Paintings by Russian landscape painters of the 18th century. School encyclopedia

Glorious 18th century! With him, in the fascinating and dramatic book of Russian history, not just a new chapter begins, but, perhaps, an entire volume. More precisely, this volume must begin with the last decades of the previous century - the 17th century, when our country, having hesitated painfully at a crossroads, began to make a powerful, unprecedented turn - from the Middle Ages to the New Age. Facing Europe.

Russia at that time is often compared to a ship. This ship moved forward uncontrollably, spreading lush sails, not afraid of any storms and not stopping to shout: “Man overboard!” He was led by the firm hand of a brilliant, fearless and ruthless captain - Tsar Peter, who made Russia an empire and himself its first emperor. His reforms were tough, even cruel. He imposed his will on the country, breaking traditions, without hesitation, sacrificing thousands and thousands of lives to state interests.

Was there a need for this? Was there some other way? The question is very complex, historians have not yet answered it. However, something else is important to us now. The fact that in just a few decades that passed from the beginning of Peter’s reforms to the time of Catherine the Great, Russia, which in the eyes of Western Europe was an alien, dangerous exotic land inhabited by unpredictable barbarians, became not just a European power. One of the first European powers! Rapid changes have occurred not only in politics - they have affected the very foundations of people's lives, their attitude towards the world and each other, everyday life, clothing, many everyday little things that, in fact, make up life. And, of course, art. During these decades, Russian art has flown along the path along which Western European art has flowed for centuries.

Unknown artist. Portrait of the “patriarch” Milak - boyar Matvey Filimonovich Naryshkin. 1690s Oil on canvas. 86.5 x 75 cm. State Russian Museum

The pathos of active knowledge that gripped Russia during the time of Peter the Great, partly makes it similar to Western Europe of the Renaissance. Then in Italy (and then in other countries), the secularization of culture, the development of practical sciences instead of medieval speculative philosophy and a keen interest in the self-valued individual (outside the corporate framework, again characteristic of the Middle Ages) stimulated the rapid development of secular art, which rose to unprecedented heights.

This art is characterized by an accurate rendering of nature, based on the study of the laws of perspective and human anatomy; and, most importantly, a close and caring look at the person. The Renaissance masters show us man, first of all, as a miracle, the crown of creation, which should be admired. By the 17th century, this delight gives way to deep and sober psychologism, awareness of the tragic paradoxes of existence and human nature itself (for example, in the works of Velazquez and Rembrandt).

Russian art of the 17th century was still at the mercy of tradition and canon. Secular painting of that time consists of parsun portraits (from the Latin word “persona”), which are very reminiscent of iconographic faces. They are flat, static, devoid of chiaroscuro, and do not accurately convey the appearance of the subjects (known to the authors, as a rule, by hearsay). All this, of course, is not due to lack of talent. Before us is a different artistic system, intended for spiritual art. Once upon a time it brought to life the masterpieces of Theophanes the Greek and Andrei Rublev. But times have changed, and painting techniques, devoid of historical basis, have turned into archaism.

Rapid changes in society - and with it in art - began in the nineties of the 17th century. A typical example is the portrait of the royal jester Yakov Turgenev, painted by an unknown artist no later than 1695. In general, this is a typical parsuna: a frozen image on a plane, although the light and shadows are already outlined. But the main thing is to individualize the model’s appearance: facial features, eye expression; the inner world in the portrait is not yet reflected, and yet before us is undoubtedly a living person.

Ivan Nikitin. Portrait of Princess Praskovya Ivanovna (?), niece of Peter I. 1714.
Canvas, oil. 88 x 67.5 cm. State Russian Museum

Ivan Nikitin. Portrait of Baron Sergei Grigorievich Stroganov. 1726
Canvas, oil. 87 x 65 cm. State Russian Museum

Ivan Nikitin. Peter I on his deathbed. 1725
Canvas, oil. 36.6 x 54.4 cm. State Russian Museum

The fact that the portrait genre began to develop very quickly is not surprising. Firstly, it already existed in Russian painting (unlike most other genres that were yet to appear). The main reason is that in the era of Peter the Great the importance of the individual grew sharply - active, thirsty for self-affirmation, breaking traditions and class barriers. These were the “chicks of Petrov’s nest” - from Menshikov to Abram Hannibal - passionate and talented people of various origins, thanks to whom the Russian ship was able to overcome the stormy sea of ​​radical reforms. The fates of these people were often tragic. A similar fate awaited the first famous artist of the 18th century to emerge under Peter, Ivan Nikitin.

He was born in the mid-1680s (the exact date is unknown) in the family of a Moscow priest. He showed extraordinary abilities early on: while still a very young man, he taught arithmetic and drawing at the “artillery school” in Moscow. He began to seriously study painting at the direction of Peter I, who learned about his talent.

Nikitin's early works (for example, a portrait supposedly depicting Peter's niece Praskovya Ioannovna (1714)) are still in many ways reminiscent of parsuns with their flatness, conventionality and disregard for anatomy. But new features are becoming more and more noticeable in them: close attention to the model, attempts to convey her character, inner life. In 1716, Nikitin was included in the number of Peter's pensioners - young people sent abroad to study at state expense.

Ivan Nikitin. Portrait of the floor hetman. 1720s
Canvas, oil. 76 x 60 cm. State Russian Museum

Before leaving, the tsar personally met with the artist, and then wrote to his wife (who was then in Berlin) asking her to commission him to paint several portraits, including the Prussian king, “so that they would know that there are good masters from among our people.” And upon returning from abroad, Peter did not leave Nikitin with his attention: he gave him a house in the center of St. Petersburg and called him “Hofmahler of personal affairs.”

The artist felt more than just gratitude to the emperor - he admired this powerful personality and deeply respected his statesman genius. This attitude is very noticeable in the famous portrait of Peter by Nikitin. The man in the portrait is no longer young; There is bitterness in his gaze and stubbornly compressed lips. Obviously, he managed to see and appreciate the other side of grandiose achievements. But - give up? In no case! He is still the embodiment of fortitude and indomitable energy. And in 1725, the artist had to fulfill a mournful duty: to capture the emperor on his deathbed. This painting makes a strong impression. The face of the deceased, alarmingly illuminated by the flames of candles (remaining “behind the scenes” of the picture), is depicted strictly realistically and at the same time full of true greatness.

These and other works by Nikitin testify to the rapid growth of his skill. Here, for example, is a portrait of Chancellor G.I. Golovkin. What a smart, subtle and ambiguous person it depicts! The look of his dark, attentive eyes fixed on the viewer is simply mesmerizing. Or the magnificent “Portrait of the Floor Hetman”. These paintings are laconic, full of internal dynamism and extremely expressive. Their author is no longer constrained by the canon; he is capable of the most complex technical techniques.

This stiffness and rigidity are visible in the works of another Peter the Great’s pensioner, Andrei Matveev, for example in “Self-Portrait with His Wife” (1729?). The poses and facial expressions of the young couple depicted on it are static and deliberate. At the same time, the portrait attracts with some deep sincerity and purity. When we look at it, a distant era suddenly appears nearby and speaks to us directly...

After the death of Peter I, difficult times began in Russia. His successors, absorbed in the struggle for power, were little concerned about the fate of the state and its talented subjects. The creative life of Ivan Nikitin ended sadly. During the reign of Anna Ioannovna, he was arrested for participating in a Moscow opposition circle, from which a pamphlet on Feofan Prokopovich came out. He spent five years in the fortress, then, in 1737, he was beaten with whips and exiled to Siberia. Forgiveness was received after 1742, when the quarrelsome empress passed away; alas, it's too late.

The exhausted and sick artist was never able to get home - he died on the way.

The era of palace coups, which almost threw away everything that had been achieved under Peter, ended in 1741 with the accession of his daughter Elizabeth. Having received the throne through usurpation (the young Emperor John Antonovich was removed and imprisoned in a fortress), she resolutely set out to restore order in the state. Like her father, she strove for Russia to take its rightful place among the European powers. She knew how to find and support talented people from a variety of social backgrounds. And, unlike her father, during her entire reign she did not sign a single death warrant.

It is not surprising that at this time a high rise in national culture begins. Moscow University was established in 1755, the National Theater was created in 1756, and the Academy of Arts was founded in 1757. Russian fine art was becoming truly professional.

The leading role in painting of this period still belonged to the portrait. In the forties and sixties, I. Vishnyakov, A. Antropov, I. Argunov, M. Kolokolnikov, E. Vasilievsky, K. Golovachevsky worked in this direction. Portrait art developed in two genres: formal and chamber.

The ceremonial portrait is in many ways a product of the Baroque style (this direction, which originated in the 16th century, dominated then in Russia) with its ponderous pomp and gloomy grandeur. His task is to show not just a person, but an important person in all the splendor of her high social position. Hence the abundance of accessories designed to emphasize this position, the theatrical pomp of the pose. The model is depicted against the backdrop of a landscape or interior, but always in the foreground, often in full height, as if suppressing the surrounding space with its grandeur.

Ivan Vishnyakov. Portrait of M. S. Begichev. 1825 Oil on canvas. 92 x 78.5 cm
Museum V.A. Tropinin and Moscow artists of his time, Moscow

It was with ceremonial portraits that one of the leading portrait painters of that time, I.Ya., became famous. Vishnyakov (1699-1761). His works follow the traditions of the genre, but also have a number of features unique to this master. First of all, sophistication of color, refined elegance, light ornamentation, that is, features characteristic of the Rococo style. Particularly indicative in this regard is the portrait of the young Sarah Eleanor Fermor, painted in 1749 (a few years later the artist also created a portrait of her brother).

