Pyotr Klodt was born in 1805 in St. Petersburg in a military family that came from an ancient german kind. His father was a general, a hero of the Patriotic War of 1812. Despite the fact that the future sculptor was born in the capital, he spent his youth in Omsk, away from European education and culture. He wanted to connect his life, like his ancestors, with a military career - in Omsk he was a cadet of a Cossack school, and upon returning to St. Petersburg he entered an artillery school. Despite this choice, during the years of his studies, at every opportunity, he took up a pencil or a penknife - he carved figures of horses and people - a hobby with which his father "infected".
After graduation, Klodt was promoted to ensign, served in an artillery brigade, but left the service in 1828 to focus solely on art. For two years he studied on his own, after which he became a volunteer at the Academy of Arts: the rector of the Academy, Martos, and teachers, seeing talent and skill in Klodt, helped him succeed. Over time, he became a true master of his craft and was known not only at the imperial court, but also far beyond its borders. The most famous creation of Klodt is, of course, sculptures horse tamers on the Anichkov bridge in St. Petersburg, but his other works are no less magnificent. "Evening Moscow" invites you to remember the most famous of them.
Horses of the Narva triumphal gates
Klodt carried out this large government order together with such experienced sculptors as S. Pimenov and V. Demut-Malinovsky. On the attic of the arch there is a six horses carrying the chariot of the goddess of glory, made of forged copper according to the model of Klodt in 1833. Unlike the classic images of this plot, the horses performed by Klodt are rapidly rushing forward and even rearing up. At the same time, the entire sculptural composition gives the impression of rapid movement. After completing this work, the author received worldwide fame and the patronage of Nicholas I. There is a legend that Nicholas I said: "Well, Klodt, you make horses better than a stallion."
The most famous creation of Klodt is, of course, the sculptural group of horse tamers on the Anichkov Bridge in St. Petersburg, but other works of the master are no less magnificent.
"Horse Tamers" Anichkov Bridge
The famous "Horse Tamers" at first had to be located not at all where they can be seen today. The sculptures were supposed to decorate the piers of Admiralteisky Boulevard, at the entrance to Palace Square. It is noteworthy that both the place and the project itself were personally approved by Nicholas I. When everything was ready for casting, Klodt decided that it was not worth taming horses near water and ships. He began to look for a place and rather quickly his choice fell on the Anichkov Bridge, which already needed reconstruction and was rather plain. The sculptor hinted at his idea, and the emperor supported him. Nikolai provided the sculptor with two purebred Arabian stallions - he was allowed to do whatever he wanted with them. Klodt was very useful for his experience gained during his studies at the Academy - at that time he was a student of one of the outstanding Russian foundry workers Ekimov, and by the time the "Tamers" was created, he had already managed to lead the entire Foundry Yard. Seeing the first bronze blanks, the emperor told the sculptor that they came out even better than the stallions actually looked.
November 20, 1841 Grand opening Anichkov Bridge after reconstruction, on which Petersburgers went literally in droves. But then the inhabitants did not see true beauty works of Klodt - Nicholas I decided to donate two sculptures to the Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm, and painted plaster copies were installed instead. Three years later, copies were made again, but they also did not last long - this time the "King of the Two Sicilies" Ferdinand II became their happy owner. Only in 1850 did the plaster copies finally disappear from the bridge, and bronze figures took their place.
Anichkov Bridge in the 1850s
Monument to Ivan Krylov
The life of the famous fabulist is almost inextricably linked with St. Petersburg - he lived in the city for almost sixty years, rarely leaving it. His death in 1844 became a national tragedy, and a year later a voluntary subscription was announced, the purpose of which was to raise money for a monument to the famous poet. In 1849, Klodt's project wins in open competition. The initial sketches implied the creation of almost antique image poet, but the sculptor took a bold step - he abandoned the ideas of embodying idealistic images that prevailed at that time, and wanted to depict the poet as accurately as possible, in a natural setting. According to contemporaries, he managed to achieve an almost portrait resemblance to the original. Along the perimeter of the pedestal, the sculptor placed animals - the heroes of Krylov's fables. The monument to this day adorns the Summer Garden of St. Petersburg.
Monument to Nicholas I on St. Isaac's Square
Monument to Prince Vladimir of Kyiv
In 1833 the sculptor V. Demut-Malinovsky worked on the project of a monument to Prince Vladimir of Kyiv - the initiator of the baptism of Rus' in 988. The work ended with the presentation in 1835 of the project to the president of the Imperial Academy of Arts. For unknown reasons, work on the project was suspended for a decade. In 1846, Demut-Malinovsky died, after which the architect K. Ton took over the work, who designed the pedestal in the form of a high tower-like church in the pseudo-Byzantine style. At that time, Klodt was in charge of the foundry of the Academy of Arts and he was entrusted with casting the monument in bronze. Before casting, he had to reproduce a small figurine made at one time by Demut-Malinovsky on the gigantic scale of the monument. When performing this work, changes regarding the model are inevitable. It is impossible to assess these differences, since it is not possible to compare the draft design with the monument: the draft model has not been preserved. Klodt did a great job on the face of the sculpture, giving it an expression of spirituality and inspiration. The sculptor did his work very conscientiously, moved the statue from St. Petersburg to Kyiv, and very well chose a place for it: it is inscribed in the high mountainous landscape of the banks of the Dnieper.
