Soviet Art

USSR Culture

Soviet artist Igor Skorobogatov 1920-1997

Soviet artist Igor Skorobogatov

St. Bernard dog sleeps. Painting by Soviet artist Igor Skorobogatov

Soviet artist Igor Skorobogatov (10 June, 1920 – 1997) – animal painter, member of the Leningrad organization of the Union of Artists of the USSR. Honored Artist of the Russian Federation. Born in 1920 in Saratov into the family of a professional actor Konstantin Skorobogatov. Veteran of the Second World War (1941-1945), awarded with medals “For the defense of Leningrad”, “For victory over Germany”. During the Great Patriotic War he fought on the Leningrad front. Demobilized in 1945 in the rank of sergeant. And the same 1945 he entered the painting faculty of the Leningrad Repin Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture of the Academy of Arts, from which he graduated in 1951. Skorobogatov studied in the workshops of prominent Soviet artists Isaak Brodsky and Professor Rudolf Frentz (1945-1951). His thesis work was the picture “On the collective farm” (1951). Already after the institute (1952), he began participating in exhibitions of Soviet art, together with the leading masters of fine arts of Leningrad.

Painting by V. Rusov. Portrait of Igor Skorobogatov. 1982

Painting by V. Rusov. Portrait of Soviet artist Igor Skorobogatov. 1982

Meanwhile, he was mostly known as an animal painter. Besides, he created paintings in the genre of battle compositions, portraits, and landscapes. In particular, he is the author of such paintings as “Border Guards”, “Portrait of the People’s Artist of the USSR K. Skorobogatov” (the artist’s father), “The Black Horse”, “Aniline Stallion”, “Boxer Eroshka” (1965), “Pincher Lordik” (1970), and others.

The works of Soviet artist Igor Konstantinovich Skorobogatov are in the State Russian Museum, the Tretyakov Gallery, in museums and private collections of the USSR, Great Britain, France, Japan and other countries.

Soviet artist Igor Skorobogatov

Antaeus. 1981. Oil on cardboard

Antaeus. 1981. Oil on cardboard

Araks. 1970. Oil on canvas

Araks. 1970. Oil on canvas

Baikal (black dog). 1965. Oil on cardboard

Baikal (black dog). 1965. Oil on cardboard

Blockade Autumn. 1945. Oil on cardboard

Blockade Autumn. 1945. Oil on cardboard

Bonya. Circus horse. 1975. Oil on canvas, oil on cardboard

Bonya. Circus horse. 1975. Oil on canvas, oil on cardboard

Central asian shepherd dog. 1968. Oil on canvas

Central asian shepherd dog. 1968. Oil on canvas

Female portrait. 1960-ies. Oil on cardboard

Female portrait. 1960-ies. Oil on cardboard

Lions. 1948. Oil on canvas

Lions. 1948. Oil on canvas

LN Tolstoy and IE Repin at walk. The sketch for the painting. Oil on cardboard

LN Tolstoy and IE Repin at walk. The sketch for the painting. Oil on cardboard

Murat with Kazbek. 1963. Oil on cardboard

Murat with Kazbek. 1963. Oil on cardboard

People's Artist Kantemirov. Oil on cardboard

People’s Artist Kantemirov. Oil on cardboard

The groom of Budyonny. Oil on cardboard. Study for the painting

The groom of Budyonny. Oil on cardboard. Study for the painting

Winter etude. Oil on cardboard

Winter etude. Oil on cardboard