A thin, dark-eyed girl in a powdered wig and a fluffy dress made of stiff satin froze against the background of draperies and columns. It is precisely this contrast of fragile youth and ceremonial decorativeness that is impressive, emphasized by the entire pinkish-silver palette of the picture, the mother-of-pearl tints of hard folds, the subtle pattern that seems to lie slightly to the side of the fabric - like frost on glass, and the transparent landscape in the background. This canvas is somewhat reminiscent of a vase made of fine porcelain, which you admire, afraid to touch, lest it be damaged by a careless movement.

Vishnyakov is the first of the Russian painters to so clearly gravitate towards lyricism in the interpretation of images. This line will be continued in the works of his younger contemporaries and artists of the second half of the century.

Alexey Antropov. Portrait of Anna Vasilievna Buturlina. 1763
Canvas, oil. 60.3 x 47 cm. State Tretyakov Gallery

The most significant works of portrait art of the 18th century were created in the genre of chamber portraits rather than ceremonial ones. The heyday of this genre begins in the forties. It is characterized by laconicism, a small number of details (each of which becomes especially significant, adding something to the characteristics of the model), as a rule, a dull dark background. Masters of chamber portraiture focus their main attention on the face, shown in close-up, carefully noting the features of appearance, achieving as much resemblance as possible, trying to penetrate into the inner world of the person being depicted.

The main achievements in this genre belong to two artists who, along with Vishnyakov, are considered by art historians to be the largest painters of the mid-18th century - Antropov and Argunov.

A.P. Antropov (1716-1795) studied painting with his relative, Andrei Matveev, one of Peter the Great’s pensioners. Already in his youth, he began working in the painting team of the Office of Buildings under the leadership of first Matveev, then Vishnyakov. These masters had a great influence on him, and he, in turn, was Levitsky’s teacher, his works influenced the work of Rokotov, and later Borovikovsky and Shchukin. This is how continuity in Russian portrait art was carried out, passing through the entire 18th century.

Antropov's most famous paintings were created in the fifties and sixties. At this time, according to researchers, he can be considered a central figure in Russian painting. Portraits of the Buturlins, A.M. Izmailova, M.A. Rumyantseva, A.K. Vorontsova and Ataman Krasnoshchekov are portrayed as very different, but somewhat similar people - representatives of the same social class, the same era. Sometimes these paintings make us remember the Parsuns: they (as in Vishnyakov’s works) sometimes lack air and dynamism; Consistently accurate external characteristics of models are not always accompanied by internal ones.

However, where this characteristic is present, it achieves impressive strength. As, for example, in the portrait of state lady A.M. Izmailova. The face of this middle-aged woman is hidden behind a smooth mask of white and rouge. It is majestic, full of imperious power and a serene consciousness of its own superiority. The thought involuntarily comes to mind: how difficult it must be for those under her command. But the artist shows the ambiguity of human nature: looking more closely, we notice that the eyes of the arrogant lady are wiser and softer than it seemed at first impression...

Another example is the ceremonial portrait of Emperor Peter III. This Holstein prince was chosen by the childless Elizabeth as a successor only because of his relationship (he was her nephew, the grandson of Peter I), and not because of his personal qualities, which, alas, were insignificant. After several months of inglorious reign, he was removed from the throne by his own wife, the future Great Empress Catherine. This insignificance of the personality is so clearly visible in the portrait (despite the fact that it is simply overflowing with draperies, orders, ermine robes and other attributes of pomp and power) that, frankly, one feels sorry for the hapless emperor.

Antropov hardly set out to debunk the monarch as his goal. He just, like a true master, could not lie. Such fearless precision cost the artist his career: he never became a member of the newly opened Academy of Arts.

With the name I.P. Argunov (1729-1802) is associated with a special page in the history of Russian art. He was a serf throughout his life. Serfdom strengthened in the 18th century, effectively turning into a type of slavery. The nobles of the brilliant imperial court, competing with each other, erected luxurious palaces, established theaters and art galleries. The creativity of serf architects, painters, musicians, and actors was in great demand. They looked for talented people and nurtured them, created conditions for them to work, but at the whim of the master they could easily lose everything. Argunov was also in this position, often forced to be distracted from work, either to copy paintings or to manage the owner’s property.

Ivan Argunov. Our Lady. 1753 (?). Canvas, oil. 202 x 70.7 cm. State Russian Museum
Ivan Argunov. Jesus Christ. 1753 (?). Canvas, oil. 198 x 71 cm. State Russian Museum

It is also fortunate that his owners were not the worst - the Sheremetev counts. Now we are talking about both of these families - the Sheremetevs and the Argunovs - that they glorified their names in Russian history: one gave Russia commanders and politicians, the other - architects and painters. The architects were Ivan Argunov's cousin and his son Pavel; they took part in the construction of the palace complexes of Kuskovo and Ostankino. Argunov’s second son, Nikolai, who became famous at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries, became a portrait painter, like his father.

In the creative manner of I.P. Argunov is close to Antropov. His portraits - especially the ceremonial ones - also sometimes make one think of the Parsuns. The important persons depicted on them are Prince and Princess Lobanov-Rostovsky, Admiral General Prince M.M. Golitsyn, representatives of the Sheremetev family and others gaze motionlessly at the viewer, constrained by their own brilliance. Like Antropov, Argunov carefully writes out textures, admiring the shimmer of fabrics, the sparkle of jewelry, and cascades of airy lace. (Admiration for the beauty of the material world, we note by the way, is not unique to these masters: this is one of the characteristic features of all painting of the 18th century.)

The psychological characteristics of the models are hidden behind this brilliance, but they are there and are quite accessible to the eye of an attentive viewer. In the intimate portraits by Argunov, it is this characteristic that comes to the fore. These are the portraits of Tolstoy, husband and wife Khripunov, an unknown peasant woman and a number of others, depicting people of very different social status, age and temperament. The artist peers into the faces of these people intently and interestedly, noticing the slightest features of appearance and character, sometimes openly admiring their beauty, especially their inner beauty (this is especially noticeable in the portraits of Khripunova and an unknown peasant woman in Russian costume).

Ivan Argunov earned the recognition of his contemporaries both as an artist (it was not without reason that after Catherine II’s accession to the throne that the Senate commissioned him for a ceremonial portrait of the young empress, with which she was very pleased), and as a teacher. His students were, in addition to his son Nikolai, K.I. Golovachevsky, I.S. Sablukov, A.P. Losenko - future famous painters and prominent figures of the Academy of Arts.

The genre that appeared in Russian art in the last years of Peter’s reign, reached its peak in the post-Petrine era and received a kind of continuation in the middle and second half of the century deserves special discussion.
We are talking about still life.

This genre was very popular in European art of the 18th century (when, by the way, the term itself arose). The luxurious still lifes of Flemish and Dutch artists are especially famous: shiny goblets of wine, piles of fruit and dead game - a kind of symbol of carnal joy and material abundance. The material world never ceased to amaze and delight painters, and in Russia, too, when secular fine art began to rapidly develop there.

The first Russian still lifes were painted by several masters, including anonymous ones. Among them, the most famous name is Grigory Teplov. A seminarian, a student of Feofan Prokopovich, later a statesman and scientist, he created several original and in their own way very attractive paintings. They depict everyday things scattered as if in random disorder on a wooden board, under which the canvas is disguised. They are painted so carefully that the illusion of reality is created; it is not for nothing that art critics call this type of still life “tricks.”

An engraving, a watch, notes, a bottle of medicine, a pen and a notebook, that is, basically those objects that have recently come into use are signs of a new way of life that has not yet become familiar. This is the life of people who are driven by a keen interest in the world and a thirst for knowledge; for whom a thing is not just a household item, but a mystery worthy of comprehension. That is why these seemingly artless paintings have such a strong energy. They make us feel unusually keenly the attractiveness of those distant times. It’s as if the “decoy” is indeed a real, living thing, which right now, a moment ago, was touched by the hand of its long-gone owner...

Quite a few years have passed - and now life has returned to its usual rut and the pathos of the discoverer has been replaced by a festive rapture with the joys of life. Such was the atmosphere of the Elizabethan court - “the cheerful Elizabeth,” as her contemporaries called her. Along with Baroque, the Rococo style is coming into fashion - light, playful, flirtatious. Enfilades of palace halls are decorated with whimsical decor.

Boris Sukhodolsky. Astronomy. Around 1754. Desudeporte
Canvas, oil. 100 x 210 cm. State Tretyakov Gallery

It was then that a unique type of still life - desudéportes, or door panels - developed in Russian art. They depicted vases, flowers and fruits, exquisite landscapes, draperies, and ornaments. Designed to decorate and harmonize the interior, they can rarely be considered as independent works of art, outside the general architectural and, as they would say now, design solutions for the space. At the same time, they were performed, as a rule, at a very high level.

In the training of masters working in this area, an institution such as the above-mentioned St. Petersburg Office of Buildings, which had architectural and painting teams, played a major role. The artists of the painting team carried out numerous orders for painting palaces, churches, triumphal and festive buildings. Among them, such masters as Ivan Firsov, brothers Alexey and Ivan Belsky, and Boris Sukhodolsky stood out.

The works of Firsov and A. Belsky are emphatically decorative; When depicting vases, fruits and draperies, they did not at all strive for them to look like the real thing. Interiors decorated with the works of these masters acquired completeness and brilliance.

Sukhodolsky viewed his task somewhat differently. His desudéportes are, as a rule, landscapes. Artfully integrated into the interior, they are nevertheless completely perceived separately. Gardens and parks in the late Baroque style - with brooding greenery, grottoes, ruins and fountains, decorated with statues in the ancient spirit and busts of great people. Such gardens were very popular in the 18th century; some of them, for example, the famous park in Pavlovsk, have survived to this day. In this park, by the way, under Catherine II there were special garden libraries: looking at the busts of the great, it is so gratifying to engage in serious reading and reflection on the sublime. We can also see figures of reading people on Sukhodolsky’s panels (for example, “Walk,” ca. 1754).

