Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov: biography, career and personal life. Viktor Vasnetsov (artist)

Landscape backgrounds of V.'s works on fabulous and historical themes, imbued with a deeply national feeling of native nature, sometimes remarkable for the lyrical spontaneity of its perception ("Alyonushka"), or epic in character ("After the battle of Igor Svyatoslavich with the Polovtsy"), played an important role in the development of Russian landscape painting. In 1883-85, V. completed the monumental panel "Stone Age" for the Historical Museum in Moscow, in 1885-96 - most of the murals in the Vladimir Cathedral in Kiev. In the murals of the Vladimir Cathedral, V. tried to introduce spiritual content and emotionality into the traditional system of church monumental painting, which in the second half of the 19th century. fell into complete decay. Renaissance painting in its mature period, distinguished by its striving for a monumental and decorative artistic language, the muffled sound of generalized color spots, and sometimes even an appeal to symbolism, anticipates the modernist style that later became widespread in Russia. V. also performed a number of portraits (A.M. Vasnetsov, 1878; Ivan Petrov, 1883; both in the Tretyakov Gallery), illustrations for "Song of the Prophetic Oleg" by A.S. Pushkin (watercolor, 1899, Literary Museum, Moscow) ... According to his drawings, the church and the fabulous "Hut on Chicken Legs" were built in Abramtsevo (near Moscow; 1883), the facade of the Tretyakov Gallery was built (1902). In Soviet times, V. continued to work on folk fairy-tale themes (Dobrynya Nikitich's Fight with the seven-headed Serpent Gorynych, 1918; Kashchei the Immortal, 1917-26; both paintings are in the Vasnetsov House-Museum in Moscow).
Lit .: Stasov V.V., Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov and his works, in his book: Articles and Notes, vol. 2, Moscow, 1954; Lebedev A.K., V.M. Vasnetsov. 1848-1926, M., 1955; Morgunov N., Morgunova-Rudnitskaya N., V. M. Vasnetsov, M., 1962.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
In Vasnetsov's work, various genres are clearly represented, which have become stages of a very interesting evolution: from everyday life to a fairy tale, from easel painting to monumental painting, from the earthiness of the Itinerants to the prototype of the Art Nouveau style. At an early stage, everyday subjects predominated in Vasnetsov's works, for example, in the paintings From Apartment to Apartment (1876), Military Telegram (1878), Bookstore (1876), Balagans in Paris (1877). Later, the main direction became the epic and historical - "The Knight at the Crossroads" (1882), "After the Battle of Igor Svyatoslavich with the Polovtsy" (1880), "Alyonushka" (1881), "Ivan Tsarevich on the Gray Wolf" (1889), "Heroes "(1881-1898)," Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible "(1897). At the end of the 1890s, an increasingly prominent place in his work is occupied by a religious theme (works in the Vladimir Cathedral in Kiev and in the Church of the Resurrection (Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood) in St. Petersburg, watercolor drawings and, in general, preparatory originals of wall paintings for the cathedral Vladimir, the painting of the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist in Presnya.Vasnetsov worked in a team of artists who decorated the interior of the temple-monument of Alexander Nevsky in Sofia.Cooperated with the artists M.V. Nesterov, I.G. Blinov, etc. After 1917 Vasnetsov continued to work over folk fairy-tale themes, creating the canvases "Fight of Dobrynya Nikitich with the seven-headed Serpent Gorynych" (1918); "Koschey the Immortal" (1917-1926)

Victor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov

Today I want to tell you about the Russian artist Viktor Vasnetsov.

There was a time when his paintings from early childhood entered the life of a young Russian and this name (like the author's paintings) was known to anyone who graduated from a simple high school.

Artist Viktor Vasnetsov. Biography

The creative path of the artist Viktor Vasnetsov began in the 70s of the nineteenth century. It was the time when such famous contemporaries and contemporaries of Vasnetsov as Repin I.E., Surikov V.I., Polenov V.D., worked. and many others. In those days, the Russian public followed with great interest and enthusiasm the successes of the nascent "realistic art" and simply "piled up" at the exhibitions of the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions.

Great interest was not only in painting. Literature, science, music - everything was interesting, everything was warmed by the idea of ​​reviving Russian culture and Russian traditions.

