Alekseev, Alexander Alexandrovich (artist)

Born in Kazan on August 5, 1901. He spent his childhood in Constantinople , where his father served as a military attache (he disappeared under obscure circumstances during a business trip to Berlin in 1905). In 1905, the family returned to Russia. In the years 1912-1917. studied at the First Cadet Naval Corps in St. Petersburg. Presumably, he studied at the gymnasium at the Lazarev Institute of Oriental Languages . When the October Revolution began, he left for relatives in Ufa, where he studied for some time at the School of Arts, organized by D. Burliuk. In 1919 he fled from Ufa, reached Vladivostok, where he served as a sailor during the Civil War. In January 1920, he decided to leave Russia: through Japan, China, India and Egypt, he moved to England. In 1921 he settled in Paris, becoming a student and assistant to S. Sudeikin . In the years 1922-1925. worked as a decorator and performer in many Parisian theater troupes: with N.F. Baliev in the Bat, in the Knock Theater by J. Roman , fulfilled orders for theatrical productions of Zh.Pitoev , F.F. Komissarzhevsky , G. Bati, "Russian Ballet" S.P. Diaghilev . He attended classes at the Grand Schaumier Academy . In 1923, he married the actress of the troupe J. Pitoeva Alexandra Grinevskaya ^[5] .

Since 1925, with the support of the writer F. Soupot and publisher J. Shifrin, he began to receive orders for illustrating books. His first experiments were associated with the laborious technique of face engraving - "Nose" ("Le Nez") N.V. Gogol (1925-1926), The Pharmacist (La pharmacienne) by J. Girodou (1926) and the Rector of the Monastery (L'abbe de l'abbaye) by J. Jenbach (1927); then followed by work in the technique of lithography, aquatint, etching. In the late 1920s, short editions of French translations were published with the illustrations of Alekseev: Gogol's Notes of a Madman (Journal d'un fou, 1927), Pushkin 's Queen of Spades (La Dame de pique, 1928) and Narratives Belkina ”(Les récits d'Ivan Pétrovitch Bielkine, 1930), as well as other books. In 1929, one of the most significant graphic works of Alekseev was published in Paris in a print run of 100 copies - a cycle of one hundred illustrations for Dostoevsky 's Les frères Karamazov. Another monumental graphic cycle - engravings by Don Quixote of Cervantes (1936) - still remains unreleased.

In the early 1930s. Alekseev, impressed by the experimental films “Mechanical Ballet” by F. Leger and “Idea” by B. Bartosh, turned to the cinema. He invented a new way of shooting animated films using a needle screen, and in 1933, together with his student and future wife, Claire Parker (1906-1981) realized this invention in the eight-minute animated film “Night on the Bald Mountain” to the music of MP Mussorgsky .

In 1940 he moved to the United States, but after the war he returned to Paris, where he continued to work on animated films: these were “The Nose” (according to the story of Gogol, 1963), the prologue and epilogue to the film “ The Process ” based on the novel by F. Kafka (director O. Wells , 1962), Pictures from the Exhibition and Three Themes (1972 and 1980; both on Musorgsky's musical themes). It is no coincidence that after the first films were made on the needle screen, Alekseev with his help performed huge graphic cycles - illustrations for “Doctor do Zhivago” (“Le docteur Jivago”) Pasternak a (1959), “Player” (“Le joueur” ) Dostoevsky (1967), representing a kind of storyboard storytelling works. In particular, for the novel "Doctor Zhivago", 202 illustrations were made on a needle screen.

Among the significant graphic works by Alekseev of the post-war period are illustrations for the “ Tale of Igor's Campaign ” (Chant du prince Igor, 1950),

“Tales” (“Contes”) by E. T. A. Hoffmann (1960), “Temptation of the West” (“La tentation de l'Occident”) by A. Malrault (1979).

In total, about fifty books were published with Alekseev's illustrations.

A special place in his creative legacy is occupied by a cycle of illustrations (120 aquatint) to “ Anna Karenina ” (“Anna Karénine”) by L.N. Tolstoy , executed in 1951-1957. This edition was released in Paris in 1997 with a circulation of 20 copies in the form of a prints folder.

