Russian Easter postcard from the beginning of the 20th century. Kind postcards

In girlhood - Endaurova. Genus. in 1843 - mind. in 1914. Came from an old family. In 1864 she graduated from the School for the Encouragement of Artists with a gold medal. She studied with I.Kramskoy, P.Chistyakov, A.Beidman. Master of silhouette art. Her works are characterized by a special grace, elegance in the elaboration of details, poetry, subtle lyricism.

"LIFE IN SILHOUETTES"

They were just peasant kids
from a neighboring village who guarded the herd ...
Sitting without hats and in old sheepskin coats on the most
lively nags, they rush with a cheerful
whooping and shouting, dangling arms and legs,
jumping high, laughing loudly.
I.S. Turgenev. Bezhin meadow

One of the rarest techniques for illustrating children's books is the silhouette.

The art of the silhouette originated in China, where they have long loved to draw monochrome images - the so-called Chinese shadows. With the development of the East by Europeans, silhouette art began to penetrate into other countries. By the middle of the 18th century, the fashion for silhouettes especially took root in France. It was here that the now familiar word “silhouette” arose. It happened on behalf of Etienne Silhouette (1709-1767), the general controller of finances (1759), who was famous for his frugality (or, simply put, stinginess) and narrowness of views. It just so happened that an expressive caricature in the form of a silhouette was made of him. And since the figure of the ill-fated minister for a long time served as a target for the ridicule of all Paris, his name gradually merged with the image, and the words "portraits a la Silhouette" became to call everything cheap and banal, because the art of the silhouette in those years was considered by many to be too simple and superficial compared to monumental painting and architecture. Nevertheless, the march of silhouette art across Europe began precisely in the 18th century.

In Russia, the passion for the silhouette is associated in time with the coming to power of Catherine II. At the court of the Empress, the Parisian silhouette painter Sido worked () and the German draftsman Anting () . But by the second half of the 19th century, interest in the silhouette in our country had faded somewhat. Secular people lost interest in this art, because wandering artists began to amaze the people by cutting out silhouettes from paper at fairs.

And only having come into contact with a children's book, the silhouette suddenly gained a new breath for everyone ...

Elizaveta Merkuryevna Boehm (nee - Endaurova; February 24, 1843, St. Petersburg - 1914, ibid.), Russian draftswoman, silhouette painter, came from an old family. Her ancestors, the Tatars, had the surname Indigir, which meant "Indian rooster". By a diploma granted to the family by Ivan III, the surname was changed to the Endaurovs.

Elizaveta Boehm was born in the capital, but spent her childhood in the family estate of the Endaurovs in the Yaroslavl province. There, in nature, the artist's parents moved to live when she was six years old. The brightest childhood memories of Elizabeth Merkuryevna were associated with rural life.

Like many future artists, she liked to draw since childhood:“I had a love for drawing from a very young age; I don’t remember myself otherwise, as drawing on all the pieces of paper that came into my hands. In letters to my St. Petersburg friends, I constantly included my drawings of pupae and animals; and this is what drew the attention of people somewhat understanding that I should have seriously taken up drawing ”() .

Life in Russia in the second half of the 19th century did not particularly encourage a woman to do something else besides home, family and children, but the parents of Elizabeth Merkuryevna turned out to be progressive people and listened to the opinion"understanding". From the age of 14, the girl was engaged in

School for the Encouragement of Artists (1857-1864), which she graduated with a gold medal. She studied with I.Kramskoy, P.Chistyakov, A.Beidman.

In 1867, she married Ludwig Frantsevich Böhm, a Russified Hungarian, a talented violinist, teacher, and later professor at the St. Petersburg Conservatory.() .

The marriage was happy, and the couple had several children() .

As a silhouette painter Elizaveta Merkuryevna began to work actively since 1875() when taken on"publishing my first books of silhouettes, lithographing them myself and on stone"() . It would seem that it is more appropriate for a lady to make silhouettes in an easy and familiar way - by cutting out from black or tinted paper. But the artist chose her own path, since only the possibilities of lithography, drawing on stone() , allowed her not only to immediately release her books in small editions, but to do the finest study of all the details, which would be impossible when cutting with scissors. She carefully drew bird feathers and curls on the head of a village girl, dog hair and lace on dolls' dresses - the smallest details made Elizabeth Böhm's graphics unusually thin, soulful, lively, they could understand the unspoken that remained hidden from the viewer inside her silhouettes.

In 1877, the artist made one of her most famous books, Silhouettes from the Life of Children. On large sheets of greenish color, white cards with silhouette images of children seem to be scattered in it. The combination of colors is exquisite, as in a room where a porcelain collection is stored, because snow-white dishes with a pattern are often placed against a similar greenish-brown background.

The very construction of the book imitates the calm and quiet world of a family album, which is emphasized by halftone, detailed images of herbs and flowers, as if forgotten by someone between the pages, the shadows from the cards... instruments, signed "Future great musicians", girls, in the spirit of the times, are called "future mothers" and so on.

