OSTROUMOVA-LEBEDEVA Anna Petrovna

1871 — 1955

Russian and Soviet painter and graphic artist.

Born in St.-Petersburg into the family of a prominent Synod servant, she took up drawing at the age of 14 and attended evening drawing classes at baron Stieglitz’ school. Enrolling at the Arts School in 1889, she started at Vasily Mathe’s engraving studio, but quit it 2 months later to join the general painting class. She entered the Arts Academy in 1892 - the year women enrollment was allowed – where she studied under Ilya Repin, Pavel Chistyakov and Vasily Mathe. Experimenting with wood engraving, she started to use colour and printing from different plates. In 1898, she went to Paris where she studied under Fernando. Colarossi and James Whistler. Experimenting in xylography, she started to use colour and print from different plates. She considered revival of colour xylography to be the cause of her life. She joined the Mir Iskusstva [“The World of Art”] association in 1900 and a year later, at Sergey Dyagilev’s commission, produced the first series of ten prints of St. Petersburg views.

She worked in all drawing and painting genres – still lifes, portraits, scenes, but most of her prints are dedicated to urban landscapes, or cityscapes, – primarily those of St. Petersburg. Her extensive European travels took her to Italy (1903 and 1906), France (1906), Germany (1911), the Netherlands (1913), Belgium (1913) and Spain (1913). She created book graphic design and illustrations and collaborated with the Zhupel [“Bogey”] magazine (1905), illustrated St. Petersburg by Vladimir Kurbatov (1912) and “The Soul of St. Petersburg” by Nikolay Antsyfarov (1920). After the October 1917 revolution, she became a member of the Narcompros (People’s Commissariat for Education) Expert Panel. She taught at the Higher Institute for Photography and Photographic Technique and, in 1924, joined the Chetyre Iskusstva [Four Arts] Association. She created St. Petersburg, a lithographic prints album, and Pavlovsk”, a woodcut series. 

In 1934 she started teaching at the Leningrad Institute for Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. She remained in Leningrad during the World War II siege of the city known as the Leningrad Blockade, and made a few prints, majestic and tragic in their simplicity and austerity.

 

Prints

All artist`s prints
  • WinterWinter
    1902 ã.
  • PinePine
    1902 ã.
  • Bouquet in a VaseBouquet in a Vase
    1902 ã.
  • Spring. Snow.Spring. Snow.
    1902 ã.
  • In the ParkIn the Park
    1902 ã.
  • CypressesCypresses
    1902 ã.
  • Sea.  Stones.Sea. Stones.
    1902 ã.
  • In the Park. Poplars.In the Park. Poplars.
    1902 ã.
  • Exchange HouseExchange House
    1922 ã.
  • Neva in the Early MorningNeva in the Early Morning
    1922 ã.
  • St. IsaacSt. Isaac's Cathedral on a Misty Day
    1922 ã.
  • FontankaFontanka
    1922 ã.
  • View from the Tuchkov Bridge View from the Tuchkov Bridge
    1922
  • Lithuanian CastleLithuanian Castle
    1922
  • The School House of Peter IThe School House of Peter I
    1922
  • Construction of the Dvortsovy [Palace] BridgeConstruction of the Dvortsovy [Palace] Bridge
    1922
  • Academy of Fine ArtsAcademy of Fine Arts
    1922
  • Fontanka River near the Summer GardenFontanka River near the Summer Garden
    1922
  • Drifting of IceDrifting of Ice
    1922
  • Frantsuzkaya [French] EmbankmentFrantsuzkaya [French] Embankment
    1922
  • Basswood Alley and a Monument to Paul IBasswood Alley and a Monument to Paul I
    1923 ã.
  • Fortress “Bip”Fortress “Bip”
    1923
  • Group of Trees near the “White Birch”Group of Trees near the “White Birch”
    1923
  • Trees near the “Apollo Colonnade”Trees near the “Apollo Colonnade”
    1923 ã.
  •  “The Temple of Friendship” in Landscape “The Temple of Friendship” in Landscape
    1923
  • Round PondRound Pond
    1923
  • Landscape near the “Pil [Mill]-Tower”.Landscape near the “Pil [Mill]-Tower”.
    1923
  • Willow trees near Novo-Silviyskii Bridge.Willow trees near Novo-Silviyskii Bridge.
    1923 ã.
  • Landscape in Moonlit NightLandscape in Moonlit Night
    1923
  • The road to the White BirchThe road to the White Birch
    1923
  • View  from the Constantine PalaceView from the Constantine Palace
    1923
  • Landscape near Viscontiev Bridge.Landscape near Viscontiev Bridge.
    1923
  • View of the Palace. Rain.View of the Palace. Rain.
    1923
  • EveningEvening
    1923
  • RainbowRainbow
    1923
  • NightNight
    1923
  • Willow Trees near the PalaceWillow Trees near the Palace
    1923
  • Rainy DayRainy Day
    1923
  • The Valley of the Slavyanka RiverThe Valley of the Slavyanka River
    1923
  • The Gate and the Road to „Et?p”The Gate and the Road to „Et?p”
    1923