The most famous paintings about nature. Oil Paintings

Speaking about the genre of landscape, it is impossible not to refer to the work of great landscape painters. Now it is difficult to imagine that two hundred years ago such a thing as a landscape did not yet exist. The traditions of Russian landscape painting began to form only in late XVIII centuries. Before this, artists painted under the influence of Italian and French masters, ennobling nature according to the academic laws of construction, which were considered mandatory in painting of that time.

The Partnership made a huge contribution to the development of Russian landscape traveling exhibitions(Itinerants) under the leadership of I. N. Kramskoy. Artists sang the beauty of discreet Russian nature, the simplicity of rural landscapes, and the vast expanses of Rus'.

The greatest masters of landscape:

• Alexey Kondratyevich Savrasov (1830-1897)
• Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky (1817–1900)

Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin (1832-1898)

Art I.I. Shishkina is surprisingly clear and transparent. His paintings are a hymn to living nature and its beauty. He created landscape art with coniferous thickets, with vast expanse, with all the simplicity of the northern landscape.

At the age of 12, at the insistence of his father, he was assigned to the 1st Kazan Gymnasium. Full course never finished. In 1852 he moved to Moscow and entered the School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. Here A. N. Mokritsky became Shishkin’s mentor. After completing the course (1856), the talented student was advised to continue his education in St. Petersburg at the Academy of Arts. His training was supervised by S. M. Vorobyov.

The teachers immediately noted Shishkin’s penchant for landscape painting. Already in his first year at the academy, he was awarded a small silver medal for “View in the vicinity of St. Petersburg.” In 1858 the artist received the Great silver medal for the painting “View on the Island of Valaam”.

The successes achieved allowed Shishkin to make trip abroad as a fellow of the academy. The journey began in Munich (1861), where Ivan Ivanovich visited the workshops of popular animal artists B. and F. Adam. In 1863, Shishkin moved to Zurich, then to Geneva, Prague, and Dusseldorf. Feeling homesick for his fatherland, he returned to St. Petersburg in 1866, before the expiration of his scholarship.

In Russia, the artist was awarded the title of academician (1865). From this time onwards the most fruitful period creativity of the painter. The paintings “Cutting Wood” (1867), “Rye” (1878), “Pine Trees Illuminated by the Sun” (1886), “Morning in pine forest"(1889; bears written by K. A. Savitsky), "Ship Grove" (1898) and many others.

Shishkin worked actively in the open air, often undertaking artistic purpose traveling around Russia. He exhibited his works almost every year - first at the academy, and then, after the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions was established (1870), at these exhibitions.

Ivan Ilyich Levitan (1860-1900)

Born on August 30, 1860 in the Lithuanian town of Kybartai into a Jewish family. My father was a minor employee in the city government. Soon after the birth of their youngest son, the family moved to Moscow. At the age of 13, Isaac was accepted into Moscow school painting, sculpture and architecture, in the class of A.K. Savrasov and V.D. Polenov. From the very beginning of his studies, Levitan made a living by giving lessons and commissioned portraits. He graduated from college with flying colors, but because of his background, he was awarded a diploma as a penmanship teacher.

First big picture « Quiet abode“he wrote after a trip in 1890 to the Russian North. The canvas was purchased by P. M. Tretyakov for his gallery. In 1892, the artist was forced to leave Moscow, since Jews were not allowed to live in the capitals. He settled in a village located along the Vladimirsky tract, along which convicts were driven to Siberia. The artist captured these places in the painting “Vladimirka” (1892). In the 90s Levitan made another trip, this time along the Volga. There the painting “Fresh Wind” was born. Volga" (1891-1895). An exacerbation of tuberculosis caused the artist to leave abroad, to France, then to Italy, although the efforts of friends helped him obtain permission to live in Moscow.

Returning home, in 1898 Levitan began teaching a landscape class at the school from which he graduated. His health was deteriorating, and in 1899 the artist, at the invitation of A.P. Chekhov, left for Yalta. Having returned, he began teaching again, but his health continued to deteriorate, and on August 4, 1900, Levitan died.

The landscapes of the singer of Russian nature are not just photographic images of nature - the artist managed to convey its living breath. No wonder the critic V.V. Stasov called Levitan’s paintings emotional poems. At the same time, Levitan was not only a magnificent landscape painter. His creative heritage They also make drawings, watercolors, and book illustrations.

