“GALLERIE DES MODES ET DES COSTUMES FRANÇAIS...“ TO THE SOURCES OF KONSTANTIN SOMOV’S ART

Abstract

The article is devoted to the art of Konstantin Somov and his practice of using art works of the past, in particular, the famous French engraved series of costume engravings ”Gallerie des modes et des costumes français dessinés d’après nature…” of 1778–1787, which included images not only various costumes and hairstyles, but also everyday scenes. The engravings of the series have never before been considered as a source of easel and applied works by the master, including his book and magazine vignettes. The author gives examples and evidence of the artist’s good acquaintance with the ouvrage. A comparison of the series’ etchings and Somov’s graphic and pictorial works of different years provides examples of various types and forms of borrowing from the art of the 18th century by the artist of the turn of the 19th-20th centuries: from individual themes and plots to specific motifs and compositions; from figures, their poses and angles to details of costumes and hairstyles, and so on. The genre of costume engraving meant working from life, a wide range of topics, interesting plots and lengthy inscriptions. All this made ouvrage a most valuable source on the French 18th century and created the possibility of various interpretations of old sheets by an artist of the early 20th century. Most of them were summarized in his many years of work on the so-called ”Le Livre de la Marquise“. Thus, the originality of Somov’s creative ideas, his inexhaustible imagination in conveying his favorite era was largely based on a collection of images of the ”Fashion and Costume Gallery“ compiled by French engravers and artists of the second half of the 18th century…