreciated the scenery, which he made to an amateur performance on the work of Alexander Pushkin. They decided to show Stepan Dmitrievich's drawings to the director of the Stroganov School of Moscow.

In 1901, almost without knowing the Russian language, Erzya went to study in Moscow. After a year at the Stroganov School, where he attended evening drawing classes, Stepan Dmitrievich Erzya was able to enter the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. During the year, Erzya was preparing to become a painter, but then decided to go to the sculptural department. He could easily study. Erzya Stepan Dmitrievich quickly mastered the craft of the sculptor due to his natural giftedness. His teacher was SM Volnukhin, who is known as the author of the monument to Ivan Fedorov, the Russian pioneer. Stepan associated friendly relations with his teacher. Erzya helped him after the revolution. He took sick Wolnukhin to the south, trying to save him. However, his teacher died in his arms. The work of the representative of impressionism P. P. Trubetskoy also had a great influence on the formation of the future sculptor.

Erzya Stepan Dmitrievich did not complete the course. He considered that he had received everything he could at the school. In 1906 he went to Italy. It was here that he finally began to call himself Erzey, believing that he thereby declares the world his people. It should be noted that he responded to this nickname before, and sometimes signed the name Nefedov-Erzya his student work.

Works performed in Italy

Inspired by the work of Michelangelo, Erzya began to work in marble. In Italy, he quickly mastered the necessary skills. The sculptor chopped his creations at once in stone. He did not prepare projects or sketches beforehand. It should be noted that few masters worked using the technique of direct carving. Usually they resorted to the services of assistants. At the present time, not so many works of Erzi are related to this period. Among these sculptures it is necessary to note the statue of John the Baptist. This work was performed for the temple of Spice.

First loud success

In 1909 Stepan Dmitrievich came to the first great success. It was then that at the 8th International Exhibition in Venice, Erzi's composition was shown, entitled "The Last Night of the Convicted Before Execution". This work Stepan Dmitrievich created after visiting the Moscow-based Butyrskaya prison. It must be said that during the years of apprenticeship the sculptor of interest to us was working as a photographer. At this time, he shot the revolutionaries who were arrested, Erzya Stepan Dmitrievich.

A brief biography of the master does not imply a detailed acquaintance with his work. However, it is necessary to say a few words about "The Last Night of the Convicted Before Execution," since this is a very important work. Stepan Dmitrievich depicted a seated half-naked man, who painfully tries to realize what is soon to come. In this figure, the similarity with the author is guessed, which is typical for a number of works of the master of interest.

I must say that this sculpture made a great impression on the exhibition. Erzya was immediately called "Russian Rodin". Interestingly, shortly before the exhibition, the work that was to be presented on it was spoiled. Stepan Dmitrievich had to restore the sculpture in just 4 days. At present, the location of this work, performed in concrete, is unknown. There are only its playback.

Moving to France

Stepan Dmitrievich Erzya, whose sculptures by that time were already well known abroad, in 1910 he moved to France. Great success was his exhibitions in Munich, Nice and Milan. The museum in Nice acquired his works, they were bought by private collectors. In Paris in 1913, held his first solo exhibition Erzya Stepan Dmitrievich. His biography at that time was marked by the creation of a number of sculptural portraits, made to order. This gave a significant income to the master. Stepan Dmitrievich Erzya, whose work was in high demand, remembered the plastic model instantly. Therefore, he performed orders very quickly - it was enough one or two sessions.

Women's portraits

Stepan Dmitrievich in 1912 created a portrait of his beloved woman, Martha. This sculptural image (the graceful inclination of the head, a mysterious half-smile), as well as special modeling techniques (contrasted face, textured massive hair) in the artist's future work will be repeated in a variety of female portraits. In the work "Norwegian Woman", created in 1914, the sculptor with great skill transferred the difficult state of mind of the heroine, not a very beautiful and not very young woman. She feels either happiness or suffering.

