Artist Viktor Vasnetsov is an artist and painter. The artist’s creative direction is mostly associated with historical and fairy-tale themes, Russian epics. Vasnetsov very skillfully used his talent and skills to clearly demonstrate his understanding of folk tales, drawing inspiration from rich folklore images. Thanks to his ability to accurately implement his plans, he soon became recognizable. The public immediately appreciated and loved his work.

Biography - Viktor Vasnetsov was born into the family of a poor priest M.V. Vasnetsov, Vyatka province, village of Ryabovo on May 15, 1848. From early childhood it was noticed that he gravitated towards drawing; the main subjects of his sketches were local landscapes and scenes of village life. Later, Vasnetsov was accepted to study at a theological school in 1858, and a little later he entered the theological seminary in the city of Vyatka.

In Vyatka, the young artist develops his drawing abilities; the main theme of his drawings was the themes of Russian folk proverbs, fairy tales, and sayings. While studying at the seminary, he met the exiled Polish artist Andrioli E, who enlightened the young artist Vasnetsov about the art of painting; subsequently, Vasnetsov decided, in order to avoid leaving the last course of the seminary, and enter the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, in which the artist Andrioli actually helped him , introducing Vasnetsov to Bishop A. Krasinsky, who persuaded Governor Kampaneyshchikov to organize a lottery promotion to sell Vasnetsov's pictures The Milkmaid and the Reaper, thus earning some money, plus a little help from his father,

Vasnetsov went to St. Petersburg in 1867. In the city of Petra, he enters the academy after passing the exams; without learning about his enrollment in the academy, he is faced with a difficult financial situation while looking for a place to live. In his difficult situation, the brother of Vyatsky’s teacher Krasovsky helps, placing Vasnetsov in a cartographic organization; later the artist drew illustrations for books and various magazines, while simultaneously attending the drawing school of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists, where an important acquaintance in his life with the artist Ivan Kramskoy took place.

In 1868, he again tries to enter the academy, being surprised to learn that he was admitted to the academy last year. At the academy he met Repin and many other artists and teachers, including Pavel Chistyakov. While studying at the academy, the artist Vasnetsov creates hundreds of different illustrations for various children's alphabet books and fairy tales. He draws townspeople and everyday scenes from city life.

Having not completed his studies at the academy, he left it, the reason was this: Vasnetsov wanted to paint pictures on a free theme, one might say where his soul was headed, on the themes of Russian epics and fairy tales, which was accordingly prohibited at the Academy of Arts.

On his creative path, the Artist Viktor Vasnetsov created a large number of unique paintings, including famous paintings such as Ivan the Terrible, After the Battle of Igor Svyatoslavich with the Polovtsians - the first serious work in the Russian epic direction written in 1878, then in 1882, Knight at the Crossroads, The battle of the Russians with the Scythians, “The Flying Carpet, The Three Princesses of the Underground Kingdom,” Alyonushka’s painting is very remarkable, this painting was painted in a national rhythm with a deep poetic touch. His very famous painting The Bogatyrs of 1898, which Pavel Tretyakov acquired for his collection.

After writing the heroes, Vasnetsov was thinking about his personal exhibition, which he decided to organize in the spring of 1899 in the halls of the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. The artist put on display about 38 of his best works.

The most notable painting at this exhibition, of course, was the painting Bogatyri, about which there were many flattering statements from contemporaries.

According to Stasov, this painting is simply a leader among other works of artists and deserves everyone’s attention and approval.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Vasnetsov worked with paintings on religious themes, and also continued to work with epic and fairy-tale themes.

From under his brush come the paintings Bayan, The Frog Princess, The Sleeping Princess, Kashchei the Immortal and The Princess of the Unsmey

The artist’s creativity in his life’s journey was very rich, many painting masterpieces were written, the subject matter of which is simply unique and unsurpassed.

The artist’s creative energy was truly inexhaustible, yet many of his plans were not destined to come true. In 1926, in the summer of July 23, Vasnetsov died unexpectedly while painting a portrait of his colleague Nesterov.

Born in the village of Lopyal, Vyatka province. The son of the village priest Mikhail Vasilyevich Vasnetsov and Apollinaria Ivanovna. In total, there were six children in the family, including Apollinary Vasnetsov, an artist known for his picturesque reconstructions of old, pre-Petrine Moscow.

He received his primary education at the Vyatka Theological Seminary. In 1868–1875 he studied at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. In 1876 he was in Paris, then in Italy. Since 1874, he constantly participated in exhibitions of the Itinerants. In 1892 he received the title of academician. Like many Russian artists of that time, he sought to go beyond the boundaries of the canons of academic art.

