At the beginning of the 20th century. many postcards with New Year and winter scenes were published based on the originals of the famous artist Elizaveta Merkuryevna Bem (1843 - 1914).
Elisabeth Boehm in 1857 - 1864 studied in St. Petersburg at the Drawing School of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, from which she graduated with a silver medal. In 1870, the Academy of Arts awarded Bem a large medal of encouragement for her drawings of animals. The artist was a recognized master of silhouette technique: from 1875 to 1889. she has released 14 silhouette albums. Her works were reprinted not only by domestic but also foreign publications; At an international competition in Brussels, Boehm received a silver medal for her silhouettes. The artist also successfully worked in watercolor; she illustrated magazines and books, and developed designs for crystal products.
Special chapter in artistic heritage Bem - open letters. There are more than 300 postcards based on her drawings, published in various publishing houses. For the largest of them, the Community of St. Eugenie, she worked for many years.
The publishers warmly remembered their “closest collaborator” Elizaveta Bem, giving an accurate and expressive description of her work: “Through intense and continuous work, the artist managed to develop her own style in conveying various episodes from her childhood life, thanks to which she occupies a completely separate place in Russian art Elizaveta Merkuryevna was one of the founders and constant collaborators of the now enormous business of artistic publications of the Community. Her two watercolors served as a happy beginning for the publishing house and, having found a warm welcome among the public, several editions of the artist’s other pictures, published in open letters, enjoyed the same success. Community of St. Eugenia."
Elizaveta Merkuryevna wrote: “Tatar blood partially flows in me, because my ancestors were Tatars, with the surname Indo-gur, which means “Indian chicken” - rooster. And with a charter granted by John III, the surname was renamed Endaurov... I loved " Endaurovskaya "village. And I feel sorry for the city children, deprived of rural joys... And I don’t remember myself otherwise than in the village and always surrounded by children and drawing their faces or animals on any piece of paper..." "At the age of 14, my parents appreciated my abilities and, having been transported to St. Petersburg, they sent it to the school of the “Society for the Encouragement of Artists”. It was then located in the Exchange building on Vasilievsky... Happiest years were the ones I studied at school! And what brilliant masters taught! Chistyakov, Primazzi, Kramskoy!.. With each new job, especially brought after summer holidays, I ran to Nevsky to Kramskoy’s workshop.”
The artist was a recognized master of silhouette technique: from 1875 to 1889. she has released 14 silhouette albums. Her works were reprinted not only by domestic but also foreign publications; At an international competition in Brussels, Boehm received a silver medal for her silhouettes. The artist also successfully worked in watercolor; she illustrated magazines and books, and developed designs for crystal products.
A special chapter in Boehm’s artistic heritage is open letters. There are more than 300 postcards based on her drawings, published in various publishing houses. For the largest of them, the Community of St. Eugenie, she worked for many years. In the preface to the Community catalog of 1915, the publishers warmly remembered their “closest collaborator” Elisabeth Bem, giving a precise and expressive description of her work: “Through intense and continuous work, the artist managed to develop her own style in conveying various episodes from children’s life, thanks to which she occupies a completely separate place in Russian art. Elizaveta Merkuryevna was one of the founders and constant collaborators of the now enormous business of artistic publications of the Community. Her two watercolors served as a happy start for the publishing house and, having found a warm welcome among the public, several publications enjoyed the same success. other pictures by the artist published in open letters from the Community of St. Eugenia."
Elizaveta Boehm... Nowadays, not everyone knows this name, but at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries she enjoyed incredible popularity and truly popular love. Her works were in the collections of the imperial family, and such an art connoisseur as the creator of the famous art gallery Pavel Tretyakov, but in workers’ houses and peasants’ huts there was a place for Elizaveta Boehm’s postcards, which were distributed throughout Russian Empire…
In Russia, the first postcards (open letters) were put into circulation on January 1, 1872, but then they did not have drawings. But in 1894, it was allowed to produce “privately made open letter forms,” and private manufacturers, competing with each other, began to attract buyers.
Already in 1895, whole series of richly illustrated postcards began to be published. Soon the palm in this matter passed to the famous charitable organization— Committee for the Care of the Sisters of Mercy Russian-Turkish War, better known as the Community of St. Eugenia.
