A wedding ceremony is taking place in the semi-dark parish church. A young bride, touching in her beauty and purity, and a decrepit, wrinkled groom. Everything is very clear about the unequal marriage. Until the last moment, the girl must have hoped for something that would prevent this terrible event for her. Now, when the wedding ceremony comes to an end, there is nothing more to look forward to. Lowering her tear-stained eyes with eyelids swollen from tears, without looking at the priest, she, almost losing her strength, slowly holds out her hand to the priest so that he, with a heavy wedding ring, will forever bind her fate with this alien, unloved person.

The painting "Unequal Marriage" (1862) was based on a real event - the story of the unhappy love of S. M. Varentsov, who was a friend of the artist. Varentsov was in love with a young girl from a poor family, but she married not a loved one, but a rich manufacturer, and her lover had the role of best man at this wedding.

Taking a real event as a basis, the artist did not limit himself to its protocol image. Pukirev made the groom much older and decrepit than he really was, while the bride looks almost like a child. In addition, in an effort to convey the negative traits of the hero, Pukirev turns him from a factory owner into a civilian official-general, from whom something official, dry, and stiff breathes. How sharp and unpleasant are the deep wrinkles of his long, callous, decrepit face! It seems especially motionless and frozen, squeezed by a tight and stiff collar. On the neck of the groom is the Order Cross of Vladimir of the II degree, and on the chest the star corresponding to this order shines. From him and breathes consciousness of his own significance.

The artist especially highlights the figure of a young man with arms crossed on his chest. This is the best man, the former lover of the bride. In the original version of the picture, Pukirev portrayed S. M. Varentsov himself in the figure of the best man, but he, recognizing himself, strongly protested, and the artist had to rewrite the head.

In 1863, the painting was exhibited at an academic exhibition, and the whole of Russia recognized Pukirev's name. The artist managed to create a picture that was literally "doomed" to success. The topic of unequal marriage was very relevant. How much grief and cruel suffering such marriages brought to their victims! How many tragedies they have generated in times past! It is no coincidence that the theme of unequal marriage has passed through all Russian art. Outstanding masters of the word, brush, music addressed her. In mournful folk songs filled with sadness, a Russian woman wept over her bitter fate. The work attracted general attention and caused the most controversial opinions.

The Academy of Arts awarded Pukirev the title of professor of painting folk scenes.

The painting is in the State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

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UNEQUAL MARRIAGE - FALSE AND TRUTH

"Hypocrisy is the knowledge of our society.
Hypocrisy is a conspiracy of the greedy.
Hypocrisy is the banner of a woman..."
(Gennady Volovoy)

The painting by Vasily Vladimirovich Pukirev "Unequal Marriage" first appeared at the exhibition in 1863, simultaneously with "The Last Supper" by N.N.Ge. Pukirev's painting immediately attracted the attention of the public, which admired the work of the artist. In the same year, the artist received the title of professor. And today it attracts the attention of viewers in the Tretyakov Gallery, who look with pleasure at the splendor of colors of a bygone era.

The picture is written with a certain meaning. And surprisingly, this meaning is not revealed by either critics or viewers. Everyone enters into a silent conspiracy to hide the truth and interpret the picture in a way that would please everyone. As a result of such silence, a bad tradition has already developed to talk not about what is really depicted, but about the cruelty of a society that forces a young maiden to marry a disgusting old man ...

Here is the picture in front of you. Look into it, think it over, draw conclusions... Free your mind from the routine, look straight into the eyes of truth and it will tell you the whole truth about the true intention of the artist...

What did you see? .. A selfish old man who marries a poor and unhappy girl, forced by circumstances to tie the knot with the unloved? A heartbroken young man who lost his beloved for the sake of an inert society.. What a beautiful and sweet lie!.. Another myth that society creates to hide its vices!

Consider the traditional view, which has become established in public opinion, and which determines the ideology of the picture.

"The plot of the picture is a life drama that was not uncommon at that time: an unequal marriage. A young girl is given in marriage to a rich old man. The appearance of the bride is charming: she still has unformed, childishly soft features, beautiful eyes. The bride is pale, she is probably close to fainting "The elderly groom makes an unpleasant impression: he has inexpressive dull eyes, disgustedly protruding lips. This man is used to ordering. The fate of the girl is easy to predict: she will become a toy in the house of a rich and powerful old man. "(composition based on a picture, Internet)

In the imagination of the viewer, imperious and greedy parents are drawn, who forced them to marry a wealthy official. I immediately remember Pushkinsky Dubrovsky ... Poor Masha, who was excommunicated from the noble robber ..

A decrepit but still stately old man marries a young girl, almost a child. The groom is an important nobleman, an official-general. On the groom's neck is the order cross of Vladimir II degree and the star corresponding to this order. He is full of consciousness of his own importance. And the bride, pale, unhappy, after a night of crying out tears, can barely stand on her feet, and it seems that she, exhausted, will simply lose her senses or sit down right in front of the priest, exhausted.

The glaring injustice of an unequal marriage is evident!.. O spectator, be horrified by this picture of injustice. A blooming child ties the bonds of marriage with a callous and withered old man! The priest obligingly bowed before the arrogant official and cloyingly waits on him. He sees that the young girl does not want to get married, but he does not heed God's instructions for free will, he is subject to the same spirit of money-grubbing. About the same as Pushkin's Masha in Dubrovsky, who was literally brought into the church and married to an old womanizer, whom Pushkin elevated to a noble hero. He is good because he is rich, and because he is brave - he shoots at the robbers when they overtake him on the road. But nevertheless, in this and other cases, the priest violates his direct duties and crowns people who have not agreed on their desires, crowns people when one of the parties is forced to unite the bonds of marriage against their will ...

The priest puts a wedding ring on the frozen finger of the heartbroken girl's dead hand, blessing a marriage without love, in other words, by calculation, where everyone wins. The priest will receive his profit, the courtier will receive a young beauty, the parents will receive a good ransom for the bride, the only victims here are love, which it throws as a sacrifice to gold.