“Falseaux” and desudeportes may not seem a very serious topic to consider next to the high achievements of portraiture, history and genre painting.

But without them, the idea of ​​the art of the 18th century would be incomplete. They are closely connected with the time that gave birth to them. Perhaps it would not be an exaggeration to say that they contain the soul of this time, its unique charm.

Ivan Sablukov. Portrait of Catherine II. 1770s Oil on canvas. 85 x 65.5 cm

In 1762, the Russian throne was occupied by the former German princess Sophia Frederica - Empress Catherine II. She overthrew her husband, who was incapable of either governing the state or maintaining at least some prestige of the imperial court, with the help of the guard. The “Century of Women,” as the 18th century is sometimes called, continued and reached its peak.

It was under Catherine that Russia became a truly great power. Successes accompanied her army and diplomacy. New lands were annexed, including the Northern Black Sea region, Crimea, and the North Caucasus; The borders of the empire moved far to the south and west. In Europe, Russia was considered a desirable ally and a very dangerous enemy;
conflicts concerning European countries could not be resolved without her participation.

Catherine's domestic policy was decisive and tough. She chose Peter I as an example for herself (by her order, the famous monument was erected to him on St. Petersburg Palace Square). Strengthening the foundations of an absolute monarchy, it granted privileges to the nobility - its main support - and strengthened the enslavement of the peasants. Being a fan of the French Enlightenment, she, in order to prevent the foundations of the state from being undermined (with the beginning of the revolution in France, this task became especially urgent!), persecuted freethinking and mercilessly suppressed peasant revolts.

Catherine, like Peter and Elizabeth, knew how to appreciate talent. Suvorov, Dashkova, Potemkin, Ushakov, Derzhavin are only a small part of the constellation of names that glorified her time. The brilliant names of Russian painters are also woven into this constellation.

Ivan Sablukov. Portrait of Countess L.N. Kusheleva. 1770s. Canvas, oil. 65 x 50 cm
Nizhny Novgorod State Art Museum

Russian painting, like culture as a whole, was at this time greatly influenced by the ideas of the Enlightenment. This socio-philosophical movement, whose birthplace was France, was based on the cult of reason, capable of understanding the world and transforming it on the principles of justice, expediency and progress. For the enlighteners, all these concepts were clearly positive. That which hindered progress was to be condemned; the irrational and the inexplicable were considered false.

Classicism became the expression of these ideas in art. Based on the perception of antiquity as an ideal, this movement, as opposed to Baroque and Rococo, strived for clarity and strict simplicity. Beauty is quantifiable - this is the credo of classicism. There are laws, strictly observing which you can create a perfect work of art. This, on the one hand, is accuracy, proportionality, unity of parts; on the other hand, “the public is higher than the personal,” “duty is higher than love.”

In France, artists, playwrights, and architects followed the principles of classicism back in the 17th century - long before the Enlightenment; In Russia, the heyday of classicist art occurred in the second half of the 18th century. The activities of the Academy of Arts, founded in 1757 in St. Petersburg, played a big role in this.

The importance of the Academy in the history of Russian art is extremely great. For many decades it remained the only higher art educational institution in Russia. Having received Imperial status in 1764, it remained under the constant tutelage of the authorities, which, on the one hand, gave it the opportunity to pay for long overseas business trips for the best students, and on the other hand, to limit “ideological confusion and vacillation.”

Kirill Golovochevsky. Portrait of Countess Sofia Dmitrievna Matyushkina as a child. 1763.
Canvas, oil. 61.2 x 47.5 cm. State Tretyakov Gallery

Anton Losenko. Portrait of the poet and playwright Alexander Petrovich Sumarokov
Canvas, oil. 74 x 64.5 cm. State Russian Museum

The system for admitting students was, however, quite democratic, unencumbered by formalities. Three students of I.P. were among the first to enter the Academy. Argunova - Losenko, Sablukov and Golovachevsky. Possessing good training, they not only studied, but also helped teachers teach academic classes, and at one time even headed painting classes.

Teaching at the Academy was based, of course, on the principles of classicism. The young men who studied were instilled with the idea of ​​the need to rely on the experience of the past, the value of traditions, especially ancient ones. Art, the teachers explained, should strive for an ideal to which the surrounding life, alas, little corresponds. However, it also contains ideal patterns; a good artist will identify them and present the nature on canvas corrected, the way it should be.

Given such principles, it is not surprising that academics placed the historical genre in first place in painting (biblical, legendary and mythological subjects were also considered historical). After the opening of the Academy, this genre began to flourish in Russian art.

Among the students of I.P. Argunov, who entered the Academy of Arts, A.P. achieved the greatest creative success. Losenko. He proved himself to be an extraordinary portrait painter: Sumarokov, Ivan Shuvalov, and the founder of the Russian theater Fyodor Volkov posed for him. But first of all, we know and appreciate him as a historical painter - the founder of this genre in Russian art.

The early orphaned son of a Little Russian peasant, Anton Losenko was able to make his way in life solely thanks to his talent. In his early youth he sang in the court choir, from there he became a student of Argunov. Then he was sent to the Academy. He was always distinguished by observation, lively curiosity, and greedy desire for knowledge. While abroad (in the sixties he visited Paris twice, then Rome), Losenko kept a “Journal of notable works of painting and sculpture that I noticed,” where he carefully analyzed his impressions of the works of great European masters - Raphael, Rubens, Rembrandt, Poussin, studied ancient monuments, determining his own path in art.

Anton Losenko. Death of Adonis. 1764 Oil on canvas. 77.6 x 105.2 cm

Anton Losenko. Zeus and Thetis. 1769
Canvas, oil. 172 x 126 cm. State Russian Museum

And subsequently, while teaching young artists at the Academy, he never stopped learning himself. He strove for perfect mastery of technique, precise knowledge of anatomy and perspective. His drawings are considered one of the highest achievements of 18th-century graphics; for a long time they served as a model for Academy students in drawing classes. The first manual on plastic anatomy compiled by him in Russia - “Explanation of a brief proportion of a person ... for the benefit of youth practicing drawing ...” - was also used at the Academy for several decades.

Losenko's artistic principles were determined by the end of the sixties. The clear logic of classicism seemed at that time a breath of fresh air against the background of decorative pretentiousness and overload with allegories of the late Baroque and Rococo, in the spirit of which foreign artists invited to Russia at that time worked (for example, S. Torelli and F. Fontainebasso). In 1768, Losenko painted two “academic figures the size of an ordinary person” - studies of the naked body, conventionally called “Cain” and “Abel”, and a year later - the painting “Zeus and Thetis”. In these works he first declared himself an artist of the classicist movement.

Losenko's best works are paintings of the historical genre, written on the theme of ancient and, most importantly, national history. In 1770, he exhibited the painting “Vladimir and Rogneda” at the Academy. Its plot is based on the events of the distant 10th century, described in The Tale of Bygone Years. Vladimir, the future Grand Duke of Kiev, wooed the Polotsk princess Rogneda and, having received a refusal, captured her by force after he defeated Polotsk and killed her father and brothers. The appeal to a plot from Russian history was innovative and at the same time very indicative of the second half of the 18th century, when Russian society, in conditions of national upsurge, began to realize the significance and greatness of its historical past. The heroes of chronicles and legends stood on a par with ancient and biblical characters, demonstrating the same example of strong passions and high feelings.

Anton Losenko. Abraham sacrifices his son Isaac. 1765
Canvas, oil. 202 x 157 cm. State Russian Museum

Anton Losenko. Wonderful catch of fish. 1762
Canvas, oil. 159.5 x 194 cm. State Russian Museum

In the picture, Vladimir does not appear as a cruel conqueror. He is in love and depressed by the grief of his beloved woman, which he himself caused her. Are arbitrariness and love compatible? The story, which Losenko knew well, provided the answer: Vladimir and Rogneda lived in a prosperous marriage for many years... until the prince left her for the sake of a Byzantine princess, whom he had to marry for political reasons.

Three years later, the artist presented to the audience another painting on a historical theme - “Hector’s Farewell to Andromache,” a complex multi-figure composition, executed with professional brilliance and glorifying self-sacrifice in the name of the Motherland.

Following Losenko, a whole galaxy of historical painters entered Russian art, most of whom were his students: I. Akimov, P. Sokolov, G. Ugryumov, M. Puchinov. They are all distinguished by a high level of skill: refined drawing, fluency in color and light and shade, and the use of the most complex composition techniques.

This skill makes a great impression in the painting of nineteen-year-old Akimov “Grand Duke Svyatoslav, kissing his mother and children upon returning from the Danube to Kyiv,” written under the great influence of a teacher, but at the professional level of a fully mature artist. Subsequently, I.A. Akimov (1754-1814) created a number of paintings, mainly on mythological themes (for example, “The Self-Immolation of Hercules”), taught at the Academy for a long time, and at one time headed it. In 1804, he wrote one of the first essays on Russian art - “Brief historical information about some Russian artists.”

Among the works of P.I. Sokolov (1753-1791) is especially interesting in the painting “Mercury and Argus”, in which the figures of a trustingly dormant mighty strongman and the insidious cunning Mercury, who is about to hit him with a sword, are contrasted. Sokolov is also known as one of the best academic draftsmen: his depictions of sitters using Italian pencil and chalk on tinted paper are considered by art critics to be among the highest achievements of Russian graphics of the 18th century.

The works of M. Puchinov (1716-1797) are distinguished by increased decorativeness, which comes from Russian painting of the mid-century and is generally unusual in the art of classicism. An example of such a decorative, color-rich composition is the painting “A Meeting of Alexander the Great with Diogenes,” depicting a meeting with the philosopher Alexander the Great, for which he received the title of academician in 1762.

