Konstantin Korovin: impressionist painter

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The work of the artist Korovin is striking in its cheerfulness, riot of colors, immensity. The creator showed his talent in painting, creating theatrical costumes and scenery, literature.

Short biography

Konstantin Korovin is an artist whose work is considered their heritage by Russia and France. He was born in Moscow in 1861. He comes from an Old Believer family with noble roots. After the death of his grandfather, the family goes bankrupt and moves to the village of Bolshiye Mytishchi near Moscow. Little Kostya grew up in a creative atmosphere: his mother played the harp, was fond of watercolors, and was well versed in literature. Korovin absorbed all this. The artist began his career at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, where he entered after his elder brother in 1875. For two years in a row, he receives silver medals for student work, but this does not save the situation. The works of the artist Korovin were ridiculed for their originality, brightness of colors and "excessive plasticity of forms."

In 1884, Konstantin met Savva Ivanovich Mamontov and joined his circle. Korovin is trying to complete his education at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, but soon leaves the educational institution, because there, too, academicallyminded teachers do not accept his innovations in painting.

In the late 80s and early 90s, the artist visited Paris three times and was imbued with the spirit of impressionism. The beginning of the 20th century was marked by active work in the theater and teaching at his native school.

In post-revolutionary times, Korovin is engaged in the preservation of art monuments, holds auctions, continues to cooperate with theaters. And in 1922 he moved to France, where, having lived for 17 years, he would finish his earthly journey.

Teachers

The teachers Alexei Savrasov and Vasily Polenov had a significant influence on the formation of the unique style, with whom fate brought Konstantin at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. Nature revealed its lyrical hypostasis to him, life was clearly manifested in emotional painting. The favorite themes of his teacher Savrasov are skillfully played by the student Korovin. The artist creates the paintings "Early Spring" and "Last Snow", excelling in the mentor's technique.

Polenov was the first person Konstantin heard about impressionism from. Under the influence of a teacher, Korovin creates one of the first paintings in Russia, written in the spirit of impressionism, “Portrait of a chorus girl”. The work causes indignation and complete misunderstanding of master Repin. Many contemporaries were outraged by the artist's technique - careless, rough and daring strokes, bright colors and forgotten motifs of Russian beauties.

Work in the theater

Korovin is an artist of great talentonly in making pictures. In the 80s, he began cooperation with theaters as a decorator. His works were distinguished by airiness, harmony of colors and impressions skillfully conveyed through color and paint. Conditional scenery had unusually vital, bright, extraordinary, emotional tones.

Konstantin Korovin creates scenery and costume designs for such operas as "Aida", "Lakme", "Carmen", for the performances "Faust", "The Little Humpbacked Horse", "Sadko", "The Golden Cockerel". For whatever work the artist would create sketches, he always clearly conveyed the national spirit. To do this, he deeply delved into the historical color of the country, national art.

The artist designs the great stages of the Bolshoi and Mariinsky Theatres, the Russian Private Opera, as well as La Scala in Italy. He also revealed his talent as a decorator in creating decorative panels for the Northern Pavilion of the All-Russian Exhibition and the World Exhibition in Paris.

Famous paintings

Korovin is an artist whose photographs and reproductions of paintings have been very popular for a century now. The secret of extraordinary attractiveness lies in the original style and emotional richness of the works. Even in the earliest works, the artist skillfully works with light and nuances of shades. So, for example, "Northern Idyll" is filled with overflows of green, red and white. The beauty of the evening nature is lyrical and at the same time clear. A scene from rural life seems almost fabulous, epic.

The theme of the Russian village Korovin continues inhis work "Winter". The picture looks simple, lyrical, sincere. The softness of colors invariably touches the strings of the soul and makes you remember your origins.

The North has always fascinated the artist. This is emphasized by such works by Korovin as "Murmansk Shore", "Harbor of Norway", "St. Tikhon's Stream in Pecheneg" and a series of paintings about the Northern Dvina. Lead menacing clouds, unexpected northern greenery, expanse of water. The cold, impregnable North, so close and so far…