Since 1878, Vasnetsov settled in Moscow, where he painted the most famous paintings and developed an illustrative and folklore direction of creativity. Contemporaries were amazed by the huge canvases on historical themes and themes of Russian fairy tales and epics - “After the Massacre”, “Bogatyrs”, etc.

Vasnetsov's art gave rise to heated discussions. Many saw in him the beginning of a new, truly national direction in Russian painting. But the majority considered his painting uninteresting, and attempts to revive Byzantine and Old Russian styles fruitless. Particular controversy arose after the publication of the first issue of the World of Art magazine in 1898, where Vasnetsov’s work was also presented. “I could not at all approve of the fact that in the very first issue, which after all had the meaning of a well-known credo of our ideals and aspirations, half of the illustrations were dedicated to the artist towards whom I had developed a certain negative attitude, namely to Viktor Vasnetsov” - A.N. was indignant. Benoit. A little later, Mikhail Nesterov wrote: “Dozens of outstanding Russian artists originate from a national source - the talent of Viktor Vasnetsov.”

However, the work of V.M. Vasnetsov influenced the artists of the Art Nouveau period and, especially, the artists of the Abramtsevo circle S.I. Mamontov, one of the organizers of which he was an active participant in the 1880s. Vasnetsov designed costumes and scenery for productions at the Mamontov Theater, and in 1881, together with V. Polenov, he built a church in the “Russian style” in Abramtsevo. Subsequently, he designed and completed many buildings: his own house and workshop in 3rd Troitsky Lane (now Vasnetsova), the Tsvetkov Gallery on Prechistenskaya Embankment, the facade of the main building of the Tretyakov Gallery in Lavrushinsky Lane, etc.

In 1885-1896 he took part in the work on the paintings of the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv. He continued his appeal to the religious theme in mosaics for the Church of the Ascension in St. Petersburg, paintings and mosaics of the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist on Presnya, etc.

He was married to Alexandra Vladimirovna Ryazantseva. He had sons: Boris, Alexei, Mikhail, Vladimir and daughter Tatyana.

He died in Moscow in his studio while working on a portrait. He was buried at the Lazarevskoye cemetery. Later, his ashes were transferred to the Vvedenskoye Cemetery in Moscow.

Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov was born in 1848 on May 15 in a village with the funny name Lopyal. Vasnetsov's father was a priest, as were his grandfather and great-grandfather. In 1850, Mikhail Vasilyevich took his family to the village of Ryabovo. This was due to his service. Viktor Vasnetsov had 5 brothers, one of whom also became a famous artist, his name was Apollinaris.

Vasnetsov’s talent manifested itself from childhood, but the extremely unfortunate financial situation in the family left no options for how to send Victor to the Vyatka Theological School in 1858. Already at the age of 14, Viktor Vasnetsov studied at the Vyatka Theological Seminary. Children of priests were taken there for free.

Having never graduated from the seminary, in 1867 Vasnetsov went to St. Petersburg to enter the Academy of Arts. He had very little money, and Victor put up 2 of his paintings for “auction” - “The Milkmaid” and “The Reaper”. Before leaving, he never received money for them. He received 60 rubles for these two paintings a few months later in St. Petersburg. Arriving in the capital, the young artist had only 10 rubles.

Vasnetsov did an excellent job in the drawing exam and was immediately enrolled in the Academy. For about a year he studied at the Drawing School, where he met his teacher -.

Vasnetsov began studying at the Academy of Arts in 1868. At this time, he became friends with, and at one time they even lived in the same apartment.

Although Vasnetsov liked it at the Academy, he did not graduate, leaving in 1876, where he lived for more than a year. At this time, Repin was also there on a business trip. They also maintained friendly relations.

After returning to Moscow, Vasnetsov was immediately accepted into the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions. By this time, the artist’s drawing style was changing significantly, and not only the style, Vasnetsov himself moved to live in Moscow, where he became close to Tretyakov and Mamontov. It was in Moscow that Vasnetsov came into his own. He liked being in this city, he felt at ease and performed various creative works.

For more than 10 years, Vasnetsov designed the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv. M. Nesterov helped him in this. It was after the completion of this work that Vasnetsov can rightfully be called a great Russian icon painter.

1899 became the peak of the artist’s popularity. At his exhibition, Vasnetsov presented to the public.

