Studio: international art (86.1923)

STUDIO TALK

PETROGRAD.—Mr. Vadim Chernoff
was born in the Ukraine district of
Southern Russia in 1887. Considering that
he is now but 35 years of age, he has seen
much of the world, and, indeed, it was
while on an early trip with his parents to
the Far East that he felt the first great
impulse to artistic expression. He began
his art studies at Petrograd, but before long
went to Paris, where he worked under
that fine painter and master of decoration,
Maurice Denis. At this period he learnt
a great deal that has since stood him in
good stead, and has in fact been the basis
of most of his subsequent work. From
Paris he went to Italy, and for two years
revelled in the countless opportunities
which there await the seeker after beauty.
Returning to Paris he found no shortage
of work upon which to measure his skill,
and several fine ecclesiastical decorations
came at this period from his hand. Mr.
Chernoff himself admits that to this work
was due his subsequent taste for archi-

WALL DECORATION OVER
CHAPEL DOOR AT THE TOMB
OF A. VIALZEFF, ARTIST
BY VADIM CHERNOFF

tectural subjects, as exemplified in his
charming water-colours. These drawings
are remarkable for their strength of
design, delicacy of colour and sureness
of touch. For the next eight years he
lived in Petrograd and there carried
out designs on a large scale, both in
churches of the city and in the palaces
of the aristocracy, numbering among his
patrons the Grand Dukes Dmitri and
John. These good times, however, came
to a sad and sudden end when the
Bolshevists took control. Mr. Chernoff
had to fly for his life and much of his
best work was destroyed. Finally he
found refuge in the beautiful old-world
town of Reval, and it was while living
there in 1920 that he executed a number
of designs for stage settings. Simple and
unaffected, they combine excellence of
design with richness of colour, whether
the setting be in the low key of the scenes
from Faust or in the brilliant and luminous
designs for ballet. A year ago Mr. Chernoff
set out for New York, where he is now
engaged on large scale work in both
theatrical and mural decoration. 0 0

CEILING DECORATION
BY VADIM CHERNOFF