In 1878, Elizaveta Merkurievna completed illustrations for the fables of I.A. Krylov. The figures of people in this book, as usual, are located in a conditionally drawn space, made even somehow superficially in comparison with the silhouettes.“Black silhouettes came out of her much more spectacular than the very background, the environment. She even seems somewhat student-like next to her silhouettes, which are always masterful."- wrote about the works of Böhm V.I. Glotser() .

In 1880, she created another book that added to her fame - "Pie". On tinted paper, white circles are placed here, in which the story of little girls who made a cake and, to the delight of the dog, dropped it, develops. The measured rhythm of the narrative is set by static circles, the position of which does not change from page to page, but each time a new scene is played out there. "Pie" was very well received by the artist's contemporaries, and not only children, but also adults viewed it with pleasure.

Illustrations for the next book - "From Village Memories" (1882) - Elizaveta Merkuryevna decided not to limit herself to tone frames. The silhouettes in it are freely placed on white sheets: the children gather vegetables in the garden, go somewhere among the grasses, sit on a wagon with hay ... - all these subtle silhouettes are expressive and alive. There is a drawing in the book in which the artist painted herself among the children, because every summer she continued to come to her family estate in the Yaroslavl province or to the Balashev estate near Tosno. Every time, before going there, Elizaveta Merkuryevna bought armfuls of village scarves, toys and ribbons for peasant women and their children. The children loved her and called their mistress "Byomiha".

In the same 1882, she illustrated the Russian folk tale "The Turnip".

Perhaps Boehm's most unfortunate book was the ABC (18 ??), Pictures in which"reminiscent of provincial advertising, where pretty children's models in masquerade costumes with telling names are neatly placed on the sheet"() . "Azbuka" is a huge album designed for home desktop viewing. The pictures of children here are somewhat pretentious, and the book itself resembles a junk shop. The artist really wanted to create something between a primer and a popular science book and squeeze in as much information as possible about all sorts of things: coins of different times, Siberian stones, dishes, Russian weapons, fairy tale characters, etc. But the ability to systematize these materials, to place them in a form convenient for the child, was not enough for her. However, until the time when artists generally began to think about systematized alphabets and a children's popular science book, there were still a few decades left.

In 1883, Boehm made an album “Types from I.S. Turgenev’s Notes of a Hunter in Silhouettes” (the book was published in the last year of the writer’s life). In this album, sheets of illustrations alternate with sheets on which fragments of text are placed among headpieces and vignettes. And the silhouettes of hunters, fishermen, beggars, children themselves are expressive and unusually accurate, because they were all based on numerous natural sketches. A rare combination of soulfulness and cognition has made these silhouettes attractive to several generations of viewers.

The artist also worked on books for the little ones. For them, she created small albums Proverbs in Silhouettes (1884) and Sayings and Sayings in Silhouettes (1885).

Orders for silhouettes came from other countries, where the drawings of the Russian artist were very popular, and one publisher from Paris even offered an exclusive contract, but Elizaveta Merkuryevna refused, because otherwise she would not be able to publish anything at home.

In addition to working on books, Böhm also appeared in periodicals. Her silhouettes were regularly reproduced in various magazines and almanacs, such as "Niva", "New Time", "Picturesque Review", "World Illustration". The artist supported the movement and ideas of the populists, who advocated the enlightenment of the people rather than sharp revolutionary actions. That is why she designed both rich editions and penny books of I.I. Gorbunov-Posadov’s “Library of Free Education”.

“The opinion has been established that with marriage a woman always or for the most part ends her studies in art,- Elizaveta Merkuryevna argued,- it doesn't matter if it's music or painting or something else, without finding enough time for this. At the same time, I recall the words of our great writer L.N. Tolstoy, who said that whoever has a real vocation, then there will be time for this, as you find it in order to drink and eat. And this is perfectly true; feel it from experience. Loving my occupation with all my heart, after getting married and after giving birth to a child, I still, if not more, do what I love.() .

The artist devoted most of her life to creating children's books. But with age, it became difficult for her to work in the technique of lithography, and she was mainly engaged in watercolors, drawing postcards and illustrating the children's magazines Toy (1882-1886) and Baby (1886-1887).

In addition, she created drawings of things made for the highest persons. So, in the book of Lavrentiev there is a list (far from complete) of objects that she painted at that time:“several prayer books with painting on parchment; fans - for the silver wedding of the Greek Queen, for the wedding of the Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna, a few for the Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna ... She made watercolors on orders from Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich and for Count S. D. Sheremetev "() .

Since 1893, Böhm has been fascinated by the manufacture of glassware. This happened after a trip to the Orel province to the Maltsovsky factories, where her brother Alexander was the director of the crystal factory. She made forms for dishes, focusing on ancient items: brothers, feet, cups, ladles. Invented drawings for enamels. She herself painted the dishes and carefully observed if the paintings were done by someone else. Some drawings were engraved and then etched onto glass. And again, the artist tried to do everything herself, noticing only that“the pickling was not strong vodka, but fluoric acid, so poisonous that you must wear a mask when pickling”() .

