35 great Russian painters
Russia is famous for its artists. They have made a huge contribution to world art, and their paintings break records at world auctions. Let's remember the best of the best. You yourself can influence how the places are distributed.
Theophanes the Greek (about 1340 - about 1410)
Theophanes the Greek came to Novgorod as an accomplished icon painter. He was born in Byzantium and painted the churches of Constantinople, Chalcedon, Genoese Galata and Kafa. Feofan painted the Church of the Transfiguration in Novgorod, where his frescoes, the temples of the Moscow Kremlin, are still preserved. In the Cathedral of the Annunciation, Theophanes the Greek created the first iconostasis in Russia, where the saints were depicted in full height. In addition to painting icons and painting temples, Theophanes the Greek also created miniatures for books and decorated the Gospels.
Andrei Rublev (1360-1430)
Despite the fact that Andrei Rublev is the most famous Russian icon painter, we do not know much about him. He received the name Andrei in monasticism, his secular name is unknown. Rublev's unsurpassed masterpiece is traditionally considered the icon of the Holy Trinity, painted in the first quarter of the 15th century. Rublev was also one of the masters who painted the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir, the Assumption Cathedral in Zvenigorod and the Cathedral of the Annunciation in the Moscow Kremlin.
Dionysius (c. 1440-1502)
The name of Dionysius embodies, perhaps, the best and largest achievements of Moscow icon painting of the 15th-16th centuries. A successor to the tradition of Andrei Rublev, Dionysius painted many temples, but true understanding Dionysius' manner of writing can be obtained from the superbly preserved frescoes of the Ferapontov Monastery on Beloozero. They have never been rewritten or seriously restored.
Simon Ushakov (1626-1686)
A favorite of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, Simon Ushakov was the first Russian icon painter to sign his icons. The period of "secularization" of icon painting ("Ushakov's period") is connected with his work. Ushakov was the author of more than 50 icons, and also taught others his art. Gury Nikitin was his student.
Gury Nikitin (1620-1691)
Nikitin is not a surname, it is a patronymic. Full name icon painter - Gury Nikitin (Nikitovich) Kineshmitsev. He painted the Archangel Cathedral in Moscow, painted icons for the Moscow Church of St. Gregory of Neokessaria and led a group of icon painters who painted the Yaroslavl Church of Elijah the Prophet and the Kostroma Ipatiev Monastery.
Karl Bryullov (1799-1852)
Admiring contemporaries called Bryullov "the great, divine Karl" and "the second Raphael." Belinsky dubbed Bryullov "the first artist of Europe." The painting "The Last Day of Pompeii" was recognized as perfect 19th masterpiece century. Walter Scott sat out whole hour watching it, after which he admitted: "This is not a picture, this is a whole poem." Bryullov also depicted himself on the canvas - to the left of the center, with a box of paints and brushes.
Alexander Ivanov (1806-1858)
The most famous picture Alexander Ivanova - "The Appearance of Christ to the People". The artist worked on it for more than 20 years. This is one of the most mysterious paintings in the history of Russian painting. It is interesting that in the mirror copy of the picture, the Messiah does not go towards people, but leaves (removes) or passes by.
Ivanov also did watercolor sketches to the murals of the "Temple of Humanity". These drawings became known only after the death of the artist. This cycle entered the history of art under the name "biblical sketches". They were published over 100 years ago in Berlin and have not been reprinted since.
Ivan Kramskoy (1837-1887)
The itinerant artist Ivan Kramskoy, the author of the painting "Christ in the Desert", created one of the most mysterious paintings - "The Unknown", which is also often called "The Stranger". Whomever she was associated with. And with Anna Karenina, and with Nastya Fillipovna, and with the daughter of the artist Sophia, and with the peasant woman Matrena Savvishna, who became the wife of the nobleman Bestuzhev, and with Princess Varvara Turkestanishvili, the maid of honor of Empress Maria Feodorovna, favorite of Alexander I, to whom she bore a daughter, and after committed suicide. There are a lot of versions, but "The Stranger" is still a stranger.
Alexey Savrasov (1830-1897)
Aleksey Savrasov is a great Russian landscape painter, itinerant artist and teacher of Levitan, Korovin and Nesterov, but he is often called "an artist of one picture". This, of course, is about the canvas “The Rooks Have Arrived”. Isaac Levitan wrote about his teacher: “Since Savrasov appeared lyrics in landscape painting and boundless love for his native land <…>and this undoubted merit of his will never be forgotten in the field of Russian art.
Ivan Shishkin (1832-1898)
The most famous Russian landscape painter Ivan Shishkin was called the "forest hero-artist", "king of the forest", "old forest man". One of iconic paintings Shishkin's paintings became the canvas "Morning in pine forest". In fairness, it should be said that the artist Savitsky painted the bears in the picture, but Pavel Tretyakov erased his signature, so Shishkin alone is often indicated as the author of the picture.
