The painting “Young painter” by I. I. Firsov

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

Contemporaries of the painter argue that most of the works made by the hand of Ivan Ivanovich Firsov were made available to churches, cathedrals and theaters. Often the panels of this artist could be found in the interiors of the houses of we althy families. However, literally a few of his works have survived to our times, one of which is the painting “Young Painter”. Moreover, several interesting and mysterious events are connected with its history, as well as with the life of the creator himself.

I. I. Firsov: biography

The exact date of Firsov's birth is not known, but he was born around 1733 in Moscow, in a merchant family. Both the father and grandfather of Ivan Ivanovich were directly related to art - they were engaged in artistic wood carving and jewelry. It was from them that the talent in the field of painting passed to the heir.

As soon as it turned out that young Firsov had a very clear predisposition to this type of activity, the family council decided to send him to work inSt. Petersburg. Upon arrival, the future artist was assigned to finishing work, where he was engaged in decorating buildings and palaces.

At the age of 14 (it was at this age) Firsov entered the service in the Office of Buildings, while learning and developing his talent as a painter. Ivan Ivanovich's talent could not go unnoticed - his work delighted Catherine II herself, and she insisted on his further education, and not just anywhere, but abroad, in France.

In 1756, Firsov entered the Royal Academy of Paris, and already there he was largely inspired by the works of French painters. Chardin had the greatest influence on him, painting canvases depicting genre scenes: Ivan Firsov's painting "The Young Painter" is most consonant with the work of this Parisian realist.

On his return from France (period 1758-1760) I. I. Firsov becomes a court painter. He gained fame mainly as a result of decorative design with his own hand-painted panels for various performances and productions. A little later, Ivan Ivanovich becomes one of the main employees of the Directorate of the Imperial Theaters.

Unfortunately, very little is known about the last years of the painter's life. In this regard, comparing some historical data and the dates of the mention of Firsov, experts claim that he died after 1785. According to some facts, the artist could well have ended his days in an insane asylum, as he suffered from some mental disorders at the end of his life.

Ivan Ivanovich completed a sufficient number ofworks both commissioned by the leadership and for the nobility. However, little has survived to our times. The painting “Young Painter” at the same time tells about the talent Firsov possessed, and in the same way does not allow you to deeply feel all that his creations were imbued with. The only thing is undeniable: this is a real masterpiece in the field of genre painting.

Description of the painting "Young painter"

The composition on the canvas is simple and at the same time interesting with its everydayness. Three figures are in the center of attention: the youngest painter, a little girl and her mother. A boy in a blue uniform sits on a chair, putting one foot on an easel, and draws a portrait of a baby opposite him. Despite the apparent relaxed posture, he is focused and passionate about his work.

As for the youngest model, dressed in a pink dress and a light cap, she looks ready to run away to do more interesting things. Such a trait as shyness also shows through in her posture - she pressed herself against her mother, who affectionately hugged her daughter by the head. The woman herself with one hand simultaneously holds and calms the little fidget, and the other shakes her finger instructively. However, there is not a shadow of tension here - the seeming severity of the mother is not at all serious.

Besides the people themselves, in a room bathed in soft light, there are also some items inherent in the workshop of each artist: a bust, a mannequin, a box of brushes and paints, a couple of paintings on the wall.

Pastel and not lost their freshness withover time, the tones, the atmosphere of a cozy and calm routine - this is how you can complete the description of the painting "Young Painter". Its plot is conveyed with incredible cordiality, as evidenced by the fact that the canvas was painted not to order, but “for the soul”, under the influence of certain feelings.

The story of the painting

The Young Painter was completed around 1768 in Paris. This canvas opens a subsequent series of works in a similar genre. At the time of the writing of The Young Painter, in addition to Firsov, some paintings by Shibanov and Yeremenev, telling about the life of peasants, can be considered similar works.

By the way, until the beginning of the 20th century, it was believed that this canvas was not created by Firsov at all. "Young painter" - a painting by the artist A. Losenko, as the signature of the same name on the front side tried to testify. However, art critics did not calm down until, in 1913, during the examination, it was decided to eliminate the above-mentioned surname, under which the name of I. I. Firsov was discovered.

At the moment, the painting "Young Painter" is stored in the Tretyakov Gallery, where it got thanks to the founder of the museum, the merchant Pavel Tretyakov, who bought the painting from a certain collector named Bykov in 1883

Everyday painting as a genre and attitude to it

The Russian Academy of Arts at the time of Firsov's writing of his famous work, one might say, did not fully recognize the everyday genre as a kind of painting, considering it base. Perhaps thisthe fact is also the reason why the work spent a long time in the workshop where Ivan Firsov worked.

The painting "The Young Painter", despite this, nevertheless saw the light and is now considered the most striking example of the everyday genre of the 18th century, and its value only increases from this.

Picture in Russian painting

The main difference of the canvas lies in its some absent-mindedness. It is written with love, not obeying any generally recognized laws of the classics. The image of a scene from ordinary life, without embellishment, excessive rigor and observance of the canons - this is what art historians characterize the painting "Young Painter". People don't pose, they are charming in their simplicity, which was completely out of character for Russian fine art of that time.

That is why for a long time no one had any associations with the fact that this work could be made by the hand of our compatriot. Experts in the field of painting confirm that the painted picture is so unrelated to the events in Russia in the 18th century. in spirit, which creates a vivid impression of atypicality and spontaneity.

Other paintings by I. I. Firsov

However, the work in question is not all that Firsov left us as a legacy. “The Young Painter” is a painting by this master in its genre, one might say, lonely, but there is one more surviving canvas. It is called "Flowers and Fruits" and is a decorative panel, previouslyhoused in the Catherine Palace. Both works were written in a completely different style, but nevertheless they belong to the brush of Ivan Ivanovich, testifying to the versatility and originality of his talent.