The Women's Charity Committee decided that the production and sale of illustrated postcards would provide the necessary funds to help former nurses and orderlies who helped our troops in the Balkans (there women left both health and strength, and some, after being wounded, became disabled and needed serious support).
In 1898, the Community of St. Eugenie produced the first illustrated postcards and became a leader in the business in the 20th century. In addition, the Community was the first to decide to set up specialized kiosks selling postcards, which also played a significant role in the distribution of these products.
While the production of illustrated postcards was developing in Russia, Elizaveta Boehm was mastering the skill. She was born in 1843 into a noble family with ancient Tatar roots and in her maiden name she bore the surname Endaurov.
“I had a love for drawing from a very young age,” recalled Elizaveta Boehm, “I don’t remember myself otherwise than drawing on all the pieces of paper that came into my hands.
In letters to my friends in St. Petersburg, I constantly included my drawings of dolls and animals; and this is what drew the attention of people who somewhat understood that I should take up drawing seriously.”
The family decided to develop the girl’s abilities. At the age of 14, Lisa was sent to the Drawing School of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists in St. Petersburg. Elizabeth was one of the best students and graduated from school with a silver medal.
In 1867, Lisa married the violinist, teacher at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, Ludwig Böhm. Despite the large age difference between the spouses, the marriage was very happy. And the husband did not interfere with his wife’s desire to engage in creativity.
At first, Elizabeth decided to compile an album of silhouettes that she prepared for herself and her loved ones. And then she took them to her uncle, who had his own cartographic establishment, where maps and atlases were printed.
The album, published in 1875, created a sensation. Inspired by the success, the artist prepared another album, “Silhouettes from the lives of children,” and released it two years later. Then her albums began to come out one after another.
Elizaveta Boehm. Boy with goats
Elizaveta Boehm began illustrating books, magazines, and creating sketches for production glassware. But real fame - both in Russia and abroad - was brought to the artist by postcards made in the Russian style.
Her creativity reached its true flowering at the beginning of the twentieth century, when the children had already grown up and Elizabeth was able to devote more time to drawing and painting. That's when she started creating original postcards in the Russian style, which brought her real fame both in Russia and abroad.
With your postcards - with the Russians folk proverbs and sayings, with characters in Russian folk clothes— Böhm took part in the international exhibitions- in Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Munich, Milan, Chicago - and everywhere there was a great excitement, incentive prizes, medals.
Elizaveta Merkuryevna died in 1914, a week before the start of the First World War. And her postcards, which were published and reprinted in thousands of copies, are popular to this day.
Easter card created by artist Elisabeth Böhm
Elizaveta Boehm... Nowadays, not everyone knows this name, but at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, Elizaveta Boehm enjoyed incredible popularity and truly popular love. Her works were in the collections of the imperial family and other members of the House of Romanov, they were also acquired by such an art connoisseur as the creator of the famous art gallery Pavel Tretyakov, but in the houses of workers and in peasant huts there was a place for Elizaveta Boehm’s postcards, which were distributed throughout the Russian Empire.
Here it is worth recalling the great importance postcards had at that time. Telephones were rare and were installed mainly in large cities, mobile communications were unimaginable even in the most fantastic dreams, and people had to write letters to maintain relationships with each other. Of course, the epistolary genre was popular, especially since the post office worked decently (unlike the current one). However, for a detailed letter, time, energy, and spiritual mood were needed... How many friendly and love affairs was cut short due to the fact that there was no time to write the whole letter, no time... And then there was no need. Postcards have made a real revolution in interpersonal communication - two or three phrases, a sort of SMS from a hundred years ago. And if the card has a cute design, then an SMS with a smiley face. And the recipient already knows that somewhere far away he is remembered and loved. 
Naturally, with their popularity, postcards took on many additional functions - advertising, political propaganda, virtual travel around the world, distribution of various useful knowledge and presentations of artistic works.
