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Igor Grabar

1871 – 1960

Russian post-impressionist painter, publisher, restorer and historian of art

Painter MuseologistArt historian
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About Igor Grabar

Lived 1871 – 1960 (aged 89). Igor Grabar was an Austrian and Russian painter, museologist, art historian and architect.

Igor Emmanuilovich Grabar (, 25 March 1871 – 16 May 1960) was a Russian Post-Impressionist painter, publisher, restorer and historian of art. Grabar, descendant of a wealthy Rusyn family, was trained as a painter by Ilya Repin in Saint Petersburg and by Anton Ažbe in Munich. He reached his peak in painting in 1903–1907 and was notable for a peculiar divisionist painting technique bordering on pointillism and his rendition of snow.

By the end of 1890s, Grabar had established himself as an art critic. In 1902, he joined Mir Iskusstva, although his relations with its leaders Sergei Diaghilev and Mstislav Dobuzhinsky were far from friendly. In 1910–1915, Grabar edited and published his opus magnum, the History of Russian Art.

Grabar consulted Joseph Stalin in preparation to Moscow's 800-years jubilee celebrated in 1947.

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Important facts

Birth century
Education
Saint Petersburg State University, Imperial Academy of Arts, Imperial St. Petersburg University
Employers
Lomonosov Moscow State University, Tretyakov Gallery, State Institute for Art Studies
Awards
Stalin Prize; Order of Lenin; People's Painter of the USSR; Order of the Red Banner of Labour; Medal "For Valiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"; Medal "In Commemoration of the 800th Anniversary of Moscow"; People's Painter of the RSFSR
Also known as
Igor Emmanuilovich Grabar, Igor' Ėmmanuilovič Grabar, Igor' Grabar', Igor' Emmanuilovich Grabar', Igorʹ Grabarʹ, Igorʹ Ėmmanuilovich Grabarʹ
moreJigor Emmanuilovitsch Grabar, Igor Emmanuelovich Grabar, Igor' Emmanoeilovitsj Grabar', Ygor Grabar, Ygor Emanuelovich Grabate, Khrabrov

People in Igor Grabar's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Igor Grabar's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Igor Grabar?

Russian post-impressionist painter, publisher, restorer and historian of art (1871-1960)

When was Igor Grabar born?

Igor Grabar was born on 13 March 1871 in Budapest, Buda.

When did Igor Grabar die?

Igor Grabar died on 16 May 1960 in Moscow.

What was Igor Grabar's occupation?

Igor Grabar was a painter, museologist, art historian and architect.

What nationality was Igor Grabar?

Igor Grabar was Austrian and Russian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Igor Grabar

· Wikidata: Q1030307

· DBpedia: Igor Grabar

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Igor Grabar. https://biography.guide/igor-grabar/

MLA: "Igor Grabar." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/igor-grabar/.

Chicago: "Igor Grabar." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/igor-grabar/.

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