1887, Moscow — 1952, Moscow

Painter, graphic artist, monumentalist, applied artist, author of abstract compositions, portraits and genre scenes, Vera Pestel studied at a number of different schools from 1902 through to 1911: Alexis Falize’s private studio in Moscow, Stroganov Central School of Technical Drawing, Konstantin Juon and Ivan Dudin School of Drawing and Painting, and with the Hungarian artist K. Kis, a student of Simon Hollósy. Pastel travelled across Italy in 1907, and went on towork with Vladimir Tatlin, Pavel Miturich and Konstantin Zefirov in the Tower Studio, Moscow in 1912. She then moved to Paris, where she lived for two years, working in free art studios. From 1915, Pestel participated in various exhibitions, including: Supremus (1916–1917), World of Art (1917, 1921), First Exhibition of Russian Art (Berlin, 1922), Makovets (1922–1926), L`Araignèe (Paris, 1925), Path of Painting (1926–1930). Shetaught at art schools in Moscow from 1918 to 1930 and art for children at IZO Narkompros until the end of her life.