Monument to Prince Vladimir of Kyiv
Monument to Nicholas I
The monument to the controversial but outstanding emperor was laid a year after his death - in 1856. It was initially a complex project, on which several sculptors were supposed to work, but the most important work - the embodiment of the figure of the sovereign - was entrusted to Klodt. He managed to successfully cope with the task only the second time - during the first attempt, the shape of the sculpture could not stand it, and the molten bronze flowed out. The heir of Nicholas, Alexander II, allowed the sculptor to make a secondary casting, which turned out to be successful. In order to take the sculpture out of the Imperial Academy of Arts, where it was cast, it was necessary to break down the walls: its dimensions were so large. June 25, 1859 the monument was inaugurated in the presence of Alexander II. Contemporaries were amazed at an unprecedented achievement: Klodt managed to ensure that the horseman's sculpture rested on just two points of support, on the horse's hind legs! In Europe, such a monument was erected for the first time, the only earlier example of such an embodiment of an engineering miracle was the American monument to President Andrew Jackson in the US capital. After the October Revolution of 1917, the question of dismantling the monument as a legacy of the tsarist regime was repeatedly raised, but the artistic genius of Klodt saved the monument from destruction: thanks to the uniqueness of the system of only two supports, it was recognized as a miracle of engineering and preserved.
Boy, youth, officer
The family of the future sculptor consisted of hereditary military men. As is often the case, the surname was not rich, albeit well-born. His great-great-grandfather was one of the famous figures of the Northern War, he was a major general in the Swedish service. The sculptor's father was a military general, fought in Patriotic war 1812. The portrait of the illustrious general occupies a worthy place in the gallery of the Winter Palace.
Despite the fact that P. K. Klodt was born in 1805 in St. Petersburg, his childhood and youth were spent in Omsk, where his father served as chief of staff of the Separate Siberian Corps. There, away from the standards of metropolitan education, away from European culture the baron's penchant for carving, modeling and drawing manifested itself. Most of all, the boy liked to portray horses, he saw a special charm in them.
Like his ancestors, the boy was preparing for military career. In 1822, at the age of 17, he returned to the capital and entered the artillery school. All the free time that remained from learning the military craft, he gave to his hobby:
It is also known that during this period Klodt devoted a lot of time to studying the postures, gaits and habits of horses. “Comprehending the horse as a subject artistic creativity, he had no other mentor, except for nature " .
After graduating from college, the future sculptor received the rank of second lieutenant. The officer served in the training artillery brigade until the age of 23, and after that in 1828 he left military service and decided to continue to engage exclusively in sculpture.
Sculptor
For two years, Klodt studied on his own, copied modern and antique works of art and worked from nature. Since 1830, he has been a volunteer at the Academy of Arts, his teachers were the rector of the Academy, IP Martos, as well as the masters of sculpture, S. I. Galberg and B. I. Orlovsky. They, approving the work and talent of the young sculptor, helped him to achieve success.
Klodt's talent and perseverance brought unexpected dividends: from the beginning of the 1830s, his figurines depicting horses began to enjoy great success.
Narva triumphal gates
Horses of the Narva Gate
A strong continuation of his career was a large government order for the sculptural decoration of the Narva Gates, together with such experienced sculptors as S. S. Pimenov and V. I. Demut-Malinovsky. Six horses are installed on the attic of the arch, carrying the chariot of the goddess of glory, made of forged copper according to the model of Klodt in 1833. Unlike the classic images of this plot, the horses performed by Klodt are rapidly rushing forward and even rearing up. At the same time, the entire sculptural composition gives the impression of rapid movement.
First composition
Anichkov bridge
In late 1832 - early 1833, the sculptor received a new government order for the execution of two sculptural groups to decorate the palace pier on the Admiralteyskaya Embankment. In the summer of 1833, Klodt made models for the project, and in August of the same year the models were approved by the emperor and delivered to the Academy of Arts for discussion. Members of the academic council expressed their full satisfaction with the work of the sculptor and it was decided to complete both first groups in full size.
After this success, there was a break in work on this project, due to the fact that Klodt was completing work on the sculptural composition of the Narva Gate. This break ended in the mid-1830s and work on the project continued. Emperor Nicholas I, who oversaw the pier project, did not approve of the combination of lions and horses. Instead of the Dioscuri, vases were installed on the pier.
P. K. Klodt drew attention to the project for the reconstruction of the Anichkov Bridge and proposed placing the sculptures not on the piers of the Admiralteiskaya Embankment or on the Admiralteisky Boulevard, but to transfer them to the supports of the Anichkov Bridge.
Second composition
The proposal was approved and the new project included the installation of two pairs of sculptural compositions on four pedestals on the western and eastern sides of the bridge. By 1838 the first group had been realized in natural size and was ready to be translated into bronze. An insurmountable obstacle suddenly arose: the head of the Foundry of the Imperial Academy of Arts, V.P. Ekimov, suddenly died without leaving a successor. Without this person, the casting of sculptures was impossible, and the sculptor decided to manage the casting work on his own.
Incarnation in bronze
To perform the work, he needed the skills of the basics of foundry, which he was taught at the artillery school, practically mastered in the service in artillery and applied in the lessons of V.P. Ekimov when Klodt was a volunteer at the academy. Having headed the Foundry Yard in 1838, he began to improve, introducing technological innovations into the work of production and modern methods. The fact that the sculptor became a caster brought unexpected results: most of the cast statues did not require additional processing (chasing or corrections). To achieve this result, it was necessary to carefully work on the wax original with the reproduction of the smallest possibilities and the entire cast of the composition (up to this point such large sculptures were cast in parts). Between 1838 and 1841, the sculptor managed to make two compositions in bronze and began preparations for casting the second pair of sculptures.
Third composition
On November 20, 1841, the bridge was opened after restoration. Two pairs of sculptural compositions stood on the side pedestals: bronze groups were located on the right bank of the Fontanka River (from the side of the Admiralty), painted plaster copies were installed on the pedestals of the left bank.
Re-castings were made in 1842, but they did not reach the bridge, the emperor presented this pair to the Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm III and, at his direction, the sculptures went to Berlin to decorate the main gate of the imperial palace.