""Unequal Marriage" is a mature and completely finished picture of Pukirev. The author's thought, his idea are recognized immediately. Everything is thought out here, everything is weighed."
What exactly? .. A young girl was forced against her will to marry an old man, separating her from her beloved. We feel sorry for the girl, we feel sorry for the unfortunate young man, we feel sorry that love was destroyed by this cruel and unfair world, where only self-interest and calculation reign! .. The curtain closes, the viewer wipes away tears! ..

“It must be that until the last moment the girl hoped for something that would interfere with this terrible marriage for her. Now that the wedding ceremony is coming to an end, there is nothing more to wait. , almost losing her strength, slowly, as if half asleep, not noticing that the candle, which she holds in her fallen hand, almost touches the flame of her dress, holds out her other hand to the priest, so that with a heavy wedding ring he will forever fetter her fate with this stranger an unloved person." (from www.rodon.org)

About the same way Masha was waiting for her liberator Dubrovsky, but that's bad luck, he was late, did not appear on time (not without the help of the author, of course) and therefore, alas, fate separates them. But in the picture the situation is different. The beloved of our heroine stands nearby and can prevent the marriage, disrupt it, and on the contrary, he plays the role of best man ... Alas, not the robber Dubrovsky, who would draw a dagger and hit him in the heart of the groom, or even the priest. Our "Romeo" does not have the determination to fight for love to the end. This is a young man, thoughtful in his mournful reflection, who plays the role of best man at a wedding. Beloved is standing nearby and can not do anything. He is too intelligent to fight for his beloved, just as she is too weak-willed to reject the courtship of a general official and say a resolute no to a priest.

V. V. Stasov rightly called "Unequal Marriage" "one of the most capital, but at the same time the most tragic paintings of Russian painting." “What could be simpler than the plot taken here? the critic asked. “The sale and purchase of a bride – isn’t this a scene that everyone sees with their own eyes almost every day?” .

The beautiful story that was told to us has nothing to do with the reality depicted in the picture. Bargaining?.. Yes, there is bargaining, but this bargaining should not cause sympathy for the bride, but disgust... Before us is a direct fact that they do not want to comprehend the name in its direct meaning. The audience finds justification and understanding, finds sympathy and empathy, but does not find common sense to understand what this fact means?...

And it means the following. The girl in the picture betrayed love. She betrayed the young man and sold herself for money. No need to look for excuses in her act, that she was forced or persuaded. Love does not forgive betrayal. If we agree that the girl had no way out, then let's declare Shakespeare a charlatan, and Juliet an extravagant girl who, out of sheer idiocy, committed suicide, instead of agreeing to marry a representative of her clan ...

There are two truths. This is the truth of a Russian girl who, under pressure from her parents, agreed to marry the unloved, and the truth of Juliet, who preferred death. But there are no two truths, just as there is no day or night outside the window at the same time ... If you listen to the mellifluous judgments of domestic critics, then the truth turns out to be on the side of the heroine Pukirev. And if you follow the judgments of Shakespeare, then the truth is on the side of his heroes. For whom love is greater than death...

What prevented the Russian heroine from running away from home? .. What prevented her from overcoming the oppression of her parents? .. What prevented her from dying for love? .. Weakness? she is weak, she is immature, she must be condemned. can only elicit squeamish sympathy ...

A person has a choice, and the heroine of the "unequal marriage" had a choice. Could she run away with her beloved?.. Could.. Couldn’t put on a dress and go to church?.. Could.. Could.. Could throw herself into the water like Katerina?.. Could.. But she didn’t do anything, she chose to be weak. In favor of the fact that love for her is less than the satisfaction of the surrounding opinion, parents, life itself. Love is meaningless to her. And although it is hard for her, she is ready to overcome love...

However, weakness and lack of will is a very rare occurrence for female types, it is rather an exception, but what is the rule, this needs to be sorted out. What was the mistake of those interpreters who justified the heroine? .. That they did not look into the essence of the fact, although it is on the face. Here it is directly depicted. Here is a young girl, here is her beloved, here is a high-ranking official. A direct fact says that the girl abandoned her beloved for the sake of a dignitary. That is, she preferred material benefits. So between two choices, material or spiritual, she chose the former. This is the raw, materialistic, merciless truth of life. A woman in real life sacrifices love in the name of commercialism. This fact is difficult to accept, it causes outrage. All our sympathy goes to the unfortunate girl who is depicted with such hopelessness and lack of will. Nevertheless, this rough truth of life became the main motive for writing "unequal marriage".

Or maybe our heroine really had no choice? After all, the girls of that era were subordinate to their parents. And to disobey their will would mean to be damned, and even lose their inheritance. But even in those days, the girl still had a choice, she could refuse the unloved and give consent to the beloved. Or "run into the dark night" with her beloved, as Natalya did from Karamzin's story "Natalya, the Boyar's Daughter"

"How? Without the knowledge of my father? Without his blessing? - "Without his knowledge, without his blessing, or I'm dead!" - “My God! .. My heart sank. Leave quietly from the parent's house? What will happen to the father? He will die of grief, and a terrible sin will remain on my soul. Dear friend! Why should we not throw ourselves at his feet? He will love you, bless you and let us go to church himself.” - “We will throw ourselves at his feet, but after a while. Now he cannot agree to our marriage. My very life will be in danger when they recognize me.”

What prevented a young maiden, like Natalya, from running away with her beloved and getting married? .. Only weakness and cowardice, only a miscalculation of future profit from an official husband. He both amassed wealth and earned a pension of 300 rubles a year, a lot of money for that time ... So the girl leaned on the persuasion of her parents, so she stepped over her soul and heart. It’s not easy for a girl to make a choice, but she overcomes herself, goes down the aisle, refuses to fight, lets her fate go with the flow, like a boat that carries a river without oars ... Probably Tatyana Larina was also persuaded in this way, but at least she was sure that she didn’t your loved one needs, and here, here he is standing next to him, point at him with your hand and tell the priest, here he is my beloved, I don’t want to marry a vile old man, I want to live with my beloved, either marry me a priest or take my life! I will give everything for love! .. But no .. is silent, silent, follows the imperious hand of fate ...

