Bidspirit auction | Kalita Nikolai Ivanovich (1926, Pyatigorsk

Kalita Nikolai Ivanovich (1926, Pyatigorsk - 2016). ”Monument to Pushkin”. Paper, etching. 16x10 cm. - A small etching by Nikolai Kalita is dedicated to a recognizable urban motif, the monument to Alexander Pushkin, and is designed in the tradition of chamber architectural graphics. The artist builds the image on the clear silhouette of the monument and the finely calibrated perspective of the surrounding space, turning the real object into an integral graphic sign. The etching technique highlights the advantages of the drawing: a confident line, dense shading and nuanced tonal transitions create a sense of volume and light, while maintaining the ”restraint” and nobility of texture characteristic of the print. The miniature format enhances the intimacy of perception — it is not a panorama, but an accurate observation in which the urban landscape becomes part of cultural memory. The work is of interest as an example of a high-quality author's print of the second half of the 20th century and is well suited for both a collection of graphics and a thematic collection related to ”Pushkin” subjects. He was born on May 19, 1926 in Pyatigorsk. Since childhood, he was fond of drawing, attended classes from the circle in the House of Pioneers. As a schoolboy, in 1942, he began working as an artist, first at a cinema in Ordzhonikidze, then at the club of the military infantry college. In 1945, Nikolai Kalita entered the 4th year of the Moscow Art College in Memory of 1905, graduating in 1947. He became a student at the V.I. Surikov Art Institute. An important role in choosing the path for the young artist was played by his acquaintance with A.P.Ostroumova-Lebedeva, who, after seeing Kalita's drawings, advised him to take up engraving. After graduating from the Institute in 1953 (department of book graphics), he began to collaborate in publishing houses ”Children's Literature”, ”Fiction”, ”Soviet writer”, etc. 1959 - First Prize winner and gold medal winner for illustrations for Stendhal's novel ”Lucien Levey” at the VII World Festival of Youth and Students in Vienna. 1958 - the prize of the First All-Union competition of the best books for the design of D. Fonvizin's comedy ”Nedorosl”. Over the years of his professional work, the artist has designed and illustrated more than 150 books, including several miniature editions, creating cycles of illustrations in woodcuts. N.I.Kalita has created more than 2000 engravings, among which the portrait gallery of cultural figures - writers, poets, musicians, and artists - is a true masterpiece.