In 1843-1844 copies were made again. From 1844 until the spring of 1846, they remained on the pedestals of the Anichkov Bridge, then Nicholas I sent them to the "King of the Two Sicilies" Victor Emmanuel II (at the Royal Palace in Naples).
Also, copies of the sculptures are installed in gardens and palace buildings in Russia: in the vicinity of St. Petersburg Strelna and Petrodvorets, as well as on the territory of the Golitsyn estate in Kuzminki near Moscow, the Kuzminki-Vlakhernskoye estate.
Fourth composition
Since 1846, plaster copies were again placed on the eastern side of the Anichkov Bridge, and the artist began to create a further continuation and completion of the ensemble. The participants in the composition were the same: the horse and the driver, but they had different movements and composition, as well as a new plot. It took the artist four years to complete the sequel, and in 1850 the plaster sculptures finally disappeared from the Anichkov Bridge, and in their place the soldiers of the Engineer Battalion, under the leadership of Baron Klodt, hoisted new bronze figures into place. The work on the design of the Anichkov Bridge was completed.
Plot
- In the first group the animal is obedient to man - the naked athlete, squeezing the bridle, restrains the rearing horse. Both animal and man are tense, the struggle is growing.
- This is shown using two main diagonals: the smooth silhouette of the horse's neck and back, which can be seen against the sky, forms the first diagonal, which intersects with the diagonal formed by the figure of the athlete. Movements are marked with rhythmic repetitions.
- In the second group the head of the animal is upturned high, the mouth is bared, the nostrils are swollen, the horse beats with its front hooves in the air, the figure of the driver is deployed in the form of a spiral, he is trying to upset the horse.
- The main diagonals of the composition are approaching, the silhouettes of the horse and the driver seem to be intertwined.
- In the third group the horse overcomes the driver: the man is thrown to the ground, and the horse tries to break free, triumphantly arching his neck and throwing the blanket to the ground. The horse's freedom is hindered only by the bridle in the driver's left hand.
- The main diagonals of the composition are clearly expressed and their intersection is highlighted. The silhouettes of the horse and the driver form an open composition, in contrast to the first two sculptures.
- In the fourth group a man tames an angry animal: leaning on one knee, he tames the wild run of a horse, squeezing the bridle with both hands.
- The silhouette of the horse forms a very gentle diagonal, the silhouette of the driver is indistinguishable due to the drapery falling from the back of the horse. The silhouette of the monument again received isolation and balance.
prototypes
The figures of the Dioscuri in the Roman Forum on the Capitoline Hill served as a direct prototype for Klodt's horses, but these ancient sculptures had an unnatural movement motif, and there is also a violation of proportions: compared to the enlarged figures of young men, the horses look too small.
Cony Marley
Another prototype was the “Horses of Marley” by the French sculptor Guillaume Coustue (fr.), created by him around 1740, and located in Paris at the entrance to the Champs Elysees from Place de la Concorde. In the interpretation of Kustu, horses personify the animal principle, symbolize impetuous indomitable ferocity and are depicted as giants next to undersized drivers.
Klodt, in turn, depicted ordinary cavalry horses, the anatomy of which he studied for many years. The realism of proportions and plasticity was depicted by the sculptor in the traditions of classicism, and this helped to fit the sculptural design of the bridge into the historical architectural landscape of this part of the city. One of the major differences between this composition and the works of its predecessors is the rejection of the idea of complete and unconditional symmetry and the creation of a consistent work consisting of four compositions.
Results
The sculptor spent 20 years of his life on this work. This work has become one of the most significant and famous works of the sculptor. After a discussion in 1833 on artistic council the first two sculptural compositions, the academic council decided to elect the sculptor to the appointed academicians, which was done five years later - in 1838. Also in the same year, he was appointed professor of sculpture and headed the Foundry Yard of the Imperial Academy of Arts.
The work itself was recognized by contemporaries as one of the pinnacles of fine art, comparable to the painting by K. P. Bryullov "The Last Day of Pompeii". IN a short time she gained European fame.
Finally, the statues took their places only 10 years after the installation of the first options. They left their plinths twice:
- In 1941, during the blockade, the sculptures were removed and buried in the garden of the Anichkov Palace.
- In 2000, the sculptures were removed from the bridge for restoration.
Recognized master
After he was recognized as a master of his craft, Klodt performed other sculptural works, but, according to art historians, the horses on the Anichkov Bridge remained his best work.
service house
In the 1845-1850s, Klodt took part in the restructuring of the “Service House” of the Marble Palace: according to the project of A.P. Bryullov, the lower floor was intended for the palace stables, and the building overlooking the garden was supposed to become an arena. In connection with this purpose, to decorate the building along the facade, above the windows of the second floor, in the entire length of the middle part of the building, a seventy-meter relief "Horse in the service of man" was made. It was made by Klodt according to the graphic sketch of the architect, it consisted of four blocks, not united by a common plot or idea:
- Fighting horsemen;
- Horse processions;
- Riding and chariot rides;
- Plots of hunting.
Art historians believe that this relief was made by Klodt in the image and likeness of horses on the frieze of the Parthenon. This opinion is also supported by the Roman attire of the people depicted on the reliefs.
Klodt was able to apply an innovative technique: he created a monument, unlike the plastic images of commanders, kings, nobles, who in his time adorned St. Petersburg and Moscow, abandoning the usual language of allegories and creating a realistically accurate portrait image. The sculptor depicted the fabulist sitting on a bench dressed in casual clothes in a natural relaxed pose, as if he had sat down to rest under the lindens of the Summer Garden. All these elements focus on the poet's face, in which the sculptor tried to convey the characteristics of Krylov's personality. The sculptor managed to convey the portrait and general likeness of the poet, which was recognized by his contemporaries.