The main source of the idea of ​​the artist's painting was a real event - the story of the unhappy love of Pukirev's friend S.M. Varentsov. A year before the creation of the picture, a rich manufacturer, already quite old, was engaged to a young girl from a poor family, a certain S.N. Rybnikova, Varentsov's beloved. For some reason, the girl did not marry a loved one, but a rich manufacturer, while her lover had the role of best man at this wedding. "Rybnikova finished sadly. In the almshouse.

"- And I must say that when they come to me, everyone asks, and it's true that this young one on the right is the artist himself ... Fortunately for us, we recently bought one drawing, with the inscription, Vladimir Sukhov, a portrait Praskovya Matveevna Varentsova, 1907, inscription, Praskovya Matveevna Varentsova, with whom the artist Pukirev painted his famous painting “Unequal Marriage” 44 years ago. , his old man. The Mazurins had a room for such merchants, former merchant wives, for about 50 people, there, on Kotelnicheskaya embankment, in fact, apparently, her life, this woman, ended. (L. POLOZOVA. (Echo of Moscow)

Here is the truth of life. The main truth is that young women are not only ready to marry the unloved, but also to sacrifice love. This is the worst thing that a woman, a source of love and inspiration, so cynically controls her own destiny. For her, her youth becomes a bargaining chip. It is she who sells herself, and society only contributes. If a prostitute sells her body for the sake of enrichment to many men, then an ordinary woman sells not only her body, but also her soul to a rich man. Marriages of convenience became so cynical in Russian society that the tsar was forced to ban them. This is how only a ban could limit the greed of young girls.

"Relationships are bargaining - everyone sets their price and the buyer is looking for a seller and a seller for a buyer. Words are just a shell for bargaining based on two things - sexuality and money. A sexy woman is sold at the highest price. A rich man buys himself the sexiest woman. In in a world where everything is sold and bought, there is no place for love - after all, you cannot buy love for any money, and you cannot acquire tenderness by any tricks. (Gennady Volovoy)

An interesting situation was described by one writer in his book on how to win a woman, unfortunately I don’t remember either the author or the title of the book, so I’m quoting his story from memory. The author decided to set up an experiment to reveal the commercialism of women. At the dawn of perestroika, when the first businessmen had just begun to appear, racketeering flourished, and girls at school dreamed of becoming currency prostitutes, he advertised in a newspaper where he wrote. That "a young man living in a hostel, a factory worker, strong, athletic, without bad habits, loves animals and children, wants to meet a girl to start a family." After some time, three invitations came to him. From a woman over forty, from a mother of three, and from an alcoholic.

Then a month later he posted a new ad in which he changed his status. He wrote. "A businessman with a solid and solid business, bald, small in stature, with a tummy, with a difficult, if not difficult, character, for forty years wants to get acquainted with the goal of having a mistress, marriage is possible, but I do not promise." This proposal was responded to ... 400 letters! .. Who just was not among them. Very young girls were ready to throw their innocence at their feet. Married women offered to become mistresses. The rest were simply eager to marry such a "successful groom." The classic situation was repeated as in the fairy tale about "Tsakhis", who was ugly, but who had three hairs on his bald head. And the girls fell in love with him and did not see his ugliness. Everything is natural, women choose gold and betray love.

“If a woman wants to pick up a rich man in order to make money, she needs to know that there is fierce competition in this area, so everyone needs money. The question here is not where to find it is not a problem, but is a woman worth looking for? possess beauty, a cheerful character, bitchiness, the ability to enslave a man, arouse passion and interest in him. In a word, a woman should be such as to make a rich man want to buy her for money and push aside a competing claimant for a piece of his wealth. " (Gennady Volovoy)

Today, times have changed, but the greedy desires of women have not changed. Of course, today young girls no longer dream of being currency prostitutes, but the passion for profit, for sudden enrichment at the expense of a man, blinds and beckons to tempting horizons. And today the guide Lyudmila Polozova tempts young maidens with tricky questions before the painting "Unequal Marriage". And hears different answers from different age groups. If these are fifth grade girls, then they say in unison that they would never marry an old man, if these are eighth grade girls, then they are already beginning to doubt and are not so categorical, and if these are young women, then they are already openly expressing the possibility of such a marriage ... Here, the evolution of a pure soul of a girl, clouded by self-interest of a girl's soul.

“The demon that crept into the soul of a woman whispers to her: “You need a strong man and strength in money. After all, a man who knows how to earn money attracts him not even with the money itself, but with the confidence that comes from him. You should be the rear support and support for this man. You need to think about your children and their happiness in wealth. "As soon as a woman agrees with these arguments, she will betray love." (Gennady Volovoy)

There is a proverb that characterizes the best qualities of a man and a woman as best as possible; with its brevity, it sheds light on genuine people and it sounds like this. "A man is checked with damask steel, a woman - with gold." When a woman is freed from the "fetters" of "gold", when she has a free soul and chooses love, when she overcomes all obstacles and temptations for the sake of love, only then will a woman become a free person. Then the girl will be able to choose true values ​​and find the best destiny that can be found in life! ..

“If a girl looks into the depths of her soul, then she will see that her soul does not yearn for love, but for vanity. If a woman looks into the depths of her soul, she will see that her soul yearns not for love, but for gold. If an old woman looks into the depths of her soul, then she sees that her soul wants only love. If the mind of an old woman were put into a girl and a woman, how many mistakes would they avoid?". (Gennady Volovoy)

And in conclusion of the article, I offer the reader a wonderful perception of the painting "Unequal Marriage" by the hero of Gennady Martynov. (Picturesque dreams)

