Viktor Vasnetsov (artist). The life path and work of the most famous Russian artist of the XIX century

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

The great artist Vasnetsov Viktor Mikhailovich was born on May 15, 1848 in the village of Lopyal, in the family of Mikhail Vasilyevich Vasnetsov, a priest. The father prophesied to his son the future of a clergyman, and in the early years of the formation of the young Vasnetsov, the young man obeyed his parents in everything and was already following in his father's footsteps. However, a few years later, his fate changed dramatically. The biography of the artist Vasnetsov contains pages of the formation and flowering of the talent of one of the most famous painters in the entire history of the Russian state.

He did not have students, like, for example, V. I. Surikov or other famous artists, but the skill of Viktor Vasnetsov was open to imitate any novice painter. And young artists tried to learn the "Vasnetsov" halftones that were present in his epic scenes, or the juicy cheerful colors that make the master's landscapes so bright.

Seminary and Art

In 1858, at the insistence of his father, young Vasnetsov was appointedto a religious school, where he studied for four years, and then continued his studies at the Vyatka Theological Seminary. At the same time, he discovered the talent of a painter, and the future artist began to study drawing with N. G. Chernyshov, a gymnasium teacher. Then, with the good will of his father, he left the seminary and moved to St. Petersburg, where he entered the school of drawing and the development of arts, in the class of Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy. After studying at school for one year, Vasnetsov transferred to the Academy of Arts and continued painting there.

The artist exhibited his student works for public viewing even within the walls of the Academy, so that they would be assessed by recognized masters of the brush. Reviews of venerable artists on the work of the novice painter Vasnetsov were the most benevolent, many critics noted the work of the young artist as a new word in art.

Association of Wanderers

After graduating from the Academy of Arts in 1873, Vasnetsov the artist began to participate in exhibitions of the Wanderers organized in St. Petersburg and Moscow. The "Partnership" included twenty famous Russian artists, among whom were: I. N. Kramskoy, I. E. Repin, I. I. Shishkin, V. D. Polenov, V. I. Surikov and others. Viktor Vasnetsov was presented in traveling exhibitions with two paintings: "The Knight at the Crossroads" and "Alyonushka".

Rise and decline

The goal of the Wanderers was to acquaint the broad masses of the people with Russian art. Exhibitions were held everywhere, in cities and large villages, wandering developed andgrew stronger. The heyday of the "Partnership" fell on the years 1870-1880. Later, the activities of the Wanderers began to fade for a number of objective reasons, and in 1922 their last exhibition took place.

Abramtsevo

Russian artist Vasnetsov was a member of the "Abramtsevo Art Circle", organized by the industrialist and philanthropist Savva Mamontov, the owner of the Abramtsevo estate. Meetings of artists, sculptors, writers and musicians were arranged under the roof of the hospitable house of Savva Ivanovich, and later the circle turned into a major center of Russian culture. Artists-painters came to Abramtsevo and lived there for months, creating their immortal canvases. Viktor Vasnetsov was also a frequent visitor, he was inspired by the unspoiled nature of the protected areas, primordial Russian values, fields, forests and village people as an integral part of the landscape.

Academy of Arts

In 1893, Vasnetsov, the artist, joined the Academy of Arts and, already being a full member of the Academy, continued his fruitful work in the field of recreating Russian culture. The revolutionary movements at the beginning of the 20th century also affected the great artist. Vasnetsov did not directly participate in the activities of the Union of the Russian People, a right-wing monarchist organization, but indirectly supported the Black Hundred movement and even financed individual publications, such as the Book of Russian Sorrow. In 1912 the artist was introduced into the nobility of the Russian Empire. And in 1915 he became an active member of the Society for the Revival of Russia,which united many artists of that time.

Variety of creativity

The work of the artist Vasnetsov is distinguished by a variety of styles, which cannot be said about other Russian painters. He created paintings using opposite genres, sometimes incompatible with each other. Paintings of a domestic nature with real characters were replaced by canvases with fairy tales. And yet, the epic-historical theme runs like a red thread throughout the entire creative period of the artist. It was in this genre that Vasnetsov created his main masterpieces: Bogatyrs (1898), Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible (1897), Ivan Tsarevich on the Gray Wolf (1889), Alyonushka (1881), "The Knight at the Crossroads" (1882), "After the Battle of Igor Svyatoslavovich with the Polovtsians" (1880).

