Biography

Boris Vasilevich Eduards — Russian painter, graphic artist, sculptor. Born on May 27, 1860 in Odessa. A descendant of English merchants, who settled in Russia in the beginning of the XIXth century. His Father William Osipovich Edwards owned ships and skinner in Odessa, sold English goods. His business was ruined in the late 1860s and the family lived in poverty.

Boris Eduards studied at the Odessa drawing school under the sculptor L. D. Iorini in 1876-1881. He was awarded with four promotional medals during the period of learning. Entered the sculpture Department of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts in 1881, but soon left it due to poor health. Returned to Odessa by the end of 1882 and continued self-studying sculpture. Received the title of class artist of the 3rd degree for the works presented at the annual exhibition at St. Petersburg Academy of Arts in 1888. Later he taught drawing in Odessa public schools.

Edwards executed his early sculptures in plaster and clay. Later he carved them in marble. Interested in bronze casting, the sculptor worked at casting factories in France and Italy preserving incognito in 1889-1890. Upon returning to Odessa, he organized his own workshop (factory) of art casting in Sophievskiy lane.

Performed genre sculptures: "Katerina" (based on the poem of T. G. Shevchenko, 1885), "Unexpected News" (1887), "Life is Sad" (based on the poem of I. S. Nikitin, 1887), portrait bust of a boy in a cocked hat "Shurka", (1890); portraits of the art historian N. P. Kondakov, the pianist A. N. Esipova, painter R. G. Sudkovsky, sculptor L. D. Iorini (1898), writers V. M. Doroshevich and I. A. Bunin, biologist Louis Pasteur, etc. the Sculpture "Glory to God in the Highest" (1895, was acquired by the Emperor for the Russian Museum). Many of his early sculptures were created in plaster, and later he carved then in marble.

The first personal exhibition was organized in Odessa in 1885, private exhibition in London in 1887. Participated in academic exhibitions in St. Petersburg (beginning from 1888) and ASRA shows (Association of South Russian Artists) in Odessa. A retrospective exhibition, dedicated to the 15th anniversary of his creative activity, was held in the garden on the Primorsky Boulevard in Odessa in 1899.

Was mainly occupied in monumental sculpture in 1900-1910s. Performed bronze ornaments (trophies and banners) for the Navy Museum and the tombs of Admirals in the St Vladimir Cathedral in Sevastopol (1893-1905). He created monuments for: engineer Alexander Pol in Krivoy Rog, the slavist V. G. Grigorovich in Elizavetgrad (now Kirovograd), doctor E. S. Andreevskiy near Odessa, Ekaterina II in Ekaterinodar (now Krasnodar) and Odessa ( the casting was kept in the yard of the Odessa Museum of Local Lore, History and Economy, was restored in 2007), to Peter I in Taganrog, busts of N. V. Gogol and A. S. Pushkin in Kharkov, to architect Aleksander Bernardazzi near the Grand staircase of the Broker’s Board building, the obelisk to Bogdan Khmelnitsky in the fortress Kodak. After the Great October revolution in 1919, he immigrated to Malta, a colony of Great Britain. Executed private orders, performing all nasty job himself. Created marble medallions ( portrait of lawyer Nevard, Princess O. Vyazemskaya, Princess, Dadeshkeliani, Princess D. Chudnaya, etc.), busts (of Princess O, Vyazemskaya, Madame Biada, Malta Governor-General Field-Marshal Herbert Plümer), tombstones, sculptural groups, sculptures for churches. Created a very successful sculpture "Girl in an Arm-Chair" (Museum of fine arts in La Valletta), which was repeatedly replicated. The author of the monument in honor of the Maltese revolt heroes against the British troops in 1919 (Sette Giugno). Participated in the annual exhibitions of Maltese artists (1921-1923), sent some works for the Colonial exhibition (1923) in London with the assistance of the collector and patron M. V. Brajkevich.

Died on February 12, 1924, buried in Malta.