IN Soviet time this picture began to be called "Three Bears" (although there are four of them in the picture), because of the eponymous brand of chocolate from the Red October factory.
Ivan Aivazovsky (1817-1900)
Ivan Aivazovsky - an unsurpassed marine painter and one of the most dear artists. In 2012, at the British auction Sotheby's, his painting "View of Constantinople and the Bosphorus" was sold for 3 million 230 thousand pounds sterling, which in terms of rubles is more than 153 million.
Isaac Levitan (1860-1900)
Isaac Levitan is a master of "mood landscape" and the most meditative paintings in Russian art. Levitan's masterpiece "Above Eternal Peace" is called "the most Russian painting." The artist wrote it to the sounds funeral march from " Heroic Symphony» Beethoven. One of Levitan's friends called this painting "a requiem for himself."
Arkhip Kuindzhi (1842-1910)
Some called Kuindzhi "Russian Monet" for his virtuoso disclosure of the possibility of paint. Others accused the artist of seeking cheap effects, using secret techniques, such as hidden illumination of canvases. In the end, at the peak of the noise around his name, Arkhip Ivanovich simply went into voluntary exile for 30 years.
Vasily Surikov (1848-1916)
For his mastery of the techniques of composition, fellow artists in St. Petersburg called the hereditary Cossack Vasily Surikov "composer", but in academic circles Surikov for a long time criticized just for the crowding of the compositions, for the "porridge" of the faces of the characters, contemptuously called his canvases "brocade carpets". History put everything in its place - Surikov is still considered consummate master painting, and his historical canvases are among the most realistic.
Mikhail Vrubel (1856-1910)
One of the most tragic Russian artists, Vrubel was called the creator of art, close in nature to night dreams. About the artist's passion for the image of the Demon Alexander Benois said: “I believe that the Prince of Peace posed for him .... His madness was the logical finale of his demonism.”
Vrubel had an amazing psychological property - eidetism. This special kind visual figurative memory when a person does not remember, does not imagine an object or image in his mind, but sees it, as in a photograph or on a screen.
Valentin Serov (1865-1911)
Friends called Valentin Serov "Antosha" - that was his home nickname. famous artist became after the publication of his masterpieces - "Girls with peaches" and "Girls lit by the sun." The first picture depicted the daughter of Savva Mamontov Vera, the second - cousin Mashenka Simonovich Serov himself.
Konstantin Makovsky (1839-1915)
Some called Konstantin Makovsky a harbinger of Russian impressionism, others believed that he was betraying the ideals of the Wanderers, but, despite critical assessments, Makovsky was one of the most sought-after and highly paid artists of his time. On world exhibition 1889 in Paris, he received the Grand gold medal for the paintings "The Death of Ivan the Terrible", "The Judgment of Paris" and "The Demon and Tamara".
Leon Bakst (1866-1924)
Leon Bakst is one of the brightest representatives Russian Art Nouveau, artist, stage designer, master of easel painting and theatrical graphics. The European success of the famous "Russian Seasons" is the merit of Bakst to the same extent as the merit of Sergei Diaghilev. Bakst was a teacher of Marc Chagall and a trendsetter in Parisian fashion.
Victor Vasnetsov (1842-1926)
Viktor Vasnetsov is a great Russian painter and architect, a master of historical and folklore painting. He was called "a true hero of Russian painting." For most Vasnetsov is the creator of the world of Russian fairy tales and epics, but he was also seriously involved in architecture (facade Tretyakov Gallery) and created postage stamps.
Boris Kustodiev (1878-1927)
Alexander Benois was convinced that “the real Kustodiev is a Russian fair, “big-eyed” chintz, a barbaric “fight of colors”, a Russian settlement and a Russian village, with their accordions, gingerbread, overdressed girls and dashing guys. It is impossible not to recall the "Kustodia women" - the type of Russian beauties created by Boris Mikhailovich. In 1912, Kustodiev began work on a gallery of unsurpassed female images. In 1915, the world saw "The Merchant" and "Beauty" - unique images of Russian beauty.
Ilya Repin (1844-1930)
Ilya Repin - genius portrait painter, master of household sketches and creator of scandalous historical paintings. Newspapermen enthusiastically wrote about the work of the still young Repin "Barge Haulers on the Volga". Some viewers scolded her, others admired her. The picture aroused the liveliest interest of Dostoevsky and Perov, and meanwhile some called it "the greatest profanation of art."
Kazimir Malevich (1879-1935)
Kazimir Malevich is the "father of Suprematism" and the creator of the "Black Square", which has become a symbol of the avant-garde. Despite experiments in almost all genres of painting, the artist himself considered the "Black Square" his main picture, therefore, during the funeral of Malevich, the image of the square was everywhere - on the coffin, in the hall of the civil memorial service, and even on the train car that carried the body of the artist to Moscow. So bequeathed by the artist himself.