The artist's idea went beyond a simple image of the poet, Klodt decided to create a sculptural composition, placing high-relief images of fable characters around the perimeter of the pedestal. The images are illustrative in nature, and in 1849 Klodt attracted the famous illustrator A. A. Agin to work on the composition. Klodt transferred the figures to the pedestal, carefully comparing the images with living nature.
Work on the monument was completed in 1855.
Criticism of the monument
Klodt was criticized for petty pickiness in order to achieve maximum realism in the depiction of animals in high relief, pointing out to the author that the characters of the fables in the imagination of readers were more allegorical than they were real crayfish, dogs, foxes. In addition, the authors of the monument were criticized for the disproportion between the composition of the pedestal, which is complex in high relief, and the realistic artistic solution of the portrait statue.
Despite this criticism, the descendants highly appreciated the work of the sculptors, and the monument to Krylov took its rightful place in the history of Russian sculpture.
Monument to Prince Vladimir of Kyiv
The work ended with the presentation in 1835 of the project to the president of the Imperial Academy of Arts. For unknown reasons, work on the project was suspended for a decade. In 1846, Demut-Malinovsky died, after which the architect K. A. Ton took over the management of the work. At the end of the same year, information appeared that "project approved". Ton reconfigured the project, taking as a basis the sketch of the Demuth-Malinovsky model and designed the pedestal in the form of a high tower-shaped church in the pseudo-Byzantine style.
Klodt at that time was in charge of the foundry of the Academy of Arts, he was entrusted with casting the monument in bronze. Before casting, he had to reproduce a small figurine made at one time by Demut-Malinovsky on the gigantic scale of the monument. When performing this work, changes regarding the model are inevitable. It is impossible to assess these differences, since it is not possible to compare the draft design with the monument: the draft model has not been preserved. Klodt did a great job on the face of the sculpture, giving it an expression of spirituality and inspiration.
The monument is a bronze statue 4.5 meters high, mounted on a pedestal 16 meters high. The monument is concise and austere, in style it belongs to typical examples of Russian classicism. Prince Vladimir is dressed in a long, flowing cloak, in his hand is a cross, which he stretches over the city.
Klodt did his job very conscientiously, moved the statue from St. Petersburg to Kyiv, and very well chose a place for it: the statue is inscribed in the high mountainous landscape of the banks of the Dnieper. The monument is clearly visible from the main city highway - Khreshchatyk.
Monument to Nicholas I
Several sculptors worked on the design of the monument: Klodt himself made the figure of the emperor. The pedestal was designed by sculptors:
- N. A. Ramazanov created three bas-reliefs.
- R. K. Zaleman in 1856-1858 completed four allegorical female figures: “Strength”, “Wisdom”, “Justice” and “Faith”, and a bas-relief on the same pedestal depicting the presentation by Count M. M. Speransky of the Code of Laws to the Emperor .
The top of the composition is the equestrian figure of the emperor. The original sketch, created by Klodt, was a rider on a calmly standing horse. The author, with the help of facial expressions and gestures, planned to reflect the character of the emperor, but this option was rejected by Montferrand due to the fact that he could not serve the original goal of combining spatial ensembles.
The sculptor created a new sketch. In it, abandoning the idea to characterize the character, he depicted a horse in motion, leaning only on the back pair of legs. At the same time, the impetuous posture of the horse is opposed by the ceremonial figure of the emperor, stretched into a string. To implement this sketch, the sculptor took the trouble to accurately calculate the weight of the entire equestrian figure in order for it to stand, relying on only two points of support. This option was accepted by the architect and embodied in bronze.
Usually, everyone who turned to the description of the statue of Nicholas I noted the technical skill of performing the most difficult task - placing the horse on two points of support. For their strength, Klodt ordered iron props (weighing 60 pounds, worth 2,000 silver rubles) at the best factory in Olonets.
Peter Klodt was born on June 5, 1805 in the city of St. Petersburg. The boy grew up in an aristocratic family. He came from the Livonian baronial family of Klodt von Jurgensburg, from where later, in the second half of the 19th century, several Russian sculptors and artists came out. After graduating from the Artillery School in St. Petersburg, having served for some time as an officer, he retired at the end of the 1820s, deciding to devote himself entirely to art.
Petr Karlovich did not receive a systematic art education: he studied independently for two years, copied modern and ancient works of art and worked from nature. Since 1830 he became a volunteer at the Academy of Arts.
His perseverance paid off. From the beginning of the 1830s, his figurines depicting horses began to enjoy great success. This was followed by a large government order for the sculptural decoration of the Narva Gates, together with such experienced sculptors as Stepan Pimenov and Vasily Demut-Malinovsky.
In 1832, the sculptor received a new government order for the execution of two sculptural groups to decorate the palace pier on the Admiralteyskaya Embankment. Klodt drew attention to the project for the reconstruction of the Anichkov Bridge and proposed placing the sculptures not on the piers of the Admiralteiskaya Embankment or on Admiralteisky Boulevard, but to transfer them to the supports of the Anichkov Bridge. The sculptor spent about twenty years of his life on this work and it became one of the most famous works of the artist.
In 1833, Klodt made a model of six horses carrying the chariot of the goddess of glory. The sculpture, made according to his model, is installed on the attic of the Narva Gate arch. The work itself is recognized by contemporaries as one of the pinnacles of fine art. In a short time, it gained European fame and the patronage of Nicholas I.
After Pyotr Klodt was recognized by his contemporaries as a skilled craftsman, he performed other sculptural works. However, according to art critics, the horses on the Anichkov Bridge remained his best work. In addition to the creative legacy that the master left to his descendants, he did a lot for the development of sculptural art in Russia.
