Artel of Artists

Categories / Art/Fine Arts/Art and Literary Associations
ARTEL OF ARTISTS (St. Petersburg Artel of Artists), the first ideological association of democratically-minded Russian artists. Founded in 1863 on I. N. Kramskoy's initiative by participants of the so-called Revolt of 14 - graduating students of the Academy of Arts who walked out to protest against the conservative education system - including B. B. Venig, A. K. Grigoryev, N. D. Dmitriev-Orenburgsky, F. S. Zhuravlev, A. I. Korzukhin, K. V. Lemokh, and K. E. Makovsky. Charter approved in 1865. Together, members of the Artel fulfilled various orders, such as painting icon-stands for the Petrozavodsk and the St. Petersburg Institute of Mines churches, lithographs devoted to the era of Peter the Great, and portraits. They also arranged exhibitions and charity lotteries, published illustrated albums under the name of Art Autograph in 1869 and 1870-71, and held meetings regularly on Thursdays, when they painted from nature and reported on issues relating to art. The Artel of Artists was, in many ways, a predecessor to the Society for Travelling Art Exhibitions. It dissolved after Kramskoy left in 1871. It was first situated at 4 17th Line of Vasilievsky Island, moving to Kramskoy's flat at 10 Admiralteysky Avenue in 1866 (memorial plaque installed).

Reference: Пунина И. Н. Петербургская артель художников. Л., 1966.

O. L. Leikind, D.Y. Severyukhin. Dmitriev-Orenburgsky Nikolay Dmitrievich
Grigoryev Alexander Konstantinovich
Korzukhin Alexey Ivanovich
Kramskoy Ivan Nikolaevich
Lemokh Karl Vikentievich
Makovsky Konstantin Egorovich
Peter I, Emperor
Wenig Bogdan Bogdanovich
Zhuravlev Firs Sergeevich
17th Line of Vasilievsky Island/Saint Petersburg, city, house 4
Admiralteysky Ave/Saint Petersburg, city, house 10
Пунина И. Н. Петербургская артель художников. Л., 1966 Academy of Arts
Academy of Arts
Plekhanov State Mining Institute, St. Petersburg
Travelling Art Exhibitions, Society for
1863