Petrov-Vodkin (1878-1939)
Petrov-Vodkin "noted" in a variety of genres - from icon painting to theatrical graphics and modern. One of the artist's masterpieces is the painting Bathing a Red Horse, painted by him in 1912. From the very beginning, it caused numerous controversies, in which it was invariably mentioned that such horses did not exist. However, the artist claimed that he adopted this color from ancient Russian icon painters.
In 1928, in Venice, the canvas "Death of the Commissar" by Petrov-Vodkin made an indelible impression on Benedetto Mussolini, who visited the Soviet pavilion.
Konstantin Korovin (1861-1939)
Chief Representative Russian impressionism, Konstantin Korovin worked as a camouflage consultant at the headquarters of the Russian army during the First World War. At the same time, despite the harsh reality, Korovin manages to paint pictures about " beautiful era". No wonder Korovin is called a painter of joy and happiness.
Pavel Filonov (1883-1941)
Khlebnikov's friend Pavel Filonov is one of the most original and impressive artists of the Soviet avant-garde, the founder of the theory of analytical art. He likened the picture to a living organism and believed that it should develop and be updated as it was created. Although there was a demand for them, Filonov never sold his canvases. During the siege of Leningrad, he was personally on duty in the icy attic of his house, guarding his paintings from incendiary bombs. This is what ruined him. In the first year of the blockade, he caught a cold in the cold and a few days later, on December 3, 1941, he died of pneumonia.
El Lissitzky (1890-1941)
Lazar Markovich Lissitzky - Soviet artist and architect. Known for his Suprematist works, projects of "paper" architecture. Lissitzky developed compositions that he called "prouns". They were Suprematist three-dimensional figures. Subsequently, prouns became the basis for furniture design, theater layout projects, and decorative-spatial installations.
Mikhail Nesterov (1862-1942)
Mikhail Nesterov is an outstanding Russian painter. He avoided portraying strong passions”, giving preference to a quiet landscape and a person “living inner life". His first painting from the cycle about the life of Sergius of Radonezh "Vision to the youth Bartholomew", in which easel painting includes elements of iconography, has caused a lot of questions from critics. The golden glow around the head of the schemnik gave rise to controversy not only among viewers who saw the painting at the regular exhibition of the Wanderers, but also among fellow artists, some of whom called the painting “harmful”.
Aristarkh Lentulov (1882-1943)
A tireless experimenter, Aristarkh Lentulov worked in almost all genres and styles. In the spirit of expressionism, he wrote "Three male figures". In the style of Cezanne - "Landscape with trees and a red tower." Was one of the organizers of the new creative team - « Jack of Diamonds". Lentulov was called one of the fathers of the Russian avant-garde, and critics joked: for Lentulov, any object is a finished still life. Once, for example, he was so inspired by progress that he dedicated a picture to ... plumbing.
Wassily Kandinsky (1855-1944)
The founder of abstract art, the founder of the Blue Rider group, Wassily Kandinsky emigrated from Russia in 1921. In Berlin, he taught painting and became a prominent theorist of the Bauhaus school and soon received world recognition as one of the leaders abstract art. In 1939, Kandinsky received French citizenship. Since 2007, the Kandinsky Prize has been awarded annually in Russia. The artist's painting "Sketch for Improvisation No. 8" was sold at Christie's auction for a record amount for Russian art - $ 23 million.
Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947)
Ironically, the apologist Ancient Rus' and the creator of historical paintings, Nicholas Roerich, became the discoverer of the East for Russia. His Himalayan cycle, created during the Central Asian expedition, brought Roerich worldwide recognition and became the basis for his religious and philosophical teachings "Living Ethics".
Natalia Goncharova (1881-1962)
Natalya Sergeevna Goncharova is the great-grandniece of Pushkin's wife, a Russian avant-garde artist who made a significant contribution to the development of avant-garde art in Russia. As of 2009, her paintings are worth more than the work of any other artist in history. Gonarova more than once faced misunderstanding and severe censorship, to which she reacted philosophically: “If I have clashes with society, it’s only because of the latter’s misunderstanding of the fundamentals of art in general, and not because of my individual characteristics which no one is required to understand.
Mikhail Larionov (1881-1964)
Mikhail Larionov is one of the founders of the Russian avant-garde, companion and husband of Natalia Goncharova. In 1912 Larionov created a new artistic concept- rayism, one of the first examples of abstract art in the category of so-called "non-objective creativity", where forms were formed as a result of the intersection of rays reflected from various objects.
Alexander Deineka (1899-1969)
Alexander Deineka is one of the most famous Soviet artists, the creator of monumental canvases with no less monumental heroes - simple Soviet people, athletes, soldiers, sailors. This year, Alexander Deineka's painting "Behind the Curtain" was sold at MacDougall's London auction for 2 million 248 thousand pounds.
Ilya Glazunov (b. 1930)
Ilya Glazunov - founder and rector Russian Academy painting, sculpture and architecture, Full Cavalier of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland. Glazunov is not only an artist and illustrator (illustrations for Dostoevsky's novels, Blok's works), but also a globalist artist. He created the interior of the Soviet embassy in Madrid, participated in the restoration and reconstruction of the buildings of the Moscow Kremlin, including the Grand Kremlin Palace.
