Portrait of Lermontov and its significance for Russian painting

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

Historians are familiar with many biographical stories, where people showed themselves equally talented in various areas of art. For Russia, one of these characters is the famous poet Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov.

Comprehensively developed personality

It is impossible to draw up a personal portrait of Lermontov without emphasizing the talent that nature has awarded him. Mikhail Yuryevich had an unusually good ear for music and a penchant for playing an instrument. He skillfully performed parts on the violin, piano, sang and even, according to some sources, composed music. However, if the poet used the skills listed above only for his own pleasure, then his artistic experiments betrayed a talented painter in him.

There is evidence that Lermontov could easily solve complex mathematical problems, and he was also known as a successful chess player. Among its advantages is the knowledge of several foreign languages, as well as erudition and literacy. He achieved worldwide famethanks to his poetic contribution to the history of culture. This young genius (he died at the age of 27) was so desperate to create something as literary as A. S. Pushkin that he worked hard and eventually left behind an unshakable legacy in the form of poems, poems and paintings.

Lermontov-artist

Traditional noble education provided comprehensive education, including teaching drawing. Of course, this did not mean that all students necessarily became artists. Many were destined to become amateurs in this field, but not Lermontov.

The poet's drawings preserved in the archives indicate his confident mastery of the technique of pencil drawing and compositional flair. A portrait of Lermontov with a pencil could masterfully convey all the emotions of a person, without deviating from the canons of classical graphics.

In his first artistic experiments, Mikhail Yuryevich turns to the theme of the Spanish Revolution. On his canvases there are drama and romanticism inherent in young men of his age, one can feel the artist's commitment to the ideals of a free individual. In parallel with painting, Lermontov tirelessly works in the literary genre. So, in 1830, the poem “The Spaniards” appeared, which the author independently illustrated, and by 1833, the first known and fundamental work of art “Portrait of Duke Lema” came out from under the poet’s brush. It is interesting that the legendary ancestor of the poet became the prototype for this character, and upon closer examinationit can be noted that his image resembles a portrait of Lermontov.

It should be noted that Mikhail Yuryevich mastered the watercolor technique, and also painted well in oils. His artistic style is reminiscent of romanticism. For his short creative life, let him independently illustrate many of his works, including the famous poem "Sail".

Portrait of Lermontov

If in the younger years of his life, Mikhail Yuryevich gravitated towards landscape painting and graphic sketches, then at a more mature age, portrait painting began to attract his attention. In most cases, he portrayed his acquaintances. Among the most significant paintings by Lermontov are the portrait of Muravyov, Kikin and Stolypin (the latter are painted in watercolor).

In the history of Lermontov's artistic search, his self-portrait, dated 1837, is of great importance. It is worth noting that the artist somewhat romanticized his image, depicting himself as a warrior against the backdrop of the Caucasus Mountains. However, such a composition is not devoid of historical meaning, since he served as an officer and participated in the battle against the highlanders (1840). These events left their mark on the creative style of the artist. The sketches gained momentum: Lermontov's portrait was filled with ornate strokes in pencil, as if the author was in a hurry to capture the image.

Famous images of Lermontov

Among the outstanding figures of Russia, perhaps, Lermontov lived the shortest and most eventful life. Portraits, photos of which seem to depict completely different people,survived to this day only in the amount of 15 pieces, which increases their value and at the same time indicates the high popularity of Mikhail Yuryevich in artistic circles.

Given that the poet's life ended at the age of 27, he simply could not undergo significant external changes. It is obvious that, as conceived by the artists, each portrait of Lermontov M. Yu. aims to capture the many-sided inner world of the poet, and not his external appearance. For example, one of the paintings depicting Mikhail Yuryevich shows him in the period before the battle with the highlanders, while A. I. Klyudner displayed on his canvas the state of mind of the poet after.

There are many images depicting Lermontov (portraits, photos), but the most valuable of them belong to F. O. Budkin, P. E. Zabolotsky, A. I. Klyunder. The only image in which the poet appears to the viewer in his childhood belongs to the hand of a serf who completed the work on the order of the boy's grandmother. The last lifetime portrait of M. Lermontov was painted by K. A. Gorbunov and painted in watercolor.

Young genius

Not a single portrait of Lermontov could convey the grandeur of his nature. His whole life flew by in an instant, and despite it, it was he, like Byron, who managed to embody all the romanticism of a tragically deceased genius personality.

Of course, comparing the contribution of Mikhail Yurievich to literature and painting, I would like to note that he did not have time to thoroughly master the technique of artistic transmission. However, no onewill be able to deny that the young man's life ended unfairly early, and it may well be that he would have had time to develop his talent to more significant heights.

Today, his artistic heritage includes 13 oil paintings, 44 watercolors, 4 hundreds of graphic sketches, which are stored in the national museums of Russia, the State Library, as well as abroad.