Heading the Foundry Yard of the Academy of Arts, Klodt achieved an improvement in the quality of artistic casting in Russia, thereby giving impetus to the development of this art in our country. He brought Russian animalistics to a new level, making it a self-sufficient art discipline. Throughout his career he continued to work in the direction of plastics of small forms. Also, together with the sculptors Alexander Loganovsky, Nikolai Romazanov, he worked on the sculptures of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
Pyotr Karlovich Klodt spent the last years of his life at his dacha Khalola, where he died November 20, 1867. He was buried at the Smolensk Lutheran cemetery. In 1936, the ashes were transferred to the Necropolis of Masters of Arts in St. Petersburg.
Awards for Peter Klodt
Last year marked the 196th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding sculptor of the mid-19th century, Pyotr Karlovich Klodt. He went down in history as the creator of the world famous equestrian groups of the Anichkov Bridge, the monument to the fabulist I.A. Krylov in the Summer Garden, the equestrian statue for the monument to Nicholas I in St. Petersburg and many other wonderful works. The most important theme of PK Klodt's work was the image of horses.
The centuries-old history of the Klodt family has come down to us thanks to documents collected and written by the sculptor's son, M.P. Klodt. Chief among them is the Pedigree of the Klodt von Jürgensburg family, compiled on German in March 1852.
The father of Pyotr Karlovich Klodt, Major General Baron Karl Gustav, who took his Russian patronymic Fedorovich, spent “almost all his service in campaigns and battles with the enemy: in Poland, beyond the Kuban, in Moldavia and Wallachia, during the capture of Tulcea, Isaccha, Ishmael. .. took part in the battles at Smolensk, at Borodino, at Maly Yaroslavets, at the capture of the Spandau fortress ... and at Leipzig. He was married to Elizabeth-Charlotte-Aurora von Freihold. They had two daughters and six sons, of whom Pyotr Karlovich was the second. He was born on May 24, 1805 in St. Petersburg and was recorded with the double name Peter Yakov. After 1814, when Baron Karl Gustav was appointed chief of staff of a separate Siberian Corps, the family moved to Omsk, where his father died in 1822.
In the same year, the Klodt family returned to St. Petersburg. On April 14, 1823, Pyotr Klodt “entered” the St. Petersburg Artillery School as a cadet. Behind the meager facts recorded in archival documents, there is a whole segment of Klodt's life, about which we know unusually little. In 1825 he was promoted to junker belt. At the end of the course at the Artillery School, being 19 years old, he was promoted to ensign. “With the permission of His Highest Imperial Majesty, due to illness from military service, he was dismissed as a second lieutenant on December 20, 1827,” archive documents testify.
It was during these years that the most important issue of choosing a profession was decided. Having received his resignation, Klodt was admitted to the number of pensioners of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists. By the highest order of the Sovereign Emperor in 1829, the professors of the Academy were shown the first three drawings made by Peter Klodt. From that time on, he became a volunteer at the Academy of Arts and devoted himself entirely to sculpture.
While still on military service, Klodt made graphic silhouettes of animals from black paper, carved and painted small figures of horses from wood, performed all the details with impeccable accuracy, imitating eyes with glass inserts, making a tail and a mane out of hair.
The figurine "Cavalryman" made by him in the 1830s was very popular. Klodt created it by order of Nicholas I to decorate the desk of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna.
The most important events in the biography of the sculptor took place in 1833. His first monumental work was successfully completed - six horses for the Narva triumphal gates in St. Petersburg. On May 25, 1831, the commission for the construction of the Narva Gates accepted the first model of a horse, molded from clay by Klodt, which was delivered to the Alexander foundry in St. Petersburg. Master I. Prat, under the guidance of M.E. Clark, knocked out the figures of four horses from copper sheets, accurately reproducing Klodt's models. However, when four horses and a chariot were installed on the attic of the Narva Gate, it became clear that the group "did not match the magnificence of the building." In March 1833, it was decided to create two more horses, Klodt coped with the new task successfully and quickly. On September 26 of the same year, the architect V.P. Stasov reported on the “perfect completion” of the Narva Gate, the grand opening of which took place on August 18, 1834. As it was noted in 1848 in "Illustration" "... it is almost incomprehensible how it was possible for an unaccustomed, inexperienced person, engaged in delicate, miniature-perfect works, not to get lost in the colossal size of monumental horses, not to be crushed by this six? The Baron emerged victorious."
In November of the same year, the wedding of P. K. Klodt with Juliana Ivanovna Spiridonova, the niece of A. A. Martos, the wife of the sculptor Martos, took place.
Having learned about the reconstruction of the Anichkov bridge across the Fontanka River, Klodt proposed to decorate it with his equestrian groups, which would look spectacular from Nevsky Prospekt, Nicholas I approved this idea for implementation. After the installation of the first two equestrian groups on the Anichkov Bridge, their repeated ebbs were sent to Berlin as a gift to Friedrich Wilhelm. “After the delivery to Berlin of the two cavalry groups presented by the Sovereign Emperor to His Majesty the King of Prussia, he granted Royal Majesty Cavalier of the Order of the Red Eagle, 3rd class" August 14, 1842 in Sanssouci. While in Germany, P. K. Klodt wrote to A. P. Bryullov: “The caress and respect of the local best artists, of course, are very pleasant to me, but they cannot replace the caresses of my wife and children. Nothing compares to the quiet family life. With what pleasure I look at children here and look for similarities with mine in everyone!
