The Sensual Delirium of Russian Symbolist Nicholas Kalmakoff

Nicholas Kalmakoff (1873-1955) was a Russian modernist painter and designer whose visionary works gained popularity in the spicy atmosphere of Fin de Siecle's opium masquerade and just as quickly were forgotten after the fall of the Russian empire when the new epoch began. His art, which was discovered in the 1960s at a flea market, is a curious blend of Greek sensuality, Asian decorativeness, and modern symbolism of Gustave Moreau. Many well-known characters in Kalmakoff's paintings, such as Medusa or Narcissus, are stylized self-portraits of the painter.

Fig. 1. Nicholas Kalmakoff in his studio in Paris, 1928 (Wikipedia.org)

Fig. 2. Chinese Man with a phallic signature of Kalmakoff in the lower right (yandex.ru)

Fig. 4. Chinese scene (conchigliadivenere.wordpress.com)

Fig. 5. Girl and the Buddha (liveinternet.ru)

Fig. 6. Female and Buddha (liveinternet.ru)

Fig. 7. Les femmes de Nadjis, 1911 (liveinternet.ru)

Fig. 8. Satan, 1923 (liveinternet.ru)

Fig. 9. Satan’s Wife (arthive.net)

Fig. 10. The Coronation (over-blog.com)

An Awaited Guest

Nicholas Kalmakoff (or Nikolai Kalmakov transliterated) was born into a family of a Russian general and an Italian woman. Childhood years the artist spent on the Rivera. After relocating to Russia in 1890, he enrolled in the Imperial School of Jurisprudence in Saint Petersburg, which was considered quite prestigious. Graduated five years later, Kalmakoff returned to Italy, the artistic Mecca of all times. There, he studied anatomy and painting by himself, with Renaissance art as an inspiration. In 1900, Kalmakov resettled in Russia, dividing his time between two culture centers - Moscow and Petersburg - where various artistic groups emerged. He didn't join any particular group, remaining an independent loner, yet his exotic and esoteric eroticism well matched the decadent outlook of the modern intelligentsia; thus, he was an awaited guest at many exhibitions.

Fig. 11. Death (yandex.ru)

Fig. 12. Predictions. Lying nude with two monkeys (yandex.ru)

Bold Provocativeness

The first solo exhibition of Kalmakoff's paintings in Petersburg in 1913 caused agitation among journalists who praised or damned what they saw, as the works of this artist were always distinguished by their bold provocativeness. For instance, the artist depicted himself as Louis XIV and, what could raise more controversy, John the Baptist. 

Become a Premium member now and discover the extended version of the article with more on Kalmakoff's portrayal of John the Baptist, his fascination with Da Vinci, Oscar Wilde, and Aubrey Beardsley, his self-portrait as Louis XIV,  similarities to Salvador Dali, the 'influences' of shunga art, and many additional pics, 

Click HERE for the sensual references to Gustav Klimt by the Israeli artist Irina Karkabi

Sources: J. Balybina. The art of Nikolai Kalmakov in the context of symbolist movement of Petersburg. 2007; Wikipedia.org; maslovka.org; johncoulthart.com