The city of Plyos is associated with the name of Isaac Levitan. Levitan comes to Plyos for three summers in a row, in 1888-1890. There is not a single corner or path in the vicinity of Plyos, no matter where you have been Great master. Inspired by the magical beauties of Plyos, he paints almost 200 paintings and sketches here! Now famous paintings: "Above eternal peace", "After the rain. Plyos", "Evening. Golden Reach”, “Birch Grove” and many others have become decorations of the collections of the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum and many collections in Russia and abroad.

Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov (1844-1927)

Born on June 1, 1844 in the Borok estate (now Polenovo in Tula region) in the family of archaeologist and bibliographer D. V. Polenov. After receiving secondary education, Vasily entered the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts (1863), and a little started later attend lectures at the Faculty of Law at the university.

In 1872, Polenov, who completed both courses with honors, was awarded a trip abroad at the expense of the academy. He visited Vienna, Venice, Florence, Naples, and lived in Paris for a long time. The visit home was short-lived; in 1876 the artist volunteered for the Serbian-Montenegrin-Turkish war.

In subsequent years, he traveled a lot in the Middle East and Greece (1881-1882, 1899, 1909), Italy (1883-1884, 1894-1895). In 1879 he joined the Society of Peredvizhniki artists. In 1882-1895. taught at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture.

In recognition of his merits, Polenov was elected a full member of the Academy of Arts in 1893. Since 1910, he was involved in the development of provincial theaters, becoming three years later the head of a special section at the Moscow Society of People's Universities.

Polenov is known as the author of works of various genres. He addressed historical and religious themes - “Christ and the Sinner” (1886-1887), “On Lake Tiberias” (1888), “Among the Teachers” (1896); in 1877 he created a series of studies of Kremlin cathedrals and palace chambers; V different time made theatrical scenery. According to his sketches, churches were built in Abramtsevo (in collaboration with V.M. Vasnetsov) and in Bekhov near Tarusa (1906). But the landscapes that brought Polenov the greatest fame were: “Moscow Courtyard” (1878), “Grandmother’s Garden”, “Summer” (both 1879), “Overgrown Pond” (1880), “ Golden autumn"(1893), conveying the poetic charm of the corners of city life and pristine Russian nature.

The artist spent the last years of his life in the Borok estate, where he organized a museum of art and scientific collections. The museum-estate of V. D. Polenov has been operating here since 1927.

Alexey Kondratyevich Savrasov (1830 - 1897)

The artist was born on May 12 (24), 1830 in Moscow, in the family of the merchant of the 3rd guild, Kondraty Artemyevich Savrasov. Contrary to the wishes of his father, who dreamed of adapting his son to “commercial affairs,” the boy entered the Moscow School of Painting and Sculpture in 1844, where he studied in the class of landscape painter K.I. Rabus. During his studies, in 1850, he completed the painting “Stone in the Forest near the Spill,” which art critics consider somewhat awkward in composition. In the same year, for the painting “View of the Moscow Kremlin by Moonlight,” he was awarded the title of non-class artist.

Founding member of the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions (see Peredvizhniki). IN early works S. romantic effects prevail ("View of the Kremlin in inclement weather", 1851, Tretyakov Gallery).

In the 1850-60s. Savrasov more often moves to calm, narrative images, in some cases marked by a desire for color unity of works ("Losiny Island in Sokolniki", 1869, ibid.), to enhance the emotional sound of chiaroscuro. The result of these searches was the painting “The Rooks Have Arrived” (1871, ibid.), where Savrasov, depicting an outwardly unprepossessing motif and emphasizing the moment of transition in the life of the natural environment (the onset of early spring), managed to show deep sincerity native nature. Savrasov’s subsequent works are also distinguished by their lyrical spontaneity and interest in the plein air (Country Road, 1873; Courtyard, 1870s; Grave over the Volga, 1874, private collection, Moscow).

Alexey Savrasov, one of the largest representatives lyrical direction in Russian landscape, had a huge influence on Russian landscape painters of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

A.K. passed away Savrasov September 26, 1897, buried in Moscow, at the Vagankovskoye cemetery. The alley where he is buried bears his name. His favorite student was Isaac Levitan

Arkhip Ivanovich Kuindzhi (1841-1910)

Born in January 1841 in Mariupol in the family of a shoemaker of Greek origin. Having been orphaned, he was raised in a family of relatives. He started drawing early and mastered painting mostly on his own.

In 1855, he went on foot to Feodosia to study with I.K. Aivazovsky. The influence of the famous marine painter on young Kuindzhi was undoubtedly. At the end of the 60s. Kuindzhi arrived in St. Petersburg. The artist presented his first works in 1868 at an exhibition at the Academy of Arts and soon firmly established himself as a master of landscape: “Autumn thaw” (1872); "The Forgotten Village" (1874); “Chumatsky tract in Mariupol” (1875), etc.

