Yevgeny Lanceray

The sculptor, a representative of the Russian art school of the mid 19^th century, who was famous master of cabinet and animalistic machine sculpture.
He was born in Morshansk, Tambov province, in the family of Alexander Pavlovich, the son of French Army Major Paul Lanceray, who had taken Russian nationality immediately after the French Invasion of Russia in 1812. He studied at the Second Classical City Gymnasium, and then graduated from the Faculty of Law of Saint Petersburg University. Already in early childhood he was good in painting, but maybe, having succumbed to the semiserious recommendation of “heavyweights of art” Aivazovsky and Klodt, has never received systematic artistic education.
In parallel with his university studies, he began to attend the Academy, where he occasionally exhibited his works. After one such exhibition in 1872, having appreciated artist’s exceptional performing skills and unique perception of the form, the academicians awarded Yevgeny Alexandrovich the title of “class artist” of the 1st degree. The historical tradition has preserved the legend that he was so deeply infatuated with horses, their perfection and natural grace that became a sculptor only from the insatiable desire to preserve and reproduce their beauty.
Sculpture group “Horse Tamer” from the Museum of Russian Art is created at the junction of the favorite themes of the master, each of which he possesses in perfection. It is known that he was a skilful rider, had a great knowledge of the properties and features of any horse breed, and his favorite horse Kabarda felt and understood as no rider. When this knowledge was combined with observation, the innate ability to perceive properly and appreciate what you see, the talent, the natural gift of reproducing your impressions in the plastic masses and sizes, these amazing works were born. In this work the sculptor accurately and convincingly conveyed an ordinary scene representing the habitual occupation of the nomad, but recreated it with the help of those rare details - the back leg of the horse bended from the tension of the loop, the slight excitement of the catcher, almost extinguished by his confident, strong movements and the apparent calmness of position, the detached obedience of the horse under it - which reveals its true content, fills with deep drama, raising the ordinary situation to the level of tragedy.
Ye. A. Lanceray at the Museum of Russian Art (Prof. A. Abrahamyan’s Collection):
“Horse Tamer”