The artist died on August 9, 1982 in Paris.

• Giraudoux, J. La pharmacienne / couverture dessinée et bois gravés par Alexeiëff. - Paris: Éditions des Cahiers libres, 1926.
• Gogol, N. Journal d'un fou / gravures de A. Alexeïeff; traduction de B. de Schloezer et J. Schiff rin. - Paris: J. Schiff rin, Éditions de la Pléiade, [1927].
• Hemon, L. Maria Chapdelaine: Récit du Canada Français / édition illustrée de vingt-cinq lithographies originales par A. Alexeieff. - Paris: Éditions du Polygone, 1927.
• Genbach, J. L'abbé de l'abbaye: Poèmes supernaturalistes / 16 bois gravés d'Alexandre Alexeïeff. - Paris: La Tour d'Ivoire, 1927.
• Genbach, J. Satan à Paris / couverture illustrée d'Alexandre Alexeief. - Paris: H. Meslin, éditeur, 1927.
• Blake, W. Chants d'innocence et d'expérience / traduit de l'anglais par ML et Philippe Soupault. - Paris: Éditions des Cahiers libres, 1927.
• Maurois, A. Voyage au pays des Articoles / eaux-fortes et bois en couleurs par Alexandre Alexeïeff. - Paris: J. Schiff rin, 1927.
• Maurois, A. Les Anglais / précédé d'une opinion sur les Français, par C. Washburn, traduite par André Maurois; eau-forte d'Alexeieff. - Paris: Editions des Cahiers libres, 1927.
• Giraudoux, J. Jean Giraudoux. Marche vers Clermont / avec un portrait de l'auteur par Alexeieff. - Paris: Éditions des Cahiers libres, 1928.
• Giraudoux, J. La pharmacienne. - Paris: Éditions des Cahiers libres, 1928.
• Giraudoux, J. Siegfried et le Limousin / lithographies d'Alexeieff. - Paris: Aldes, 1928.
• Soupault, Ph. Le roi de la vie: Contes / avec un portrait de l'auteur par Alexeieff. - Paris: Éditions des Cahiers libres, 1928.
• Apollinaire, G. Les épingles, contes / avec un portrait par Alexeieff et une introduction de Philippe Soupault. - Paris: Éditions des Cahiers libres, 1928.
• Apollinaire, G. Guillaume Apollinaire. Les épingles: Contes / avec un portrait par Alexeieff et une introduction de Philippe Soupault. - Paris: Éditions des Cahiers libres, 1928.
• Kessel, J. Les nuits de Sibérie / eaux-fortes de Alexeieff. - [Paris]: Flammarion, [1928].
• Perrault, Ch. Contes / suite de 11 lithographies par A. Alexeieff, Yves Alix, Georges Annenkoff, Maurice Berdon, André Dignimont, Raphaël Drouart, Adrien Ekman, Berthold Mahn, Jacqueline Marval, Touchagues et Germaine Willard. - Paris: R. Hilsum, 1928.
• Green, J. Mont-Cinère: 1re édition complete / eau-forte d'Alexeieff - Paris: Plon, 1928.
• Morand, P. Bouddha vivant / eaux-fortes d'Alexeieff ... - Paris: B. Grasset, 1928.
• Pouchkine, A. La Dame de pique / adaptation française de Prosper Mérimée; bois gravés en couleurs de A. Alexeieff. - Paris: JE Pouterman, 1928.
• Dostoievsky, F. Les frères Karamazov / traduction de B. de Schloezer; cent lithographies de Alexandre Alexeieff. - Paris: J. Schiff rin, Éditions de la Pléiade, 1929.
• Bove, E. Une fugue / en frontispice une lithographie d'Alexandre Alexeïeff. - Paris: Éditions de la Belle Page, 1929.
• Poe, EA La chute de la maison Usher / trad. de Charles Baudelaire; gravures de Alexeïeff. - Paris: Orion, 1929.
• Pouchkine, A. Les récits de feu Ivan Pétrovitch Bielkine / traduits du russe par G. Wilkomirsky; eaux-fortes d'A. Alexeïeff. - Maestricht et Bruxelles: AAM Stols, 1930.
• Fargue, L.-P. Poèmes / eaux-fortes en couleurs par Alexeïeff. - [Paris]: Gallimard, 1931.
• Fournier A. Le Grand Meaulnes / frontispice gravé à l'eauforte par A. Alexeieff. - Paris: Editions de Cluny, 1931.
• Andersen, HC Images de la lune / vues par Alexandre Alexeieff. - Paris: M. Vox, 1942.
• Tchékhov, A. Une banale histoire / suivie de la Steppe, Goûssèv, Volôdia; traduit du russe par Denis Roche; préface de Pierre Brisson; lithographie originale de Alexeïeff. - [Monte-Carlo]: A. Sauret, 1955.
• Flaubert, G. Premières lettres à LC / frontispice de A. Alexeïeff; illustrations de JJJ Rigal. - [Paris]: Les Impénitents, 1957.
• Pasternak, B. Le docteur Jivago / illustrations d'Alexeieff. - [Paris]: Gallimard, 1959.
• Hoffmann, ETA Contes / eaux-fortes originales de Alexandre Alexeïeff. - Paris: Club du livre, 1960.
• Malraux, A. La tentation de l'Occident; (suivi de) La voie royale / préface de Roger Stéphane; illustrations de Chagall et de Alexeieff ... - [Paris]: Diff usion Rombaldi, 1979.
• Tolstoj, L. Anna Karénine. - Paris, 1997.