The works of Elizaveta Merkuryevna (since 1868) participated in international exhibitions - in Paris (1900), Munich (1902), Milan (1906) - and received medals everywhere. In Milan, the artist received a gold medal, as well as at an exhibition in Chicago (1893), for drawings for fans and glassware.

Boehm's work was highly appreciated by contemporaries - not only by readers of her books, but also by major artists.“I love her black ones more than many white ones”, - said I.E. Repin about the works of Elizabeth Merkuryevna() . And even painted her portrait() .
In 1896, when the artist was honored on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of her creative activity, among the many telegrams of congratulations was one from the publishers of Posrednik:“On the day of your anniversary, the editors of the “Posrednik” warmly thank you for everything you have done for the people's publications, and sincerely hope that you will serve as your beautiful brush for this cause for the people for a long time to come. Leo Tolstoy, Gorbunov-Posadov, Biryukov"() . Congratulations were also sent by V. Stasov, I. Aivazovsky, I. Repin, A. Somov, I. Zabelin, A. Maikov…

In 1904 the artist was widowed. But until the last day, despite all the difficulties and troubles, she continued to engage in creativity."Currently,she wrote in 1910,that is, having 67 years behind me, having adult grandchildren, I still do not leave my studies, and not so much out of necessity, but still loving my job "() .

The thinnest, soulful, living silhouettes created by Elizaveta Böhm have forever remained in the history of the Russian illustrated book.

NOTES

1. Sido made portraits of members of the royal family and the nobility. Worked in several graphic techniques. Sometimes he engraved portraits on copper, sometimes he painted with ink, sometimes he cut them out of black paper and put them in engraved frames.

2. Anthing (1753-1803). In 1791 he published in St. Petersburg an album of silhouettes "Collection de cent silhouettes".

At the beginning of the XX century. many postcards with New Year and winter scenes were published based on the originals of the famous artist Elizabeth Merkuryevna Bem (1843 - 1914).
Elizaveta Boehm in 1857 - 1864 studied in St. Petersburg at the Drawing School of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, which she graduated with a silver medal. In 1870, the Academy of Arts awarded Bem a large incentive medal for animal drawings. The artist was a recognized master of silhouette technique: for 1875 - 1889. she has released 14 silhouette albums. Her works were reprinted not only by domestic, but also by foreign publications; at an international competition in Brussels, Bem received a silver medal for her silhouettes. The artist also successfully worked in watercolor technique; she illustrated magazines and books, developed drawings for crystal products.
A special chapter in Bem's artistic heritage is open letters. There are more than 300 postcards based on her drawings, published by various publishing houses. For the largest of them, the Community of St. Eugenia, she worked for many years. In the preface to the catalog of the Community of 1915, the publishers warmly recalled their "closest collaborator" Elizaveta Boehm, giving an accurate and expressive description of her work: she occupies a completely separate place in Russian art. Elizaveta Merkuryevna was one of the founders and permanent employees of the now huge business of art publications of the Community. Her two watercolors served as a happy start for the publishing house and, having found a warm welcome among the public, demanded several editions. Other pictures of the artist, published in open letters from the Community of St. Eugenia, enjoyed the same success.

Several works by E. Behm can be found at the exhibition"Russian New Year and Christmas cards" (1999)

... Elizaveta Merkuryevna took out a cardboard box from the cabinet. She carefully climbed down the ladder and placed the box on the table. Tomorrow in the morning the grandchildren should come to decorate the Christmas tree together with their grandmother, prepare gifts, drawings for Christmas, compose riddles and congratulations. Elizaveta Merkuryevna thought that pre-holiday chores are sometimes more pleasant than holidays. In the spacious room, where the Christmas tree had already been installed, there was a dense coniferous spirit. From here it spread throughout the apartment, and for a moment it seemed to the hostess that she suddenly found herself in her beloved village, where she spent her childhood, in the Yaroslavl province, in a winter spruce forest. One of these days she will go there with Christmas gifts prepared for her little friends, the village children, whom she likes to draw directly from life. And those will happily meet her already at the station with shouts: "Aunt Bemikha has arrived!" - and run in a crowd after the sleigh to the very village, now and then jumping on the runners.

In those young years, when she was still unmarried Lizonka Endaurova, not only village children, but the whole world around her served as a beautiful, inexhaustible nature. There were always many animals in the house - cats, dogs, a herd of cows and a fleet-footed herd grazed in the meadows, and there were countless birds. Lizonka painted them with love. I almost became an animator...

Later, in her diaries, Elizaveta Merkuryevna wrote: “Tatar blood partially flows in me, because my ancestors were Tatars, by the name Indo-gur, which means“ Indian chickens ”- a rooster. And by a letter granted by John III, the surname was renamed Endaurova .. "I loved the "endaur" village. And I feel sorry for the city children, deprived of rural joys... And I don't remember myself otherwise than in the countryside and always surrounded by children and drawing their faces or animals on any piece of paper..." "At the age of 14 my parents appreciated my abilities and, having moved to St. Petersburg, sent me to the school of the "Society for the Encouragement of Artists". It was then in the building of the Stock Exchange on Vasilevsky ... The happiest years were those that I studied at school! And what brilliant masters taught! Chistyakov, Primazzi , Kramskoy! .. With each new work, especially brought after the summer holidays, I fled to Nevsky to Kramskoy's workshop.