Ivan Akimov. Prometheus makes a statue on the orders of Minerva. 1775
Canvas, oil. 125 x 93 cm. State Russian Museum

Ivan Akimov. Saturn with a scythe, sitting on a stone and cutting off Cupid's wings. 1802
Canvas, oil. 44.5 x 36.6 cm. State Tretyakov Gallery

Matvey Puchinov. Meeting of Alexander the Great with Diogenes
Oil on canvas 217 x 148 cm State Russian Museum

A special role in the development of Russian historical painting was played by G.I. Ugryumov (1764-1823). He was in love with Russian history and drew subjects for his paintings from it. He painted mainly large multi-figure canvases dedicated to important historical events, filling them with ideas close to Russian society at the turn of the century. For example, in the painting “The Calling of Mikhail Fedorovich to the Tsar on March 14, 1613” (no later than 1800), he develops the theme of power as a duty and burden, relevant at all times. Young Mikhail, although not confident in his abilities, obeys the will of the people who elected him to the kingdom, because he feels responsible before people and the Fatherland.

Ugryumov’s heroes could be not only rulers and generals (“The ceremonial entry of Alexander Nevsky into the city of Pskov after his victory over the Germans,” “The Capture of Kazan”), but also ordinary people, like the legendary Kiev kozhemyaki Jan Usmar (“Test of Jan Usmar’s strength” ). His paintings are characterized, in addition to semantic content, by expressive compositional solutions, rich colors, and a bright play of chiaroscuro.

Ugryumov became a teacher of historical painting at the Academy in the early nineties (shortly after he himself graduated) and remained as such for more than twenty years. He improved the method of teaching drawing, making it freer and closer to nature. The excellent technical training that the Academy provided to its students over the next century was largely due to him.

Grigory Ugryumov. The calling of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov to the throne on March 14, 1613. No later than 1800
Canvas, oil. 510 x 393 cm. State Russian Museum

Grigory Ugryumov. Capture of Kazan on October 2, 1552 No later than 1800. Oil on canvas. 510 x 380 cm
National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus, Minsk

Grigory Ugryumov. The ceremonial entry of Alexander Nevsky into the city of Pskov after his victory over the Germans. 1793 (1794?). Oil on canvas 197.5×313.5 cm State Russian Museum

Grigory Ugryumov. Test of strength of Jan Usmar 1796 (1797?)
Oil on canvas 283 x 404 cm State Russian Museum

The second half of the 18th century was the time of the high rise of Russian portrait art. A new generation of masters is coming, with new ideas and ideas about what a portrait should be. Classicism influences them, but to a much lesser extent than historical painters. Driven by a keen interest in the human personality, they strive to show it as deeply and comprehensively as possible. The typology of portraiture is expanding: costumed and mythological are added to the already existing formal and chamber portraits. The social circle of models is increasing - and, which is typical, mainly due to people of creative work who have earned fame for their talent and knowledge, and not for high origin. The art of portraiture ceases to be elitist and goes beyond the capitals: residents of the Russian provinces also want to immortalize themselves for posterity, and through the efforts of numerous provincial painters, an extensive gallery of images is being created; very interesting material for art critics and historians.

In a word, the art of portraiture can safely be called the pinnacle of Russian painting of the second half of the century. At this peak there are, first of all, two names: Rokotov and Levitsky.

Rokotov and Levitsky. Anyone who has ever seen the portraits they created will forever remain under their spell. So similar and so different. Graceful Levitsky, playing with images, generously using details, allegories, angles - he is sometimes not averse to making fun of his models, although he has a completely loving attitude towards them. And the mysterious Rokotov - the faces in his paintings emerge from the vague twilight, excite and attract unusually... Despite the seeming monotony of his techniques, he achieves amazing psychological depth and the power of emotional impact. Art historians sometimes compare these artists with two other great portrait painters - the Englishmen Reynolds and Gainsborough. Indeed, the parallels are obvious. Of course, we are not talking about any influence or borrowing. This is inner intimacy. One era, similar historical processes... People living in different parts of Europe often discover much more in common than is for some reason commonly believed.

Fedor Rokotov. Portrait of Praskovya Nikolaevna Lanskaya. Early 1790s. Canvas, oil. 74 x 53 cm (opal). State Tretyakov Gallery
Fedor Rokotov. Portrait of Varvara Ermolaevna Novosiltseva. 1780 Oil on canvas. 70.5 x 59 cm (oval). State Tretyakov Gallery

We don’t know much about the life of Fyodor Stepanovich Rokotov. The date of his birth is disputed: 1732 or 1735; and maybe 1736 (the artist died in 1808). It is known that he was born into a family of serfs and received his freedom after he began painting. He achieved fame early: in the late fifties, when he was still far from thirty, he was commissioned to paint a ceremonial portrait of Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich (the future Peter III). At the same time, he painted a painting that was unusual for his work - one of the first Russian interiors, “The Office of I.I. Shuvalov." This is not just an interior, it is a kind of “portrait without a model” (however, we still see Shuvalov: his portrait by J.-L. de Velli hangs on the wall of his office). Count Ivan Shuvalov was not only a major statesman, but also one of the most educated people of his time, the founder of Moscow University, a connoisseur and connoisseur of art. Rokotov’s painting, which reproduces the furnishings of his office with documentary accuracy, resurrects its atmosphere, helping us better understand this extraordinary man.

Until the mid-sixties, Rokotov lived in St. Petersburg. Even then, he had so many orders that, although he worked very quickly, minor details of the portraits had to be completed by his students. One of his contemporaries wrote with delight about the magnificent portrait of A.P. Sumarokov, created in just three sessions: “... you, almost playfully, marked only the appearance of his face and the sharpness of his vision (gaze), at that hour his fiery soul, with all his tenderness of heart, did not hide asya on the canvas animated by you...”.

Fedor Rokotov. Portrait of Varvara Nikolaevna Surovtseva. Second half of the 1780s.
Canvas, oil. 67.5 x 52 cm (oval). State Russian Museum

Fedor Rokotov. Portrait of Agrafena (Agrippina?) Mikhailovna Pisareva (?),
born Durasova. First half of the 1790s.
Canvas, oil. 63.5 x 49.5 cm (oval). State Russian Museum
Fedor Rokotov. Portrait of Countess Elizaveta Vasilievna Santi, née Lachinova. 1785
Canvas, oil. 72.5 x 56 cm (oval). State Russian Museum

The portrait of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich, painted in 1761, is very good. This man, a few decades later, would become a Russian mystery emperor with an incomprehensible character and a tragic fate. In the meantime, this is just a little boy, lively and capricious; The charm of childhood is emphasized by the warm combination of golden and red tones, on which the color of the picture is built.

Around 1766, the artist moved to Moscow. There, in the sixties and eighties, his best works were written: portraits of V.I. Maykova, A.I. Vorontsova, A.M. Obreskova, A.Yu. Kvashina-Samarina, V.E. Novoseltseva, P.N. Lanskoy, E.V. Santi, husband and wife Struisky and Surovtsev and many others. He wrote in a strict chamber style, over time showing an increasing affinity for classicist simplicity. Minimal details, simple dark background. All the viewer's attention is captured by the model's face. These faces are very different; what they have in common is that they are all spiritual. Rokotov did not paint shallow people, or rather, he was able to discern their depth in everyone who posed for him. Living eyes look at us, now mockingly, now sadly, now with painful anxiety. They always contain a secret, a riddle of a life unknown to us. The inability to solve it worries her, makes her look again and again...

Perhaps the poet Nikolai Zabolotsky said the best about this hypnotic effect that Rokotov’s portraits have on the viewer:

...Do you remember how, from the darkness of the past,
Barely wrapped in satin,
From Rokotov's portrait again
Was Struyskaya looking at us?
Her eyes are like two fogs,
Half smile, half cry,
Her eyes are like two deceptions,
Failures covered in darkness.
A combination of two mysteries
Half-delight, half-fear,
A fit of mad tenderness,
Anticipation of mortal pain...
(From the poem “Portrait”, 1954).

Dmitry Grigorievich Levitsky (1735-1822) was born and spent his early years in Ukraine. Art accompanied him since childhood: his father, a priest, was fond of engraving and was considered one of the best Ukrainian engravers. However, it is difficult to say how Levitsky’s fate would have developed if it had not been for the meeting with A.P. Antropov, who came to Kyiv to supervise the painting work in St. Andrew's Church. Antropov noticed Dmitry's talent and took him on as a student.

Levitsky learned a lot from his teacher. First of all, the ability to give an accurate and definite description of the person being portrayed. But he went much further than Antropov, filling his works with depth, putting into them humanism and breadth of vision, which made him similar to Rokotov.

He painted the first paintings that allow us to talk about Levitsky as a mature artist at the turn of the sixties and seventies. These are portraits of A.F. Kokorinov (famous architect, builder of the Academy of Arts building) and N.A. Sezemova. In Sezemov's portrait, one notices the unusual appearance of the person depicted in the art of that time - a native of the peasantry. The portrait of Denis Diderot, painted in 1773, when the French philosopher came to St. Petersburg, is also extremely interesting.

In the same 1773, Levitsky received a large order from Catherine II. Until 1776, his work continued on “Smolyanka” - a series of portraits of students of the Smolny Institute, the same one that would have glorified his name forever, even if he had not painted anything else. The general impression that arises when you look at these amazing portraits one after another can be expressed in a few words: happiness, delight, celebration! These crafty girls in theatrical costumes, coyly acting out pastoral scenes in front of the artist, are simply miraculously good. This is where the native of sunny Little Russia gave free rein to his love of life, optimism, and admiration for the very fact of existence. Each portrait is an independent work, each Smolensk woman has her own character. But all together they form a wonderful semantic and stylistic unity, and with no less ecstasy than their faces, the artist paints their outfits, masterfully conveying the characteristics of the fabrics: silk and satin, velvet, lace and brocade.