"The trembling hand of a priest with a golden ring reaches out to the bride's finger. But what this grandfather in a sparkling golden robe does is nothing but blasphemy. And he, as it were, by the right given to him by God, commits this contrary to God sacrilege. After all, he betroths youth, beauty, life with withering, decrepitude and death itself. It is unlikely that God from above looks with approval at this act, which is unnatural to all human nature. Is it possible that all the people closely standing behind do not understand this. Any living creature is a creation And the union in it of all living things is intended, first of all, so that life does not stop. And this means that the union, according to divine thought, should occur only in that case, and only in order to fulfill the first law of everything that exists on earth - to prolong life.
The bride - still quite a teenage girl - stands all overwhelmed by the weight of the forced ritual action in which she is assigned the main role. The call of young flesh, still permeated through with romantic dreams, is brutally and ruthlessly suppressed in this God's house. This touching young creature, who, it seems, has just put aside her favorite dolls and all the games of daughters-mothers, already on leaving this space filled with the smell of incense, should now be imbued with a harsh sense of the end of all poetry of waiting for happiness under a vigilant cold gaze. an old man who had just been named her husband.
Andrei remembered this picture well from childhood, from the moment their third grade was first taken on an excursion to the famous museum. Then he did not understand well who and why made this big girl all in a white robe with a sad face and eyes from which tears are about to pour, deprived of strength to such an extent that a light candle falls from her hands, to stand next to this nasty old man , like a dried-up mummy, and a huge star, studded with diamonds, on his chest. He clearly heard his raspy voice. The stern grandfather barely audibly instructively, like a schoolgirl, teaches how she should behave at this moment. What was she guilty of, and why is the grandfather with the star so unhappy? And why would she be punished now? He didn't understand it. But he felt sorry for the girl."

"- Pukirev's painting "Unequal Marriage" was first shown at the academic exhibition of 1863 in St. Petersburg. First, it was acquired by the famous Moscow collector Alexander Borisovsky, he was a friend of the artist Pukirev and twice financed their joint trips to Europe. To the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery the painting "Unequal Marriage" was received in 1871, Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov bought it from Borisovsky, he bought other paintings from Borisovsky. Tretyakov paid Borisovsky 1,500 rubles, at that time it was quite a high price. The painting has a unique carved gilded frame made of solid wood, which was made by Pukirev's friend Grebensky. In gratitude for such a luxurious gift, Pukirev depicted one of the characters in the painting with portrait features of Grebensky. Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov liked this frame so much that he subsequently began to order frames for Grebensky for his other paintings. " (G. DOLINCHUK. Echo of Moscow)

Reviews

Inaccuracy. Not S.N. Rybnikova ended her life in an almshouse, but the model with which Pukirev painted his picture - P.M. Varentsova. And Rybnikova lived richly and happily in her house until the end of her days.

"In 2002, the Tretyakov Gallery received a portrait made in 1907, on which it is written:" Praskovya Matveevna Varentsova, with whom 44 years ago the artist V.V. Pukirev painted his famous painting "Unequal Marriage". Mrs. Varentsova lives in Moscow, in the Mazurinskaya almshouse". Yes, Varentsova lived out her old age in an almshouse. The rumor walking around Moscow said that she was married as a young beauty to a rich man, he soon died, but she never returned to her beloved, the artist Pukirev Do you believe this rumor?

The daily audience of the Proza.ru portal is about 100 thousand visitors, who in total view more than half a million pages according to the traffic counter, which is located to the right of this text. Each column contains two numbers: the number of views and the number of visitors.

The middle of the 19th century in Russia was marked by the appearance of so-called dowry brides. Families with an average income experienced need from time to time, money was not always enough even for the most necessary things. At that time, children were growing up, expenses were increasing, and the family budget could not stand it. The most difficult life was for families with several daughters, since every girl wanted to dress beautifully, and it was quite expensive.

Against the backdrop of unsettled life, family troubles arose and, in the end, the parents began to look for a way out of the situation. The eighteen-year-old daughter-beauty, as a rule, was surrounded by fans who were ready to look after her and even marry her. Basically, they were young dandies with good external data, but without material means. The girl's parents tried to find her a richer groom, and the bride herself understood that she did not need a bankrupt husband. However, time flew by quickly, many marriageable girls could not find their happiness and remained unmarried. There were not enough suitors, those who could make a party for a decent girl were out of number, they were a real hunt.

Marriages of convenience

It was far from always possible to get engaged to a handsome and wealthy young man, most often there was disappointment in the first weeks of acquaintance. And then the classic elderly suitors came to the fore, ready to lead a young, inexperienced virgin down the aisle. Seventy-year old men, not at all embarrassed, got married, negotiated with their parents, offered fabulous sums. Of course, the young beauty could not accept such courtship from a decrepit old man, but her parents were in a hurry to order a wedding dress. At the same time, the mother told her daughter: "You will marry, and that's the point ... It's enough for us to live in need." This was followed by sleepless nights, girlish tears, prayers, but the parents were adamant. Often, girls tried to commit suicide, just not to marry a hated old man.

Painting "Unequal marriage": history

In 1863, at the Moscow Academic Art Exhibition, the work of the young artist Vasily Pukirev was presented, which made a splash. The painting "Unequal Marriage" was dedicated to the theme of forced marriages in Russian society of that time. Nevertheless, in the socio-psychological sense, no one saw the problem, only the bride herself suffered, who had to endure the harassment of the hateful groom. Material interest, the desire to make a profitable deal forced the parents to sacrifice the interests of their own daughter. The author of the painting "Unequal Marriage" openly condemned the commercialism of Russian society. The aged generals, who had already looked after themselves a young defenseless bride, began one after another to refuse to marry.

Wedding

The painting "Unequal Marriage", the description of which assumes an acquaintance with the characters in all details, reflects the wedding scene in the Orthodox Church. The twilight of the altar aisle is slightly scattered by the light falling from the window. In general, the picture "Unequal Marriage" leaves an impression of hopelessness. In the center is an elderly groom, dressed in an expensive suit, with an unnatural posture, supported by a tight corset. His head barely turns, squeezed by a high collar, dull eyes arrogantly look at those around him, a medal sparkles on his chest, an order on his neck. These awards are clearly inappropriate for a church wedding. The old man tries to look at the bride from the height of his general rank, but he is pitiful, although he tries to keep up the good work.

It is difficult to understand the psychology of a decrepit warrior, because, most likely, he once had a daughter, whom he sought to successfully marry. Behind a long life, in which there was a lot of good, like any person. Where does such callousness, callousness towards a young creature come from?