Elizaveta Merkuryevna straightened her lush, black-haired bun, decorated with Vologda lace, on her head, untied the cord on the box, and opened it. Christmas decorations glittered magically inside. She once brought golden balloons from Brussels. There, at the international competition in watercolor and silhouette technique, she received a Silver medal. These glass dutiki are from Paris, where in 1870 she successfully participated in an exhibition of watercolor drawings and miniatures. Her works: "Cats", "Jagdtash with game", "Village children" - were awarded the Gold Medal. Everyone was especially struck by her captions to the pictures: “Don’t grieve over yesterday, wait for tomorrow”, “Fun is better than wealth”, “Stop, don’t stagger, lie, but don’t lie”, “Speak through the dark forest”, and many others, so also funny and charming.

... Elizaveta Merkuryevna took out an old, wrinkled, but still beautiful wreath of silk leaves from the box. Diana's wreath, which once a year, as a memory, was also hung on a Christmas tree between prickly paws. How much he reminded her of! New Year's costume ball on December 29, 1861, where a lovely, stately, black-haired "mask" in the costume of Diana the Huntress was recognized as the most brilliant.

Years later, the watercolorist A. Charleman presented the already aging winner with his drawing with the inscription: "Please accept this semi-watercolor drawing not as a portrait of E.M. Boehm, but as the image of Diana, which captivated us all at that New Year's ball ..."

The luxurious Christmas tree brought by her husband was not installed in the living room, but, "as Lizonka wanted," in the workshop, among paintings, shelving, an easel, cans of paints and brushes. That's something grandchildren-gymnasium students will be delighted! On the Patronal Feast of the Nativity, the whole family, as usual, will gather in the ancestral home on Vasilyevsky Island. Both sisters will also come: the eldest - Ekaterina Merkuryevna with her husband, and the youngest - Lyubochka, also an artist. By midnight it will be noisy, fun, they will be playing music, and in the hands of the owner - an excellent violinist, teacher of the conservatory, the magic Stradivari violin, which once belonged to Beethoven, will finally sound. This priceless relic was brought by Ludwig Böhm to St. Petersburg from Vienna, where he (a Hungarian by nationality) studied music in his youth. Ludwig inherited it, along with Beethoven's letter, from his uncle, a musician who was friends with the composer ... Then the piano will sound (everyone in the family plays great), they will sing romances, play forfeits, and the grandchildren of Elizaveta Merkuryevna will begin to guess grandmother's riddles: "Snow on fields, ice on the rivers, a blizzard is walking ... When does this happen? or "The snow is melting, the meadow has come to life, the day is coming ... When does it happen?"

Now the workshop is quiet. Outside the window, a horse-tram rumbled past the house on the snow-covered pavement. Elizaveta Merkuryevna thought that her husband would be here soon. It's time to arrange for the samovar, so that it, pot-bellied, shiny, sings comfortably on a linen napkin on an oak table. But she was in no hurry. She glanced thoughtfully at the walls. In the light of the chandelier, among dozens of paintings and sketches (of his and his friends - Aivazovsky, Shishkin, Vasnetsov), behind which one could not even see the wallpaper, - a beautiful "Christmas" "Portrait of Lisa" by Ilya Efimovich Repin. With a gentle inscription on the back, which she remembered by heart: "Elizaveta Merkuryevna Boehm, as a token of my deepest reverence for her talent. I love her" black ones "more than many, many white ones. January 1898."

"Black" Ilya Efimovich called her silhouettes - a special genre of drawing, which also became famous for Elizaveta Boehm. Her first silhouette was a portrait of Anton Rubinstein, accidentally drawn at a concert in the Noble Assembly on the back of the program, "with all the figure and the piano - absolute perfection, striking in expression." A. G. Rubinstein himself told the artist that this was the best of all his portraits! .. Kramskoy later wrote: “And what perfection these silhouettes were! Even the expression on the faces of little blackies could be guessed in them.”

On the tables and shelves of the workshop, among clay roosters and whistles, kokoshniks embroidered with colorful beads and carved wooden ladles, there were also her author's glass bottles, goblets, charms. Green, blue, made according to her sketches at her brother's glass factory in Orel. For them, the artist also received many diplomas, especially in Berlin and Paris, where Russian art is so valued. And in St. Petersburg, at her recent anniversary, the poet A.N. Maikov, with a bouquet in his hands, passionately read:

Your pencil is my offense

Why is it not given to me by God?

I don't show

But in the heart of a hurricane!

Behind the door at the back of the house the door bell jingled, the dogs barked merrily, the servants went to open it. Elizaveta Merkuryevna understood: her husband had returned from Alexandrinka. But she had not yet had time to disassemble the toys. Dreams, surging memories receded. It's time to get down to business - the New Year is on the threshold ...

