Sculptor Konstantin Krakht was supposed to become a lawyer, like his father Fyodor Krakht. He graduated from the Faculty of Law of Moscow University, served for several years in law firms and was a lawyer, worked in the Moscow Judicial Chamber. But in 1901, Krakht was diagnosed with typhoid, left his career and went to Paris. There he studied under the mentorship of sculptors Naoum Aronson, Constantin Meunier, Auguste Rodin.

In 1907, Krakht returned to Russia. In 1907–1912, writers and artists of the ‘Musaget’ publishing house often gathered in his workshop in the Presnensky District. The members of the group gave lectures on rhythmics, the history of German Romanticism, and Russian poetry. They also studied the works of Goethe and Wagner, Baudelaire and French Symbolists, as well as early Greek Presocratic philosophy. These classes were led by Ellis (pseudonym of poet, translator, theorist of Symbolism Lev Kobylinsky) and Krakht himself.

Poet Andrei Bely wrote that ‘groups of about fifty people were raging’. Poets Marina Tsvetaeva and Boris Pasternak, artists Vladimir and Konstantin Makovsky, art collectors Alexey Sidorov and Sergei Durylin took part in them. Concerts and theatrical performances were held at Krakht’s workshop: Reinhold Glière played Wagner, Natalia Goncharova designed sets and costumes for performances, ballerina Ida Rubinstein danced.

In the last years of Krakht’s life, his studio was moved to Count Orlov’s dovecote house in the Moscow region. The sculptor’s son, poet and playwright Vladimir Krakht, wrote: “I don’t recall one time when my father rested for more than a week. He’d start missing his job.” Sculptures made by Krakht were displayed in the backyard of his studio; those included his granite statue of Leo Tolstoy and marble statues of Venus and Icarus, which were destroyed after the revolution.

Konstantin Krakht died of flu in 1919. He was buried in the Krakht family plot at the Vvedenskoye Cemetery in Moscow.

The Makovsky brothers, who were his family’s friends, had a great influence on Krakht’s decision to become an artist. His portrait, presented in the exhibition, was painted by Alexandr Makovsky, the son of Wanderer Vladimir Makovsky (the Wanderers were a group of Russian realist artists who formed an artists’ cooperative in protest of academic restrictions in the 1870s).

Krakht’s portrait is characteristic of the artist’s style. His paintings are distinguished by a neutral background, restrained color scheme, and attention to detail. Makovsky carefully painted the sculptor’s face: he emphasized his eyes, cheekbones and compressed lips with highlights and shadows. In addition, he accentuated Krakht’s strong build with his unusual posture and crisp countering.