Artist Literature

• Bisaccia, Antonio . Alexandre Alexeieff: il cinema d'incisione. Castel Maggiore: Book, 1993 - 149 p. - ISBN 978-88-7232-122-5 (Collezione "Lynx")
• Bendazzi, Giannalberto . Alexeieff: d'un Maître - Itinerary of a Master [: Bilingue français anglais: Textes de Youri Norstein , Oleg Kovalov , Nikolaï Izvolov , Michèle Reverdy , Robin Allan , Marco Fragonara , Georges Nivat , Claudine Eizykman , Guy Fihman , Dominique Willoughby Saint-Dreux , Cecile Starr , Svetlana Alexeïeff-Rockwell , Alexandre Rockwell ] / Sous la direction de G. Bendazzi . Paris: Dreamland édition, CICA, Cinémathèque Française , Cinédoc, 2001 ; 2006 - 320 p. [1] - ISBN 978-2-910027-75-9
• [ Fedotova E. ] Unknown Russian - the famous Frenchman [sb. articles: J. Niva and others] / Comp., ed. entry Art. E. Fedotova . SPb .: Publishing house of Bukovsky , 1999 . - 132 p.: Ill., Ph. - “Bk World. Petersburgers Club "
• Mikhailov, Peter . Millions of needles left a mark in the history of cinema: Retrospective of Alexander Alekseev // Kommersant . 1995 . July 27th .
• Niva J. The gift of suffering, the gift of light : Alekseev in dialogue: from Dostoevsky to Pasternak // Our Heritage . 2007 . Number 81.
• Alexander Alekseev: Dialogue with the book [: articles and interviews by the artist, as well as articles and memoirs about him by Philip Supo , Claire Parker , Georges Niva , Svetlana Alekseeva-Rockwell , Mikhail Shemyakin / Preface , comp. and commonly. ed. A.Dmitrenko . St. Petersburg: Vita Nova , 2005 - 80 pp.: 115 ill.
• Leonidov V. Creator of the needle screen // Russian News . 2005 . December 21-27.
• Prisoner of the fourth dimension: Notes on the ideology of the "needle screen" of Alexander Alekseev // The Art of Cinema . 1999 . Number 6.
• Seslavinsky, Mikhail Vadimovich. Rendezvous: Russian artists in French book publishing in the first half of the 20th century: album book. - Moscow: Astrel, 2009 .-- 504 p.: Ill. - ISBN 978-5-94829-036-2 ;
• Seslavinsky, Mikhail Vadimovich. French bibliophile publications in the design of Russian emigrant artists (1920-1940s): monograph. - M .: Publishing House University Book, 2012. - 254, [6] p.: Ill. - ISBN 978-5-454-00003-5