With the outbreak of the First World War, in the 71st year of her life, already a widow and single, having long sold both Stradivari and many canvases, irrevocably seeing off her grandchildren to the front, Elizaveta Merkuryevna wrote: "... I still do not leave my studies, despite the weakness of my eyesight and the pain in my worn-out hands... I work not out of necessity, but very much in love with my work... I thank God for the pleasure bestowed on me through calling... And how many wonderful people it brought me, how many dear, friendly relations ..."

In 1914, the artist quietly and imperceptibly passed away. But for a long time, thousands and thousands of her postcards with cute faces of little characters continued their journey across Russia. Carrying kindness and a smile, they looked into every house to forever remain in the memory of Russian hearts.

Elizaveta Merkurievna was born inSt. Petersburg , spent her childhood in the family estate of the Endaurovs in the village of Shchiptsy, Poshekhonsky district Yaroslavl province. From to gg. studied at the Drawing School of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists inSt. Petersburg , graduating with a silver medal. ATIn the year she married Ludwig Franzevich Böhm, the marriage was happy, and the couple had several children.

AT year she creates an album of postcards "Silhouettes", and in year - the album "Silhouettes from the life of children." Both albums were printed by the Cartographic Establishment of A.A. Ilyin, who was her uncle. AT 1880 year she creates an album - "Pie", in year - "From village memories". AT year, two albums of postcards “A little of everything” and “For a dear friend even an earring from an ear” were published by I. S. Lapin in paris.

She drew postcards and illustrated children's magazines "Toy"( - ) and "Baby" ( - ) , illustrated the Russian folk tale "Turnip" ( ) . Created children's albums "Proverbs in silhouettes"( ) , "Proverbs and sayings in silhouettes"( ) , "ABC". Illustrated fables A.I. Krylov and "Notes of a hunter" by I.S. Turgenev.

The artist has received several international awards for her work. Works by Elizaveta Merkuryevna (withyears) participated in international exhibitions - in

Elisabeth Böhm... Nowadays, this name is not known to everyone, but in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Elisabeth Böhm enjoyed incredible popularity and truly popular love. Her works were in the collections of the imperial family and other members of the Romanov House, they were acquired by such a connoisseur of art as the creator of the famous art gallery Pavel Tretyakov, but in the houses of workers and in peasant huts there was a place for postcards by Elizaveta Boehm, dispersed throughout the Russian Empire.
Here it should be recalled what great importance postcards had in general at that time. Telephones were a rarity and were installed mainly in large cities, no one could imagine mobile communications even in the most fantastic dreams, and people had to write letters to keep in touch with each other. Of course, the epistolary genre was popular, especially since the mail worked decently (not like the current one). However, a detailed letter needed time, strength, mental attitude ... How many friendships and love ties were broken due to the fact that there was no time, no time to write a letter ... And then there was no need. Postcards have made a real revolution in interpersonal communication - two or three phrases, a kind of SMS a hundred years ago. And if a postcard with a cute picture, then an SMS with a smiley face. And the addressee already knows that somewhere far away he is remembered and loved.



Naturally, with their popularity, postcards have assumed many additional functions - advertising, political agitation, virtual travel around the world, dissemination of various useful knowledge and presentation of works of art.
In Russia, the first postcards (open letters) were put into circulation on January 1, 1872, but then they were without drawings. Far from immediately, it was decided to decorate the postcards somehow. In 1894, it was allowed to issue "forms of open letters of private production", and private initiative was in full swing. Already in 1895, a whole series of richly illustrated postcards began to appear. Soon the palm in this matter passed to a well-known charitable organization - the Committee for the Care of the Sisters of Mercy of the Russian-Turkish War, better known as the Community of St. Eugenia. The Women's Charitable Committee decided that the production and sale of illustrated postcards would provide the necessary funds to help former nurses and nurses who helped our troops in the Balkans (there women left both health and strength, and someone after being injured received a disability and needed serious support). In 1898, the Community of Saint Eugenia produced the first illustrated postcards, and in the 20th century became a leader in this business. In addition, the Community was the first to decide to set up specialized kiosks for the sale of postcards, which also played a significant role in the distribution of these products.

Kiosk selling postcards from the Society of St. Eugenia, 1913

While the production of postcards was developing in Russia, Elizaveta Böhm, the most popular "postcard" artist, mastered the skill. As a girl, she bore the surname Endaurova. The artist came from a noble family with distant Tatar roots. Her ancestor, named Indigir, once went to the service of the Moscow princes, and at the behest of the Grand Duke Ivan III, Ivan the Terrible's grandfather, this Tatar family received the surname of the Endaurovs. By the middle of the 19th century, the Endaurovs were already a completely Russified landlord family. Elizaveta Merkuryevna Endaurova was born in 1843. Her childhood was connected with the Russian village - her parents had estates near Yaroslavl in Poshekhonye and in the Vologda region. Lisa always loved the countryside, knew the village people well, their manners and customs. “My best memories are connected with the village and I feel sorry for those children who are deprived of these joys,” she said. The Russian village is reflected in her best works.