Ilya Kabakov (born 1933)
Conceptualist Ilya Kabakov, an honorary member of the Russian Academy of Arts, is the most expensive Russian painter. His painting "Beetle" was sold at the Phillips de Pury London auction for $5.8 million. Kabakov has been an illustrator for a long time. Since 1956, he collaborated with the Detgiz publishing house and such magazines as Murzilka, Malysh, and Funny Pictures.
Russian art culture the origins of which began with classicism, which acquired a powerful folk sound, as high classicism, which was reflected in painting, gradually moved from romanticism to realism in Russian fine art. The contemporaries of that time especially appreciated the direction of painting by Russian artists, in which the historical genre prevailed with an emphasis on national themes.
But at the same time in art history painting there were no particular changes in comparison with the masters of the second half of the 18th century and from the very beginning of the history of Russian portraiture. Often, Russian artists dedicated their works to the true heroes of ancient Rus', whose exploits inspired them to paint historical canvases. Russian painters of the early 19th century approved their own principle of describing a portrait, paintings, having developed their own directions in painting, in depicting a person, nature, indicating a completely independent figurative concept.
Russian artists in their paintings reflected various ideals of national upsurge, gradually abandoning the strict principles of classicism imposed by academic foundations. The 19th century was marked by the high flourishing of Russian painting, in which Russian artists left an indelible mark on the history of Russian fine art for posterity, imbued with the spirit of a comprehensive reflection of the life of the people.
The largest researchers of Russian painting in general note an outstanding role in the high flowering of the work of great Russian artists and the fine arts of the 19th century. Achievements and conquests of painting of the 19th century, in which they showed themselves domestic artists are of great importance and unique value in the visual arts, paintings created by Russian artists have always enriched Russian culture.
Famous artists of the 19th century
(1782-1836) Superbly and subtly painted portraits of the artist Kiprensky brought him fame and true recognition among his contemporaries. His works Self-portrait, A. R. Tomilova, I. V. Kusova, A. I. Korsakov 1808 Portrait of a boy Chelishchev, Golitsina A. M. 1809 Portrait of Denis Davydov, 1819 Girl with a wreath of poppies, the most successful 1827 portrait of A. S. Pushkin and others.His portraits reflect the beauty of excitement, refined inner world images and states of mind. Contemporaries compared his work with genres lyric poetry, a poetic dedication to friends, which was well spread in Pushkin's time.
Kiprensky in many respects opened up new possibilities for himself in painting. Each of his portraits is distinguished by an ever new pictorial structure, well-chosen light and shadow, and a variety of contrasts. Orest Kiprensky eminent master portrait art, which gained particular fame among Russian artists.
(1791-1830) Master of Russian landscape romanticism and lyrical understanding of nature. In more than forty of his paintings, Shchedrin depicted views of the Sorento. Among them are paintings of the Sorrento neighborhood. Evening, New Rome"Castle of the Holy Angel", the Mergellina Embankment in Naples, the Grand Harbor on the island of Capri, etc.Completely surrendering to the romance of the landscape and natural environment perception, Shchedrin, as it were, makes up for with his paintings, the fallen interest of the artists of that time in the landscape.
Shchedrin knew the dawn of his creativity and recognition. Graduated from the Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg, in 1818 he came to Italy and lived for more than 10 years, in Rome, Naples, Amalfi and Sorrento where he spent his recent months life. Having lived for a short time saturated with creativity life, Shchedrin was never able to return to Russia.
(1776-1857) A remarkable Russian artist, a native of serfs. His famous works paintings: Lacemaker, also Portrait of Pushkin A.S., engraver E.O. Skotnikova, An old man - a beggar, characterized by a slight color Portrait of the artist's son. 1826 paintings by Spinner, Goldsmith, these works especially attracted the attention of contemporaries. 1846Tropinin developed his own independent figurative style of portraiture, which characterizes a specific Moscow genre of painting. At that time Tropinin became central figure Moscow beau monde, his work is especially reflected in the 20s and 30s, which brought him fame.
His softly written portraits are distinguished by high pictorial merit and ease of perception, human images are perceived with characteristic truthfulness and calmness without much inner unrest.
(1780-1847) The founder of the peasant everyday genre in Russian painting, His famous portrait Reaper, painting > Reapers, Girl in a headscarf, Spring on arable land, Peasant woman with cornflowers, Zaharka and others. It can be especially emphasized about the painting Gumno, which attracted the attention of Emperor Alexander 1, he was touched vivid images peasants, truthfully conveyed by the artist.
The artist loved ordinary people Finding a certain lyric in this, this was reflected in his paintings showing the difficult peasant life. his best works were created in the 20s. Venetsianov is a master of pastel, pencil and oil portraits, caricatures.