Artist Viktor Vasnetsov was born on May 15, 1848 in the remote Vyatka village of Lopatya, in the family of a village priest. A large family very soon, after the birth of Viktor, moved to the village of Ryabovo, Vyatka province. In this godforsaken village, the future artist spent his childhood.

The life of the family of a rural priest differed little from the life of a simple peasant. The same garden, cattle, folk songs and fairy tales.

Soon the young man went to Vyatka and became a student of the theological seminary. It was boring to study, and Victor began to take drawing lessons from the gymnasium teacher N.G. Chernyshov. Vasnetsov, with great joy and desire, painted from plaster and lithography in the Vyatka Museum, got a job as an assistant to the artist E. Andriolli, who at that time was painting the cathedral in Vyatka.

In 1967, the future artist came to St. Petersburg and a year later entered the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. Here he begins a completely different life: he made friends with Repin and Antokolsky, Stasov and Kramskoy. Countless gatherings and literary parties, disputes about the development of Russian art and culture.

Many of the artist's contemporaries recalled that during that period Vasnetsov became interested in reading Russian epics, studied national culture, folklore and folk art. However, his studies at the academy became just formal - his father died and Vasnetsov devoted more time to the elementary struggle with poverty. I had to somehow live myself and help the mother, who was left alone with young children in her arms. Perhaps this is why, later recalling the years spent at the academy, Vasnetsov called his only teacher only one Chistyakov P.P., with whom Viktor developed friendly relations and to whom he very often turned for help and advice.

As a student, Vasnetsov became famous as the author of numerous drawings depicting genre scenes and urban types. In the newspapers, critics praised the young author for his observation and benevolent humor, democratic sympathy. And they predicted a great future for him, as a typist (there was such a word. This is the one who draws types).

However, Vasnetsov sees himself as a serious artist and tries his hand at painting. His genre paintings are noticed by the public. Particular success fell to the painting "From apartment to apartment".

From apartment to apartment

This painting was acquired for his famous exhibition by P.M. Tretyakov.

Critics do not scold the artist, but note that his genre paintings are not distinguished by originality in composition and are modest in painting.

The painting "Preference" (1879) is of a completely different order.

Preference

She is called the best not only in the work of a young artist, but also in Russian genre painting of the second half of the nineteenth century. Here's what he said about this painting and about the artist Kramskoy:

Over the past 15 years, the entire Russian school has told more than portrayed. At the present time, he will be right who will really depict not by a hint, but alive. You are one of the brightest talents in understanding the type. Don't you feel your terrible strength in understanding character?

However, despite the undoubted success, genre painting did not bring complete satisfaction to Vasnetsov himself. I wanted something completely different, other types and images attracted the artist.

Repin invites Vasnetsov to Paris - to unwind and look around, to be saturated with new ideas.

Vasnetsov lives in Paris for a whole year, studies the painting of contemporary French masters, and visits museums. And he decides to return to Russia and settle in Moscow.

The desire to live in Moscow is not at all accidental - Moscow has long been attracting an artist. Many years later, he will write:

When I arrived in Moscow, I felt that I had come home and there was nowhere else to go - the Kremlin, Basil the Blessed, were forced to almost cry, to such an extent all this breathed into my soul, unforgettable.

I must say that Moscow at that time attracted more than one Vasnetsov. At about the same time, Repin and Polenov moved to Moscow, and Surikov moved from the capital. Artists were keenly interested in the ancient capital, as a miraculous oasis capable of giving life-giving powers to art. It should not be forgotten that the end of the nineteenth century was a time when interest in Russian history and Russian culture rose sharply.

It was in Moscow that Vasnetsov made a "decisive and conscious transition from the genre." He suddenly realized clearly that all these years he had dreamed vaguely of Russian history and Russian epics, old Russian fairy tales.

And very soon the first canvas of the artist was born, as a result of these "historical dreams".

After the slaughter of Igor Svyatoslavovich with the Polovtsi

“After the slaughter of Igor Svyatoslavovich with the Polovtsy,” the audience and critics greeted him rather coolly. The "people" demanded an archaeologically accurate depiction of the battle, but did not want to accept the "fairy tale and epic".