After the revolution, Vasnetsov no longer lived in Russia, but in the USSR, which seriously depressed him. People destroyed his paintings and treated the artist with disrespect. But until the end of his life, Viktor Mikhailovich was faithful to his work - he painted. He died on July 23, 1926 in Moscow, without finishing the portrait of his friend and student M. Nesterov.

The second half of the 19th century is the brightest and most eventful time in relation to Russian fine art, where the main characters - the beginners - are our domestic Peredvizhniki artists, tired of the academic monopoly and thirsty for reforms and freedom of choice.

The desire for independent creativity brought together many painters along different ideological positions, the main one of which was the rejection of imposed academicism, with its primitive goals and direction, related to various mythologies with decorative overtones and props. The goal was simple, to create compositions on a free theme that would reveal and reflect the real life of Russian people, thereby bringing art closer to the common people.

And finally, in 1863, about 14 graduates of the Academy of Arts, with their firm decision, refused to perform their thesis, again all on the topic of mythology - The Feast on Valhalla. Led by I. Kramskoy, the artists insistently demanded to write their works on free themes. Of course, the strict charter of the academy did not allow such liberties under any circumstances and they were denied. Looking at all this, many talented and determined students defiantly left this institution.

Finding themselves in such a situation, a group of artists led by Kramskoy decided to create their own independent union or artel of painters and write works on free themes. However, it did not last very long, about 7 years. And only in 1870, a more serious association was created, now known as the TPHV partnership, capable of organizing traveling art exhibitions in different cities of Russia, with paintings that truly reflected the real life of the people, the life of ordinary peasants, and the beauty of the Russian outskirts.

Famous artists. TPHV

(1837 - 1887) Ivan Kramskoy is a wonderful master of the portrait genre, Portrait of an unknown beautiful stranger, I. I. Shishkin and others. His famous painting Christ in the Desert caused a storm of emotions and controversy that did not subside for a long time. A famous painter, one of the main reformers in art, known for his anti-academic activities, advocating for the free development of young painters. Kramskoy is the main founder and founder of TPHV. (1834-1882). His famous paintings Tea Party in Mytishchi, Arrival of the Stavoy for the investigation, Paintings by Perov are imbued with genuine tragedy: Old parents at the grave of their son, a very touching painting Troika, Bird Catcher, The Last Tavern at the Outpost, Arrival of a Governess to a Merchant's House, painting Fisherman, also very popular canvas Hunters at rest. which even today is considered the most discussed and loved by all hunters. (1830-1897) An excellent landscape painter, a master of the lyrical Russian landscape, his famous painting The Rooks have Arrived, His other works are no less popular Forest Road, At the Monastery Gates, Spring Day. After Savrasov, Lyrical Landscape gained peak popularity among his other colleagues. Savrasov revealed in his paintings all the subtle beauty of the Russian landscape with extraordinary lyricism, the mystery of existence, which overturned all the ideas of his contemporaries about his native Russian nature.

(1832-1898) Famous paintings by Ivan Shishkin: Morning in a pine forest, Sosnovy bor. Rye, Stream in the forest, a painting about a cold region in the wild north, one of my favorite sketches of Pines illuminated by the sun. Park in Pavlovsk, a beautifully detailed picture, Winter, with rich light and shadow contrasts, In the forest of Countess Mordvinova. Peterhof, Ship Grove and many others. Famous and unique master of forest landscapes, (1844-1930) Famous paintings by Ilya Repin. Barge haulers on the Volga Procession in the Kursk province, Letter from the Cossacks, Ivan the Terrible kills his son, They Didn’t Wait, etc. Portraits of Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy, military engineer A.I. Delvig, composers Mussorgsky, V.A. Repina, Tretyakov P.M. Dragonfly. Repin's paintings and portraits are distinguished by their versatility; he painted a number of monumental genre paintings that gained enormous popularity among his contemporaries. (1831-1894) One of the leaders and organizers of the Association of Traveling Exhibitions. One of his notable works, What is Truth?, Christ and Pilate, at that time the painting was criticized by the clergy, for which it was removed from the exhibition. His other works were also banned: Works The Court of the Sanhedrin. “Guilty of death!, Crucifixion, were simply not allowed to exhibitions and were prohibited from display. Later, he tore up his work due to the monopoly of academicism. .. (1844-1927) Polenov’s most notable works appeared in such wonderful paintings as “Moscow Courtyard,” “ Overgrown Pond", Golden Autumn and the painting Grandmother's Garden. After these works, he became a full member of the Union of the Wanderers. An excellent master who left a significant legacy in Russian landscape painting of the 19th and 20th centuries, distinguished by a touching emotional perception and bright richness of color. Polenov's creative potential was inclined to epic vision of the landscape (1848-1926) Famous master painter. His famous works in this genre: The airplane carpet, one of the most popular among the people, Three Heroes, The Knight on the Rapout, Alyonushka, a very beautiful canvas conceived based on the fairy tale Ivan Tsarevich on the Gray Wolf , Tsar Ivan the Terrible, Bayan, Snegurochka and many others. Many of these paintings played a huge role in the development of Russian national painting. Member of the Wanderers since 1878.