The style of the work is a student of Borovikovsky. In his paintings there are the most ordinary and simple scenes from village life: peasants in everyday and hard work, simple serf girls, in the harvest, or men in haymaking or plowing. The significance of Venetsianov's work in the visual arts is especially great, one of the first to establish the folk, peasant everyday genre.
(1799-1852) A master of historical painting, his painting The Last Day of Pompeii in the turmoil of the doomed inhabitants scatter from the fury of the volcano Vesuvius. The picture made a stunning impression on his contemporaries. He masterfully writes secular paintings, using the Horsewoman and portraits in bright coloristic moments in the composition of the picture, Countess Yu. P. Samoilova.His paintings and portraits are composed of contrasts of light and shadow. . Under the influence of traditional academic classicism, Karl Bryullov endowed his paintings with historical authenticity, romantic spirit and psychological truth.
Bryullov was an excellent master of the formal portrait, in which he brightly accentuated characteristic features of a person, In other portraits he uses a more restrained coloring, a portrait of the outstanding Russian sculptor I.P. Vitali, the Poet N.V. Kukolnik, the writer A.N. Strugovshchikov. In ceremonial portraits, he surpassed many artists of his time.
(1806-1858) Magnificent master historical genre. For about two decades, Ivanov worked on his main painting The Appearance of Christ to the People, emphasizing his passionate desire to depict the coming of Jesus Christ to earth. On initial stage these are the paintings of Apollo, Hyacinth and Cypress 1831-1833, the Appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene after the resurrection of 1835.During his short life, Ivanov created many paintings, for each picture he writes many sketches of landscapes, portraits. He returned to his homeland in 1858, where he died of illness.
Ivanov, a man of extraordinary intelligence, always sought to show in his works the elements of popular movements in Russian history and deeply believed in the great future of Mother Russia. Ahead of his time in the search for Russian realistic painting, the work of the great artist left an indelible mark of his skill for posterity.
(1815-1852) Master of the satirical direction in painting, who laid the foundation for critical realism V domestic genre. Fresh Cavalier 1847 and Picky Bride 18471. What is art? A) part of the spiritual
human culture
B) historical style
.
IN) folk art
2. What kind of art is music?
A) to plasticB) to temporary
C) to space
3. What is an artistic image?
A) artisticartist's attitude
reality
B) the imagination of the artist
4. What is style in art?
A) artisticartist's attitude
B) a generalized idea of
reality
C) handwriting, techniques, features
5. What is language in art?
A) modes of transmissionartistic image
B) verbal expression of the image
B) an insignificant event
art
6. Did art exist in ancient Greece in isolation from science?
A) yesB) no
7. What are the tasks of art and science?
A) differentB) general
8. How many Muses did God Zeus have?
A) 3B) 12
AT 9
9. In what era did all types of artistic creativity unite into art?
A) classicismB) Baroque
B) Revival
10. Who was Leonardo da Vinci? Multifaceted personality
A) painter, sculptor,architect, scientist, engineer,
writer, anatomist
B) artist, architect, engineer,
musician, doctor, anatomist, lawyer, scientist
11. What drawing by Leonardo da Vinci symbolizes the internal symmetry, the divine proportion of the human body?
A) GiocondaB) Vitruvian Man
B) Mona Lisa
12. How did A.S. Pushkin call art?
A) "magic nugget"B) "magic crystal"
C) "fantastic stone"
13. What is the merit of Russian artists of the XIX century A. Savrasov, I. Levitan, I. Shishkin?
A) were impressionist paintersB) portrait painters
C) discovered the beauty of Russian
nature
14. What is impressionism in art?
A) transmission of fleetingimpressions
B) disclosure of the seascape
C) discovered the beauty of Russian
nature
15. Who is the author of the piano cycle "The Seasons"?
A) P.I. TchaikovskyB) W.A. Mozart
B) A. Vivaldi
16. What is the main task of a portrait painter?
A) exact copyexternal features of a person
B) pictorial re-creation
image of a person
17. Who is the author of the painting "Portrait of A. Struyskaya"?
A) V.L. BorovikovskyB) F.S. Rokotov
B) F.S. Rokotov
18. Who is the creator of the Fine Arts Gallery in Moscow?
A) F. RokotovB) P. Tretyakov
C) M. Vrubel
19. Is it possible in music to resemble a specific person?
A) yesB) no
20. Is it possible to apply the expression "a person is hidden in intonation"?
B) Celebrate your workA) yes
B) no
21. What is the mission of artists of different eras (painters, musicians, poets, architects)?
A) "Send" to descendantsyour messages
b) glorify yourself
creation
B) Development
professionalism
Theophanes the Greek (about 1340 - about 1410)
Theophanes the Greek came to Novgorod as an accomplished icon painter. He was born in Byzantium and painted the churches of Constantinople, Chalcedon, Genoese Galata and Kafa. Feofan painted the Church of the Transfiguration in Novgorod, where his frescoes, the temples of the Moscow Kremlin, are still preserved. In the Annunciation Cathedral, Theophanes the Greek created the first iconostasis in Russia, where the saints were depicted in full growth. In addition to painting icons and painting temples, Theophanes the Greek also created miniatures for books and decorated the Gospels.
