Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov. Biography for children

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

When it comes to the artists who worked on the "revival" of epics, fairy tales and legends, Vasnetsov is one of the first to be remembered. A biography for children will traditionally begin from the birth of a talented master and his childhood.

How was the childhood of the future artist?

And Viktor Mikhailovich was born on May 15, 1848 in a village called Lopyal, near Vyatka. His father, Mikhail Vasilyevich, was a local priest. After the birth of his son, he was forced to move to another place - the village of Ryabovo. The mother of the future artist, Apollinaria Ivanovna, raised six sons (Victor himself was the second).

The life of the Vasnetsov family could not be called particularly rich. In their house, at the same time, there were customs and ways of life characteristic of both rural and urban life. After the death of his wife, the father of the family, Mikhail Vasnetsov, remained in charge. The biography for children, which tells about the main moments in the life of the future artist, continues. Mikhail Vasilyevich was an intelligent and well-educated person, so he tried to instill inquisitiveness and observation in all his sons, to give them knowledge in various fields. But the grandmother taught the children to draw. Despite poverty, adultsalways found funds to buy interesting scientific journals, paints, brushes and other supplies for creativity and study. Viktor Vasnetsov showed an extraordinary propensity for drawing already in childhood: his first sketches contain picturesque rural landscapes, as well as scenes of rural life.

Viktor Vasnetsov perceived other residents of the village as his good friends and listened with pleasure to the tales and songs that they told during gatherings in the dimmed light and crackling of the torch.

Vasnetsov could not imagine his life without drawing from an early age

Vasnetsov Viktor Mikhailovich, whose biography is the topic of our conversation today, began to draw very early. But in those days it was customary for the son to follow in the footsteps of his father, so he first went to study at a religious school, and then at a seminary in Vyatka. As a seminarian, Vasnetsov constantly studied chronicles, the lives of saints, chronographs, and various documents. And ancient Russian literature attracted special attention - it further strengthened the love for Russian antiquity, which Vasnetsov was already distinguished by. A biography for children dedicated to this amazing artist should also mention that it was in the seminary that Vasnetsov received deep knowledge in the field of Orthodox symbols, which later came in handy while working on the painting of churches.

Studying at the seminary did not prevent Viktor Mikhailovich from diligently studying painting. In 1866-1867. 75 wonderful drawings came out from under his hand, which eventually served as illustrations for the “Collection of Russian Proverbs” by N. Trapicina.

Vasnetsov was strongly impressed by his acquaintance with E. Andrioli, a Polish artist who was in exile. Andrioli tells his young friend about the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. Vasnetsov immediately lit up with the desire to go there. The artist's father did not mind, but immediately warned that he would not be able to help financially.

The beginning of an independent life in St. Petersburg

However, Vasnetsov did not remain without support. Andrioli and his acquaintance, Bishop Adam Krasinsky, spoke with Governor Kampaneishchikov, who helped them sell the paintings "The Milkmaid" and "The Reaper" that Vasnetsov painted. A biography for children should include a few more interesting points related to this. For the sold paintings, Vasnetsov received 60 rubles, and with this amount he went to St. Petersburg. The modesty and insecurity of the young man did not allow him to even look at the list of those enrolled in the academy after passing the exams. Victor, through acquaintances, was able to get a job as a draftsman in order to earn his living. Later, Vasnetsov finds something to his liking and begins to draw illustrations for magazines and books. Then he entered the school of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists, where he met I. Kramskoy, who has yet to play an important role in the life of a young artist.

Studying at the Academy of Arts and the further life of the artist

In 1868, Vasnetsov again makes an attempt to enter the Academy of St. Petersburg. And he finds out that last time he still managed to successfully pass the exams.

Training time inAcademy gave Viktor Mikhailovich a lot of new interesting acquaintances. Here he becomes close and begins to make friends with Repin, Polenov, Kuindzhi, Surikov, Maximov, the Prakhov brothers, Antokolsky, Chistyakov.

Already during the first year of study, Vasnetsov received a silver medal, and then two more small medals for a sketch from nature and a drawing “Two naked models”. Two years later, the teachers awarded him for the drawing "Christ and Pilate before the people", this time with a large silver medal.

