Apollinary Vasnetsov. Artist, researcher, historian

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

Such amazing artists as Apollinary Vasnetsov are few among all painters of the late 19th - early 20th century. He found a topic that is dear and close to the hearts of many Russian people - the topic of the historical transformations of medieval Moscow.

Childhood

Vasnetsov Apollinary Mikhailovich (1856 - 1933) was born in a small village near Vyatka. He was orphaned early, his brother went to study in Moscow. Already by this time it was clear that the teenager was very talented and he needed to learn painting. But he studied at a religious school and simply took drawing lessons from a Polish artist who was in exile.

Years of study

In 1872 (at the age of 16) Apollinary Vasnetsov moved to St. Petersburg and began to really study painting. His first teachers were his brother Victor and prominent Wanderers. He is interested in literature, mineralogy, astronomy, but most of all Apollinary Vasnetsov at the age of 19 is fond of the ideas of the populists, he leaves painting. Vasnetsov leaves to teach in the Oryol province, in the very outback. But the ideas of populism disappointed him, and the matured Apollinary Vasnetsov at the age of 21returns to Moscow. Now he takes painting seriously as a vocation.

As an artist, Vasnetsov is formed under the influence of I. Shishkin and A. Kuindzhi. But he did not become a mere imitator of the great masters. He developed his own style of writing.

First luck

Since 1882, the young artist lives for a long time at his brother's dacha, enters the circle of S. I. Mamontov, and since 1883 he began to exhibit his paintings at exhibitions of the Wanderers. And here is the first success: P. Tretyakov at the exhibition acquires his painting "Gray Day".

A lonely path winds through the meadow between two trees, inviting you to follow it into the distance.

Studying history

Gradually (historical knowledge contributes to this) the artist begins to attract dramatic, epic motifs. The first such painting was "Motherland" (1886), and the next "Twilight" (1889). On it alone in some places stand separate widely spread oaks in a field. The blue night deepens in the distance. In the foreground, everything is covered with haze, and grayish shadows have already laid down on the grass. Ancient oaks invite the viewer to think about the past tense. So, through the landscape, epic motifs appear in the work of A. Vasnetsov, the eternity of nature is affirmed.

Ural

Later, in the 90s, he will go to the Urals. Inspired by what he saw, Apollinary Vasnetsov paints majestic paintings showing the nature of the Urals, the courageous and harsh characters of people who grew up here. Childhood seemed to come to life before him. Everything reminded him of his native Vyatka. In 1891, he painted the painting “Taiga in the Urals. Blue Mountain. A heap of standing and fallen trees, a mysterious lake fascinate and frighten with their power. And in the distance the mountain turns blue in the haze. This landscape reflects the character of the people living in these parts.

The artist manages to visit France, Italy, Germany in 1898. Under the influence of the Impressionists, there were changes in his palette. His work brightened.

Singer of the ancient capital

A new theme appeared in the work of such an artist as Apollinary Vasnetsov. The paintings now depict medieval Moscow, its bridges as they were in antiquity, the changing Kremlin and, of course, the people of Moscow.

In the 1900s, he became so interested in the life of old Moscow that he took part in excavations. All this affected his work. The historical and everyday genre attracted the attention of Vasnetsov for a long time. First, he paints the picture “Street in Kitay-Gorod. Beginning of the 12th century. In its cramped, narrow winding streets, the townspeople, the archers, rush about restlessly. These unrest immerse the viewer in the Time of Troubles. Noisy Moscow ("At dawn at the All Saints' bridge. The end of the XII century").

On a clear winter day, buffoons are having fun. And a strikingly spectacular picture of both the Kremlin and the bridge was created. The color of the picture is rich and bright, as required by the depicted holiday or just fun.

In the painting “Moscow dungeon. The end of the 16th century” depicts a torture chamber attached to the Kremlin tower, which was used both during the time of Ivan IV and during the reign of Tsar Boris Godunov. On thethe corpses of those tortured in the dungeons were thrown into the street, relatives came to pick them up and bury them.

And again the picture of the Time of Troubles appears before the viewer (“Messengers. Early in the morning in the Kremlin. Beginning of the 17th century”). Pretenders, the variegation of kings, the Seven Boyars, in general, the very gloomy and disturbing atmosphere of that time is conveyed through the swift gallop of two horsemen: a monk and a combatant. But in spite of everything, the heart of Moscow is unshakable - its Kremlin, where messengers rush in winter at dawn.

During these years (1901 - 1918) Vasnetsov Apollinary Mikhailovich, already an academician, leads a sculpture and painting class in Moscow.

From the works of the artist, you can study how Moscow has changed from century to century. He works in oils, paints watercolors, makes sketches with a pencil, deeply studies the works of Moscow historian I. Zabelin. Delves into the scientific work of V. O. Klyuchevsky. With such deep knowledge and creative imagination, the artist achieves more and more complete authenticity in his paintings.

In 1925, "Red Square in the second half of the 17th century" was created. The picture shows a bright and festive day.

Apollinary Vasnetsov dedicated a lot (about one hundred and twenty paintings) to Moscow. And in almost all of his works, the Kremlin is present at different times and in different forms. Everywhere you can see the dynamics of its changes.

Apollinary Vasnetsov, an artist, was a courageous man. At the age of 75, in 1931, having written a letter to the Izvestia newspaper, he became the only person who spokeagainst the demolition of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

This is how Apollinary Vasnetsov lived his life. His entire biography is in the pictures that he left. The artist died in Moscow at the age of 76.