Konstantin Somov | |
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Константин Сомов | |
 Self-portrait (1921) | |
| Born | Konstantin Andreyevich Somov November 30, 1869 |
| Died | May 6, 1939 (aged 69) |
| Education | Imperial Academy of Arts (elected Member, 1914[1]); Académie Colarossi |
| Known for | Painting, Porcelain, Erotic art |
| Notable work | Le Livre de la Marquise (1907-1919); The Rainbow (1927); The Boxer (1933) |
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Konstantin Andreyevich Somov (Russian: Константин Андреевич Сомов; November 30 [O.S. November 18] 1869 – May 6, 1939)[1] was a Russian artist associated with the Mir iskusstva ("World of Art") movement that began in the last decade of the 19th century. After the Russian Revolution, he eventually emigrated to Paris, along with other prominent figures in the Russian arts. In private life, he had a longtime, younger male companion, Methodiy Lukyanov, and an ambiguous artistic and personal relationship with a young boxer, Boris Snezhkovsky, whom he painted many times. In the 21st century, his paintings have sold in the millions of dollars. In 2007, Somov's The Rainbow sold at Christie's London for GBP 3,716,000 (USD 7.33 million), an auction record for a Russian work of art.