The artist tried to explain that borrowing the plot from The Lay of Igor's Campaign, he was not trying to create an illustration for the work. No. He deliberately removed the blood and dirt of a real battle from the canvas, and wanted to create a heroic picture that would reflect the Russian spirit and attract the viewer not with the terrible details of the past battle, but with hidden drama, and beauty, and the creation of a poetic artistic image.

Chistyakov wrote to Vasnetsov:

You, most noble, Viktor Mikhailovich, poet-artist! Such a distant, so grandiose and in its own way original Russian spirit smelled of me that I was simply sad, I, a pre-Petrine eccentric, envied you.

The artist offered the public a completely new artistic language, which was initially not understood and heard.

But, not everyone felt this way. As soon as the painting appeared at the exhibition, it was immediately acquired by Tretyakov, who understood what opportunities the new direction opened up for Russian realism. And since that time, the famous philanthropist and collector vigilantly watched every creative step of the artist.

Meanwhile, Vasnetsov's life in Moscow was simply happy: he found good friends for himself, often visited the house of P.M. Tretyakov. at the famous musical evenings.

Another friend who played a big role in the artist's life was Savva Ivanovich Mamontov. The artist has always been a welcome guest both in a country house and in the famous Abramtsevo estate. Mamontov simply selflessly loved Russian antiquity, folk art and supported young artists and writers. Very soon, thanks to the efforts of Vasnetsov, a friendly circle was formed in "Abramtsevo", which consisted of young artists, musicians, actors, writers who saw the origins of their work in Russian culture, in its origins and its uniqueness.

Paintings of the artist Viktor Vasnetsov

It was in "Abramtsevo" (where the artist lived for a long time) that the first cycle of Vasnetsov's fairy-tale paintings was born. The cycle was opened by three paintings, which were painted by order of Mamontov: "Three princesses of the underworld", "Alyonushka", "Ivan Tsarevich on the gray wolf."

Three princesses of the underworld Alyonushka Ivan Tsarevich on the Gray Wolf

Vasnetsov painted pictures with fairy tales all his life. With all their diversity (and even unequal value), all the pictures are united, first of all, by the desire to reveal the inner content of the Russian fairy tale, to create an atmosphere that is real and at the same time fantastic. Fabulous. With a special understanding of good and evil. And faith in justice and the triumph of good.

Magic carpet
Knight at the crossroads

Already in the first works of the artist, one can see a great love for folk costumes and attention to its details. It was during this period that the members of the Abramtsevo circle began to engage in in-depth study of ancient folk costumes, forms and ornaments. And Vasnetsov uses this knowledge in writing his paintings.

Sleeping princess Snow Maiden

A striking example of his passion for folk costume was the artist's sketch "In a buffoon suit".

In a buffoon suit

In 1881 Vasnetsov painted one of his best fairy-tale pictures - "Alyonushka". He paints this picture in Abramtsevo. In the same place, in Abramtsevo, the artist began to decorate the play "Snow Maiden".

Chambers of Tsar Berendey. Set design for the opera

The play was originally staged in the Mamontov house, and later, it was transferred to a professional stage.

With all the success of "Alenushka", the most ambitious idea of ​​the eighties was "Bogatyrs". The artist painted this picture for almost twenty years (1881-1898). It must be said that during this period Vasnetsov wrote several large and very significant works.

The frieze painting "Stone Age" (1882 - 1885) for the Moscow Historical Museum is 16 meters long, consisting of three parts: the first is devoted to the life and everyday life of ancient people, the second is a scene of hunting for mammoths, and the third is "Feast".

It was thanks to the "Stone Age" that the artist received a contract for the painting of the Vladimir Cathedral in Kiev.

Sketches for the painting of the Vladimir Cathedral. Princess Olga and Nestor the Chronicler

In 1891, the painting was almost completed and the artist, together with his family, returned to Moscow. By this period, the family's financial situation had improved so much that the Vasnetsovs were able to buy a small estate in Abramtsevo and build a small house with a workshop in Moscow. It was in this workshop that the artist resumed work on "Heroes" and, at the same time, began to paint the painting "Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible" (with this picture in 1897 the artist will appear for the last time at the exhibition of the Itinerants).

