Konstantin Korovin: the life of an artist is only his work

2025 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2025-01-24 17:46

Indeed, if you take seriously the work with the biography of the creator, without getting into the personal, intimate, private life that a decent person himself protects from immodest views, then it turns out that his life is contained in his works. This Chekhovian thought applies to everyone without exception, including such a person as Konstantin Alekseevich Korovin.

Childhood

The future artist was born in Moscow in 1861. The family of grandfather Mikhail Emelyanovich was Old Believer, that is, all the customs of antiquity were strictly observed. My grandfather had a business that fed the whole family - "pit cart". It must be explained that the railway network will develop much later, in 25-30 years, but for now letters and parcels are transported on horseback by coachmen, mostly state-owned. But private people also liked to do this business, who at the same time did not break away from the family for a long time. The most successful of them gradually accumulated capital and weight in society. Grandfather became a merchant of the first guild. This was a man who, having capital,helped the future landscape painter Kamenev get an art education. He also helped the Wanderer I. M. Pryanishnikov. He gave his son a university education. But after his death, the family went bankrupt, as the father of the future painter did not have business acumen. Little Konstantin Korovin moves to Bolshie Mytishchi with his family. And the mother, who painted with watercolors and played the harp, instilled in her children a love of art.

Study

At the age of 14, a teenager enters the Moscow School of Painting and Sculpture. At this time, the family is almost beggarly. However, Konstantin Korovin learns from outstanding teachers. First, A. K. Savrasov, and then V. D. Polenov. They had a decisive influence on him, although the young man looked closely at the work and I. M. Pryanishnikov, and V. G. Perova.

Poetics and lyricism, which are always present in the works of A. K. Savrasov, his ability to find inconspicuous corners of nature, was reflected in Korovin's works "Late Snow" and "Early Spring".

Towards Impressionism

V. D. Polenov was the first of the teachers to tell his students about the works of the Impressionists. Under the spell of a new direction, Konstantin Korovin paints "Portrait of a chorus girl", which became a milestone in Russian painting.

He conveyed the connection between the girl and nature by means of painting (color, his reflexes, light). He is only 22 years old at this time, and he has a natural pride in this work. But contemporaries far from all understood the meaning of this picture, did not feel that in Russia inpainting opens a new milestone.

The years spent at the school did not give him titles, as did I. I. Levitan, but raised in him a professional artist, a great colorist and poet.

Meet Savva Morozov

In the circle of S. I. Mamontov as a decorator, Konstantin Korovin began his activity. The artist creates scenery for "Aida", "Lakma", "Carmen", which, unfortunately, have not been preserved. Here he developed his own principles, which he would later use in his work, for example, at the Mariinsky Theater for productions of "Prince Igor", "Khovanshchina": the colors of the artist's work, their "lightness", should help the performer enter the image.

Works at the Mariinsky and the Bolshoi Theater put him among the stage reformers, such as A. N. Benois, L. S. Bakst, A. Ya. Golovin.

Influence of Impressionism

In the 80s, Konstantin Korovin began to travel abroad regularly. Studied the works of the Impressionists. He began to draw female figures, placing them against the light. In the works of the 90s, new interesting paintings appeared, “Paper Lanterns”, for example, with bright colors and virtuoso performance.

Paris had a special charm that the artist conveyed in his canvases. This is the awakening of the city ("Paris in the morning"), and the radiance of lights in the evenings ("Boulevard des Capucines"), and "Paris after the rain", and "Paris cafe".

A special place in his work is occupied by the Crimea, where he came to visit the ill Chekhov. In thatperiod, the painting "Balcony in the Crimea" pierced by light was painted. Later - "Gurzuf".

After the revolution, the artist lost his workshop, canvases, paints. However, I managed to capture the Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge.

This image is interesting to compare with the current bridge.

Having moved from the capital to the Tver region, he continues to work. Then the "Portrait of Vakhtangov" and "Portrait of Chaliapin" are created.

In 1922 the artist leaves first for Germany and then for France. He died in 1939. By this time he had lost his sight and could no longer work as a painter. The search for a new language, new and new paintings - this is Konstantin Korovin. The biography is contained in his works.

The art of Konstantin Korovin is the art of a great talented master, with magnificent coloring and a poetic outlook on life. Not in vain did the painter Konstantin Korovin live a long life. The artist's paintings are every time a revelation, an unexpected look, full of love and delight before life.