Nikolai Denisovsky

Graphic artist, painter, poster designer, caricaturist, illustrator, teacher. Born in the family of Fyodor Denisovsky in Moscow (1901). Studied under Stanislaw-Witold Noakowski, Dmitry Scherbinovsky and Konstantin Gorsky at the Stroganov School of Art and Industry (1911–17) and under Georgy Yakulov at the VKhUTEMAS in Moscow (1918–19). Founding member of the Society of Easel Artists (1919–23) and Society of Young Artists (1920–21), member of the Unification of Workers of the Revolutionary Poster (1931–32). Taught at the VKhUTEIN in Leningrad (1929), Institute for Raising Qualifications of Moscow Institute of Fine Arts (1935–38), Moscow Institute of Applied and Decorative Art (1949–52), Vera Mukhina School of Art and Industry in Leningrad (1952–55) and the Moscow School of Art and Industry (1955–56). Designed posters, drew for such magazines as Red Pepper (1923–26), Crocodile (1924–27) and Behemoth (1927). Illustrated books for the State Publishing House. Painted watercolour series depicting Soviet industrialisation after visits to the Donbass, Kerch Metal Works and Siberian mines. Painted portraits of Georgy Chicherin, Georgy Yakulov, Vladimir Mayakovsky and such Soviet leaders as Joseph Stalin and Kliment Voroshilov (from 1931). Worked for the theatre. Honoured Artist of the RSFSR (1962). Died in Moscow (1981). Contributed to exhibitions (from 1919), including one-man shows in Moscow (1936, 1956, 1961).