Tchelitchew, Pavel

Tchelitchew, Pavel (pä`vĕl chālē`chĕf), 1898–1957, Russian-American painter. His first commissions, ballet designs, were given him while he was living in Berlin (1921–23), whence he had fled from the Russian Revolution. Moving to Paris (1923), he became associated with Diaghilev. In 1926 he developed his technique of multiple images on a single canvas, which he later combined with triple perspective. Experimenting thus with juxtaposed objects, he sought to recreate the motion of the body. These interior landscapes resulted in complex and fantastic compositions. The best-known work in this manner is Hide and Seek (Mus. of Modern Art, New York City). He was also a portraitist, Edith Sitwell being among his subjects.

Bibliography

See biography by P. Tyler (1967); study by J. T. Soby (1942, repr. 1972).

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Tchelitchew, Pavel (1898–1957) painter; born in District of Kaluga, Russia. After study in Russia, he worked in Berlin (1921–23), moved to Paris (1923–c. 1934), where he was a scenic designer for ballets, and moved to New York City (1934). Known for his intricate surrealistic work, as in Hide and Seek (1940–42), he settled in Italy in 1950.