And here is another beautiful painting, painted in the same 1773. In it, Levitsky showed not only skill and a sense of humor, but also, perhaps, extraordinary courage. This is a portrait of the famous breeder P.A. Demidova. The portrait is ceremonial: Demidov is depicted in a proud pose, in full growth, behind his back, as it should be, are columns and draperies. However, he is not dressed in a uniform with orders, but in a house cap and dressing gown and is leaning not on some tome or bust of a great artist, but on a watering can. A regal gesture of the hand is addressed to the flower pots: here it is, the main achievement and the work of a lifetime! The ironic meaning of the portrait is, of course, not simply in immersing the model in a home environment: such a technique, which was found more than once in portraiture of the 18th century, would only add sincerity and warmth to the picture. But it is precisely the combination of the incongruous that helps give a devastatingly accurate description of Demidov, who had, on the one hand, an extraordinary mind, and on the other, a very bizarre disposition with pronounced signs of absurd tyranny.

This precision of characteristics is characteristic of all portraits by Levitsky. He perfectly knows how to notice the main thing in a person and create a holistic, bright image. And he never treats his model with cold objectivity. If he likes a person, he paints a picture that radiates warmth (portraits of M.A. Dyakova-Lvova, the artist’s father and his daughter, the husband and wife of the Bakunins, and others).

Dmitry Levitsky. Portrait of a priest (G.K. Levitsky?). 1779
Canvas, oil. 71.2 x 58 cm. State Tretyakov Gallery

Dmitry Levitsky. Portrait of the architect Alexander Filippovich Kokorinov. 1769

Dmitry Levitsky. Portrait of the pupils of the Imperial Educational Society of noble maidens Feodosia Stepanovna Rzhevskaya and Nastasya Mikhailovna Davydova. 1772
Canvas, oil. 161 x 103 cm State Russian Museum

Dmitry Levitsky. Portrait of a pupil of the Imperial Educational Society for Noble Maidens Ekaterina Ivanovna Nelidova 1773.
Oil on canvas 164 x 106 cm State Russian Museum

Dmitry Levitsky. Portrait of a pupil of the Imperial Educational Society for Noble Maidens Ekaterina Ivanovna
Molchanova. 1776. Oil on canvas. 181.5 x 142.5 cm State Russian Museum

Dmitry Levitsky. Portrait of Natalya Semyonovna, a pupil of the Imperial Educational Society for Noble Maidens
Borschova. 1776. Oil on canvas. 196.5 x 134.5 cm. State Russian Museum

Dmitry Levitsky. Portrait of Ivan Logginovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov
Canvas, oil. 80.3 x 63.2 cm. State Historical Museum, Moscow

Dmitry Levitsky. Portrait of Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov. 1786
Canvas, oil. 80.5 x 62.5 cm. Museum of V.A. Tropinin and Moscow artists of his time, Moscow

Dmitry Levitsky. Portrait of Anna Stepanovna Protasova, former maid of honor of Catherine II. 1800
Canvas, oil. 81.5 x 64.5 cm. State Russian Museum

Dmitry Levitsky. Portrait of Catherine II. Around 1782
Canvas, oil. State Museum-Reserve "Pavlovsk"

Peter Drozhdin. Portrait of Catherine II. 1796
Canvas, oil. 251 x 187 cm. State Tretyakov Gallery

Ermolai Kamezhenkov. Portrait of an honorary free fellow of the Academy of Arts, painter Johann Friedrich Groth. 1780
Canvas, oil. 134 x 102 cm. State Russian Museum

But the most dazzling external brilliance cannot make him hide arrogance, callousness or deceit where he notices them (for example, in the portraits of Ursula Mnischek and Anna Davia).

However, among Levitsky’s works there is one in which he does not allow himself to show any artistic bias. We are talking about the famous portrait of Catherine II (the first version was created in 1783). Here he was faced with a clearly defined task: creating the image of an empress-legislator, the embodiment of the idea of ​​an enlightened monarchy. This idea was popular in the society of that time. Levitsky himself shared it - which is why he was able to create this canvas with such brilliance, like a solemn ode, in the spirit of Derzhavin’s “Felitsa”.

For more than fifteen years (from 1771 to 1787) Levitsky taught portraiture at the Academy of Arts. His student was the wonderful portrait painter Shchukin, who belonged to the next generation of Russian artists. Of course, his influence was felt not only by those whom he taught painting. We can talk about a whole circle of artists of that time who were close to Levitsky in style and views on portrait art.
First of all, this is P.S. Drozhdin (1745-1805), who, in addition to Levitsky, also studied with Antropov and painted in 1776 a very warm and psychologically accurate picture depicting Antropov with his son in front of a portrait of his wife. Also known are his portraits of a young man in a blue caftan (1775), a Tverite (1779) and a number of others, constituting a gallery of very different human characters.

It is impossible not to mention E.D. Kamezhenkov (1760-1818), whose best works (“Portrait of an unknown man in a lilac robe”, “Self-portrait with his daughter Alexandra”, portraits of his daughter with a nanny, I.F. Grot) also characterize him as an artist of Levitsky’s circle.

Mikhail Shibanov. Peasant lunch. 1774
Canvas, oil. 103 x 120 cm. State Tretyakov Gallery

Of course, we have not listed all the portrait painters who worked in Russia during Catherine’s time. There were many of them in the capitals and provinces. Including foreign artists who, with greater or less success, fit into the overall picture of Russian painting (as an example, we can name K. Khristinek, who is close in his style to Rokotov). Portrait art continued to develop continuously. By the nineties of the 18th century it had reached a new stage.

Unlike the portrait, the everyday genre was just emerging in the 18th century. Its heyday would come in the next century, known for its democratic tendencies. In the meantime, artists who appreciated the beauty of everyday life were looking for new themes and subjects and looked with cautious curiosity at the opening prospects.

The life of the common people, especially the peasantry, was revealed to them.

The peasant problem in Russia has always been acute. Especially after the devastating Pugachev war. Educated society, however, did not want to see in peasants only robbers or faceless and powerless producers of material wealth. The realization was born in him that this was the Russian people. Hence the awakened interest in peasant life, costume, rituals and traditions. In many ways it was also, so to speak, ethnographic in nature: the Russian nobility (the educated society of the 18th century was, as we know, almost exclusively noble) became acquainted with a side of life that was practically unknown to them.

In the light of this interest, we consider the work of the founder of the everyday genre in Russian painting, Mikhail Shibanov.

We know practically nothing about his life, except for his origins as a serf (possibly Prince Potemkin) and the fact that he wrote his best works in the seventies. And the work is magnificent. Paintings such as “Peasant Dinner”, “Conspiracy” and especially “Celebration of the Wedding Contract” allow us to place him among the best artists of his time. Of course, he knew very well the life he depicted in his paintings. On the back of one of them it is indicated that it represents the “peasants of the Suzdal province” and was written “in the same province, in the village of Tatarov.” Russian costumes, everyday and festive, are beautifully depicted on the canvases, and the details of everyday life are reliably shown. But Shibanov’s main thing is his face. They are completely alive. What a variety of characters and moods! And the old woman’s face from “The Celebration of the Wedding Contract” is, in our opinion, simply a real masterpiece.

Mikhail Shibanov. Portrait of Count A.M. Dmitrieva-Mamonova. 1787
Canvas, oil. Nizhny Novgorod State Art Museum

Mikhail Shibanov Portrait of Catherine II. 1787. Oil on canvas. 70 x 59 cm
State Palace and Park Museum-Reserve "Gatchina"

Shibanov’s mastery of characterization manifested itself not only in everyday painting. He painted several brilliant portraits: Catherine II in a traveling suit, her favorite A.M. Dmitriev-Mamonov, Spiridonov, Nesterov. But he entered the history of Russian art, of course, as the pioneer of folk themes.

I. Ermenev (1746 - after 1789), a watercolorist and graphic artist, the son of a groom, who graduated from the Academy of Arts and is known for participating in the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, worked on this topic in a completely different way. Very little of his work has survived: a number of graphic sheets, among which is an unusual series depicting images of peasants. It could be called "Beggars". It is the beggars that Ermenev portrays in different versions and angles, in a unique monumental-grotesque manner. When you look at the sheets of the series, you get the impression that a meeting with these unfortunate people once deeply shocked the artist. Was it not this shock that ultimately threw him into the bloody storm of revolutionary France?..

The story about everyday painting of the 18th century will be incomplete if we do not mention the wonderful painting by I. Firsov “Young Painter” - one of the first to belong to this genre. There are several mysteries associated with this painting and its author. Is this the same Firsov who, in the fifties, as part of the painting team of the Chancellery from Buildings, created baroque desudeportes? When and where was the painting painted? There is an assumption that in Paris and that it depicts a French family. However, the latter is not the point. The picture is truly wonderful - with its fresh color, lightness of composition, charming liveliness of the characters, especially children. It was created as if in one breath. And, like Levitsky’s “Smolyanki,” it gives us a sense of the light, heady air that Russia breathed in the 18th century.

The era of Catherine the Great ended in 1796. She left Russia powerful, prosperous, but burdened with serious problems, still smoldering, but palpable - they were to manifest themselves in full force in the next century. The external situation was also difficult. The revolution that broke out in France completely swept away the peace and balance of Europe. What was perceived as unshakable turned out to be fragile and short-lived.

Under these conditions, the symmetry and moral certainty of classicism could no longer correspond to the spiritual quest of society. The world turned out to be much more contradictory. Transformed classicism is coming into fashion (again, first in France) - the Empire style, “imperial” - emphatically oriented towards antiquity, but already devoid of the strict, proportionate clarity that was characteristic of it earlier.