Church themed

On the eve of the 20th century, Vasnetsov, an artist whose "Bogatyrs", painted in 1998, became his calling card, turns to a religious theme. He paints for the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv and the Church of the Ascension in St. Petersburg, known as the Cathedral of the Savior on Spilled Blood on the Griboyedov Canal. Later, the artist took part in painting the interior of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which is located in the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia. And for the Moscow Church of the Nativity on Presnya, Vasnetsov created sketches for the ceiling and wall paintings.

Civil projects of the artist

Vasnetsov the artist in 1917 completely switched to the Russian folk epic, his fairy tale paintings "The Battle of Dobrynya Nikitich with the Seven-Headed Serpent Gorynych", written in 1918, and "Koschey the Immortal" in 1926 became the last works of the great artist.

In addition to brilliant paintings, Vasnetsov created a number of architectural and historical projects:

• In the Abramtsevo estate, the Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands was built according to sketches by Vasnetsov together with the artist V. D. Polenov and architect P. M. Samarin (1882)
• The "Hut on chicken legs" was built in Abramtsevo, a garden gazebo based on fairy tales (1883)
• Design of the grave monument of Yuri Nikolaevich Govorukha-Otrok, Russian writer, in the necropolis of the Moscow Monastery of the Sorrowful (1896).
• Russian pavilion for the World Exhibition in Paris in 1898.
• Project of I. E. Tsvetkov's mansion, together with architect B. N. Schnaubert, in Moscow on Prechistenskaya embankment.
• Project for planning the main entrance of the Tretyakov Gallery, with the participation of architect V. N. Bashkirova in Moscow, Lavrushinsky lane (1901).
• Project of a transitional tower from the Armory to the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow (1901).
• Memorial cross, which marks the place of the death of the Great Prince Sergei Alexandrovich, in Moscow (1908), which was destroyed and subsequently restored by the sculptor N. V. Orlov, and then transferred to the Novospassky Monastery.
• Tombstone V. A. Gringmouthright-wing radical public figure, in Moscow, in the necropolis of the Sorrowful Monastery (1908).
• The Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky on Miusskaya Square in Moscow, together with the architect A. N. Pomerantsev (1911).
• Project for an artistic postage stamp created to raise funds for the victims of the war (1914).

Philately

Vasnetsov the artist and his works were once widely represented in the philately of the USSR:

• Postage stamp "Tretyakov Gallery" by artist A. S. Pomansky was released in 1950. The stamp depicts the main facade of the Tretyakov Gallery, made in 1906 according to sketches by Viktor Vasnetsov.
• A series of postage stamps dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the death of the painter Vasnetsov, author - artist I. I. Dubasov, 1951.
• Postage stamp depicting V. M. Vasnetsov in the painting by the artist I. Kramskoy", published in 1952 in the ITC "Marka" under No. 1649.
• Post stamp "Bogatyrs" (based on a painting by Vasnetsov 1881-1898) ITC "Stamp" No. 1650.
• The postage stamp "The Knight at the Crossroads" (1882), issued in 1968, designed by artists A. Ryazantsev and G. Komlev, ITC "Marka", No. 3705.
• The 150th anniversary of Vasnetsov's birth was celebrated in Russia by issuing a double postage stamp with a coupon.

During the entire creative life of the great artist, he painted several dozen canvases. 24 paintings by artist Vasnetsov entered the Golden Fund of Russian Art:

• Year 1871 -"Gravedigger".
• Year 1876 - "From apartment to apartment".
• Year 1878 - "The Knight at the Crossroads".
• Year 1879 - "Preference".
• Year 1880 - "After the battle of Igor Svyatoslavovich with the Polovtsians".
• Year 1880 - Alyonushkin Pond.
• Year 1880 - "Flying Carpet".
• Year 1881 - "Alyonushka".
• Year 1881 - "Three Princesses of the Underworld".
• Year 1887 - "Warriors of the Apocalypse".
• Year 1889 - "Ivan Tsarevich on the Gray Wolf".
• Year 1890 - "Baptism of Russia".
• Year 1897 - "Gamayun".
• Year 1897 - "Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible".
• Year 1898 - "Heroes".
• Year 1899 - "Guslar".
• Year 1899 - "Snow Maiden".
• Year 1899 - "Oleg's meeting with the magician".
• Year 1904 - "The Last Judgment".
• Year 1914 - "Ilya Muromets".
• Year 1914 - "Duel of Peresvet with Chelubey".
• Year 1918 - "The Frog Princess".
• Year 1918 - "The battle of Dobrynya Nikitich with the seven-headed Serpent Gorynych".
• Year 1926 - "Koschey the Immortal".