In Russia, the first postcards (open letters) were put into circulation on January 1, 1872, but then they did not have drawings. It wasn’t long before it was decided to somehow decorate the postcards. In 1894, it was allowed to issue “privately made open letter forms”, and private initiative was in full swing. Already in 1895, whole series of richly illustrated postcards began to be published. Soon the palm in this matter passed to a well-known charitable organization - the Committee for the Care of the Sisters of Charity of the Russian-Turkish War, better known as the Community of St. Eugenia. The Women's Charity Committee decided that the production and sale of illustrated postcards would provide the necessary funds to help former nurses and orderlies who helped our troops in the Balkans (there women left both health and strength, and some, after being wounded, became disabled and needed serious support). In 1898, the Community of St. Eugenie produced the first illustrated postcards and became a leader in the business in the 20th century. In addition, the Community was the first to decide to set up specialized kiosks selling postcards, which also played a significant role in the distribution of these products.
Kiosk selling postcards from the St. Eugenia Society, 1913
While the production of postcards was developing in Russia, Elizaveta Boehm, the most popular “postcard” artist, was mastering the skill. As a girl, she bore the last name Endaurov. The artist came from a noble family with distant Tatar roots. Her ancestor named Indigir once went into the service of the Moscow princes, and at the behest of Grand Duke Ivan III, the grandfather of Ivan the Terrible, this Tatar family received the surname Endaurov. By the mid-19th century, the Endaurovs were already a completely Russified landowner family. Elizaveta Merkuryevna Endaurova was born in 1843. Her childhood was connected with the Russian village - her parents had estates near Yaroslavl in Poshekhonye and in the Vologda region. Lisa always loved the village, knew the village people well, their morals and customs. “My best memories are connected with the village and I feel sorry for those children who are deprived of these joys,” she said. The Russian village is reflected in her best works.
“I had a love for drawing from a very young age,” recalled Elizaveta Boehm, “I don’t remember myself otherwise than drawing on all the pieces of paper that came into my hands. In letters to my friends in St. Petersburg, I constantly included my drawings of dolls and animals ; and this is what attracted the attention of people who understood that I should take up drawing seriously.”
The family decided to develop the girl’s abilities. At the age of 14, Lisa was sent to the Drawing School of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists in St. Petersburg. Elizabeth was one of the best students and graduated from school with a silver medal.
But drawing for a young lady from a respectable family should have become just a hobby - the main thing was marriage and motherhood. In 1867, Lisa got married. Her chosen one was a professional musician, violinist, teacher at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, Ludwig Böhm. The marriage was happy, the couple had several children. But Elizabeth still wanted to be creative.
The first thing that came to the mind of the young artist was to make an album of silhouettes that she prepared for herself and her loved ones. They were good for something more than being framed on the walls of rooms in her relatives' houses. Work on the album went on for several years. Elizabeth's uncle had his own cartographic establishment, where maps and atlases were printed. The artist took her first album, simply titled “Silhouettes,” to her uncle and asked him to print it. The album, published in 1875, created a sensation. The inspired artist prepared another album, “Silhouettes from the Lives of Children,” and released it two years later.
Silhouettes like a view artistic creativity, became popular in Russia back in the 18th century, during the reign of Catherine II, when several French artists who worked in this manner. But then the silhouettes were cut out of black paper and placed on a light background. Boehm developed a completely different technique - she made silhouettes on stone and made their imprint (lithography). This made it possible to pay attention to the smallest details - blades of grass, animal antennae, curls of hair...
Self-portrait of the artist surrounded by children, album "From Village Memories"
The artist's albums were released one after another. She began illustrating children's magazines, books of fairy tales, primers and other publications for children, making postcards (they were especially popular), advertising, and bookplates. In addition to silhouettes, her watercolor and graphic works. The artistic community, which usually strictly assessed pictures with children and cats, greeted Boehm’s creations with enthusiasm.
Kramskoy, her teacher at the Drawing School, wrote: “And what perfection these silhouettes were! Even the expression on the faces of the little black ones could be seen in them.”
Ilya Repin was friends with Boehm. He once gave his painting to the artist, writing on the back: “To Elizaveta Merkuryevna Boehm as a sign of my deepest respect for her talent. I love her “dark ones” more than many, many white ones.”
Silhouette from the book "Pie"
The art critic Stasov, a rather stern man, from whom all the venerable painters got the nuts, called Boehm “the most gifted of artists” and argued that in her silhouettes one can see “soul, feeling, thoughts, characters, whims, quirks, grace, pranks, nice ideas."
Boehm’s illustrations for Turgenev’s works and Krylov’s fables also turned out to be successful.