Bride

The most significant character in the picture - a young girl - was painted by the artist with particular care. The bride is still a child, with a bowed head, barely holding back her tears, this day is the most bitter in her life. The delicate face framed by blond curls is sad, the candle in the child's hand leaned over, the wax dripped onto the wedding dress. The hateful groom is very close, the feeling of his presence torments the girl's soul. Her right hand is extended to the priest, who is about to put a wedding ring on a thin finger. The bride is indifferent, she is already indifferent to her own fate. Dressed in a wedding dress, the girl sacrificed herself for the benefit of her family, which from now on will be able to live in abundance.

Priest

The priest in the picture is depicted hunched over, lost, as if he has to do a thankless task. He looks from under his brows, the pose is tense, unnatural, his attire, an embroidered riza, bristles. In his left hand is an open church book, in his right is a wedding ring, which the priest is ready to put on the bride's finger. Perhaps he once had a daughter whom someone tried to break her life. The priest is confused, but he is ready to fulfill his duty to the end.

Schafer and others present

In the picture, in addition to the bride and groom, several other characters are depicted. Behind the bride is the best man with a boutonniere on the lapel of his frock coat, he is sad, even preoccupied. The unnaturalness of the events unfolding under the church vaults oppresses the young man. Next to him is a man who, apparently, is also not indifferent to what is happening. All other characters depicted in the picture are close people of the groom, among whom are an officer, a matchmaker and several civilians.

"Pros and cons"

A well-known art critic, art historian, Vladimir Vasilievich Stasov, upon seeing Pukirev's painting, said: "Finally, a work has appeared on the topic of the day, taken from the very depths of modern life."

However, not everyone shared his opinion. The artist found a lot of enemies who began to reproach him for insufficiently deep study of the topic. A wave of controversy arose in the press, and they argued about Pukirev's work. In the end, it was recognized that he created a picture doomed to success. The accusatory plot did not leave anyone indifferent. The virtuoso painting, the composition of the drawing, the refined psychological characteristics of each character - all this raised the artistic value of the picture to an unprecedented height. A new talented artist appeared in Russia - Vasily Pukirev ("Unequal Marriage"). its analysis, the opinion of critics made it possible to draw a conclusion about the timeliness of the appearance of the masterpiece. Russian society was ready to condemn marriages of convenience for their immorality.

Unequal marriage! Woe and suffering, death for the fragile girl's soul. How many folk songs have been composed about the fate of homeless women, about the bitter fate of ordinary Russian women. The tragedy of the theme was embodied in other works of painting and literature, such as the play by A. N. Ostrovsky "The Poor Bride", the painting by F. Zhuravlev "Before the Crown", the painting by V. Makovsky "To the Crown". "Unequal Marriage", a painting by Pukirev, dominated this list. Thus, the motif of marriage of convenience entered the visual and theatrical arts.

Confession

The painting "Unequal marriage" was recognized for her Vasily Pukirev was awarded the title of professor of painting. The Academy makes the person who has painted the big picture a professor, but which one? A picture where there is no fire, no battle, no ancient or modern history... Everyone was excited by the new, modern theme of the power of money and clearly expressed by the figure of a young man standing behind the bride. However, more on that later. After that, Pukirev's fame became all-Russian. The artist took up teaching, successfully created groups of gifted young men, tried to develop natural talent in them, and passed on his knowledge and experience.

Many were interested in who the artist depicted in his picture, rumors spread around Moscow. Some believed that the plot was based on a tragedy from the life of the painter himself - his bride, they say, was married off as a rich old man. There were no grounds for such assumptions, but everyone liked this version. And since the rumors are tenacious, the story of the artist's unhappy love, invented by someone, occupied the minds of Muscovites for quite a long time.

How the story came about

In fact, the picture "Unequal Marriage" did not have such a romantic origin. The fact is that Vasily Pukirev had a close friend, artist Pyotr Shmelkov, a drawing teacher. He lived in need and therefore was constantly in search of work and plots for his paintings. Sometimes he managed to get tutoring in some rich house. Rotating in high society, Shmelkov more than once observed the marriage alliances of old people with young brides. He even made a series of sketches on this topic, hoping to use them in the future when writing a picture.

Church decree

In 1861, in February, the Holy Synod issued a decree condemning the large difference in age, since at that time every second marriage was done on the basis of material interest. Perhaps then Shmelkov suggested to his friend the theme for the picture. Pukirev was carried away by the idea and began work. As a sign of gratitude, he drew Shmelkov next to the best man. And in the role of best man portrayed himself.

In addition to Vasily Pukirev himself and his friend Shmelkov, there is another famous character in the picture. This is Grebensky, the frame master. When he saw the picture, he immediately set out to make a frame for it "which has never been before." It turned out truly decorated with fine elegant carving. Thus, "Unequal Marriage" (picture by Pukirev) received a worthy frame. Since then, the Tretyakov Gallery has ordered frames for collection paintings only from Grebensky.

The activity of the artist

At one time, Vasily Pukirev successfully worked for the interior decoration of the Church of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity, in Gryazi. He created nine icon-painting images. In addition to sacred art, the artist was engaged in portraiture, created a series of images of famous people. Among other things, the thirty-year-old Pukirev taught at the Moscow School of Painting and Sculpture.

The collapse and death of the creator

The talented artist never got a family, although according to some reports he proposed to Praskovya Matveevna, a woman of a beautiful soul, the very one who posed for him as a bride while working on the painting "Unequal Marriage". The declaration of love was unrequited, and the artist lived all his life in solitude. This played a role: things gradually fell into decay, new paintings were not in demand. Pukirev began to drink, he had to leave the school. Further - more: the artist lost his apartment, sold all his things and began to live on charitable handouts. Friends helped in any way they could, but this could not go on for long. And on June 1, 1890, Vasily Pukirev died all alone, at the age of 58. The artist was buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery in Moscow.

"Unequal marriage", a painting by the artist Pukirev, is currently in the Tretyakov Gallery, located at the address: Moscow, Lavrushinsky lane, 10. The museum is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm.