Return to Russia

Erzya returned to Russia in 1914. His neighbor was ST Konenkov, who significantly influenced the further work of the master. Stepan Dmitrievich, mobilized during the First World War, was under the supervision of Dr. G. Suteev. Erzya served as a medic. The doctor, under the guidance of Stepan Dmitrievich, wrote down his stories full of extraordinary adventures, about his life abroad. These stories were subsequently published.

Returning to his homeland, the sculptor created works not only in marble. Erzya also used materials that are considered unusual in easel sculpture (reinforced concrete, cement). In addition, the artist used concrete with metal shavings. Erzya first worked in the tree. This was facilitated by his friendship with Konenkov, who was a famous master in the creation of wooden sculpture. The choice of the material was influenced by the children's impressions, which Stepan Dmitrievich received, admiring the works of Mordovian folk artists performing sculptures made of wood.

Trip to the Urals

Marble has always remained Erzy's favorite material. Stepan Dmitrievich even went to the Urals in search of rare species of marble. This trip relates to the period from 1918 to 1921. At this time the sculptor had to go through all the hardships of the severe post-revolutionary time and the civil war that followed.

"Eve"

"Eva" is the well-known work of Erzi, performed in 1919. The biblical progenitor is carved from marble. She appears before us in the image of a village gorgeous young woman, naive and erotic at the same time. This sculpture echoes the creations of the masters of Art Nouveau. The extinction of this style refers to the period of the formation of Erzi as a sculptor.

Postwar years

Stepan Dmitrievich lived in Yekaterinburg, as well as in Moscow, Batumi, Novorossiysk, and Baku in the first years after the war. The master taught, took part in the events held by the new authorities. Erzya in 1922 performed portraits of Akaki Tsereteli, Shota Rustaveli, Ilya Chavchavadze. He also created the following works: "Leda and the Swan", "Motherhood", "Flying." All these creations are made of wood. The artist created and decorative work to order. Most of them are not preserved. Among these works it is necessary to note the monuments to Karl Marx and Svoboda in Yekaterinburg. Both are made of cement and refer to the 1920s. Among the surviving works of this time are frankly weak, such as the House of Unions in Baku. It is felt that Erzya did not possess these forms. He also made the head and busts of Lenin sculptor Stepan Dmitriyevich Erzya.

Argentine period of creativity

The artist in 1925 became a member of the Society of Russian Sculptors. The following year he went to France with his exhibition, after which he decided not to return to his homeland. Erzya settled in Argentina, because the European countries did not want to accept the "red sculptor". So began a new fruitful stage in the life of such an artist, as Stepan Dmitrievich Erzya.

The Argentine period strongly influenced the creative originality of the master. Stepan Dmitrievich, having moved to this country, settled in a small house, located on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. Erzya regularly exhibited his works at local exhibitions, published a brochure on his own resources on information about them. During this period, the only material for Erzi was the wood of algarrobo and quebracho, which grows exclusively in the South American forests. This material is extremely hard, so he demanded from Stepan Dmitrievich a hard, painstaking work. The artist used the influxes, outgrowths, roots of trees, combining the desired pieces of glue. In 1932 he executed the head-mask "Moses" (in the photo above) Stepan Dmitrievich Erzya. The Argentine period is also the time to create sculptural portraits of his father and mother, "Leo Tolstoy" (in 1930). In 1944 the artist performed the work "The Man". Also Erzya created many portraits of young beauties.

Return home, the last years of life

In 1950, Erzya (Nefedov) Stepan Dmitrievich returned to the USSR. Together with him almost all of his sculptures arrived (more than 300 works). The artist also brought pieces of algarrobo and quiberach wood for his future works. Organized in Moscow in 1954, Erzy's personal exhibition was a great success.

The sculptor died on November 27, 1959. The remains of the great master rest in Saransk, which, of course, was Stepan Dmitrievich Erzya. A photo of his grave is presented above.