• Dostoevsky F. M. The Brothers Karamazov : A novel in four parts with an epilogue: In 2 vols. St. Petersburg: Vita Nova , 2005 - 608 p. each volume: 100 ill. - ISBN 5-93898-075-5 , ISBN 5-93898-076-3 (t.1), ISBN 5-93898-077-1 (t.2)
• Parsnip B. Dr. Zhivago : novel . In 2 vols. St. Petersburg: Vita Nova , 2007 - 976 p.: Ill. - ISBN 978-5-93898-124-9
• Andersen H.K. “Lunar Pictures (Invisible Pictures)” , Fortune El, 2016, illustrations by A. Alekseev, ISBN 978-5-9582-0031-3 .

1. ↑ http://worldwideinvention.com/alexandre-alexeieff-inventing-the-pinscreen-as-well-as-the-animation-technique-totalization/
2. ↑ Bendazzi G. Foundations - The Golden Age - Taylor & Francis , 2016 .-- P. 141. - ISBN 978-1-138-85452-9
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3. ↑ Seslavinsky, M.V. Rendezvous: Russian artists in French book publishing in the first half of the 20th century: album book. - Moscow: Astrel, 2009 .-- S. 50-51. - 504 s. - ISBN 978-5-94829-036-2 .
4. ↑ Seslavinsky, M.V. Fireworks Names. - Designer of flickering forms: Book graphics of Alexander Alekseev from the collection of Boris Fridman. - St. Petersburg: Vita Nova, 2011 .-- S. 20-35. - 252 p. - ISBN 978-5-93898-330-4 .
5. ↑ Alexandra Aleksandrovna Grinevskaya (1899-1876) - artist, actress. Together with her husband A. Alekseev, she worked in the field of book graphics and created vivid original illustrations for a number of books. In the field of the bibliophile book, the couple collaborated with the publishers Gallimar, Orion, Pleiades, for whom six editions were issued, including Two Singers (Deux artistes lyriques), V. Larbo (1929), and Swamps (“Paludes”) A. Gide (1930), “The Tale of the Archdeevil Belfagor” (“L'Archidiable Belphegor”) N. Machiavelli (1930), “Taras Boulba” (N. Taras Boulba) Gogol (1931), “In Egypt” (“En Egypte”) P. Istrati (1931), “Wuthering Heights” (“Les Hauts de Hurle-Vent”) E. Bronte (1947).
6. ↑ Seslavinsky, M.V. Rendezvous: Russian artists in French book publishing of the first half of the twentieth century: a book-album .. - Moscow: Astrel, 2009. - P. 488. - 504 p. - ISBN 978-5-94829-036-2 .

• Gennady Rozhdestvensky : “For me, Alekseev is an unsurpassed figure”
• 105 years since the birth of artist-animator Alexander Alekseev - TV "Culture"
• "Dreams of Alpheoni" , a film by V. Nepevny about Alexander Alekseev ( 2002 )
• Tereshchenko M. The most unusual cartoons // Openspace.Ru. - 2009. - July 14.
• Alexander Alekseev on the Internet Movie Database
• DVD - ALEXANDRE ALEXEÏEFF (Fr.)
• Alexander Alexeieff auf DVD (German)
• Alexander Alekseev, “unknown Russian - famous Frenchman”
• “Needle screen” by A. A. Alekseev - on the website “Films about cartoons”
• Music in the animation of A. Alekseev: Parisian experiments of the 30s - recording a report by Tatyana Bunina at the international conference “Keldyshev Readings”.
• “About the artist and director-animator Alexander Alekseev” - a recording of a conversation with Tatyana Bunina at the conference “Keldyshev Readings”.