Artists of this time were characterized by a desire for naturalness and a keen interest in the subtlest movements of the human soul. It is no coincidence that by the end of the century landscape became an independent genre in Russian painting.

In the design of landscape as a genre, views of cities, parks, palaces and various memorable places that were created earlier and had, so to speak, an educational and topographical character, played a role; as well as theatrical scenery, interior paintings and panels, landscape components of portraits and multi-figure paintings. The landscape served as decoration or background, at best enhancing the emotional impression of the work. But by the end of the century, in Russian art there was a growing awareness that, firstly, the image of nature is valuable in itself, and secondly, that through it the most complex human moods can be expressed.

Semyon Fedorovich Shchedrin (1745-1804) can be considered the founder of Russian landscape painting. He is the first representative of a dynasty of artists, glorified by the brilliant landscape painter of the first half of the 19th century, Sylvester Shchedrin, but his own works also played a very important role in the development of Russian art.

Following the principles of classicism, Shchedrin believed that he should “correct” nature in his paintings, revealing in it the proportionality hidden behind the disorderly and random. At the same time, in the spirit of the mood characteristic of the artistic environment of the end of the century, he looked for poetry and unique beauty in nature.

His landscapes of the seventies and eighties are mainly images of imaginary places, emphatically expressive, with beautiful trees in bright lacy foliage. Since the nineties, his views on landscape painting have changed, becoming innovative in many ways. He discovers beauty in real landscapes. He writes views of famous parks in the vicinity of St. Petersburg - Gatchina, Pavlovsk, Peterhof: “View of the Gatchina Palace from the Long Island” (1796), “Stone Bridge in Gatchina near Connetable Square” (1799-1801). And also St. Petersburg itself (for example, “View of the Bolshaya Nevka and the Stroganovs’ dacha,” 1804), in the depiction of which nature remains the main thing for him, and architectural structures are perceived as part of it.

Of course, this was nature, ordered by human hands. Transferring it to canvas, Shchedrin carefully observed classicist symmetry, division of space into three planes, etc. But the color of the sky and clouds, the haze blurring the horizon, the glare of the sun on the Neva water - in short, that light-air environment in the depiction of which the artists of the next century would achieve perfection - became increasingly important to him.

Shchedrin paved the way for these artists not only with his works. Since 1799, he, together with I. Klauber, led the class of landscape engraving at the Academy of Arts, from which wonderful engravers S.F. Galaktionov, A.G. Ukhtomsky, brothers Kozma and Ivan Chesky. Soon this class began to train landscape painters - the landscape within the walls of the Academy finally acquired full status.

The best achievements of Russian painting at the end of the century were still associated with portraiture. At this time, there is a change of generations, new masters appear. Artists are increasingly striving to depict the inner life of a person, his deepest experiences. The portrait becomes more intimate. It reflects the ideas of sentimentalism, a movement popular at the turn of the century and in the early years of the 19th century. These trends were most fully expressed in the works of V.L. Borovikovsky (1757-1825) - one of the best masters of the portrait genre in Russian art.

Borovikovsky was born in Ukraine and studied painting with his father. And, perhaps, he would have remained a provincial portrait painter for the rest of his life, if not for the empress’s journey to the south of Russia, which she undertook in 1787. Catherine liked the paintings of the temporary palace done by Borovikovsky. And the artist went to St. Petersburg to improve his painting skills. He studied with I.B. Lumpy Sr. and, possibly, Levitsky. He quickly became famous and received many orders. His brushes include brilliant ceremonial portraits of Prince Kurakin (1801-1802), Paul I in the costume of the Grand Master of the Order of Malta (1800), etc. Vivid psychological characteristics are also given in chamber portraits - G.R. Derzhavina, D.P. Troshchinsky, General F.A. Borovsky.

Vladimir Borovikovsky. Portrait of Countess Anna Ivanovna Bezborodko with her daughters Lyubov and Cleopatra. 1803
Canvas, oil. 134 x 104.5 cm. State Russian Museum

But above all, Borovikovsky is a master of female intimate, or more precisely, domestic portraiture. He even painted Catherine II in the image of a “Kazan landowner” walking through the garden in a warm cloak. His heroines are dreamy young ladies with a sly smile on their lips, with a flower or an apple in their hand, posing against the backdrop of thoughtful landscapes. Their curls, in keeping with sentimental tastes, are slightly disheveled, and their outfits are deliberately simple. The character of each can be read accurately; one cannot be confused with the other. These are the portraits of O.K. Filippova, V.A. Shidlovskaya, E.A. Naryshkina, M.I. Lopukhina, E.N. Arsenyeva, the Gagarin sisters, the peasant woman Khristinya (the latter is also remarkable because for Borovikovsky it is not the “ethnographic” image of the serf peasant woman that is important, but, as in the portraits of noble girls, the inner world).

Over the years, the artist’s gaze becomes harsher, the blurriness of his painting, based on halftones, is replaced by strict plastic modeling (for example, in the portraits of “Lady in a Turban” - presumably the French writer A.-L.-J. de Stael, - D.A. Derzhavina and M.I. Dolgorukaya, written in the tenth years of the 19th century).

The name of Borovikovsky is by no means alone in Russian portrait art at the turn of the century. Levitsky’s student S.S. was a very bright and original portrait painter. Shchukin (1762-1828). His whole life was connected with the Academy of Arts, where he ended up as a boy from an orphanage, and later headed its portrait class. In his portraits, even early ones, there is a premonition of romanticism - a movement in culture that will gain ground only at the beginning of the next century, displacing classicism and sentimentalism. Particularly indicative in this regard are the self-portrait of 1786 and the portrait of Emperor Paul I in a simple officer’s uniform, with a cane in his hand.

The work of M.I. is very interesting. Belsky (1753-1794). He, like some contemporary artists, believed that the truth of life is more valuable than the poetic harmony of the image, and, following the fidelity of character, did not avoid harshness and contradictions. These views were reflected, for example, in the portrait he painted of the composer D.S. in 1788. Bortnyansky.

Vladimir Borovikovsky. Portrait of Daria Alekseevna Derzhavina. 1813
Canvas, oil. 284 x 204.3 cm. State Tretyakov Gallery

Stepan Shchukin. Portrait of the architect Adrian Dmitrievich Zakharov. Around 1804
Oil on canvas 25.5 x 20 cm State Tretyakov Gallery

Mikhail Belsky. Portrait of composer Dmitry Stepanovich Bortnyansky. 1788
Canvas, oil. 65.7 x 52.3 cm. State Tretyakov Gallery

Nikolay Argunov. Portrait of Adjutant General Count Alexander Matveevich Dmitriev-Mamontov. 1812
Canvas, oil. 151 x 125.6 cm. State Tretyakov Gallery

Nikolay Argunov. Portrait of Matryona Ivanovna Sokolova. 1820 Oil on canvas. 67.1 x 52.8 cm State Tretyakov Gallery
Nikolay Argunov. Portrait of T.V. Shlykova. 1789 Oil on canvas. 79 x 55 cm (oval)
State Museum of Ceramics and “Kuskovo Estate of the 18th Century”, Moscow

Finally, N.I. should be considered one of the most prominent masters of this period. Argunov (1771 - after 1829). The son and student of the famous serf portrait painter, Nikolai Argunov himself was a serf until he was forty-five years old. His extraordinary talent is already evidenced by his youthful works: “The Laughing Peasant”, “Peasant with a Glass in Hand” and especially the poetic portrait of the serf dancer of the Sheremetev Theater Tatyana Shlykova-Granatova, written when the artist was about eighteen years old. Subsequently, Argunov created many more wonderful works, among which stand out the portraits of the famous Praskovya Kovaleva-Zhemchugova, also a serf actress who became the wife of Count N.P. Sheremetev and died young, shortly after the birth of her son. The portrait in which she is depicted in the last weeks of pregnancy - against a black background, in a black and red hood, with an alarming expression on her emaciated face - is permeated with a premonition of tragedy.

The work of these artists, like a magical bridge, united the passing and approaching centuries. The rapid path that Russian art has taken since the time of Peter the Great has led to magnificent results. A new road lay ahead. Passionate hobbies, desperate searches for novelty, violent conflicts and real battles over views on art - all this lay ahead. Russian painting of the 18th century did not yet know this. Her task was to comprehend Man. And she accomplished this task brilliantly.

Nikolay Argunov. Portrait of Ivan Yakimov in the costume of Cupid. 1790
Canvas, oil. 142 x 98 cm. State Russian Museum

Nikolay Argunov. Portrait of Kalmyk woman Annushka. 1767
Canvas, oil. 62 x 50 cm. State Museum of Ceramics and “Kuskovo Estate of the 18th Century”, Moscow

Nikolay Argunov. Portrait of the Privy Councilor of Senator Pavel Stepanovich Runich. 1817
Canvas, oil. 134 x 103 cm. State Russian Museum

Nikolay Argunov. Portrait of Emperor Paul I. 1797
Canvas, oil. 285 x 206 cm. Moscow Ostankino Estate Museum

Lev Kamenev (1833 – 1886) “Landscape with a Hut”

Landscape, as an independent genre of painting, established itself in Russia around the middle of the 18th century. And before this period, the landscape was the background for depicting icon painting compositions or part of book illustrations.

A lot has been written about the Russian landscape of the 19th century, and it was written by such, without exaggeration, great experts in the field of painting that I essentially have nothing to add.

The pioneers of Russian landscape painting are Semyon Shchedrin, Fyodor Alekseev and Fyodor Matveev. All these artists studied painting in Europe, which left a certain imprint on their further work.