Tsar Ivan Vasilievich the Terrible

In 1899, the artist's first personal exhibition opens in Moscow. And the central piece of the exhibition is "Bogatyrs".

Three heroes

In the last years of the 19th century, Vasnetsov is at the peak of his fame: the artist is well and much written in the domestic and foreign press, his studio is visited by famous musicians, artists and writers. Tretyakov in his gallery (already donated to Moscow) is building a special hall for Vasnetsov's works.

During this period, the artist was suddenly carried away by architecture. Many years ago, two small buildings were erected in Abramtsevo according to the artist's sketches: a house church and a Hut on Chicken Legs. Later - the facade of the Tretyakov Gallery and several private houses in Moscow.

Guslyars

Victor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov(May 15, 1848, Lopyal village, Vyatka province - July 23, 1926, Moscow) - Russian artist-painter and architect, master of historical and folklore painting. The younger brother is the artist Apollinary Vasnetsov.

V.M. Vasnetsov in 1895

Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov was born on May 15, 1848 in the Russian village of Lopyal in the Urzhum district of the Vyatka province, in the family of the Orthodox priest Mikhail Vasilyevich Vasnetsov (1823-1870), who belonged to the ancient Vyatka family of the Vasnetsovs.

He studied at the Vyatka Theological School (1858-1862), and then at the Vyatka Theological Seminary. He took drawing lessons from the gymnasium drawing teacher N.M. Chernyshev. With the blessing of his father, he left the seminary from the penultimate course and went to St. Petersburg to enter the Academy of Arts. He studied painting in St. Petersburg - first with I. N. Kramskoy at the Drawing School of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists (1867-1868), then at the Academy of Arts (1868-1873). During his studies, he came to Vyatka, met the exiled Polish artist Elviro Andriolli, whom he asked to paint with his younger brother Apollinaris.

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

Member of the mammoth circle in Abramtsevo.

In 1893 Vasnetsov became a full member of the Academy of Arts.

Portrait of V.M. Vasnetsov.
N. D. Kuznetsov, 1891

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

In 1912 he was granted "the dignity of the nobility of the Russian Empire with all descending descendants."

In 1915 he took part in the creation of the Society for the Revival of Artistic Russia, along with many other artists of his time.

Viktor Vasnetsov died in Moscow on July 23, 1926, at the age of 79. The artist was buried at the Lazarevskoye cemetery, after the destruction of which the ashes were transferred to the Vvedenskoye cemetery.

A family

The artist was married to Alexandra Vladimirovna Ryazantseva, who came from a merchant family. Five children were born in the marriage.

Creation

In the work of Vasnetsov, various genres are clearly represented, which have become stages of a very interesting evolution: from everyday life to a fairy tale, from easel painting to monumental, from earthiness Wanderers to the prototype of the Art Nouveau style. At an early stage, everyday subjects prevailed in Vasnetsov's works, for example, in the paintings From Apartment to Apartment (1876), The Military Telegram (1878), The Bookstore (1876), and Balagans in Paris (1877).

Later, the main direction becomes the epic and historical:

• "The Knight at the Crossroads" (1882)
• "After the slaughter of Igor Svyatoslavich with the Polovtsy" (1880)
• Alyonushka (1881)
• "Ivan Tsarevich on the Gray Wolf" (1889)
• "Heroes" (1881-1898)
• "Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible" (1897)

At the end of the 1890s, an increasingly prominent place in the work of V.M. Vasnetsov is occupied by a religious theme: he performed works in the Vladimir Cathedral in Kiev and in the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg, watercolor drawings and, in general, preparatory originals of wall painting for Cathedral of St. Vladimir, painting of the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist in Presnya). Vasnetsov worked in a team of artists who decorated the interior of the Alexander Nevsky memorial church in Sofia.

Collaborated with artists M.V. Nesterov, I.G. Blinov and others.

