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PH1734
Photographs: PH1734
Title
Vasily Ivanovich Kachalov as Glumov
Subject
Date
1910
Dimensions
height: 14cm
width: 8.5cm
width: 8.5cm
Provenance
Presented by Michael Gaunt, September 2023.
Other number
E0146
This postcard depicts Vasily Ivanovich Kachalov as Egor Dmitrievich Glumov in Alexander Ostrovsky's play 'Enough Stupidity in Every Wise Man'.
Kachalov was an early member of the Moscow Art Theatre (MAT), which was formed in 1898. The actor Konstantin Stanislavski and his co-founder, the writer and drama teacher, Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko, wanted to break away from the state-run theatres, bring back high standards and professionalism in acting, and strive towards emotional truth and realism in their performances. The play premiered at the Alexandrinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg on 13 November 1868 and was produced by MAT on 23 March 1910. It was the second of two plays by Ostrovsky that the company staged.
'Enough Stupidity in Every Wise Man', which is sometimes translated in English to ‘Too Clever by Half’, follows the story of Glumov, a young poor bachelor who wishes to climb his way up to the upper echelons of society and secure himself a wealthy wife and comfortable life. He resorts to double-dealing and manipulation of his relatives and friends to reach his goal, all the while exposing their vanities and hypocrisies in a diary, which when discovered leads to his downfall.
Kachalov is depicted in three-quarter length with his hands behind his back, he wears a buttoned up dark velvet jacket, shirt and tie and light trousers with a black stripe down the side, and he looks towards the viewer.
Kachalov was an early member of the Moscow Art Theatre (MAT), which was formed in 1898. The actor Konstantin Stanislavski and his co-founder, the writer and drama teacher, Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko, wanted to break away from the state-run theatres, bring back high standards and professionalism in acting, and strive towards emotional truth and realism in their performances. The play premiered at the Alexandrinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg on 13 November 1868 and was produced by MAT on 23 March 1910. It was the second of two plays by Ostrovsky that the company staged.
'Enough Stupidity in Every Wise Man', which is sometimes translated in English to ‘Too Clever by Half’, follows the story of Glumov, a young poor bachelor who wishes to climb his way up to the upper echelons of society and secure himself a wealthy wife and comfortable life. He resorts to double-dealing and manipulation of his relatives and friends to reach his goal, all the while exposing their vanities and hypocrisies in a diary, which when discovered leads to his downfall.
Kachalov is depicted in three-quarter length with his hands behind his back, he wears a buttoned up dark velvet jacket, shirt and tie and light trousers with a black stripe down the side, and he looks towards the viewer.