Andrei Rublev (1360-1430)
Despite the fact that Andrei Rublev is the most famous Russian icon painter, we do not know much about him. He received the name Andrei in monasticism, his secular name is unknown. Rublev's unsurpassed masterpiece is traditionally considered the icon of the Holy Trinity, painted in the first quarter of the 15th century. Rublev was also one of the masters who painted the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir, the Assumption Cathedral in Zvenigorod and the Cathedral of the Annunciation in the Moscow Kremlin.
Dionysius (c. 1440-1502)
The name of Dionysius embodies, perhaps, the best and largest achievements of Moscow icon painting of the 15th-16th centuries. A successor to the tradition of Andrei Rublev, Dionysius painted many temples, but a true understanding of Dionysius' manner of writing can be obtained from the superbly preserved frescoes of the Ferapontov Monastery on Beloozero. They have never been rewritten or seriously restored.
Simon Ushakov (1626-1686)
A favorite of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, Simon Ushakov was the first Russian icon painter to sign his icons. The period of "secularization" of icon painting ("Ushakov's period") is connected with his work. Ushakov was the author of more than 50 icons, and also taught others his art. Gury Nikitin was his student.
Gury Nikitin (1620-1691)
Nikitin is not a surname, it is a patronymic. The full name of the icon painter is Gury Nikitin (Nikitovich) Kineshmitsev. He painted the Archangel Cathedral in Moscow, painted icons for the Moscow Church of St. Gregory of Neokessaria and led a group of icon painters who painted the Yaroslavl Church of Elijah the Prophet and the Kostroma Ipatiev Monastery.
Karl Bryullov (1799-1852)
Admiring contemporaries called Bryullov "the great, divine Karl" and "the second Raphael." Belinsky dubbed Bryullov "the first artist of Europe." The painting "The Last Day of Pompeii" was recognized perfect masterpiece XIX century. Walter Scott sat for an hour watching it, after which he admitted: "This is not a picture, this is a whole poem." Bryullov also depicted himself on the canvas - to the left of the center, with a box of paints and brushes.
Alexander Ivanov (1806-1858)
The most famous painting by Alexander Ivanov is The Appearance of Christ to the People. The artist worked on it for more than 20 years. This is one of the most mysterious paintings in the history of Russian painting. It is interesting that in the mirror copy of the picture, the Messiah does not go towards people, but leaves (removes) or passes by.
Ivanov also made watercolor sketches for the murals of the Temple of Humanity. These drawings became known only after the death of the artist. This cycle entered the history of art under the name "biblical sketches". They were published over 100 years ago in Berlin and have not been reprinted since.
Ivan Kramskoy (1837-1887)
The itinerant artist Ivan Kramskoy, the author of the painting "Christ in the Desert", created one of the most mysterious paintings - "The Unknown", which is also often called "The Stranger". Whomever she was associated with. And with Anna Karenina, and with Nastya Fillipovna, and with the daughter of the artist Sophia, and with the peasant woman Matryona Savvishna, who became the wife of the nobleman Bestuzhev, and with Princess Varvara Turkestanishvili, the maid of honor of Empress Maria Feodorovna, favorite of Alexander I, to whom she gave birth to a daughter, and after committed suicide. There are a lot of versions, but "The Stranger" is still a stranger.
Alexey Savrasov (1830-1897)
Aleksey Savrasov is a great Russian landscape painter, itinerant artist and teacher of Levitan, Korovin and Nesterov, but he is often called "an artist of one picture". This, of course, is about the canvas “The Rooks Have Arrived”. Isaac Levitan wrote about his teacher: “Since Savrasov appeared lyrics in landscape painting and boundless love for his native land<…>and this undoubted merit of his will never be forgotten in the field of Russian art.
Ivan Shishkin (1832-1898)
The most famous Russian landscape painter Ivan Shishkin was called the "forest hero-artist", "king of the forest", "old forest man". One of the iconic paintings of Shishkin's paintings was the painting "Morning in a Pine Forest". In fairness, it should be said that the artist Savitsky painted the bears in the picture, but Pavel Tretyakov erased his signature, so Shishkin alone is often indicated as the author of the picture.
In Soviet times, this picture began to be called "Three Bears" (although there are four of them in the picture), because of the chocolate brand of the same name from the Red October factory.
Ivan Aivazovsky (1817-1900)
Ivan Aivazovsky is an unsurpassed marine painter and one of the most expensive artists. In 2012, at the British auction Sotheby's, his painting "View of Constantinople and the Bosphorus" was sold for 3 million 230 thousand pounds sterling, which in terms of rubles is more than 153 million.
Isaac Levitan (1860-1900)
Isaac Levitan is a master of “mood landscape” and the most meditative paintings in Russian art. Levitan's masterpiece "Above Eternal Peace" is called "the most Russian painting." The artist wrote it to the sounds of a funeral march from Beethoven's Eroica Symphony. One of Levitan's friends called this painting "a requiem for himself."