On April 1, 1843, Klodt "for the excellent performance of the equestrian groups, made by him again for the Anichkov Bridge, was most graciously awarded the holder of the Order of St. Anna, 3rd degree." And in July 1846, for the same groups sent to Naples, he was granted by His Majesty the King of Naples as a Knight of the Order of St. Ferdinand. The sculptor's inspired and painstaking work lasted almost twenty years. Equestrian groups are ingeniously simply connected by one plot idea - four moments of taming an unbroken horse are taken.
One of the sculptural symbols of St. Petersburg is deservedly recognized as the monument to Nicholas I, which became the decoration of St. Isaac's Square. The brightest page in the history of the creation of the monument is Klodt's work on the equestrian statue. In January 1857, a solemn laying of the monument was made, as the press of those years noted, in the presence of the "Sovereign Emperor and the August House."
In December 1856, Alexander II examined the model of the equestrian statue and wished to “change the horse’s gait from the left leg to the right, reduce the visor of the helmet, put the helmet itself a little back, make the over the knee boots softer, and the epaulettes and the right sleeve above the elbow a little fuller.” On December 12, the Council of the Academy of Arts, agreeing with the remarks of Alexander II, approved the equestrian model.
In April 1858, Klodt cast an equestrian statue of Nicholas I. “This casting, made by Baron Klodt on wax, was unsuccessful: the form could not withstand the pressure of the metal melted in an amount of up to 1300 pounds, a crack formed in it, into which a significant part of the bronze flowed out, and some parts of the figure were left unfilled. According to a report about this to the Sovereign Emperor, His Imperial Majesty deigned to allow the secondary casting to be entrusted again to Baron Klodt and to reward him for the costs he incurred in doing so. On February 21, 1859, the equestrian statue was cast by P.K. Klodt for the second time and successfully.
Usually, everyone who turned to the description of the statue of Nicholas I noted the technical skill of performing the most difficult task - placing the horse on two points of support. For their strength, Klodt ordered iron props (weighing 60 pounds, worth 2,000 silver rubles) at the best factory in Olonets.
After the equestrian statue was cast, it was necessary to proceed with its delivery to the place of installation. In the “Russian Art Sheet” for 1859 we find the following information: “This statue was cast in the foundry of the Imperial Academy of Arts and, due to its size, could not be taken out of the workshop in the usual way to the gate; but for the birth of a new work of our famous sculptor, they had to break through the wall. The very setting of the statue on a pedestal presented a lot of curiosity; this terrible mass was lifted by ropes to a height of 4 sazhens and first placed on the scaffolding, located on the side above the scaffolding surrounding the pedestal; then these scaffolds rolled up on wheels to the place where the statue was supposed to stand, and, finally, they lowered it onto a marble pedestal.
On June 25, 1859, the grand opening of the monument took place. This historical moment was depicted in watercolor by the artist V.S. Sadovnikov.
Klodt attached great importance to working on small sketches depicting horses, on the creation of which he worked all his free time. Executed as preparatory studies, they have the value of independent works and amaze with their virtuoso wax modeling. Many equestrian compositions were translated into bronze by the sculptor himself and became exquisite chamber works. The rarest effect of transferring a horse in motion, leaning on one leg, was achieved by Klodt in the statuette “Major General F.I. Lefleur”.
Klodt cast such well-known monumental works from bronze as the monument to Peter I in Kronstadt (1841; based on the model of N. Zhac), the monument to N.M. Ivanov, K.M. Klimchenko, N.A. Ramazanov, P.A. Stavasser), a monument to G.R. , St. Prince Vladimir in Kiev (1853; based on the model of V.I. Demut-Malinovsky), Ataman M.I. Platov in Novocherkassk (1853; based on the model of N.A. Tokarev) and others.
The State Russian Museum has a unique collection of Klodt's works. It consists of sculptures, drawings and architectural documents that belonged to his family. Of particular value are 16 wax works fashioned by him. In 1897 they were among the first transfers from the Academy of Arts to the Museum of the Emperor Alexander III. The collection of bronze castings made by Klodt both on the basis of his own wax originals and on the models of other masters is extensive and varied.
I am looking at a drawing from 160 years ago, where a certain artist depicted the 30-year-old sculptor Pyotr Karlovich Klodt: what a resemblance to his great-great-great-grandson Evgeny, an artist-designer and my friend!
Evgeny Klodt: Our clan has been known almost since the 10th-12th centuries. My father looked for the roots of the Klodts all over Europe, for everywhere they left their mark. I found my ancestors in the genealogies of the ancient Lombard Caesars, veterans of Julius Caesar, in Westphalia, Saxony and Prussia, in the principalities of Eilen, Warburg, Braunschweig, in Livonia and Courland ...
But the fate of this living and fruitful family suddenly took an amazing turn: from the 18th century, Klodts decisively "registered" in Russia. And then, in the full sense of the word, they shone.
The first Russian Klodt was called Carl Gustav from birth. At the courts and armies of their Imperial Majesties Catherine II, Paul I and Alexander I, he was christened Karl Fedorovich. For impeccable service, they were awarded the orders of St. Vladimir and St. Anna. Golden sword - "For courage." With this sword, Colonel Karl Klodt went to the French in the Battle of Borodino. He finished his service as a baron and a general, leaving five sons to Russia.
One of them was named Peter Klodt. His bronze horses have been decorating the Anichkov Bridge for a century and a half. On the four of his winged horses, the god Apollo rides along the pediment of the Bolshoi Theater. From the walls of the Grand Kremlin Palace, George the Victorious rushes at the insidious Serpent ...
Traitor of the clan
His "horse" fate was, as it were, predetermined: in childhood, father Karl sent his son Petka from the army paper horses cut out of playing cards; in his youth, as a cadet artilleryman, he admired the dressage of the capital's hussars. But he did not go to the hussars. He liked not to prancing, but to watch horses - to become them, natural grace, innate nobility. In the artillery class, instead of ballistic trajectories, he drew horses. And once he saw how Peter carved a horse out of a birch log, the elder brother Vladimir exclaimed: "Petka, you are a traitor to our kind! Horseman! Coachman!"