"Unequal marriage", painting, price

On the Internet you can find reproductions of any art canvases. The situation is different with the author's copies of masterpieces made at a fairly high professional level, such works are few. Specialized sites contain both reproductions and artistic copies. Visitors often ask the question, who painted the painting "Unequal Marriage"? Of course, everyone wants to know more about the legendary canvas.

Similar paintings

In addition to the masterpiece of Vasily Pukirev, there are a number of paintings on the theme of unequal marriages. The artist Firs Zhuravlev painted a painting in 1874 that continued the theme of the decline of morality in Russian society. In the room on the floor, a sobbing bride, already dressed in a wedding dress, stands next to an unforgiving father. The fate of the girl is sealed, in a few minutes she will be taken to the church and married to an ugly rich old man. The painting is called "Before the wedding", it is in the Tretyakov Gallery.

In 1894, the St. Petersburg artist Vladimir Makovsky painted the painting "Towards the Crown", which also reflects the theme of the moral degradation of society in Russia in the mid-19th century. The canvas depicts an immaculate Russian beauty, heartbroken, deprived of any hope for a happy life. The painting is in

, oil .173×136.5cm

background

In the middle of the 19th century, the issue of the powerless position of a woman, a dowry girl who was married against her will, became painful for Russia. A significant number of marriages at that time were built on the basis of profit and material interest. In 1854, a play by A.N. Ostrovsky “Poverty is not a vice” was staged on the stage of the Maly Theater, and in February 1861, the Decree of the Holy Synod was issued, condemning marriages with a big difference in age.

There is a version that the idea to paint a picture on this topic was suggested to Vasily Pukirev by his artist friend, who studied the mores of the merchant world and concluded that cynicism rules their world, and the greed makes merchants cynics.

Work on the painting

Pukirev started work in 1862. He quickly wrote a small sketch (34x26) and began to paint a large canvas.

Description

The painting depicts the sacrament (rite) of a wedding in the Orthodox Church. Against the background of the twilight of the church, the light falling from the window brightly illuminates only the groom, the bride and the priest. The groom is depicted as an old man in a good suit, with a caustic, condescendingly irritable expression on his face. He has a wrinkled face, inexpressive dull eyes, disgustedly protruding lips, an order cross of Vladimir of the II degree on the neck and a star corresponding to this order on the left chest. The clamped and tight collar gives his face a motionless and frozen look, and only his eyes are slightly slanted towards the bride.

In contrast to the groom, the image of the bride is written. She is very young, still a child, as evidenced by the oval of her face, silky blond hair, small stature. She wears a veil on her head, showing her innocence. Her face is pale, her eyes are tearful and her gaze is lowered, which gives her image a special touching. She looks especially clean in her wedding attire. In her left hand she has a candle lowered limply down, and she holds out her right hand to the priest, substituting her index finger for a wedding ring.

The figure of a priest in a riza is depicted hunched, with a sly look, in his left hand he holds a church book, and in his right hand he holds a gold wedding ring, which he is going to put on the bride's finger.

Among the guests stands out the figure of the best man, depicted at the edge of the picture behind the bride. The expression on his face expresses displeasure, his arms folded across his chest. The images of the best man and the bride are connected in the picture by subtle, mediated connections. Firstly, the artist demonstrated this by placing them in close proximity to each other in the cramped space of the church, and secondly, only they are young in the picture and united by one common experience. On the chest of the best man, as expected, there is a rose pinned to the heart, but in this case it is a sign dooming the hero to suffering.

The rest of the characters play a secondary role. The author divides them into two groups - the groom's group and the bride's group. The first, among whom is an important military man and a man standing next to him, are looking at the bride with frank and immodest curiosity. An elderly woman on the left looks faithfully at the old groom, apparently a matchmaker. In the second group, in addition to the best man, one can note the figure of a man standing next to him, in whose gaze one can clearly read lively participation.

Painting prototypes

Version by Nikolai Varentsov

According to the first version, the plot of the painting is connected with a love drama that happened to the artist's friend, a young merchant Sergei Mikhailovich Varentsov. According to this version, Sergei Varentsov was in love with the 24-year-old Sofya Nikolaevna Rybnikova, but the bride's parents preferred him to the richer and more famous in the commercial and industrial world, the middle-aged (37-year-old, 13 years older than the bride) Andrei Alexandrovich Karzinkin. Moreover, according to the testimony of N.P. Syreyshchikov, Varentsov’s great-nephew, due to the circumstances, Sergey Varentsov was forced to attend the wedding, which took place in 1860 in the Church of the Three Hierarchs on Kulishki, as best man. N.A. Varentsov in his memoirs explained this need by the fact that Karzinkin's sister was married to Sergei Varentsov's older brother, Nikolai.

According to the version, Sergei Varentsov soon protested against the depiction of himself in the picture, since, in turn, he was going to marry Olga Urusova. The artist was forced to depict himself in the picture.

It was said about Sergei Mikhailovich that he was in love with the young lady, the daughter of the merchant Rybnikov, and wanted to marry her, but her parents preferred to marry her to Andrei Aleksandrovich Karzinkin, although not so beautiful, but a very rich and good person.

This failure of Sergei Mikhailovich was very depressing, and he shared his grief with his friend, the artist Pukirev, who used this story for the plot of his painting called "Unequal Marriage", depicting the groom as an old general, and the best man standing with his arms folded across his chest, Sergei Mikhailovich . The painting was a great success at the exhibition, was acquired by P.M. Tretyakov and is still in the Tretyakov Gallery. Because of this picture, a major quarrel occurred between Sergei Mikhailovich and Pukirev when he saw his image on it. Pukirev was forced to attach a small beard to the best man, leaving all facial features unchanged, since Sergei Mikhailovich did not wear a beard.

