The State Russian Museum

 

Private centennial anniversary exhibition of  Michail Nikolaevich Skulyari

(1905-1985)

Painting, graphic.

 

        Actually, this exhibition is the first opening of the new talented Soviet artist  Michail Nikolaevich Skulyari, who was known until now only by professionals.

       M.N. Skulyari graduated with a degree in monumental painting, but officially he worked as a construction engineer to earn his living. During his life he never gave up painting and graphic.

       Only 20 years later after his death his first personal exhibition took place in one of the main state museums of Russia.

       Michail Nikolaevich Skulyari was born on June 26, 1905 in Simferopol to the family of a mining engineer. His grandfather on his mother’s side being a general, Baron von Ekk, Skulyari received top-quality home education.

       His family’s aristocratic culture and traditions had certainly influenced the artist’s manner. He was also influenced by the opportunity to join the Russian avant-garde movement.

         In 1926 Skulyari entered the Faculty of Monumental Painting of the Leningrad VkHUTEIN, where he studied under K.S. Petrov - Vodkin,
A.I. Savinov, A.Y. Karev, P.A. Shollingovsky, A.A. Rylov, and P.N. Filinov.

         At the moment the war started, he was sent to Kusbass industrial complex, as a construction engineer in making diesel engines . This fact also shows how gifted he was.

          In 1948 M.N. Skulyari became a member of LOSKh (Leningrad Branch of the Union of Artists) as a graphic artist.

          As a professional artist, Skulyari started working in a lithograph experimental workshop in 1946. He was very lucky to be able to work side by side with such famous Leningrad graphic artists as A.S. Vedernikov, G.S. Vereisky, V.A.Vlasov, Y.A. Vasnetsov, B.N. Yermolayev, V.I. Kudrov, A.L. Kaplan and A.N. Yakobson.

         However, first of all it was a spiritual and creative unit of bright personalities, professionals, masters of form and colour.

        The artist’s heritage is not limited to colour lithograph. He tried himself in etching, tempera, watercolours and ceramics.

          Each Skulyari’s work reveals his individual manner, his erudition, slight emotionality and the culture of colour.