Gerasim and Mumu
But still, it was postcards in the Russian style that brought Elizaveta Boehm real fame, both in Russia and abroad.
To be continued.
Her greatest fame in Russia came from her postcards, of which she created more than three hundred. Among them were greeting cards for the holidays, and with images national costumes of the peoples of Russia, and on the themes of Russian proverbs, and with the heroes of the works of L. Tolstoy, and with riddles about the seasons, and simply with touching scenes from the lives of children. Published in thousands of copies, they were distributed throughout Russia. They could also be seen on the smoke-stained wall in peasant hut, and in a volume of poems under a student’s pillow, and in an elegant album of a socialite
Elizabeth was born in St. Petersburg on February 24, 1843, into an old noble family. Her ancestors came from the Golden Horde, whose surname Indigir (which means “Indian rooster”) was renamed Endaurov by a charter granted by John III. 
In the summer, the family usually went to the family estate in the village of Shchiptsy, Yaroslavl province. “I had a love for drawing from a very young age,” Elizaveta later recalled, “I don’t remember myself otherwise than drawing on all the pieces of paper that came into my hands. In letters to my friends in St. Petersburg, I constantly included my drawings of dolls and animals; and this is what drew the attention of people who somewhat understood that I should take up drawing seriously.” 
It is worth noting that in the second half of the 19th century, the attitude towards girls in leading noble families changed, and their desire to professionally engage in music or art even began to be encouraged. Lisa’s parents did not interfere with her desire to study at the Drawing School of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists, which the girl entered when she was 14 years old. In 1864, she graduated from school with a medal and literally plunged into creativity; fortunately, the family’s financial situation allowed her to do this without regard to earnings. 
Her personal life soon developed; in 1867, Elizaveta married a talented violinist and teacher at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, Ludwig Böhm, with whom she was to live happily throughout her life and have several children.
Ludwig Böhm
“You know,” said Ludwig Frantsevitz, “looking at those lovely works by Elizaveta Merkurievna, which she used to show me during my visits to her, I thought more than once that I would not have been so satisfied if my wife mine was, for example, a musician, and I, returning from the conservatory, still full of the often false sounds of my students, would meet houses again, even if they were good, but still musical sounds; and here I am just relaxing on her drawings...”
An interesting fact is that Ludwig Frantsevich owned a Stradivarius violin, which he inherited from his uncle along with a letter from Beethoven. 
And Elizaveta Merkuryevna reasoned: “The opinion has become established that with marriage a woman always or mostly ends her studies in art, no matter whether it is music or painting or anything else, without finding enough time for it. At the same time, I recall the words of our great writer L.N. Tolstoy, who said that whoever has a real calling will find time for this, just as you find it to drink and eat. And this is absolutely true; I feel this from experience. Loving what I do with all my heart, even after I got married and after I gave birth to a child, I still do what I love, if not more.”
The entire creative heritage of Elizaveta Merkuryevna can be divided into two stages: silhouette and watercolor. 
Elizaveta Merkuryevna did not write large paintings, but her drawings enjoyed continued popularity. Most often she painted scenes with children. Since the mid-seventies, she began to work in the technique of lithographed silhouette, which she actually created and thus revived the art of the silhouette in Russia. 
It would seem that the lady would rather make silhouettes in an easy and familiar way - by cutting out black or tinted paper. But the artist chose her own path, since only the possibilities of lithography, drawing on stone, allowed her not only to immediately publish her books in small editions, but to do the finest elaboration of all the details, which would have been impossible when cutting with scissors. She carefully drew the feathers of birds and curls on the head of a village girl, the fur of a dog and lace on the dresses of dolls - the smallest details made Elizaveta Boehm’s graphics unusually subtle, sincere, lively, from them one could understand the unspoken things that remained hidden from the viewer inside her silhouettes. 
It is interesting that venerable artists perceived her work with undisguised delight. Her teacher Kramskoy wrote: “And what perfection these silhouettes were! Even the expression on the faces of the little black ones could be seen in them.” Ilya Repin, having given his painting to the artist, wrote on the back of the canvas: “To Elizaveta Merkuryevna Boehm as a sign of my deepest respect for her talent. I love her “dark ones” more than many, many white ones.”
By the way, she is the author of one of the first Russian comics. In 1880, her book “Pie” was published, with successive scenes depicting children making a pie and, to the delight of a dog, dropping it. The book was very popular; not only children looked at it with pleasure.