“I had a love for drawing from a very young age,” Elizaveta Böhm recalled, “otherwise I don’t remember myself as drawing on all the pieces of paper that came into my hands. In letters to my St. Petersburg friends, I constantly put my drawings of dolls and animals ; and this is what drew the attention of people somewhat understanding that I should have seriously taken up drawing.
Relatives decided to develop the girl's abilities. At the age of 14, Lisa was sent to the Drawing School of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists in St. Petersburg. Elizabeth was one of the best students and graduated from school with a silver medal.
But drawing for a young lady from a respectable family should have become only a hobby - the main thing was marriage and motherhood. In 1867 Liza got married. Her chosen one was a professional musician, violinist, teacher of the St. Petersburg Conservatory Ludwig Böhm. The marriage was happy, the couple had several children. But Elizabeth still wanted to be creative.

The first thing that came to the mind of the young artist was to make an album of silhouettes that she prepared for herself and her loved ones. They were good for more than being framed on the walls of rooms in her relatives' houses. Work on the album went on for several years. Elizabeth's uncle had his own cartographic establishment, where maps and atlases were printed. The artist took her first album, unpretentiously called "Silhouettes", to her uncle and asked to be printed. The album, published in 1875, made a splash. The inspired artist prepared another album, "Silhouettes from the Life of Children", and released it two years later.

Silhouettes, as a form of artistic creativity, became popular in Russia as early as the 18th century, during the reign of Catherine II, when several French artists who worked in this manner arrived at her court. But then the silhouettes were cut out of black paper and superimposed on a light background. Boehm developed a completely different technique - she made silhouettes on stone and made their imprint (lithography). This made it possible to pay attention to the smallest details - blades of grass, animal antennae, curls of hair ...

Self-portrait of the artist surrounded by children, album "From Village Memories"

Albums of the artist came out one after another. She began illustrating children's magazines, books of fairy tales, primers and other publications for children, making postcards (they were especially popular), advertising, bookplates. In addition to silhouettes, her watercolor and graphic works also appeared. The art community, which usually strictly evaluated pictures with kids and cats, Böhm's creations were enthusiastically greeted.

Kramskoy, her teacher at the Drawing School, wrote: “And what perfection those silhouettes were! They even guessed the expression on the faces of little blackies.
Ilya Repin was friends with Boehm. He once gave the artist his painting, writing on the back: “Elizaveta Merkuryevna Boehm as a token of my deepest respect for her talent. I love her "black ones" more than many, many white ones."

Silhouette from the book "Pie"

The art critic Stasov, a rather stern man who gave nuts to all venerable painters, called Boehm "the most gifted of the artists" and argued that her silhouettes show "soul, feeling, thoughts, characters, whims, quirks, grace, pranks, cute things."
Boehm's illustrations for Turgenev's works and Krylov's fables were also successful.

Gerasim and Mumu

But still, it was postcards in the Russian style that brought Elizabeth Boehm real fame, both in Russia and abroad.

To be continued.

Last year marked the 170th anniversary of the birth of the remarkable Russian artist Elizaveta Merkuryevna Boehm. Today this name says a lot to art critics and practically nothing to people who are far from art. But it was for them that she illustrated literary works, the alphabet, and enthusiastically drew holiday cards, which have long been recognized as unique.

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Elisabeth Böhm was born on February 24, 1843 into a noble family. Her father Mercury Nikolaevich Endaurov served as a collegiate assessor. At the age of 23, she married Ludwig Frantsevich Böhm (1825-1904), who was a famous violinist, like his father, who had been invited from Hungary and became a soloist of the St. Petersburg Imperial Orchestra. By the way, Franz Böhm is also known as a teacher of Russian composers Glinka, Lvov, Verstovsky. The family kept two relics for a long time - a Stradivarius violin and Beethoven's letter.

From the age of 14, Liza Endaurova studied at the Drawing School of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts in St. Petersburg, from which she graduated in 1864 with a silver medal. Wonderful teachers taught at this school - I. Kramskoy, P. Chistyakov, L. Primazzi, A. Beidman. Lisa Endaurova's talent was versatile, nothing prevented her from experimenting, being original and even impudent - perhaps because the material side of the matter did not interest her either in her parents' family or after marriage.

New page of life

In 1968, the Boehm couple had a daughter, named, like her mother, Elizabeth. This event made the children's theme close to the artist even more interesting. Often she drew from nature precisely peasant children. Kind "Aunt Boemiha" came to the villages and drew children, treating them to sweets.

At that time, many artists, as well as writers, tried to draw public attention to the fate of children living in poor families, creating canvases and literary works full of tragedy. This is Perov's "Troika" and Makovsky's "Children Running from a Thunderstorm". But the children in Boehm's works were different - well-fed, contented with life, well-dressed, often in Russian national costume. She was not interested in the social aspect, but was attracted by the external beauty of the children, the naivety of their eyes, the purity of their smiles, their spontaneity and sincerity. And they "lived" a happy carefree life on the pages of fairy tales and the alphabet, as well as on wonderful postcards.

