Nikolai (Nicholas) Semyonovich Bogolubov was an American artist of Russian descent. He was born in 1924 in Novi Bečej, Yugoslavia.  After World War II, as a refugee, he ended up in Allied-occupied Germany.  There, he studied at the Munich Art Academy, completing two years of training. In 1950 he emigrated to the United States.  He continued his art education in New York City at the National Academy School of Fine Arts (National Academy of Design) beginning in 1952 and graduating in 1956.

At the National Academy, Bogolubov was recognized as an exceptional and talented student.  He received numerous awards during his tenure there that included the William H. Fogg Merit Scholarship in 1954 and 1955 as well as the Dr. Ralph Weiler Oil Painting Prize in 1956. He also received the very prestigious Julius Hallgarten Painting Prize in 1956.

While still attending the National Academy, galleries noticed Bogolubov’s work, and his paintings were exhibited at the highly regarded Kaymar Gallery.  His work also was shown numerous times at other galleries, including the Ahda Artz Art Gallery, the Russian Artists Association Group Exhibitions at the Barbizon Plaza, and the Allied Artists of America, Inc.

From 1953 until 1963, Bogolubov worked as an art production specialist at the Manhattan-based House of Harley, Inc. Then, from 1963 until 1973, he worked at Lee Vitale Design Inc., and from 1973-1993 he worked for Design House, Inc.  At all three places his expertise was in package design for various international accounts that included, among others, Quaker Oats, Seagram’s, and Christian Dior.  In his spare time, he volunteered at several Russian-American immigrant organizations designing letterhead and other publication features.

As a painter, Bogolubov’s favorite genre was landscape, although he painted figures, portraits, and still lifes.  He often spent time in the Catskills and Adirondack Mountains as well as in many other beautiful areas in the Northeast where he painted many of his landscapes.  He and his family, his wife Helen and daughter Nina, had a summer home on the Great Sacandaga Lake in the southern Adirondacks, a place that inspired many of his canvases.

Nicholas Bogolubov passed away in 2003.  This website commemorates the 20th anniversary of that passing by enabling others to see the vibrance and variety of his many paintings.  For any individuals or institutions interested in the Bogolubov paintings, please contact us through this website.