Attribution problems of B.V. Smirnov's graphics from the Novosibirsk State Museum of Local History collection

Abstract

The paper is devoted to the attribution of the Russian-Ukrainian artist Boris Vasilyevich Smirnov’s graphics, kept in the Novosibirsk Museum of Local History. At the beginning of the 20th century, B.V. Smirnov traveled to Siberia, as a result, many drawings were made in Omsk, the Barabinsk steppe, Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk. The master's graphics, represented by portraits, landscapes and genre scenes, are important not only as an aesthetic, but also as a historical heritage, being a source of information about the population of Siberian cities lifestyles. The need for attribution was caused by the factor of corrected dating and sketches on the back of the artworks. Consequently, the question was raised about the correct chronological and geographical framework of drawings creating. The research involved archival materials of B.V. Smirnov's personal file, literary works of the artist and memoirs of his family members. As a result of attribution, based on an integrated approach to the study of fine works, using comparative and biographical methods, it was found that some of the works do not belong to the Siberian period and were created by the master after returning from Siberia. Attribution of the B.V. Smirnov graphics made it possible to specify the time and place of creation of certain works and to completely reveal their content. The attribution of the graphics by B.V. Smirnov managed to clarify the time, place of certain works creation, and fully disclose their content.