Arkhip Kuindzhi (1842-1910)
Some called Kuindzhi "Russian Monet" for his virtuoso disclosure of the possibility of paint. Others accused the artist of seeking cheap effects, using secret techniques, such as hidden illumination of canvases. In the end, at the peak of the noise around his name, Arkhip Ivanovich simply went into voluntary exile for 30 years.
Vasily Surikov (1848-1916)
For his mastery of the techniques of composition, fellow artists in St. Petersburg called the hereditary Cossack Vasily Surikov a “composer”, but in academic circles Surikov was criticized for a long time just for the crowding of compositions, for the “porridge” of the faces of the characters, contemptuously called his canvases “brocade carpets”. History has put everything in its place - Surikov is still considered an unsurpassed master of painting, and his historical canvases are among the most realistic.
Mikhail Vrubel (1856-1910)
One of the most tragic Russian artists, Vrubel was called the creator of art, close in nature to night dreams. About the artist's enthusiasm for the image of the Demon, Alexander Benois said: "I believe that the Prince of Peace posed for him .... His madness was the logical finale of his demonism."
Vrubel had an amazing psychological property - eidetism. This is a special kind of visual figurative memory, when a person does not remember, does not imagine an object or image in his mind, but sees it, as in a photograph or on a screen.
Valentin Serov (1865-1911)
Friends called Valentin Serov "Antosha" - that was his home nickname. The famous artist became after the publication of his masterpieces - "Girls with peaches" and "Girls illuminated by the sun." The first picture depicted the daughter of Savva Mamontov Vera, the second - the cousin of Serov himself Masha Simonovich.
Konstantin Makovsky (1839-1915)
Some called Konstantin Makovsky a harbinger of Russian impressionism, others believed that he was betraying the ideals of the Wanderers, but, despite critical assessments, Makovsky was one of the most sought-after and highly paid artists of his time. At the World Exhibition of 1889 in Paris, he received the Grand Gold Medal for the paintings "The Death of Ivan the Terrible", "The Judgment of Paris" and "The Demon and Tamara".
Leon Bakst (1866-1924)
Leon Bakst is one of the brightest representatives of Russian Art Nouveau, an artist, set designer, master of easel painting and theatrical graphics. The European success of the famous "Russian Seasons" is the merit of Bakst to the same extent as the merit of Sergei Diaghilev. Bakst was a teacher of Marc Chagall and a trendsetter in Parisian fashion.
Victor Vasnetsov (1842-1926)
Viktor Vasnetsov is a great Russian painter and architect, a master of historical and folklore painting. He was called "a true hero of Russian painting." For most, Vasnetsov is the creator of the world of Russian fairy tales and epics, but he was also seriously involved in architecture (the facade of the Tretyakov Gallery) and created postage stamps.
Boris Kustodiev (1878-1927)
Alexander Benois was convinced that “the real Kustodiev is a Russian fair, “big-eyed” chintzes, a barbaric “fight of colors”, a Russian settlement and a Russian village, with their accordions, gingerbread, overdressed girls and dashing guys. It is impossible not to recall the "Kustodia women" - the type of Russian beauties created by Boris Mikhailovich. In 1912, Kustodiev began work on a gallery of unsurpassed female images. In 1915, the world saw "The Merchant" and "Beauty" - unique images of Russian beauty.
Ilya Repin (1844-1930)
Ilya Repin is a brilliant portrait painter, a master of everyday sketches and the creator of scandalous historical canvases. Newspapermen enthusiastically wrote about the work of the still young Repin "Barge Haulers on the Volga". Some viewers scolded her, others admired her. The picture aroused the liveliest interest of Dostoevsky and Perov, and meanwhile some called it "the greatest profanation of art."
Kazimir Malevich (1879-1935)
Kazimir Malevich is the "father of Suprematism" and the creator of the "Black Square", which has become a symbol of the avant-garde. Despite experiments in almost all genres of painting, the artist himself considered the "Black Square" his main painting, so during the funeral of Malevich, the image of the square was everywhere - on the coffin, in the hall of the civil memorial service, and even on the train car carrying the artist's body to Moscow. So bequeathed by the artist himself.
Petrov-Vodkin (1878-1939)
Petrov-Vodkin "noted" in a variety of genres - from icon painting to theatrical graphics and modern. One of the artist's masterpieces is the painting Bathing a Red Horse, painted by him in 1912. From the very beginning, it caused numerous controversies, in which it was invariably mentioned that such horses did not exist. However, the artist claimed that he adopted this color from ancient Russian icon painters.
In 1928, in Venice, the canvas "Death of the Commissar" by Petrov-Vodkin made an indelible impression on Benedetto Mussolini, who visited the Soviet pavilion.