But the "horseman" continued to make horses. Once, on Peter's Day, colleagues came to ensign Peter Klodt. An unfamiliar staff captain is with them. He looked at the wooden horses with interest. And suddenly he said: "Sell the horse, baron!" - "Not for sale," - said Peter. "From what?" - "Officer's honor does not order. But I can give it."
Architect Rossi erected a building near Palace Square General Staff- in memory of the war with Napoleon. And when the Chariot of Victory rose above the arch, sparkling, something exploded in Lieutenant Klodt's chest. Six bronze horses flew towards him from the skies. He resigned the next day...
And then miracles began. Someone from the royal retinue presented Emperor Nicholas I with a wooden horseman. The king, who adored such toys and, as you know, loved to play "cavalry", said: "Lovely. Who is this gifted carver?" - "Baron Klodt, Your Majesty. Retired lieutenant." - "Let him cut out for me a detachment of horse guards." And, having received them, he ordered: "Now show me this baron!"
Lady Luck
It's no joke: a retired lieutenant, a toy maker, a poor man (no matter what a baron) is called for an audience with the emperor himself! As in a fairy tale, the tsar's test successfully passes: the self-taught, to everyone's surprise, brilliantly copies German prints. After that, he was highly recommended to the Academy of Arts and taken under its patronage. His life was suddenly put into a creative rut: lectures at the Academy, copying of antique marbles in museums and palaces, new acquaintances ... But sculpture is still "beyond the mountains", and Pyotr Klodt still cuts his toys - horses and hussars that go snapped up.
Meanwhile, he is twenty-five - the age when true masters, as a rule, already create masterpieces. From Peter's toys to a real sculpture, it seems, oh, how far! However, Lady Luck does not sleep. The mysterious fate of Klodt prepares his astonishing rise. New (stone, instead of wooden) Narva Triumphal Gates have already been erected, over which the Chariot of Glory is about to rise.
The chariot was fashioned by Demut, the figures of horses by Pimenov. But the tsar suddenly declares that "Pimenov's horses are too thin." And he orders to call the equally famous sculptors Galberg and Orlovsky. However, both (out of professional solidarity or fear of not pleasing the emperor) find a pretext for refusing. And then ... Then suddenly they remember the "toy" Klodt! Stunned, frightened, Peter hesitates. But they say to him: "You can't refuse, baron. For some, this may be fine. But you won't be forgiven, because you're nobody."
And the incredible happens. The master, who never worked in clay and plaster, in ancient classics and imperial forms, fashioned the first giant horse in such a way that the commission was unanimous: "This model was made with the desired success." The entire six horses were sculpted and cast in just a year. And the Chariot of Glory sped off. The result was an even more impossible event: the self-taught sculptor was immediately awarded the title of academician.
Evgeny Klodt: In the same 1832, an event occurred in the life of Pyotr Karlovich, perhaps even more important: the young academician married the niece of Martos, the rector of the Academy, Yulenka. And, as time has shown, he acquired a treasure worthy of all his future deeds. My great-great-grandfather, genre painter Mikhail Petrovich Klodt, recalled: "My mother was pretty, slender and graceful. Moreover, she had a cheerful character." “I’m with Yulenka, like in Christ’s bosom,” Peter used to say. A kind of gift to the newlyweds was the next order of the king, who, years later, would lead Klodt to his Olympus - to the Anichkov Bridge.
Road to Anichkov
The Anichkov Bridge was then still narrow and empty. And, perhaps, it would have remained so if Nicholas I had not appointed a new meeting for the young sculptor - this time in his horse guards arena, at a review of English stallions.
The horses were taken out by English watermen. The king compared them with the mythological Dioscuri and asked Klodt: "What do you say, baron?" "Noble horses, Your Majesty," Peter answered evasively. "That's what," the emperor continued. “We are rebuilding Palace Square: it would be nice to put horses and tamers there.”
And Klodt thought that this time he could not do without a live horse, without a true nature. The horse must be near at all times, day and night. This is the only way to become a waterman of your horse: first, tame and tame it yourself, and only then saddle it - a bronze one.
And from the royal stables to the academic stable they brought two thoroughbred Arabian stallions - at the complete disposal of the sculptor: Peter could draw them, and sculpt, and feed them from his own hands, and harness them to his carriage.
And the work went on. Nicholas I, who visited the workshop and saw the horses still in clay, said admiringly: "Baron, your horses are better than my stallions."
Evgeny Klodt: The first two groups were ready for casting. However ... How did Klodt's horses end up on the Anichkov Bridge? After all, both the tsar and then the academic council decided to install "Tamers" (such was the conditional name) near Admiralteisky Boulevard, at the entrance from the embankment to Palace Square. But one fine summer evening, Pyotr Karlovich left the house and went to look for his place. Many years later, while collecting material for a book about my great-great-grandfather, my father Georgy Klodt followed the same path.
"... Through the St. Isaac's floating bridge," said his father, "Pyotr Klodt went to the Admiralty and the Embankment - to where he should put his horses. To the right and left - the majestic spiers of Peter and Paul and the Admiralty, between them the masts of ships. Well, if you look from Nevsky "Directly in the eye - a spire. So who and from where will see his horses here? And, leaving the Admiralty behind him, he walked along Nevsky Prospekt. Crossed the Moika, looked at Teatralnaya. Returned to Nevsky. There seemed to be nowhere further. But he And he stopped on the Anichkov Bridge. Nevsky left on both sides of it, as far as his eyes allowed: carriages raced, officers pranced, ladies and gentlemen walked, bureaucrats hurried somewhere ... And, feeling how his heart suddenly began to beat, Pyotr Karlovich understood - the choice was made: from this place he saw everything, and - everyone saw him!