Vasily Pukirev as a best man in the painting "Unequal Marriage"	Pukirev's painting "In the artist's studio". In the background, with his hand on the easel, the author himself is depicted	Andrey Aleksandrovich Karzinkin. Photograph from the end of the 19th century.	Portrait of S. M. Varentsov by Pukirev. 1860s

Version of Gribkov and Mudrogel

According to another version, voiced by the artist's friend Sergei Gribkov and N.A. Mudrogel, the painting depicts the love drama of the artist himself. Moreover, Gribkov told the details of this story:

A comrade and friend of V.V. Pukirev from a young age, he (S.I. Gribkov) knew the history of the painting “Unequal Marriage” and the whole tragedy of the author’s life: this old important official is a living face. The bride next to him is a portrait of the bride of V.V. Pukirev, and standing with crossed arms is V.V. Pukirev himself, as if alive.

In the image of the groom, according to L. Katz, the artist depicted the Tver marshal of the nobility Alexei Markovich Poltoratsky, with a large posthumous portrait of which she found similarities. On the sketch for the painting “The Head of an Old Man”, the artist indicated that he was painted from Prince Tsitsianov, L. Polozova suggested that it was about Prince Pavel Ivanovich Tsitsianov. and N.P. Syreyshchikov claims that the head was painted from the cook Vladimir Ivanovich, who served in those years in the Varentsovs' house. In addition, L. Polozova believes that the image may have been written collectively: the figure and clothes are from Poltoratsky, the head, with a special facial expression, is from Tsitsianov, the halo of gray hair is from the cook Vladimir Ivanovich.

The painting depicts two more personalities familiar to the artist. Next to the best man, a friend of Pukirev is depicted, the artist Pyotr Mikhailovich Shmelkov, according to one version, he suggested the idea of ​​the painting to the author. In addition, on the side of the picture is the head of the framer Grebensky, who promised to make the artist a frame for the picture "which has not yet been."

Vasily Pukirev "Unequal Marriage", 1862 Oil on canvas. 173×136.5 cm State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Unequal Marriage is a painting by Russian artist Vasily Pukirev. The work was written in 1862, immediately after graduating from the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. The painting “Unequal Marriage” (located in the State Tretyakov Gallery) was brought to the academic exhibition of 1863, with its general idea, strong expression, unusual size for an everyday plot and masterful execution, which immediately nominated the artist to one of the most prominent places among Russian painters. For her, the Academy awarded him the title of professor.

background

In the middle of the 19th century, the issue of the powerless position of a woman, a dowry girl who was given in marriage against her will, became painful for Russia. A significant number of marriages at that time were built on the basis of profit and material interest. In 1854, A. N. Ostrovsky's play "Poverty is not a vice" was staged on the stage of the Maly Theater, and in February 1861 a decree of the Holy Synod was issued condemning marriages with a large difference in age.
There is a version that the idea to paint a picture on this topic was suggested to Vasily Pukirev by his artist friend, who studied the mores of the merchant world and concluded that cynicism rules their world, and the greed makes merchants cynics.

Video from the Tretyakov Gallery.

Work on the painting

Pukirev started work in 1862. He quickly wrote a small sketch (34x26) and began to paint a large canvas.

Description

The painting depicts the wedding process in the Orthodox Church. Against the background of the twilight of the church, the light falling from the window brightly illuminates only the groom, the bride and the priest. The groom is depicted as an old man in a good suit, leaning on a cane with his right hand, with a caustic, condescendingly irritable expression on his face. He has a wrinkled face, inexpressive dull eyes, disgustedly protruding lips, an order cross of Vladimir of the II degree on the neck and a star corresponding to this order on the left chest. The clamped and tight collar gives his face a motionless and frozen look, and only his eyes are slightly slanted towards the bride.
In contrast to the groom, the image of the bride is written. She is very young, still a child, as evidenced by the oval of her face, silky blond hair, small stature. She wears a veil on her head, showing her innocence. Her face is pale, her eyes are tearful and her gaze is lowered, which gives her image a special touching. She looks especially clean in her wedding attire. In her left hand she has a candle lowered limply down, and she holds out her right hand to the priest, substituting her index finger for a wedding ring.
The figure of a priest in a riza is depicted hunched, with a sly look, in his left hand he holds a church book, and in his right hand he holds a gold wedding ring, which he is going to put on the bride's finger.
Among the guests stands out the figure of the best man, depicted at the edge of the picture behind the bride. The expression on his face expresses displeasure, his arms folded across his chest. The images of the best man and the bride are connected in the picture by subtle, mediated connections. Firstly, the artist demonstrated this by placing them in close proximity to each other in the cramped space of the church, and secondly, only they are young in the picture and united by one common experience. On the chest of the best man, as expected, there is a rose pinned to the heart, but in this case it is a sign dooming the hero to suffering.
The rest of the characters play a secondary role. The author divides them into two groups - the groom's group and the bride's group. The first, among whom is an important military man and a man standing next to him, are looking at the bride with frank and immodest curiosity. An elderly woman on the left, apparently a matchmaker, looks faithfully at the old groom. In the second group, in addition to the best man, one can note the figure of a man standing next to him, in whose gaze one can clearly read lively participation.

