Olya
Belashova, Ekaterina Fyodorovna
1906 - 1971
Olya
White Marble
29 (high) x 25 (wide) x 24 (deep)
1961
Signed
PROVENANCE:
Collection of the artist
And by descent
LITERATURE:
E. Belashova, An album of works, published Moscow 1972, produced with the artist's cooperation until her death in 1971, illustrated on 8 pages, included on final pages on list of works as No. 36.
Ekaterina Fyodorovna Belashova, Catalogue of works, 1966, introduction by Sergei Konenkov, No. 31, illustrated.
Certificate Luidmila Victorovna Martz, curator of sculpture, Tretyakov Gallery.
Ekaterina Fedorovna Belashova was one of the leading Soviet period sculptors.
Belashova c 1925
'Olya' of 1961 is carved out of one piece of white marble and depicts a distinct facial type which interested Belashova and to which she returned several times. The beautiful young girl with the narrow face, sensual mouth, sleepy eyes and classical aquiline nose fixes in the memory once it has been seen. The rough modelling of her curly hair contasts with the smoothness of her cheeks.
Olya frontal
This sculpture of an idealised young girl was a favorite of the artist and she never sold it. It stayed in her family after her death passing to her son and grandson.
Olya profile
This sculpture features in all the books on Belashova after 1961 including the two mentioned above.
Olya whilst still in the artist's old studio
Considered one of her most beautiful sculptures it was selected to represent her on the metal memorial that marks where she lived in Moscow.
Street in Moscow where Belashova lived
The Memorial with a metal reproduction of 'Olya.'
Belashova was born Nov. 19 (Dec. 2), 1906, in St. Petersburg. She became a Soviet sculptor, People’s Artist of the USSR (1963), corresponding member of the Academy of Arts of the USSR (1964) and a member of the CPSU from 1945.
Belashova in 1926 beside her student work
Belashova studied at the Leningrad State Higher Arts and Technical Institute (1926–32) under R. R. Bakh, V. V. Lishev, V. L. Simonov, and A. T. Matveev. From 1942 to 1952 she taught at the Moscow Institute of Applied and Decorative Art, and from 1952 to 1965 she was a professor at the Moscow College of Art and Industry. From 1957 to 1968, Belashova was the secretary, and from 1968, she was the chairwoman of the administrative board of the Artists’ Union of the USSR. She worked primarily in pedestal sculpture.
Belashova’s works include a portrait of S. A. Dobroliubov (plaster of paris, 1942; bronze, 1965; Directorate of Exhibitions of the Artists’ Union of the USSR),The Unvanquished Woman (plaster of paris, 1943; bronze, 1957; Tret’iakov Gallery), Portrait of An Old Man (plaster of paris, 1944; bronze, 1960; Tret’iakov Gallery), Reclining Little Girl (plaster of paris, 1947; bronze, 1958; Kiev Museum of Russian Art), The Dream (marble, 1957–58; Tret’iakov Gallery), a monument to A. S. Pushkin in the Pushkin Hills of Pskov Oblast (bronze; unveiled in 1959), a portrait of N. K. Krupskaia (bronze, 1959; Kuibyshev Art Museum), A. S. Pushkin in 1837 (1964, bronze; Ministry of Culture of the USSR), My Dear Girl (1964, bronze; Ministry of Culture of the USSR), The Awakening (marble, 1967; Perm Art Gallery), Chopin (bronze, 1968; Chopin Museum, Warsaw; marble, 1969), and a project for a monument to N. K. Krupskaia in Moscow (plaster of paris, 1970; Ministry of Culture of the USSR).
Belashova won the State Prize in 1967 and was also awarded the Order of Lenin, the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, and a variety of medals.
References.
Fedorov, B. E. F. Belashova. [Album.] Moscow, [1966].