Shchedrin (1749 – 1804) gained fame as the author of works depicting imperial country parks. Alekseev (1753 - 1824) was nicknamed the Russian Canaletto for his landscapes depicting architectural monuments of St. Petersburg, Gatchina and Pavlovsk, Moscow. Matveev (1758 - 1826) worked in Italy most of his life and wrote in the spirit of his teacher Hackert. The works of this talented Italian artist were also imitated by M.M. Ivanov (1748 – 1828).

Experts note two stages in the development of Russian landscape painting of the 19th century, which are not organically connected with each other, but are clearly distinguishable. These two stages:

• realistic;
• romantic.

The border between these directions was clearly formed by the mid-20s of the 19th century. By the middle of the eighteenth century, Russian painting began to free itself from the rationalism of classical painting of the 18th century. And Russian romanticism, as a separate phenomenon in Russian painting, is of great importance in these changes.

The Russian romantic landscape developed in three directions:

1. an urban landscape based on works from nature;
2. study of Russian nature based on “Italian soil”;
3. Russian national landscape.

And now I invite you to the gallery of works by Russian artists of the 19th century who painted landscapes. I only took one work from each artist - otherwise this gallery was simply endless.

If you have a desire, you can read about the work of each artist (and, accordingly, remember the artist’s works) on this site.

Vladimir Muravyov (1861 – 1940), “Blue Forest”

Vladimir Orlovsky (1842 – 1914), “Summer Day”

Pyotr Sukhodolsky (1835 – 1903), “Trinity Day”

Ivan Shishkin (1832 – 1898), “Rye”

Efim Volkov (1844 – 1920), “Forest Lake”

Nikolai Astudin (1847 – 1925), “Mountain Road”

Nikolai Sergeev (1855 – 1919), “Summer Pond”

Konstantin Kryzhitsky1 (1858-1911), “Zvenigorod”

Alexey Pisemsky (1859 – 1913), “Forest River”

Joseph Krachkovsky (1854 – 1914), “Wisteria”

Isaac Levitan (1860 – 1900), “Birch Grove”

Vasily Polenov (1844-1927), “Old Mill”

Mikhail Klodt (1832 – 1902), “Oak Grove”

Apollinary Vasnetsov (1856 – 1933), “Okhtyrka. View of the estate"

Landscape is one of the genres of painting. Russian landscape is a very important genre both for Russian art and for Russian culture in general. The landscape depicts nature. Natural landscapes, natural spaces. The landscape reflects human perception of nature.

Russian landscape in the 17th century

Saint John the Baptist in the desert

The first bricks for the development of landscape painting were laid by icons, the background of which was, in fact, landscapes. In the 17th century, masters began to move away from icon painting canons and try something new. It was from this time that painting ceased to “stand still” and began to develop.

Russian landscape in the 18th century

M.I. Makheev

In the 18th century, when Russian art joined the European art system, landscape in Russian art became an independent genre. But at this time it is aimed at recording the reality that surrounded the person. There were no cameras yet, but the desire to capture significant events or works of architecture was already strong. The first landscapes, as an independent genre in art, were topographical views of St. Petersburg, Moscow, palaces and parks.

F.Ya. Alekseev. View of the Resurrection and Nikolsky Gates and Neglinny Bridge from Tverskaya Street in Moscow

F.Ya. Alekseev

S.F. Shchedrin

Russian landscape at the beginning of the 19th century

F.M. Matveev. Italian landscape

At the beginning of the 19th century, Russian artists painted mainly Italy. Italy was considered the birthplace of art and creativity. Artists study abroad and imitate the style of foreign masters. Russian nature is considered inexpressive and boring, so even native Russian artists paint foreign nature, giving preference to it as more interesting and artistic. Foreigners are warmly welcomed in Russia: painters, dance and fencing teachers. Russian high society speaks French. Russian young ladies are taught by French governesses. Everything foreign is considered a sign of high society, a sign of education and good manners, and manifestations of Russian national culture are a sign of bad taste and rudeness. In the famous opera P.I. Tchaikovsky, written based on the immortal story by A.S. In Pushkin’s “The Queen of Spades,” the French governess scolds Princess Lisa for dancing “in Russian,” which was shameful for a lady from high society.

S.F. Shchedrin. Small harbor in Sorrento with views of the islands of Ischia and Procido

I.G. Davydov. Suburbs of Rome

S.F. Shchedrin. Grotto Matromanio on the island of Capri

Russian landscape in the mid-19th century

In the mid-19th century, the Russian intelligentsia and artists in particular began to think about the undervaluation of Russian culture. Two opposing trends appear in Russian society: Westerners and Slavophiles. Westerners believed that Russia was part of global history and excluded its national identity, while Slavophiles believed that Russia was a special country, with a rich culture and history. Slavophiles believed that the path of development of Russia should be radically different from the European one, that Russian culture and Russian nature are worthy of being described in literature, depicted on canvas, and captured in musical works.

Below will be presented paintings that depict landscapes of the Russian land. For ease of perception, the paintings will be listed not in chronological order and not by author, but by the seasons to which the paintings can be attributed.

Spring in the Russian landscape

Savrasov. The Rooks Have Arrived

Russian landscape. Savrasov “The rooks have arrived”

Spring is usually associated with elation, anticipation of joy, sun and warmth. But in Savrasov’s painting “The Rooks Have Arrived” we see neither the sun nor the warmth, and even the temple domes are painted with gray colors, as if they had not yet awakened.

Spring in Russia often begins with timid steps. The snow is melting, and the sky and trees are reflected in the puddles. Rooks are busy with their rook business - building nests. The gnarled and bare trunks of birch trees become thinner, rising towards the sky, as if they are reaching out to it, gradually coming to life. The sky, which at first glance is gray, is filled with shades of blue, and the edges of the clouds are slightly lighter, as if the rays of the sun are peeking through.

At first glance, a painting can make a gloomy impression, and not everyone can feel the joy and triumph that the artist put into it. This painting was first presented at the first exhibition of the Wanderers Association in 1871. And in the catalog of this exhibition it was called “The Rooks have Arrived!” there was an exclamation point at the end of the title. And this joy, which is only expected, which is not yet in the picture, was expressed precisely by this exclamation mark. Savrasov, even in the title itself, tried to convey the elusive joy of waiting for spring. Over time, the exclamation mark was lost and the picture began to be called simply “The Rooks Have Arrived.”

It is this picture that begins the establishment of landscape painting as an equal, and in some periods, the leading genre of Russian painting.

I. Levitan. March

Russian landscape. I. Levitan. March

March is a very dangerous month - on the one hand the sun seems to be shining, but on the other it can be very cold and dank.

This spring is an air filled with light. Here the joy of the arrival of spring is already more clearly felt. It doesn’t seem to be visible yet, it’s only in the title of the picture. But, if you look more closely, you can feel the warmth of the wall, warmed by the sun.

Blue, rich, ringing shadows not only from trees and their trunks, but also shadows in snow potholes along which a person has walked

M. Claude. On the arable land

Russian landscape. M. Claude. On the arable land

In the painting by Michael Claude, a person (unlike a modern city dweller) lives in the same rhythm with nature. Nature sets the rhythm of life for a person who lives on earth. In the spring a person plows this land, in the fall he harvests the crop. The foal in the picture is like an extension of life.

Russian nature is characterized by flatness - you rarely see mountains or hills here. And Gogol surprisingly accurately characterized this lack of tension and pathos as “the continuity of Russian nature.” It was this “continuity” that Russian landscape painters of the 19th century sought to convey in their paintings.

Summer in the Russian landscape

Palenov. Moscow courtyard

Russian landscape. Palenov “Moscow courtyard”

One of the most charming paintings in Russian painting. Polenov's business card. This is an urban landscape in which we see the ordinary life of Moscow boys and girls. Even the artist himself does not always understand the significance of his work. Here we see a city estate and a barn already collapsing, children, a horse, and above all this we see a church. Here are the peasantry and the nobility and children and work and the Temple - all the signs of Russian life. The whole picture is permeated with air, sun and light - that’s why it’s so attractive and so pleasant to look at. The painting “Moscow Courtyard” warms the soul with its warmth and simplicity.

Residence of the American Ambassador Spas House

Today, on Spaso-Peskovsky Lane, on the site of the courtyard depicted by Palenov, there is the residence of the American ambassador, Spas House.

I. Shishkin. Rye

Russian landscape. I. Shishkin. Rye

The life of Russian people in the 19th century was closely connected with the rhythms of natural life: sowing grain, cultivating, harvesting. Russian nature has breadth and space. Artists try to convey this in their paintings.

Shishkin is called the “king of the forest” because he has the most forest landscapes. And here we see a flat landscape with a sown rye field. At the very edge of the picture a road begins and winds through the fields. In the depths of the road, among the tall rye, we see peasant heads in red scarves. In the background are depicted mighty pines that stride like giants across this field; on some we see signs of withering. This is the life of nature - old trees fade, new ones appear. The sky is very clear overhead, and clouds begin to gather closer to the horizon. A few minutes will pass and the clouds will move closer to the leading edge and rain will begin to fall. Birds that fly low above the ground remind us of this - the air and atmosphere bring them there.

Initially, Shishkin wanted to call this painting “Motherland”. While painting this picture, Shishkin thought about the image of the Russian land. But then he moved away from this name so as not to create unnecessary pathos. Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin loved simplicity and naturalness, believing that simplicity is the truth of life.

Autumn in the Russian landscape

Efimov-Volkov. October

Russian landscape. Efimov-Volkov. "October"

“There is in the primordial autumn...”

Fedor Tyutchev

There is in the initial autumn
A short but wonderful time -
The whole day is like crystal,
And the evenings are radiant...

Where the cheerful sickle walked and the ear fell,
Now everything is empty - space is everywhere, -
Only a web of thin hair
Glistens on the idle furrow.

