DOBUZHINSKY Mstislav Valerianovich DOBUZHINSKY

1875-1957

Mstislav Valerianovich Dobuzhinsky was born in 1875 in Novgorod. He attended the Drawing School of the Society for the Promotion of the Artists (1885-1887), Art School of M. Tenishevoy, and Art School of Anton Azbè in Munich (1899-1901), and the art studio of V. Mate. Visited Venice and Paris in 1901. Joined “Mir Iskusstva” (World of Art) group in 1902. From 1907 became theatre decorator for St. Petersburg and Moscow theatres. In the 1910s-1920s fulfilled a great amount of book illustrations. From 1910 he traveled annually abroad, visiting Britain, France, Italy, Germany, and Holland. Dobuzhinsky was a good teacher and taught in different schools and studios. In 1924 moved to Lithuania and in May of 1926 – to Paris. In Paris he worked at the theatre-cabaret of N. Balieva. Dobuzhinsky returned to Kaunas, Lithuania in September of 1926 where he became the artistic director of Lithuanian State Theatre. In 1938 by invitation of M. Chechov the artist moved to London and in 1939 – immigrated to USA. In the United States of America the artist worked as stage decorator for Metropolitan Opera. He participated in over 50 exhibitions in the United States of America and Europe. He died in the USA in 1957