I pissed myself
Deciding (contrary to the plan of the king) to put his sculptural "poem" on Anichkov, Peter only hinted about this to Nicholas - consent came by itself. The tsar understood that Anichkov was indeed outdated, and reconstruction was needed. And then Klodt's horses will be here to the point.
The logic of Klodt's creative behavior invariably led him to success. So, while still a volunteer at the Academy, he became an apprentice to the best Russian foundry worker Vasily Ekimov. And having already become eminent, he did not leave artistic casting in order to reliably know what and how will go from molded to bronze. At that moment, when the first models were ready for casting, Yekimov suddenly died. And, as the only sculptor who perfectly mastered casting, Klodt was offered not only to dress his products in bronze himself, but also to head the entire Foundry House.
And now the solemn hour has come. A lot of people gathered around the smelting furnaces around Klodt and his henchmen. Waiting for the start of the metal. The crowd, taking off their hats and making the sign of the cross, fell silent. The workers struck the casting with crowbars, and the molten bronze, breathing hotly and sparkling, flowed into the molds. Klodt was all in suspense. The workers were feverish from the heat - they were given milk to drink. President of the Academy of Arts Olenin, unable to stand with excitement, sat behind the doors of the foundry and muttered prayers. Suddenly there was a powerful "hooray". It's done! Klodt went out to Olenin, collapsed next to him on a stool...
And on Nevsky there was a restructuring of the Anichkov bridge. Architects, railway workers, builders - all of St. Petersburg worked for Klodt's horses. Soon the second group of "Tamers" was cast - the one where a young waterman holds a horse that has reared up. For both the first and second bronze groups, Klodt made copies of them in plaster, tinted to look like bronze. The tsar was eager to open the new Anichkov as soon as possible, placing sculptures on all four corners of the bridge. Did Pyotr Klodt then think that it would take another ten years before he played his entire brilliant performance in front of the Petersburgers on Anichkovo - in four bronze paintings.
However, what St. Petersburg saw on November 20, 1841, delighted everyone: “The life of a horse and a man on Anichkovo,” the newspapers wrote, “represents new world in art. Like a waterman besieging a horse, the sculptor Pyotr Klodt took part of this art into his own hands and turned from the wrong path to the real one.
The king summoned Klodt to him and said: he wants to glorify his creations all over the world. And for this he gives already cast sculptures to the Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm IV, who is crazy about them. Peter had to go to Berlin with a gift.
Evgeny Klodt: Here, by the way, one of the most amazing features of Pyotr Karlovich became clear, which became feature of our dynasty: a descendant of foreigners, he was so Russian in his spirit, habits, passions that, while in Germany, he was terribly homesick. However, Klodt's "suffering" was rewarded: Friedrich Wilhelm granted him the Order of the Red Eagle and a diamond snuffbox.
In the same year, he re-cast The Tamers. But already another guest of Nicholas I, the king of both Sicilies Ferdinand II, seeing the divine horses of Klodt, wished to see them daily in Naples. And having received them, he awarded Klodt the Order of Naples. After that, European newspapers reported: “Today there are three miracles in Naples: the body of the Savior, taken from the Cross, covered with a transparent marble veil, “Descent of the Savior from the Cross” - a painting by Espanoletta, and the bronze horses of the Russian baron Klodt. Berlin, Paris, Rome honored Peter Klodt with the title of honorary member of their Academies.
Instead of an epilogue
"Tamers" on Anichkovo became Klodt's swan song, sung by the sculptor at the forty-fifth year of his life, in his prime creative forces. Composing his best creation, he at the same time participates in decorating the interiors of St. Isaac's Cathedral - his burner "Christ in Glory" decorated the frieze over the Altar Gates. Creates a giant bas-relief for the Marble Palace, depicting hunting and travel pictures on it. In 1849, a year before the complete completion of the epic on Anichkov, he won the competition for a monument to the Russian fabulist Ivan Andreevch Krylov. And already in 1852 he took a shower and seated his "grandfather" in the Summer Garden - with an open book in his hands, with a sad and thoughtful face, surrounded by a whole menagerie of fable heroes.
The range of the sculptor in these years is amazing: from the intimate "home" monument to Krylov in St. Petersburg to the truly universal statue of St. Vladimir in Kyiv. After that, Klodt proceeds to the last of his great works - the monument to Nicholas I. This accomplishment is both grandiose and symbolic. Peter Karlovich outlived his king by 12 years. But, in fact, all creative life passed under the emperor, under his patronage. Who, if not him, was destined to leave the memory of the emperor? Probably everyone understood this. Including Montferrand, the creator of the Pillar of Alexandria, to whom Alexander II entrusted the construction of a monument to his father. The architect, without hesitation, offered Peter Klodt to fashion and cast an equestrian statue of the king.
Once upon a time, a young "toy maker" Pyotr Klodt carved for Nikolai a horse guard, surprisingly similar to the king. Thirty years later, having become the first sculptor in Russia, he put the bronze "Horse Guard" on a pedestal ... Huge, almost two heads taller than his entire retinue, in a Nikolaev overcoat thrown over his shoulders, in a white cap with a red band, Alexander II stood in front of by his father. Then, turning to Klodt, he silently held out his hand to him. The horse under the bronze king broke into a gallop. It seemed like another moment - and the huge rider would go into the sky.
There are countless art treasures in St. Petersburg: Rossi Street is ingenious, magnificent Winter Palace Rastrelli, the grandiose Isaac of Montferrand ... And yet the one who said: "There is no Petersburg without Klodt's horses!"