The air is empty, the birds are no longer heard,
But the first winter storms are still far away -
And pure and warm azure flows
To the resting field...

Efimov-Volkov’s painting “October” conveys the lyrics of autumn. In the foreground of the picture is a young birch grove painted with great love. Fragile trunks of birch trees and brown earth, covered with autumn leaves.

L. Kamenev. Winter road

Russian landscape. L. Kamenev . "Winter road"

In the painting, the artist depicted an endless expanse of snow, a winter road along which a horse is dragging wood with difficulty. A village and a forest can be seen in the distance. No sun, no moon, just dull twilight. In the image of L. Kamenev, the road is covered with snow, few people drive along it, it leads to a village covered with snow, where there is no light in any window. The picture creates a melancholy and sad mood.

I. Shishkin. In the wild north

M.Yu.Lermontov
"In the Wild North"
It's lonely in the wild north
There's a pine tree on the bare top,
And dozes, swaying, and snow falls
She is dressed like a robe.

And she dreams of everything in the distant desert,
In the region where the sun rises,
Alone and sad on a flammable cliff
A beautiful palm tree is growing.

I. Shishkin. "In the Wild North"

Shishkin’s painting is an artistic embodiment of the motif of loneliness, sung by Lermontov in the poetic work “Pine”.

Elena Lebedeva, website graphic designer, computer graphics teacher.

Taught a lesson on this article in middle school. Children guessed the authors of poems and the names of paintings. Judging by their answers, schoolchildren know literature much better than art)))

Since time immemorial, people have always admired nature. They expressed their love by depicting it in all kinds of mosaics, bas-reliefs and paintings. Many great artists devoted their creativity to painting landscapes. The paintings depicting forests, sea, mountains, rivers, fields are truly mesmerizing. And we need to respect the great masters who so detailed, colorful and emotional conveyed in their works all the beauty and power of the world around us. It is landscape artists and their biographies that will be discussed in this article. Today we will talk about the work of great painters of different times.

Famous landscape painters of the 17th century

In the 17th century there lived many talented people who preferred to depict the beauty of nature. Some of the most famous are Claude Lorrain and Jacob Isaac van Ruisdael. We will begin our story with them.

Claude Lorrain

The French artist is considered the founder of landscape painting during the classical period. His canvases are distinguished by incredible harmony and ideal composition. A distinctive feature of K. Lorrain’s technique was the ability to flawlessly convey sunlight, its rays, reflection in water, etc.

Despite the fact that the maestro was born in France, he spent most of his life in Italy, where he left when he was only 13 years old. He returned to his homeland only once, and then for two years.

The most famous works of C. Lorrain are the paintings “View of the Roman Forum” and “View of the port with the Capitol”. Nowadays they can be seen in the Louvre.

Jacob Isaac van Ruisdael

Jacob van Ruisdael, a representative of realism, was born in Holland. During his travels in the Netherlands and Germany, the artist painted many remarkable works, which are characterized by sharp contrasts of tones, dramatic colors and coldness. One of the striking examples of such paintings can be considered “European Cemetery”.

However, the artist’s work was not limited to gloomy canvases - he also depicted rural landscapes. The most famous works are considered to be “View of the Village of Egmond” and “Landscape with a Watermill”.

XVIII century

Painting of the 18th century is characterized by many interesting features; during this period, the beginning of new directions in the mentioned art form was laid. Venetian landscape painters, for example, worked in such directions as landscape landscape (another name is leading) and architectural (or urban). And the leading landscape, in turn, was divided into accurate and fantastic. A prominent representative of the fantastic vedata is Francesco Guardi. Even modern landscape artists can envy his imagination and technique.

Francesco Guardi

Without exception, all of his works are distinguished by impeccably accurate perspective and wonderful rendition of colors. Landscapes have a certain magical appeal; it is simply impossible to take your eyes off them.

His most delightful works include the paintings “The Doge’s Festive Ship “Bucintoro”, “Gondola in the Lagoon”, “Venetian Courtyard” and “Rio dei Mendicanti”. All his paintings depict views of Venice.

William Turner

This artist is a representative of romanticism.

A distinctive feature of his paintings is the use of many shades of yellow. It was the yellow palette that became the main one in his works. The master explained this by the fact that he associated such shades with the sun and the purity that he wanted to see in his paintings.

Turner's most beautiful and mesmerizing work is the "Garden of the Hesperides" - a fantastic landscape.

Ivan Aivazovsky and Ivan Shishkin

These two men are truly the greatest and most famous landscape painters in Russia. The first - Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky - depicted the majestic sea in his paintings. A riot of elements, rising waves, splashes of foam crashing against the side of a tilting ship, or a quiet, serene surface illuminated by the setting sun - seascapes delight and amaze with their naturalness and beauty. By the way, such landscape painters are called marine painters. The second, Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin, loved to depict the forest.

Both Shishkin and Aivazovsky were landscape artists of the 19th century. Let us dwell on the biography of these individuals in more detail.

In 1817, one of the most famous marine painters in the world, Ivan Aivazovsky, was born.

He was born into a wealthy family, his father was an Armenian businessman. It is not surprising that the future maestro had a weakness for the sea element. After all, the birthplace of this artist was Feodosia, a beautiful port city.

In 1839, Ivan graduated from where he studied for six years. The artist’s style was greatly influenced by the work of the French marine painters C. Vernet and C. Lorrain, who painted their canvases according to the canons of Baroque-classicism. The most famous work of I.K. Aivazovsky is considered to be the painting “The Ninth Wave”, completed in 1850.

In addition to seascapes, the great artist worked on depicting battle scenes (a striking example is the painting “Battle of Chesme”, 1848), and also devoted many of his canvases to themes of Armenian history (“J. G. Byron’s visit to the Mekhitarist monastery near Venice”, 1880 G.).

Aivazovsky was lucky to achieve incredible fame during his lifetime. Many landscape painters who became famous in the future admired his work and took their cue from him. The great creator passed away in 1990.

Shishkin Ivan Ivanovich was born in January 1832 in the city of Elabug. The family in which Vanya was brought up was not very wealthy (his father was a poor merchant). In 1852, Shishkin began his studies at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, from which he would graduate four years later, in 1856. Even Ivan Ivanovich’s earliest works are distinguished by their extraordinary beauty and unsurpassed technique. Therefore, it is not surprising that in 1865 I. I. Shishkin was given the title of academician for the canvas “View in the vicinity of Dusseldorf”. And after eight years he received the title of professor.

Like many others, he painted from life, spending a long time in nature, in places where no one could disturb him.

The most famous paintings of the great painter are “Forest Wilderness” and “Morning in a Pine Forest,” painted in 1872, and an earlier painting “Noon. In the vicinity of Moscow" (1869)

The life of a talented man was interrupted in the spring of 1898.

Many Russian landscape artists use a large number of details and colorful color rendering when painting their canvases. The same can be said about these two representatives of Russian painting.

Alexey Savrasov

Alexey Kondratyevich Savrasov is a world-famous landscape artist. It is he who is considered the founder of Russian lyrical landscape.

This outstanding man was born in Moscow in 1830. In 1844, Alexey began his studies at the Moscow School of Painting and Sculpture. Already from his youth, he was distinguished by his special talent and ability to depict landscapes. However, despite this, due to family circumstances the young man was forced to interrupt his studies and resume it only four years later.

Savrasov’s most famous and beloved work is, of course, the painting “The Rooks Have Arrived.” It was presented at the Traveling Exhibition in 1971. No less interesting are the paintings by I. K. Savrasov “Rye”, “Thaw”, “Winter”, “Country Road”, “Rainbow”, “Elk Island”. However, according to critics, none of the artist’s works compared with his masterpiece “The Rooks Have Arrived.”

Despite the fact that Savrasov painted many beautiful canvases and was already known as the author of wonderful paintings, he is soon forgotten for a long time. And in 1897 he died in poverty, driven to despair by family troubles, the death of children and alcohol addiction.

But great landscape painters cannot be forgotten. They live in their paintings, the beauty of which is breathtaking, and which we can still admire to this day.

Second half of the 19th century

This period is characterized by the prevalence in Russian painting of such a direction as everyday landscape. Many Russian landscape artists worked in this vein, including Vladimir Egorovich Makovsky. No less famous masters of those times are Arseny Meshchersky, as well as the previously described Aivazovsky and Shishkin, whose work occurred in the mid-second half of the 19th century.

Arseny Meshchersky

This famous artist was born in 1834 in the Tver province. He received his education at the Imperial Academy of Arts, where he studied for three years. The main themes of the author’s paintings were forests and the Artist loved to depict in his paintings the magnificent views of the Crimea and the Caucasus with their majestic mountains. In 1876 he received the title of professor of landscape painting.

His most successful and famous paintings can be considered the paintings “Winter. Icebreaker", "View of Geneva", "Storm in the Alps", "At the Forest Lake", "Southern Landscape", "View in Crimea".

In addition, Meshchersky also conveyed the beauty of Switzerland. In this country, he gained experience for some time from the master of landscape painting Kalam.

The master was also fond of sepia and engraving. He also created many wonderful works using these techniques.

Many paintings by the artist in question were shown at exhibitions both in Russia and in other countries of the world. Therefore, many people managed to appreciate the talent and originality of this creative person. The paintings of Arseny Meshchersky continue to delight many people who are interested in art to this day.

Makovsky Vladimir Egorovich

Makovsky V. E. was born in Moscow in 1846. His father was a famous artist. Vladimir decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and received an art education at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, after which he left for St. Petersburg.

His most successful paintings were “Waiting. At the Jail”, “Bank Collapse”, “Explanation”, “The Lodging House” and “Spring Bacchanalia”. The works mainly depict ordinary people and everyday scenes.

In addition to everyday landscapes, of which he was a master, Makovsky also painted portraits and various illustrations.