From watercolors to silhouettes

She was able to paint watercolors, do lithography, create fashionable at that time "Silhouettes". By the way, for 14 years from 1875 to 1889, 14 albums with silhouettes were released. Among them are the albums "Silhouettes from the life of children", "Pie", "From village memories", "Sayings and sayings in silhouettes", "Proverbs in silhouettes".

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Kramskoy himself called her silhouettes perfection. These works received a Silver medal at one of the international competitions. The brightest event of 1883 was the Album "Types from I.S. Turgenev's Notes of a Hunter in silhouettes". The uniqueness of this album was obvious: black silhouettes alternated with color drawings, which, no doubt, was impressive. Fortunately, the album was published in the last year of the writer's life. By the way, it is worth remembering the two silhouettes for the story "Mumu".

Elizaveta Böhm illustrated magazines, among them - and children's "Baby" and "Toy". Her drawings adorned great novels, including "Anna Karenina", as well as the famous fairy tale "Turnip", Nekrasov's poem "Frost the Red Nose". Her Natasha Rostova, Tatyana Larina, Vanka Zhukov are beautiful! The drawings on biblical themes are also original.

Oddly enough, the illustrations for the "ABC" - a large children's album for viewing, as well as Krylov's fables, did not bring success. The criticism was merciless: the children seemed unnatural, and for some reason the book itself reminded them of a junk shop. But the drawings in it are wonderful: next to the letter A (Az) - Angel, with the letter B (Vedi) - Knight ...

From clay to glass

The name of Elizaveta Merkuryevna Boehm also entered the history of domestic arts and crafts. Painted prayer books and fans, designs for embroidery and lace, kokoshniks embroidered with beads, wooden ladles and clay figurines. All this was done by the hands of the artist. And there were glass and crystal! Which, however, is not particularly surprising, because the artist's brother worked at the Dyadkovo plant.

Boehm's works are recognized as symbolic in the development of the Russian national style in glass. According to her drawings, products of extraordinary beauty were created, which could be signed with her. Her painting also adorned porcelain, and the drawings were used to make enamels. They had everything: originality, complex play of colors and even folk humor! That is why the works were exhibited in Paris, Munich, Berlin, Milan, Chicago and received medals. Without a doubt, it was a new look at glass.

Boehm style

Criticism was almost always favorable to the artist, and her works were readily acquired by collectors. Among them, not only P.M. Tretyakov and I. E. Tsvetkov, but also members of the royal family.

It is worth mentioning one unique feature of Boehm's style - short witty captions: jokes, proverbs, riddles, poetic lines that were everywhere - from postcards to glassware. On a postcard of a girl painting a doll, the inscription reads: "It's not my fault that the face is crooked." Or a postcard on which a girl, surrounded by nesting dolls, prepares food for dolls: "For the holiday. Buy cabbage soup. For guests to come!"

On one of the postcards there is a unique signature - poetic lines, and under them the initials "K.R.": "I will pick you a bouquet for your name day, a lot of colorful fragrant flowers: and rose hips with wild jasmine and wide maple leaves." "K.R." - poetic pseudonym of the Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich Romanov (1858-1915).

There is an impressive inscription in verse on a set for alcoholic drinks, which included fake glasses with painted devils calling for a drink: “to health”, “to fun”, “for enthusiasm”, “tea, coffee are not to your liking, would be vodka in the morning", "where I drank, I spent the night there", "I drank for joy, I drank it down with grief", "I like it - I don't like it, but I need to drink!". There is an inscription on the damask: "Hey, cups, how did you get on? They were waiting for me. Drink, drink - you will see the devils."

holiday cards

Another milestone in the work of Elisabeth Böhm was postcards, including Christmas and Easter ones. Although at that time any postcard, even not thematic one, could be festive. According to Bohm's drawings, 300 postcards were published, from which even today it breathes sincerity and cordiality. Boehm's cooperation with the "Community of St. Eugenia", whose publishing house began issuing domestic postcards, turned out to be very fruitful. Buyers liked the artist's postcards because they reproduced scenes from Russian rather than foreign life. Colors, themes, writing style, originality of signatures made postcards interesting for collectors.

Holiday postcards wished a good harvest, livestock offspring, a merry Christmas, traditional festivities and fun. Yes, and native landscapes were closer to the Russian soul. But Boehm's postcards were special. Who became the main character, for example, of the artist's Christmas cards? It turns out not Father Frost , not the Snow Maiden, not the Snow Woman, but the children.

On one postcard, a boy and a girl are flying down the mountain not in sleds, but in giant bast shoes. Another funny postcard, where a girl and a boy are sitting in a lapta, which is carried by a hedgehog. The inscription reads: "Winter. It's good to be away, but it's better to be at home." Here is a girl with a doll against the background of a large Christmas star: "The Christmas star brought a lot of happiness. To whom happiness serves, he does not grieve about anything." Often on her postcards, children carry Christmas trees or are surrounded by a whirlwind of a snowstorm: "The frost is not great, but it does not order to stand." An interesting postcard, on which a boy is carrying bags on a sled: "I'm bringing happiness for the New Year. It's not enough for anyone - for someone to satiety. And you are the most." And here is a gloomy angry boy in winter clothes with a stick, in his hands and in a bag - toys, the signature: "Christmas beech." A ruddy girl is also beautiful, clutching a doll and a bear to her chest, next to a Christmas tree: "You always made us happy. And you gave and caressed. How can we give you back? What can we give to the Christmas tree?"