Konstantin Korovin (1861-1939)
The main exponent of Russian Impressionism, Konstantin Korovin worked as a camouflage consultant at the headquarters of the Russian army during the First World War. At the same time, despite the harsh reality, Korovin manages to paint pictures about the "beautiful era". No wonder Korovin is called a painter of joy and happiness.
Pavel Filonov (1883-1941)
Khlebnikov's friend Pavel Filonov is one of the most original and impressive artists of the Soviet avant-garde, the founder of the theory of analytical art. He likened the picture to a living organism and believed that it should develop and be updated as it was created. Although there was a demand for them, Filonov never sold his canvases. During the siege of Leningrad, he was personally on duty in the icy attic of his house, guarding his paintings from incendiary bombs. This is what ruined him. In the first year of the blockade, he caught a cold in the cold and a few days later, on December 3, 1941, he died of pneumonia.
El Lissitzky (1890-1941)
Lazar Markovich Lissitzky - Soviet artist and architect. Known for his Suprematist works, projects of "paper" architecture. Lissitzky developed compositions that he called "prouns". They were Suprematist three-dimensional figures. Subsequently, prouns became the basis for furniture design, theater layout projects, and decorative-spatial installations.
Mikhail Nesterov (1862-1942)
Mikhail Nesterov is an outstanding Russian painter. He "avoided depicting strong passions", preferring a quiet landscape and a person "living an inner life". His first painting from the cycle about the life of Sergius of Radonezh "Vision to the youth Bartholomew", in which easel painting includes elements of icon painting, caused a lot of questions from critics. The golden glow around the head of the schemnik gave rise to controversy not only among viewers who saw the painting at the regular exhibition of the Wanderers, but also among fellow artists, some of whom called the painting “harmful”.
Aristarkh Lentulov (1882-1943)
A tireless experimenter, Aristarkh Lentulov worked in almost all genres and styles. In the spirit of expressionism, he wrote "Three male figures". In the style of Cezanne - "Landscape with trees and a red tower." He was one of the organizers of a new creative group - "Jack of Diamonds". Lentulov was called one of the fathers of the Russian avant-garde, and critics joked: for Lentulov, any object is a finished still life. Once, for example, he was so inspired by progress that he dedicated a picture to ... plumbing.
Wassily Kandinsky (1855-1944)
The founder of abstract art, the founder of the Blue Rider group, Wassily Kandinsky emigrated from Russia in 1921. In Berlin, he taught painting and became a prominent theoretician of the Bauhaus school and soon gained worldwide recognition as one of the leaders of abstract art. In 1939, Kandinsky received French citizenship. Since 2007, the Kandinsky Prize has been awarded annually in Russia. The artist's painting "Sketch for Improvisation No. 8" was sold at Christie's auction for a record amount for Russian art - $ 23 million.
Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947)
Ironically, the apologist of Ancient Rus' and the creator of historical paintings, Nicholas Roerich, became the discoverer of the East for Russia. His Himalayan cycle, created during the Central Asian expedition, brought Roerich worldwide recognition and became the basis for his religious and philosophical teachings "Living Ethics".
Natalia Goncharova (1881-1962)
Natalya Sergeevna Goncharova is the great-grandniece of Pushkin's wife, a Russian avant-garde artist who made a significant contribution to the development of avant-garde art in Russia. As of 2009, her paintings are worth more than the work of any other artist in history. Gonarova more than once faced misunderstanding and severe censorship, to which she reacted philosophically: “If I have clashes with society, it’s only because of the latter’s misunderstanding of the fundamentals of art in general, and not because of my individual characteristics, which no one understands must".
Mikhail Larionov (1881-1964)
Mikhail Larionov is one of the founders of the Russian avant-garde, companion and husband of Natalia Goncharova. In 1912, Larionov created a new artistic concept - Rayonism, one of the first examples of abstract art in the category of so-called "non-objective creativity", where forms were formed as a result of the intersection of rays reflected from various objects.
Alexander Deineka (1899-1969)
Alexander Deineka is one of the most famous Soviet artists, the creator of monumental paintings with no less monumental heroes - ordinary Soviet people, athletes, soldiers, sailors. This year, Alexander Deineka's painting "Behind the Curtain" was sold at MacDougall's London auction for 2 million 248 thousand pounds.
Ilya Glazunov (b. 1930)
Ilya Glazunov - founder and rector of the Russian Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, Full Cavalier of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland. Glazunov is not only an artist and illustrator (illustrations for Dostoevsky's novels, Blok's works), but also a globalist artist. He created the interior of the Soviet embassy in Madrid, participated in the restoration and reconstruction of the buildings of the Moscow Kremlin, including the Grand Kremlin Palace.
Ilya Kabakov (born 1933)
Conceptualist Ilya Kabakov, an honorary member of the Russian Academy of Arts, is the most expensive Russian painter. His painting "Beetle" was sold at the Phillips de Pury London auction for $5.8 million. Kabakov has been an illustrator for a long time. Since 1956, he collaborated with the Detgiz publishing house and such magazines as Murzilka, Malysh, and Funny Pictures.