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

Projects and buildings

• Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands, together with V. D. Polenov, P. M. Samarin (1880-1882, Abramtsevo).
• "Hut on chicken legs" (arbor) (1883, Abramtsevo).
• Sketch "Chapel over the grave of A. S. Mamontov" (1891-1892, Abramtsevo).
• Own house, together with V.N.Bashkirov (1892-1894, Moscow, Vasnetsov Lane, 13).
• The project of the iconostasis and the painting of the icons of the church at the glass factory of Yu. S. Nechaev-Maltsev (1895, Gus-Khrustalny).
• The gravestone monument to Yu. N. Govorukha-Otrok (1896, Moscow, the necropolis of the Sorrowful Monastery) has not survived.
• The project of the Russian pavilion for the World Exhibition in Paris (1889), not completed.
• Teremok (architectural fantasy) (1898), not realized.
• I. E. Tsvetkov's mansion, the construction was carried out by the architect B. N. Shnaubert (1899-1901, Moscow, Prechistenskaya embankment, 29).
• The project of the extension of the main entrance hall to the building of the Tretyakov Gallery, together with V. N. Bashkirov (designed by the architect A. M. Kalmykov) (1899-1901, Moscow, Lavrushinsky lane).
• The project of the tower-passage from the Armory Chamber to the Grand Kremlin Palace (1901, Moscow, Kremlin) has not been implemented.
• The project of a new painting of the Grand Kremlin Palace (1901, Moscow, Kremlin) has not been completed.

Monument "Victor and Apollinarius Vasnetsov from grateful fellow countrymen" in front of the Vyatka Art Museum named after the Vasnetsov brothers (1992). Sculptor Y. G. Orekhov, architect S. P. Khadzhibaronov

• The memorial cross at the site of the death of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich (1905-1908, Moscow) has not survived. Recreated by the sculptor N.V. Orlov and installed in the Novospassky monastery.
• The project of an apartment building (1908, Moscow), not implemented.
• The gravestone of V.A.Gringmut (1900s, Moscow, the necropolis of the Sorrowful Monastery) has not survived.
• The project of the Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky (1911, Moscow, Miusskaya Square), was put by the architect A. N. Pomerantsev as the basis for a partially implemented project.

Create stamps

In 1914, Vasnetsov's drawing was used for a stamp of voluntary collection for the victims of the First World War, issued by the Moscow City Public Administration.

Memory

Museums

• House-Museum of V.M. Vasnetsov (branch of the State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow).
• Vyatka Art Museum named after V.M. and A.M. Vasnetsov and its branch:
  • Historical-memorial and landscape museum-reserve of artists V. M. and A. M. Vasnetsov "Ryabovo" (Kirov region, Zuevsky district, Ryabovo village).
• State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg.

Monuments

• The monument "Victor and Apollinarius Vasnetsov from grateful fellow countrymen" is installed in front of the building of the Vyatka Art Museum named after V. M. and A. M. Vasnetsov.

In philately

Vasnetsov Viktor Mikhailovich a short biography of the famous Russian artist is presented in this article.

Viktor Vasnetsov short biography

Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov was born on May 15, 1848 in the remote Vyatka village of Lopyal into a large family of a rural priest. Since childhood, Victor loved to listen to folk tales and songs, legends. They engendered in the boy a love for Russian folk art.

The boy's talent manifested itself at an early age, but due to lack of money, he was sent to a theological school, and then to seminary. Children of priests were admitted there free of charge. However, the craving for art led the 19-year-old seminarian from Vyatka to St. Petersburg, to the Academy of Arts.

While studying at the Academy, the young artist worked a lot (as an engraver and draftsman, collaborated with a number of St. Petersburg magazines.). With great interest he created illustrations for the alphabet. But most of all, the artist was captured by thoughts about the heroic strength of the Russian soldiers, about beauty, about freedom.

In 1876 Vasnetsov came to Paris at the invitation of Repin. At the exhibition, the artist's attention was drawn to a large painting about fairy knights. And again he remembered his idea of ​​creating a picture dedicated to the Russian heroes.

In the summer of 1881 goals Vasnetsov painted sketches in Abramtsevo and began to work on the painting "Heroes". But only in 1898, Vasnetsov finished this picture.

Since 1893 Vasnetsov became a full member of the Russian Academy of Arts.

In 1899 Vasnetsov opened his first exhibition in Moscow, the painting "Heroes" became the central work on it.