(1848-1916) A remarkable Russian painter, his famous works Boyarina Morozova, Morning of the Streltsy Execution, Menshikov in Berezovo, the painting Ermak’s Conquest of Siberia and, Among his tragic works, the cheerful and festive painting Capture of the Snowy Town stands out. Surikov knew Russian life and customs of past eras very well. In many of his works he chose tragic fragments of Russian history. (1850-1873) The work of this young and very talented master, who lived a small, short life, enriched Russian painting with many landscapes, such as Wet Meadow, Thaw, In the Crimean Mountains, a Swamp Painting painted brightly in autumn colors and many others. Vasiliev was able to show in his works the nature of the transition state from dull bad weather to a sunny state. Favorite motifs in his canvases are God-forsaken country roads, ravines, potholes, and dilapidated peasant houses grown into the ground. (1841-1910) Kuindzhi’s famous paintings Moonlit night on the Dnieper, attracts with the calm grandeur of nature, Dnieper in the morning, Birch Grove - In his works, he showed Russian nature in a hitherto unprecedented technique of painting, revealing a sublime image of landscapes, sparkling with unusual color and contrast of pure colors and light. Rays of light breaking through the fog playing in puddles on muddy roads. (1860-1900) A magnificent master of quiet and calm landscapes. Autumn day Sokolniki, Gloomy day, Evening ringing After the rain, and Golden Autumn conveying a bright autumn mood also enchant his compositions Above Eternal Peace, Evening, Spring. Big Water, Quiet Abode and Lake, Dandelions. Levitan's works require careful thoughtfulness; they cannot be quickly examined without comprehending the author's intention. He loved his native nature very much, often secluded himself with it, finding an understanding of its beauty. (1839-1915) During his creative biography he created a number of works, including many canvases from the everyday life of peasants, Children running from a thunderstorm, The Reaper, Peasant lunch in a field. Russian painter, representative of classical academicism. He personified a person immersed in the world of beauty and grace, an expert in human psychology and refined feelings. His portraits, Boyaryna at the window. V.A. Morozova, Portrait of Alexander II and many others. (1846-1920) A remarkable Russian painter, in his life’s work he was always a fan of the everyday genre. Several of his famous paintings are compositions about Russian poverty in the villages (1858-1923). The Russian painter, academician of the Academy of Arts, joined the Union of the Wanderers in 1888, and at this exhibition Stepanov’s painting Losi brought him significant success. Stepanov’s artistic style attracts with its unique sketchiness with limited use of the colors of his palette, nevertheless, his brushstrokes are transparent, the coloring of his canvases is not inferior to I. Levitan, therefore, like Levitan’s, his landscapes are also called mood landscapes.

The work of the Itinerants attracted many painters with the ideological side of fine art; many tried to reveal the previously forbidden theme of the life of the oppressed peasantry, under the yoke of the unbridled power of the nobility and landowners. All works were written from imagination and from nature, in the style of genre painting, gradually revealing compositional techniques previously unheard of in the academy and the scope of various characteristics in the work.

In 1871, 16 artists prepared to demonstrate their first achievements at an exhibition in St. Petersburg, held at the Academy of Arts itself, and later the movement of canvases began in cities such as Moscow, Kyiv and Kharkov. All these exhibitions were very successful and provided a huge incentive for the authors themselves and, of course, for the development of culture in Russia. The results of the painters' works truthfully reflected reality itself in portrait genres, landscapes and, of course, canvases with characteristic features of the historical movement, which caused a lot of noise, from dissatisfied rich people to a more democratic public wanting reforms in society.

Also, this entire movement was helped by the sponsorship of patrons of the arts, one of whom was Tretyakov P.M., who bought paintings from many masters and subsequently collected the entire Tretyakov Gallery, which was later donated to the state. Also in the dissemination of pictorial propaganda, the famous critic of that time V.V. Stasov played some positive role. Over the course of 50 years, there were already about 47 such traveling exhibitions and, of course, the realistic style of writing always prevailed at them.

