Boris Israelevich Anisfeld

Russian, 1878-1973

Boris Izrailevich Anisfeld was a Russian‑American painter, stage designer, and teacher whose career bridged Russian Symbolism and modern Western art.  Born in Bieltsy into a Jewish family, he grew up surrounded by music, folklore, and storytelling, early influences that shaped the qualities of his work. He trained at the Odessa Drawing School and the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, studying under masters such as Ilia Repin and Dmitry Kardovsky. 

After establishing a career in Russia, Anisfeld emigrated to the United States in 1917 and settled in New York. He would later move to Chicago, teaching at the Art Institute of Chicago from 1929 through the 1950s. His style evolved over time to absorb diverse influences from Cubism, Fauvism, and Italian fresco, while retaining a strong sense of theatrical drama. His stage and costume designs, often in collaboration with ballet and opera, illustrate his ability to transform stories into visual spectacles. Throughout his life he painted landscapes, portraits, and literary themes, exploiting color and composition to evoke mood as much as subject.

Anisfeld’s legacy is marked by his vivid use of color and theatrical imagination. His work continues to be re‑evaluated around the world for its combination of academic discipline with fantasy and for reminding viewers that art can testify not only to what is seen, but what is felt and imagined.