Every summer she came to her family estate and every time, before going there, Elizaveta Merkuryevna bought armfuls of village scarves, toys and ribbons for peasant women and their children. The children loved her and called their lady “Bömikha”. 
Elizaveta Merkuryevna draws peasant children
In the 80s, Elizaveta Merkuryevna began to collaborate with publishing houses as an illustrator. Her drawings were published for many years in children's magazines “Igrushechka” and “Malyutka”. Her range of interests was wide, she illustrated one and a half dozen books, including works by I. Turgenev, L. Tolstoy, A. Krylov, V. Garshin, N. Leskov, Russians folk tales, Proverbs and sayings. 
Cover of “Types from Notes of a Hunter” by I.S. Turgenev
Illustration for the fairy tale “Turnip”
It would seem like some kind of not serious art - silhouettes, illustrations, postcards. But Elizaveta Merkurievna repeatedly participated in prestigious Russian and international exhibitions (in Paris, Berlin, Munich, Milan, Chicago) and was not left without prizes, including gold medals. She brought her first international “gold” from Paris back in 1870 from an exhibition of watercolor drawings and miniatures. And before that there was “silver” from Brussels from an international competition in watercolor and silhouette techniques. It is curious that she won prizes not only at art, but also at industrial exhibitions, because she made drawings for crystal and glass products, and painted porcelain.
Since 1893, Boehm became interested in making glassware. This happened after a trip to the Oryol province to the Maltsov factories, where her brother Alexander was the director of the crystal factory. She made molds for dishes, focusing on ancient objects: brothers, feet, glasses, ladles. I came up with designs for enamels.
Bratina with an ornament in the Russian style. Colorless glass with enamel painting. Late XIX century. Maltsevsky factories.
In total, Boehm published 14 albums, which were reissued several times, including abroad. Even in America, her books of silhouettes went through several editions.
Already at the beginning of the 20th century, imitators of her style appeared; many of her compositions began to be transferred to porcelain dishes, used in handicrafts, on wooden plates, boxes, easter eggs. The “Böhm style” spread everywhere.
Tretyakov’s acquisition of his works also served as an indicator of the artist’s recognition. Watercolors by Elizaveta Boehm were repeatedly bought by Pavel Mikhailovich, as well as other Russian art collectors. Members of the royal family also purchased them for their collections.
With the outbreak of the First World War, in the 71st year of her life, already widowed and lonely, having long ago sold both Stradivarius and many paintings, irrevocably accompanying her grandchildren to the front, Elizaveta Merkurievna wrote: “...I still do not give up my studies, despite the weakness of my eyesight and the pain in my worn-out hands... I work not out of necessity, but very much in love with my work... I thank God for the pleasure given to me through my vocation. And how much. wonderful people It brought me so many dear, friendly relationships..." 
However, then we only saw her works that were dedicated to the ABC. Undoubtedly, those works were simply amazing and beautiful. It is not for nothing that this artist is considered one of the best representatives of the art of illustration in our country. However, this was only part of her work. In addition to the fact that Elizaveta Boehm created the most beautiful alphabet, she also drew illustrations for other books, for example: fables by A. I. Krylov, “Notes of a Hunter” by I. S. Turgenev, etc. The importance of silhouettes is especially noticeable in her work. It seems quite difficult to do anything really worthwhile here. And yet Elisabeth Böhm succeeded perfectly. Her silhouettes- these are carefully drawn plots and characters. They look like shadows or stencils, but the quality and skill with which they are drawn is simply amazing. These silhouettes, being completely black and recognizable only by their contours, have a certain amazing effect. It is not clear how and why this happens, but they really appear to be three-dimensional, with all the necessary shapes. Only a true professional can do this.
When you look at these silhouettes, you completely forget that they are black as night and you can easily see the smallest outlines inside the figures. Of course, this is the same optical illusion that often lets its owner down. The fact is that human brain often supplements reality with things that can help him determine the world around him, so we can see someone’s face in the outlines of the mountains, in a completely black silhouette of shape and even color. Artists take advantage of this optical illusion, but Elisabeth Böhm did it best.
Elizaveta Merkuryevna Boehm is a famous Russian artist. (1843-1914)
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