In 1870 he first visited the island of Valaam, where he subsequently painted a lot. As contemporaries believed, it was the landscapes created there that attracted the attention of viewers.

The painting “Ukrainian Night” (1876) simply stunned the public and determined special way author in art. With her, Kuindzhi began his “pursuit of light” - he sought to achieve the complete illusion of natural lighting. This was manifested to the highest degree in the painting “Night on the Dnieper” (1880) with a sparkling moonlit path in velvet darkness.

The painter revealed the possibilities of the landscape in a new way, transforming, purifying and elevating reality. He achieved extraordinary intensity and brightness of colors, new color solutions. He is characterized by numerous “solar” paintings and sketches (including “ Birch Grove", 1879).

The intense contrast of rich tones, lighting effects - all this was unusual for paintings of the 19th century V. phenomenon. Misunderstanding among his colleagues forced Kuindzhi to refuse to participate in exhibitions at the moment of his greatest success. IN last time he exhibited his work in 1882.

The artist lived as a hermit in Crimea, where he created a series of large canvases and hundreds of sketches, continuing to experiment with paints and color. Among Kuindzhi’s later works, this is his only story picture“Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane” (1901) and “Night” breathing extraordinary harmony (1905-1908)

In 1909, Arkhip Ivanovich founded the Society of Artists (which later received his name), which provided support to people of art. The painter bequeathed his entire fortune and the works in his studio to this Society.

Born in Yoshkar-Ola in 1964. He graduated from the Kazan Aviation Institute, while studying there he continued to be interested in painting - a favorite pastime since childhood.

There is no impressionistic transience or avant-garde delights in his works. There is only one charming simplicity, understandable and valuable at all times. Critics consider Basov one of the best representatives of modern Russian realism.

His landscapes are called “picturesque elegies.” In the most ordinary and simplest subjects - a lake lost in the forests, a nameless river, a grove at the edge of a field - he is able to reveal to the viewer the whole world, rich in emotions and sensory sensations. Sergei Basov, at the same time, has long established himself as a mature painter, with an individual, original style of painting and an attentive, interested look at the world, observations of which he generously shares with others.

“...One of the best representatives of modern Russian realism, Sergei Basov has been actively working since the early 90s of the last century. Perfectly mastering painting technique, possessing impeccable taste and sense of style, he creates amazingly poetic works that invariably find a heartfelt response in the hearts of grateful spectators - people the most different tastes and views that are very different from each other in their worldview and character. The pictorial world that the artist creates and in which he lives is, first of all, the nature that surrounds us. Ingenuous and even ordinary motifs chosen by the artist, such as forest lakes and streams, ravines, forest paths and country roads, are transformed into very subtle, reverent works, a kind of picturesque elegies. At numerous art exhibitions in capital and provincial cities you can see beautiful works in a realistic, academic manner. And, of course, there is deep internal relationship between positive phenomena in modern Russian art and the revival of the country. Artist Sergei Basov makes his worthy contribution to this noble cause. The master’s landscapes are valuable exhibits in many private and corporate collections in Russia and abroad...” Many of our compatriots, going abroad for a long time, take away as a gift to foreign friends or simply as a souvenir a piece of Russia captured in Basov’s landscapes. The inexplicable beauty of the corners of Russian nature middle zone the artist conveys on his canvases in a subtle, lyrical manner, with amazing warmth and love.

Russian forest in paintings by Russian artists

"I hope the time will come when all Russian nature

alive and spiritual, will look from the canvases of Russian artists" (I.I. Shishkin)

The nature of Russia is diverse and unique. Wonderful Russian poets sang its beauty in their poems: Zhukovsky V.A., Pushkin A.S., Tyutchev F.I., Fet A.A., Nekrasov N.A., Nikitin I.S. and others. And then we saw Russian nature in the paintings of landscape artists: I. Shishkin, A. Kuindzhi, I. Ostroukhov, I. Levitan, V. Polenov, G. Myasoedov, A. Gerasimov, A. Savrasov, V. Nikonov and many others painters.

IN In the paintings of Russian artists we see how landscapes of nature convey that thin invisible line that separates us from it. Nature in painting reflects the world in which it is not man who dominates nature, but nature who dominates him. A world where colors heighten feelings of unity with nature. Seasons in painting are a special theme in the landscapes of nature paintings by Russian artists, because nothing touches as sensitively as the change in the appearance of nature according to the seasons. Along with the season, the mood of nature changes, which the artist’s brushes convey with ease in paintings.