This period has become very difficult for Vasnetsov. In 1870, the artist's father died, and he began to take care of his maternal uncle, who also dreams of the glory of a talented artist and is looking for an opportunity to earn money. Beginning in 1871, Vasnetsov appeared less and less at the academy, mainly due to lack of time and deteriorating he alth. However, he still worked fruitfully: during this time he completed more than 200 illustrations for the "Soldier's Alphabet", "Folk Alphabet", "Russian Alphabet for Children" (Vodovozov). The artist is engaged in illustrating the fairy tales "The Firebird", "The Little Humpbacked Horse" and some others. Vasnetsov also manages to draw for himself - as a rule, these were drawings on everyday topics.

1875 was the year of cardinal changes in the life of Viktor Mikhailovich. He leaves the academy because the need to earn money comes first for him, and besides, because he wants to independently develop his talent. At the exhibition of the Wanderers, his painting “Tea drinking in a tavern” appears, and work on “The Beggar Singers” is also being completed. In 1876, he presents the paintings "Bookshop" and "From Apartment to Apartment".

In the same year, Vasnetsov had the opportunity to visit Paris. A visit to France strikes the artist's imagination, and under the impression of him he writes the famous "Balagans in the vicinity of Paris" (1877).

A year later, the artist returns to his homeland, marries Alexandra Ryazantseva and moves to Moscow with his new wife.

The painting of the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv is the most important work in the life of Vasnetsov

In 1885, A. Prakhov invited Vasnetsov to take part in the painting of the recently erected Vladimir Cathedral (Kyiv). After thinking, the artist agrees. He has already gained minimal experience by working on the Abramtsevo Church of the Savior and epic canvases. Being a deeply religious person, it is in the painting of churches that Vasnetsov begins to see his true calling.

Vasnetsov worked on the painting in the Vladimir Cathedral for more than ten (!) years. After all, he was instructed to paint both the main nave and the apse. The artist skillfully depicted important scenes from the New and Old Testaments, Russian saints, ennobled the arches with the help of amazing ornaments. In the history of art throughout the 19th century, the scale of the work carried out has no equal. Indeed, during this time, Viktor Mikhailovich created over four hundred sketches, and the total area of the painting occupies more than 2 thousand square meters. m.!

The work was interesting, but also very difficult. After all, V. M. Vasnetsov, whose biography is the topic of our conversation, carefully studied the topic with which he had to work. To this end, he familiarized himself with the monumentsearly Christianity, preserved in Italy, frescoes and mosaics that existed in the Kiev St. Sophia Cathedral, painting of the Mikhailovsky and Kirillovsky monasteries. Vasnetsov paid close attention to the study of related areas of art: folk art, ancient Russian book miniatures. In many ways, when working, he was guided by the Moscow Old Believer icons. And besides, Vasnetsov always checked whether his work was consistent enough with the spirit of the Church. The artist was forced to discard many sketches because he himself considered his works to be insufficiently ecclesiastical, or because the Church Council did not give consent to them.

Vasnetsov himself believed that his work in the cathedral was his personal "path to the light", to the comprehension of great values. Sometimes it was very difficult for him due to the fact that he could not portray this or that plot exactly as he saw it in his thoughts.

One of the most beloved images was the Mother of God Vasnetsova, depicted for the first time "with warmth, courage and sincerity." In many Russian houses of the late XIX-early XX centuries. you could see reproductions of it.

The work was completed in 1896, and in the presence of the Tsar's family, the cathedral was solemnly consecrated. Vasnetsov's painting was a huge success, and already in the same year, many proposals rained down on the artist from all sides for the design of St. Petersburg, Warsaw, Darmstadt and other churches. The pinnacle of Vasnetsov's work as a muralist-decorator was his painting The Last Judgment.

Vasnetsov is an experimenter,combining centuries-old traditions and living power in his work

Painting the Kyiv Cathedral, Vasnetsov does not stop working in other genres in his free time. In particular, at that time he created a whole cycle of historical epic paintings.

Viktor Mikhailovich devoted some time to creating theatrical scenery.

In 1875-1883 Vasnetsov is instructed to paint an atypical painting "The Stone Age", which was supposed to decorate the Historical Museum of Moscow, which will open soon.

But on one of his most famous paintings - "Bogatyrs" - the artist worked for several decades, and finished his work in 1898. Vasnetsov himself called this picture his "obligation to his native people." And in April of the same year, Pavel Tretyakov happily took this picture so that it would forever become one of the most striking exhibits in his gallery.

Vasnetsov's paintings never left people indifferent, although fierce disputes often developed around them. Someone bowed and admired them, someone criticized them. But the amazing, "live" and soulful works could not go unnoticed.

Vasnetsov died on July 23, 1926 at the age of 79 due to heart problems. However, the traditions that he initiated continued and continue to live in the works of artists of the following generations.