The boy and girl on holiday cards are the artist's favorite duet. However, not only their image, but the signatures seem somewhat grown-up. Embracing a boy and a girl, above them is the inscription: "Kiss on the lips for the sake of the feast of Christ." Or a couple in the national dress of the Caucasus: "We have many virgins in the mountains. Night and stars are in their eyes. Living with them is an enviable lot. But the will is even sweeter!" A postcard is also amusing, in which a girl in a rich Russian costume looks thoughtfully at boy dolls dressed in a boyar dress. The signature seems unexpected: "Wow, ah-you, somehow I'm going to get married! I don't want to hunt for a bad one. There's nowhere to get a good one!" Another couple with a white dog: "Siberia is frozen under the snow. You can't live without the cold. You can't live without sweetheart!" Two girls with serious eyes, one carefully looks at the other: "Every bride will be born for her groom!"

Philosophical postcards attract attention. Here is a handsome fair-haired boy sitting at the table, in front of him is a bowl and a huge mug: "I will sit at the table and think. How can I live. How can I be lonely!" Or a serious girl with a doll, next to a clay pot with a wooden spoon: "Happiness will come and find it on the stove." So the theme of holiday cards has never been heard by anyone again. The enormous talent of Elisabeth Böhm was not repeated.

Elizaveta Merkuryevna Boehm passed away on June 25, 1914. And only since the 90s of the twentieth century, interest in this wonderful artist began to revive.

Olga Sokirkina

Original entry and comments on

Elisabeth Böhm... Today, this name is not known to everyone, but at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, she enjoyed incredible popularity and truly popular love. Her works were in the collections of the imperial family, they were also acquired by such a connoisseur of art as the creator of the famous art gallery, Pavel Tretyakov, but in the houses of workers and in peasant huts there was a place for postcards by Elizaveta Böhm, dispersed throughout the Russian Empire.

In Russia, the first postcards (open letters) were put into circulation on January 1, 1872, but then they were without drawings. But in 1894, it was allowed to produce "private letterheads," and private manufacturers, competing with each other, began to attract buyers. Already in 1895, a whole series of richly illustrated postcards began to appear. Soon the palm in this matter passed to a well-known charitable organization - the Committee for the Care of the Sisters of Mercy of the Russian-Turkish War, better known as the Community of St. Eugenia. The Women's Charitable Committee decided that the production and sale of illustrated postcards would provide the necessary funds to help former nurses and nurses who helped our troops in the Balkans (there women left both health and strength, and someone after being injured received a disability and needed serious support). In 1898, the Community of St. Eugenia produced the first illustrated postcards, and in the 20th century became a leader in this business. In addition, the Community was the first to decide to set up specialized kiosks for the sale of postcards, which also played a significant role in the distribution of these products.

While the production of illustrated postcards was developing in Russia, Elizaveta Böhm mastered the skill. She was born in 1843 into a noble family with ancient Tatar roots, and as a girl, she bore the surname Endaurova.

“I had a love for drawing from a very young age,” Elizaveta Böhm recalled, “otherwise I don’t remember myself as drawing on all the pieces of paper that came into my hands. In letters to my St. Petersburg friends, I constantly included my drawings of pupae and animals; and this is what drew the attention of people somewhat understanding that I should have seriously taken up drawing.

Relatives decided to develop the girl's abilities. At the age of 14, Lisa was sent to the Drawing School of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists in St. Petersburg. Elizabeth was one of the best students and graduated from school with a silver medal.

In 1867, Lisa married a violinist, a teacher at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, Ludwig Böhm. Despite the big age difference between the spouses, the marriage was very happy. And the husband did not interfere with the desire of his wife to engage in creativity.

First, Elizabeth decided to compile an album of silhouettes that she prepared for herself and her loved ones. And then she took them to her uncle, who had his own cartographic establishment, where maps and atlases were printed. The album, published in 1875, made a splash. Inspired by the success, the artist prepared another album, Silhouettes from the Life of Children, and released it two years later. Then her albums began to come out one after another.

Elizabeth Boehm. boy with goats

Elizaveta Böhm began illustrating books, magazines, creating sketches for the production of glassware. But the real glory - both in Russia and abroad - was brought to the artist by postcards made in the Russian style.
Her creativity reached its true peak at the beginning of the 20th century, when the children had already grown up and Elizabeth was able to devote more time to drawing and painting. It was then that she began to create original postcards in the Russian style, which brought her real fame both in Russia and abroad. With her postcards - with Russian folk proverbs and sayings, with characters in Russian folk clothes - Böhm took part with great success in international exhibitions - in Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Munich, Milan, Chicago - and everywhere there was a big stir, incentive prizes, medals.

Elizaveta Merkuryevna died in 1914, a week before the start of the First World War. And her postcards, which were published and republished in thousands of copies, are popular to this day.