Kluge, Constantine

K. Kluge called one of his books "Notes by a Russian artist who grew up in China, graduated from the Paris Academy of Arts ^[1] , who worked in Shanghai , Hong Kong , Chicago , New York and Paris , the history of his career and philosophical searches." In one phrase, in a concise form, the author compiled a biography of most of his life.

Konstantin Konstantinovich Klug was born on January 29, 1912 in Riga . His paternal grandfather, I. I. Kluge, was settled in Russia Hans Kluge, a native of Prussia . Having married a girl from the noble Ovchinnikov family and engaged in winemaking, I.I. Kluge found his second homeland in Russia. The first child in the I. I. Kluge family - Konstantin Ivanovich Kluge ^[2] (officer of the Russian army, St. George cavalier ^[3] , participant in the First World War and the Civil War in Russia ) - became the artist's father.

M. German about his uncle:

My uncle Konstantin Kluge was an ardent, enthusiastic person, he wanted to talk with me about God and Yuri German ^[4] ...

The work of Konstantin Kluge is reflected in his paintings and books. Most of the creative heritage belongs to the field of painting. Kluge's literary heritage is not as great, but as significant as his painting.

Kluge artist

In the autobiographical book Salt of the Earth, Kluge describes his attitude to painting in this way: “As for my painting, no matter what hobbies appear on my path, I have never cheated on her for the past half century. The work of paints takes me to another world - to the world of subconscious creativity. ” This attitude remained unchanged throughout the artist's life.

Literary work

According to Kluge himself, the insistent need to express his thoughts and memories on paper every day has appeared since the death in 1967 of the cousin of the artist J. German . Since then it has become a constant and necessary activity. Later, these notes served as material for two autobiographical books (Salt of the Earth and Konstantin Kluge). But Klug joined the literary work long before that. This was connected with a hobby, even from Hong Kong, the problems of Christian theology , the study of the books of the Bible (especially the books of the New Testament ). The literary fruit of this was the first book by Kluge - “Analysis of the New Testament” (“Communism of Christ”). The book states that the teaching of Christ (substituted in the Christian world, according to the author, by the teaching of Apostle Paul ) leads to altruism , which is unacceptable for the capitalist world , which professes selfishness and love for profit instead of love for one's neighbor.

1912 - born in Riga , Russian Empire
1914 - family moved to Gatchina
1915 - the family leaves Gatchina
1915 - 1920 - years of family wanderings ( German war , revolution , civil war )
1920 , April - arrival of a family in Harbin ( Manchuria )
1920 - 1922 - the family lives in Imanpo (near Harbin)
1922 , July - the death of L. K. Kluge (mother of K. Kluge)
1923 , summer - father (K. I. Kluge) married Princess N. N. Kekuatova; family moving to Shanghai
1923 - 1930 - studying at a French college in Shanghai; studying drawing at V. S. Podgursky ^[5]
1931 , June - K. Kluge leaves for study in France
1931 - 1937 - years of study at the Academy
1936 - the marriage of K. Kluge with T. Liphart
1937 , November - ends his studies; receives an Academy diploma
1938 - return to Shanghai
1942 - acquaintance with Teilhard de Chardin 1959 - published the book "Communism of Christ" ("Analysis of the New Testament")
1959 , December - the wedding of K. Kluge and Maria Starr 1964 - took French citizenship
1974 - divorce from Maria Kluge (Starr)
1977 - marriage to Susana
1990 - Mitterrand awards K. Klug the title of Knight of the Legion of Honor
2003 - the death of Konstantin Kluge, which followed in the 91st year of life

• Communism of Christ. M .: Art, 1992.
• Salt of the earth. M .: Art, 1992.
• The wine is young. St. Petersburg: Humanitarian Union, 1999.

• KLUGE Konstantin Konstantinovich (inaccessible link)
• WINE YOUNG Konstantin Kluge
• Constantine Kluge (1912 - 2003)
• Kamp Gallery (Pictures by K. Kluge)
• M. German. Elusive Paris (there are lines in the book about K. Klug).