The famous sculptor of French origin gave Russia not only wonderful works, but also became the father of talented children. His daughter is the world-famous artist Zinaida Serebryakova, as well as two sons, Eugene Lanceray and Nikolai Lanceray, who also devoted their lives to art.
Evgeny Alexandrovich Lanceray was the grandson of Paul Lanceray, an officer in the Napoleonic army. From the biography of Paul it is known that during the battle near Smolensk the officer was captured. Since he had no desire to return to his homeland in France, his brother was executed during the reign of Napoleon, Paul received Russian citizenship.
The family of E. A. Lancer
After some time, the young man married Baroness Olga Karlovna Tauba. As a result of this union, their son Ludwig Alexander Lansere was born. While serving on the railway, Ludwig Alexander is sent to the city of Morshansk, where he marries a local girl, Eleonora Antonovna Yakhimovskaya. In the summer of August 24, 1848, a son, Evgeny Alexandrovich Lanceray, was born into the family. Ludwig Alexander Lansere remakes his name in the Russian manner, and now he is called Alexander Pavlovich.
The Lancere family moved to St. Petersburg from Morshansk in 1861. The works of the young sculptor were presented in the workshops of Pyotr Karlovich Claude and Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky, where they received high marks. Evgeny begins to regularly exhibit his sculptural groups at exhibitions at the Academy of Arts.
Evgeny Alexandrovich Lanceray met his future wife Ekaterina Nikolaevna Benois at an exhibition of his sculptures at the Academy of Arts. Eugene never studied to be a sculptor. He was a lawyer by education, but even while studying at St. Petersburg University he did not give up his hobby.
Ekaterina Nikolaevna Benois is fond of painting. She attends the Academy as a freelance student. Her wonderful watercolors adorned the dining room in the family home. Catherine and Eugene got married in 1876. A young wife strives to help her husband in everything, who turned out to be a very difficult character.
The character of the sculptor
In his memoirs, Alexander Benois writes that Eugene's character was extremely unbalanced. His attitude towards people wore an ironic and malicious tone, even his beloved wife got it. Despite his French blood and Catholic faith, Eugene fiercely defended Orthodoxy and often fought violent disputes on religious topics with a friend of the Benois house, old man Giovanni Bianchi, who was an outstanding landscape photographer.
Eugene, like his grandfather, was in love with Russia. Everything Russian and Slavic is reflected in his work. During a fascinating trip to the Caucasus, he liked to wear Circassian clothes. His favorite costume consisted of: Tatar boots, velvet trousers and a gray overcoat buttoned on the side, a Caucasian hat was worn on his head.
Evgeny transferred his love for everything Russian to his works, which can be viewed endlessly. Thanks to his natural talent, the sculptor perfectly saw the details and created realistic compositions with the participation of horses, camels, sheep and people. When looking at his sculptures, one gets the impression that horses and riders will come to life and continue on their way.
Death of the master
Perhaps his illness was to blame for Eugene's bad character. A terrible diagnosis of tuberculosis for that time was made to him back in 1870. Trying to solve the health problem, Evgeny buys an estate near Kharkov in the village "Neskuchnoye". He spends a lot of time outdoors, being an excellent rider, the master goes around his estate on his favorite horse. But the mild Ukrainian climate did not help him, and Evgeny Alexandrovich Lanceray died on March 23, 1886, he was 39 years old. The sculptor was buried near the church, which was located opposite his house in the village of Neskuchnoye. Ekaterina Nikolaevna Lansere remained a young widow with six children in her arms. She devoted her life to raising children and grandchildren.