Painting prototypes

Version by Nikolai Varentsov

According to the first version, the plot of the painting is connected with a love drama that happened to the artist's friend, a young merchant Sergei Mikhailovich Varentsov. According to this version Sergey Varentsov[comm. 1] was in love with 24-year-old Sofia Nikolaevna Rybnikova [comm. 2], but the bride's parents preferred Andrei Aleksandrovich Karzinkin, who is richer and more famous in the commercial and industrial world, not old (37 years old, 13 years older than the bride), to him. Moreover, according to the testimony of N. P. Syreyshchikov, Varentsov’s great-nephew, due to circumstances, Sergei Varentsov was forced to attend the wedding, which took place in 1860 in the Church of the Three Hierarchs on Kulishki, as best man. N. A. Varentsov, in his memoirs, explained this need by the fact that Karzinkin's sister was married to Sergei Varentsov's older brother, Nikolai.
According to the version, Sergei Varentsov soon protested against the depiction of himself in the picture, since, in turn, he was going to marry Olga Urusova. The artist was forced to depict himself in the picture.
It was said about Sergei Mikhailovich that he was in love with a young lady - the daughter of a merchant Rybnikov and wanted to marry her, but her parents preferred to marry her to Andrei Aleksandrovich Korzinkin, although not so beautiful, but a very rich and good person.
This failure of Sergei Mikhailovich was very depressing, and he shared his grief with his friend, the artist Pukirev, who used this story for the plot of his painting called "Unequal Marriage", depicting the groom as an old general, and the best man, standing with his arms folded across his chest, - Sergei Mikhailovich . The painting was a great success at the exhibition, was acquired by P. M. Tretyakov and is still in the Tretyakov Gallery. Because of this picture, a major quarrel occurred between Sergei Mikhailovich and Pukirev when he saw his image on it. Pukirev was forced to attach a small beard to the best man, leaving all facial features unchanged, since Sergei Mikhailovich did not wear a beard.
— N. A. Varentsov. “Heard. Seen. Changed mind. Experienced"
Confirmation of the fact that the artist depicted himself in the picture is his similarity with the image of the artist in the painting “In the Artist’s Studio” (1865), where, according to N. A. Mudrogel, the author depicted himself. A friend of the artist, S. I. Gribkov, also confirmed that “with arms crossed in the picture, this is V. V. Pukirev himself, as if alive.”

Vasily Pukirev as a best man in the painting "Unequal Marriage"

Pukirev's painting "In the artist's studio". In the background, with his hand on the easel, the author himself is depicted

Andrey Alexandrovich Karzinkin - Moscow merchant and philanthropist.

Photograph from the end of the 19th century. Portrait of S. M. Varentsov by Pukirev. 1860s

Version of Gribkov and Mudrogel

According to another version, voiced by the artist's friend Sergei Gribkov and N. A. Mudrogel, the painting depicts the love drama of the artist himself. Moreover, Gribkov told the details of this story:
A comrade and friend of V. V. Pukirev from a young age, he (S. I. Gribkov) knew the history of the painting “Unequal Marriage” and the whole tragedy of the author’s life: this old important official is a living person. The bride next to him is a portrait of the bride of V. V. Pukirev, and standing with crossed arms is V. V. Pukirev himself, as if alive.
— V. A. Gilyarovsky. "Moscow and Muscovites"
According to this version, the prototype in the image of the bride in the picture depicts the failed bride of Vasily Pukirev himself - Proskovia Matveeva Varentsova [comm. 3], grandniece of Princess Olga Mironovna Shchepina-Rostovskaya (nee Varentsova-Tarkhovskaya), wife of Prince A.I. Shchepin-Rostovsky. Confirmation of this version was received in 2002, when the State Tretyakov Gallery acquired a pencil drawing of 1907 by V. D. Sukhov, on which is written: “Praskovya Matveevna Varentsova, with whom 44 years ago the artist V. V. Pukirev painted his famous painting“ Unequal marriage". Mrs. Varentsova lives in Moscow, in the Mazurinskaya almshouse.
In the image of the groom, according to L. Katz, the artist depicted the Tver marshal of the nobility Alexei Markovich Poltoratsky, with a large posthumous portrait of which she found similarities. On the sketch for the painting “The Head of an Old Man”, the artist indicated that he was painted from Prince Tsitsianov, L. Polozova suggested that it was about Prince Pavel Ivanovich Tsitsianov, and N. P. Syreyshchikov claims that the head was written from the cook Vladimir Ivanovich, who served in those years in the Varentsovs' house. In addition, L. Polozova believes that the image may have been written collectively: the figure and clothes are from Poltoratsky, the head, with a special facial expression, is from Tsitsianov, the halo of gray hair is from the cook Vladimir Ivanovich.
The painting depicts two more personalities familiar to the artist. Next to the best man, a friend of Pukirev, the artist Pyotr Mikhailovich Shmelkov, is depicted, according to one version, he suggested the idea of ​​the painting to the author. In addition, on the side of the picture is the head of the framer Grebensky, who promised to make the artist a frame for the picture "which has not yet been."

Head of an old man.
Study for the painting "Unequal Marriage".
On the back of the canvas with a pen is the inscription: Pukirev. Sketch for the painting "Unequal Marriage" (Tretyak. Gal.). Below: Written from Prince Tsitsianov.

Portrait of A. M. Polotoratsky by Pukirev. 1861

Pyotr Mikhailovich Shmelkov (1819-1890)

A pencil drawing of 1907 by V. D. Sukhov, on which is written: “Praskovya Matveevna Varentsova, with whom 44 years ago the artist V. V. Pukirev painted his famous painting “Unequal Marriage”. Mrs. Varentsova lives in Moscow, in the Mazurinskaya almshouse "

Consequences

The painting was exhibited in September 1863 in St. Petersburg at the next academic exhibition, but even before the exhibition it was bought by Pukirev's friend collector Alexander Borisovsky, from whom, in turn, Pavel Tretyakov bought it for 1,500 rubles in 1871. Now the picture is being expanded in the Tretyakov Gallery.
At the exhibition, the picture made a huge impression on contemporaries. V. V. Stasov believed that Pukirev’s canvas was one of the most capital, but at the same time the most tragic paintings of the Russian school, I. E. Repin noted that Pukirev “spoiled a lot of blood not to one old general,” and historian N. And Kostomarov confessed to friends that, having seen the picture, he abandoned his intention to marry a young girl. At the same time, the progressive magazine Iskra, in an 1863 article titled "Closing Art", criticized the painting for insufficiently deep social denunciation, for a touch of sentimentalism and melodrama, which reduces its artistic value.
In 1875, Vasily Pukirev painted a copy of the painting "Unequal Marriage", which is now on display at the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus. Pukirev returned to the theme of marriage in his other works, such as "Reception of the dowry by painting" and "Interrupted wedding".
V. Pukirev. An interrupted wedding.

Pukirev's painting "Bigamist" or "Interrupted wedding". 1877

Painting by Pukirev "Reception of a dowry in a merchant family by painting". 1873

In the design of the cover of the album "Strawberry with Ice" by the "Krematoria" group, Vasily Pukirev's painting "Unequal Marriage" was used. The creators of the design complemented the picture with a figure in a white coat.