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Alexandr Nikolaevich Benois was born May 4, 1870 in St. Petersburg, Russia into the family of Italian, Russian and French ancestry. His father, named Nikolai Leontievich Benois was the famous architect of the Imperial Mariinsky Opera House in St. Petersburg and also built many other historic landmarks. His two brothers were professional artists, and young Alexandr Benois was brought up in a highly cultural environment, conducive to the development of his own many talents. The family lived in their private 4-story mansion next to the Imperial Mariinsky Opera House in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Alexandr Benois studied art at the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts, then he studied law and graduated from the Law Department of the St. Petersburg University. There he developed a life-long friendship with his fellow law student Sergei Diaghilev. They formed a circle of artists and art connoisseurs known as 'Mir Iskusstva' (World of Art). Benois lived in Paris and Versailles for 3 years from 1896-99, where he made substantial research on Louis the XIV, the "Sun King", and his epoch. Benois made important contribution to the history of France by his discovery of the memoirs of the Count Louis de Saint-Simon, and carried unprecedented research of that period. Back in St. Petersburg he published his acclaimed illustrations to 'The Queen of Spades' and 'Bronze Horseman' by Aleksandr Pushkin. "No Versailles could compare with Peterhof and Pavlovsk" mentioned Benois after his return to St. Petersburg.
In 1899-1907 Benois collaborated with Sergei Diaghilev on a number of art shows. They produced the first international art show of artists from Scandinavian countries and Russia in St. Petersburg in 1900. The largest portrait show ever was organized in 1904 in Tavrichesky Palace in St. Petersburg. That show also included the research of over 7 thousand portraits in various traditional and contemporary styles and involved art historians, restorers, and artists from many Russian cities. Benois also collaborated with Diaghilev on publication of art catalogs, books and the 'Mir Iskusstva' art magazine, which promoted artistic innovations and challenged the existing order. Their book 'History of Russian Painting' (1904) became the first comprehensive work on the subject.
Benois was the scenic director of the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre from 1901-1905. He was also the co-founder of the "Seasons Russes" with Sergei Diaghilev in 1909. He made exquisite design for the ballets "Giselle" by Adolphe Adam, "Petruchka" by Igor Stravinsky and "Les Sylphides" on the music of Frédéric Chopin with choreography by Mikhail Fokin. Back in Russia Benois collaborated with Stanislavsky and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko on productions at the Moscow Art Theatre (MKhAT).
Benois witnessed degradation of the Russian society through the communist revolutions and the Civil War in the 1st quarter of the 20th century. He escaped from the brutal reality of the Russian Revolutions by devoting himself to the art of historic periods of Peter the Great, Elisabeth and Catherine the Great, of which he became the leading expert. In 1918-26 he was the Curator of Paintings at the Hermitage Museum, partly because the famous 'Madonna Benois' by Leonardo DaVinci, which used to be his family's property, was now at the Hermitage. But witnessing of the barbaric treatment of art and illegal sales of the famous masterpieces from Hermitage by secret orders from Moscow was unbearable for Benois. In 1926, he left Hermitage and Russia for good. His friendship and work with Sergei Diaghilev continued in Paris.
Benois was involved in publications of more than 100 art books and editions. He worked on productions of about 200 ballets and operas all over the world. His international background and inter-disciplinary education enabled him to create the unparalleled grand-scale cross-cultural and cross-genre project of the "Seasons Russes" together with Sergei Diaghilev. Benois' contribution as an artist, designer, director, producer, and an art historian made significant impact on theatre, opera, ballet, art, and art publishing of the 20th century. His comprehensive 'Memoirs' were published in 1955. He died on February 9, 1960 in Paris, and was laid to rest in Cimetiere des Batignolles, 8 Rue Saint-Just, Paris, France.
Alexandre Benois was a member of a remarkable family of talented men and women. His brother, Albert Benois, was a prominent Russian water-colorist, whose grandson was composer Alexander Tcherepnin. Alexandre Benois' son, Nicola Benois, was a painter and designer for the La Scala Opera in Milan, Italy. His niece Nadia Benois was a film and theatre artist in London. His other niece, Zinaida Serebryakova, and his nephew, Eugene Lanceray, were notable artists and designers in Paris. Benois's grand nephew Igor Ustinov was a sculptor, and Sir Peter Ustinov was an Academy Award-winning British actor.
