L. Zvonaryova, L. Kudryavtseva. Alexandre Alexeieff’s lost paradise

Abstract

The monograph co-authored by L. Zvonaryova, a Doctor of History, philologist and cultural historian, and L. Kudryavtseva, an art historian, is devoted to the life and work of the emigre artist and inventor Alexandre Alexeieff, who, having left Russia after the 1917 revolution, went on to become a landmark phenomenon on the European art scene without breaking spiritual ties with his native country. The book combines a thorough examination of his artistic legacy with a detailed account of Alexeieff’s life. Zvonaryova and Kudryavtseva collected numerous reminiscences, took a careful look at littleresearched biographical facts, and amassed an impressive corpus of documents, many of which are published for the first time. Having their book illustrated with the artist’s works, the scholars invited the reader to form their opinion of his versatile talent. Featured as the illustrator’s main invention is the pinscreen — a technology that foreshadowed digital animation. Having researched their book for seven years, the biographers succeeded in creating a profound study highly praised by experts.