In conclusion, we can say that the second half of the 19th century characterized itself as the golden time of fine art in Russia and all this thanks to the courage and determination of the partnership of now famous artists, who left us a legacy of all this wealth, which today can be seen with our own eyes in various museums.

Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov (1848 - 1926) is a Russian artist who became famous for his depictions of historical and folklore scenes.

Biography of Viktor Vasnetsov

Vasnetsov was born on May 3, 1848 in a small village in the Vyatka province in the family of a priest. Education in Vasnetsov’s biography was received at the Vyatka Theological Seminary. But Vasnetsov’s artistic style improved while studying at the St. Petersburg art school. The final moment of training was graduation from the Academy of Arts in 1873.

After graduating from the Academy, he traveled abroad. He began exhibiting his works in 1869, first participating in exhibitions of the Academy, then in exhibitions of the Itinerants.

Member of the Mamontov circle in Abramtsevo.

In 1893, Vasnetsov became a full member of the Academy of Arts. After 1905, he was close to the Union of the Russian People, although he was not a member of it, and participated in the financing and design of monarchist publications, including the Book of Russian Sorrow.

In 1912 he was granted “the dignity of the nobility of the Russian Empire with all descendants.”

In 1915, he participated in the establishment of the Society for the Revival of Artistic Rus', along with many other artists of his time.

Viktor Vasnetsov died on July 23, 1926 in Moscow, was buried at the Lazarevskoye cemetery, after the destruction of which the ashes were transferred to the Vvedenskoye cemetery.

Vasnetsov's creativity

In Vasnetsov’s work, various genres are clearly represented, which have become stages of a very interesting evolution: from everyday life writing to fairy tales, from easel painting to monumental painting, from the earthiness of the Wanderers to the prototype of the Art Nouveau style.

At an early stage, Vasnetsov’s works were dominated by everyday subjects, for example, in the paintings “From Apartment to Apartment” (1876), “Military Telegram” (1878), “Book Shop” (1876), “Booth Shows in Paris” (1877).

Later, the main direction became the epic-historical - “The Knight at the Crossroads” (1882), “After the Battle of Igor Svyatoslavich with the Polovtsians” (1880), “Alyonushka” (1881), “Ivan Tsarevich on the Gray Wolf” (1889), “Bogatyrs” "(1881-1898), "Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible" (1897).

In the late 1890s, a religious theme occupied an increasingly prominent place in his work (works in the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv and in the Church of the Resurrection (Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood) in St. Petersburg, watercolor drawings and, in general, preparatory originals of wall painting for the cathedral St. Vladimir, paintings of the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist on Presnya.

Vasnetsov worked in a team of artists who designed the interior of the temple-monument of Alexander Nevsky in Sofia.

After 1917, Vasnetsov continued to work on folk fairy-tale themes, creating the canvases “The Fight of Dobrynya Nikitich with the seven-headed Serpent Gorynych” (1918); "Koschei the Immortal" (1917-1926).

One fact from the biography of V.M. testifies to the cruel joke that self-doubt can play on a person. Vasnetsova.

Having arrived from distant Siberia to enter the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, the young man was very worried. During the exam, he drew everything that was asked and began to look around. To his horror, he noticed that the applicant standing at the next easel was skeptically looking at his drawing and was even openly grinning, almost laughing.

“Everything - failed!” - Vasnetsov decided and became so desperate that he didn’t even bother to find out the exam results. After spending several days in a foreign city, the future artist entered the I.N. Drawing School. Kramskoy in the hope of learning more and trying his luck next year.

Imagine his amazement when, having again come to submit documents to the Academy of Arts, he found out that he had entered for the first time and had already been enrolled in the first year for a year!

Bibliography

• Kulzhenko S.V. Cathedral of St. Prince Vladimir Equal to the Apostles in Kyiv. - Kyiv: S.V. Kulzhenko Publishing House, 1898.
• Bakhrevsky V. A. Viktor Vasnetsov. - M.: Young Guard, 1989. - (Life of wonderful people). - ISBN 5-235-00367-5.
• Butina N. Yu. Vasnetsov Viktor Mikhailovich: Afterword // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1994. - No. 7/8. - pp. 124-125.
• Iovleva L. I. Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov. - L.: Artist of the RSFSR, 1964. - 56 p. - (People's Art Library). - 20,000 copies.
• Kudryavtseva L. Vasnetsov. - M.: White City, 1999. - ISBN 5-7793-0163-8.