Soviet artist Georgy Nissky

Soviet artist Georgy Nissky (January 8, 1903 – June 18, 1987) is considered the founder of the so-called severe style, the master of the industrial landscape. People’s Artist of the RSFSR (1965), winner of the Stalin Prize of the third degree (1951), Member of the USSR Academy of Arts. His works are in the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum, and in most of the major museums of the former USSR.

Georgy Nissky was born 8 January 1903 into the family of a doctor of the station, at a small station Novobelitsa (now Brest, Belarus). His first teacher was iconographer Vladimir Petrov. Local artist student Zorin introduced Georgy Nissky to the works of artists of “The World of Art” movement. In 1919, Georgy entered the Gomel art studio named after M. Vrubel, where he first encountered the concepts of color, image and composition. In 1921 he was sent to Moscow and entered the painting department of the Higher Artistic and Technical Workshops (VHUTEMAS, 1923-1930). Parallel to his studies he worked in a printing house, did sports, in particular – volleyball.

In 1926, Nissky met Alexander Deineka. At this time, under the influence of the style of OST (Society of Easel Artists, founded in 1925 in Moscow, a group of graduates of Art Workshops, led by David Shterenberg), as well as creativity of Alexander Deineka and A. Marke, he develops a unique style of painting, featuring laconic, dynamic and soulful lyricism of his landscapes.

In 1928, Georgy Nissky made his first trip to the Black Sea in Novorossiysk to collect material for the thesis work. In 1930 he graduated from VHUTEMAS, thesis – “The Internationale at the” Gilles Barts. The revolt of the French sailors in Odessa”(The Tretyakov Gallery), dedicated to the Black Sea mutiny.

End of 1930 and 1931 he served in OKDVA (Special Red Banner Far Eastern Army), designed the wall newspaper, made posters and billboards. In 1936, together with A.A. Deineka, G.G. Ryazhsky and F.S. Bogorodsky traveled to Sevastopol and Balaklava on studies, flew on airplanes, went on speedboats and a submarine.

Themes of the earliest known works of Georgy Nissky, painted in the early 1930s, were apparently inspired by his childhood memories of the past at the station, and railway: “Autumn. Semaphores” (1932), “On the Road” (1933), “October” (1933). But in the second half of the 1930s, the artist turns to the marine theme. He paints seascapes (marina), and in the 1940s – sea battle compositions (“Maneuvers of the Black Sea Fleet”, 1937; “The sinking of the Nazi transport”, 1942; “On the roads”, 1949). In addition to painting, he draws a lot of illustrations, and remains faithful to the marine theme (“Tsushima” by A.S. Novikov-Priboy, “Marine Soul” by L.S. Sobolev).

In the postwar years Georgy Nissky refers to the landscape scenery, he paints snowy forests, returning to the theme of the railways. In his landscapes are stations, trains (“Belarusian landscape”, 1947; “.. February Moscow”, 1957) Being an enthusiastic yachtsman (the artist owned a small trophy yacht), he still paints water spaces, but this time Moscow reservoirs replace sea.

Soviet artist Georgy Nissky has traveled extensively throughout the country; the impressions received by the artist on the road, clearly and vividly embodied in his paintings. For example, the picture he observed from the window of speeding train, was reflected in the composition of “The Far East” (1963), and a triptych “Port in the north”, (1956-1957).

In his last years, Georgy Nissky was seriously ill. He died June 18, 1987. Soviet artist George Nyssa was buried in Moscow at Kuntsevo Cemetery. He lived in the “City of Artists” on the Upper Maslovka Street in Moscow.

Awards and Prizes:
People’s Artist of the RSFSR (1965)
Stalin Prize of the second degree (1957) – for the painting “Along the shores of the Far,” “Landscape with a beacon”, “Port of Odessa”
Order of the Red Banner of Labor
medals
Silver Medal of the USSR Academy of Arts (1964) – for the picture “In the Far East” (1963)
Bronze Medal of the World Exhibition in Paris

Soviet artist Georgy Nissky

Source
Soviet art 1917-1945. Illustrated album. Moscow. 1977