Gil Elvgren (1914-1980) was a major pin-up artist of the twentieth century. For all my professional activity which began in the mid-1930s and lasted for over forty years, it has established itself as a clear favorite among collectors and pin-up fans worldwide. And although Gil Elvgren is considered mainly a pin-up artist, he deserves the title of a classic American illustrator who was able to cover various areas commercial art.
25 years of work for advertising Coca-Cola helped him establish himself as one of the great illustrators in this field. Coca-Cola ads included pin-up images of the Elvgren Girls, most of these illustrations depicting typical American families, children, teenagers - ordinary people involved in daily affairs. During World War II and the Korean War, Elvgren even drew illustrations on military theme for Coca-Cola, some of which have become "icons" in America.
Elvgren's work for Coca-Cola displayed american dream about a safe, comfortable life, and some illustrations for stories in magazines depicted the hopes, fears and joys of their readers. These images were published in the 1940s-1950s in a number of prominent American magazines such as McCall's, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping and Woman's Home Companion. Along with Coca-Cola, Elvgren has also worked with Orange Crush, Schlitz Beer, Sealy Mattress, General Electric, Sylvania and Napa Auto Parts.
Elvgren stood out not only for his paintings and advertising graphics - he was also a professional photographer who wielded the camera as deftly as he did with the brush. But his energy and talent did not stop there: in addition, he was a teacher, whose students later became famous artists.
Also in early childhood Elvgren was inspired by pictures famous illustrators. Every week he tore out sheets and covers from magazines with images that he liked, as a result of which he amassed a huge collection that left its mark on the work of the young artist.
Elvgren's work was influenced by many artists, such as Felix Octavius Carr Darley (1822-1888), the first artist who managed to refute the superiority of English and European schools of illustration over American commercial art; Norman Rockwell (1877-1978), whom Elvgren met in 1947, and this meeting marked the beginning of a long friendship; Charles Dana Gibson (Charles Dana Gibson) (1867-1944), from whose brush came the ideal of a girl, which combined “neighbor” (girl-next-door) and “dream girl” (girl-of-your-dreams) , Howard Chandler Christy, John Henry Hintermeister (1870-1945) and others.
Elvgren closely studied the work of these classical artists, as a result of which he created the basis on which the further development of pin-up art was based.
So, Gil Elvgren was born March 15, 1914, grew up in St. Paul Minneapolis. His parents, Alex and Goldie Elvgren, owned a downtown store that sold wallpaper and paint.
After graduation high school, Jill wanted to become an architect. His parents approved of this desire, as they noticed his talent for drawing when, at the age of eight, the boy was removed from school due to the fact that he painted the margins of textbooks. Elvgren eventually enrolled at the University of Minnesota to study architecture and design while taking art courses at art institute Minneapolis. It was there that he realized that drawing interested him much more than designing buildings.
In the autumn of the same year, Elvgren married Janet Cummins. And here, on New Year the newlyweds move to Chicago, where there were many opportunities for artists. Of course, they could have chosen New York, but Chicago was closer and safer.
Upon arrival in Chicago, Gil tried to do everything to develop his career. He enrolled at the prestigious American Academy of Arts in downtown, where he befriended Bill Mosby, an experienced artist and a teacher who has always taken great pride in seeing Gil grow under his guidance.
When Gil Elvgren came to the Academy, of course, he was talented, but he did not stand out from most of the students who studied there. But only one thing distinguished him from others: he knew exactly what he wanted. Most of all he wanted to be a good artist. In two years of study, he mastered a course designed for three and a half: he attended classes at night, in the summer. IN free time he always painted.
He was a good student and worked more than others. Jill attended every course where he could get at least some knowledge of painting. In two years he made phenomenal progress and became one of the best graduates of the Academy.
Jill is an amazing artist that few can match. Strong in build, he looks like a football player; his large hands do not at all look like the hands of an artist: the pencil literally “burrows” in them, but the accuracy and painstakingness of his movements can only be compared with the skill of a surgeon.
During his time at the institute, Gil never stopped working. His illustrations already adorned the brochures and magazines of the academy where he studied.
There Gil met many artists who became his lifelong friends, such as: Harold Anderson (Harold Anderson), Joyce Ballatrin (Joyce Ballantyne).
In 1936, Gil and his wife returned to hometown where he opens his studio. Shortly before this, he does his first paid commissioned work: a cover for a fashion magazine, which depicts handsome man dressed in a double-breasted jacket and light-colored summer trousers. Immediately after Elvgren sent his work to the customer, the director of the company called him to congratulate him and order half a dozen more covers.
Then came another interesting commission, which was to draw the five twins Dionne (Dionne Quintuplets), the birth of which became a sensation for the media. The client was Brown and Biglow, the largest calendar publisher. This work was printed in the calendars of 1937-1938, which were sold in millions of copies. Since then, Elvgren began to draw the most famous girls in America, which brought him great success. Other companies began to invite Elvgren to cooperate, for example, Brown and Biglow's competitor Louis F. Dow Calendar Company. The artist's works began to be printed on booklets, playing cards and even matchboxes. Then many of his life-size paintings made for Royal Crown Soda appeared in grocery stores. The same year becomes especially important for Elvgren, as he and his wife had their first child, Karen.
Elvgren continues to take orders and decides to return to Chicago with his family. He soon met Haddon H. Sundblom (1899-1976), who was his idol. Sandblom is a huge influence on Elvgren's work.
Thanks to Sundblom, Elvgren became an advertising artist for Coca-Cola. Until now, these works are icons in the history of American illustration.
Immediately after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Elvgren was asked to paint pictures for the military campaign. His first drawing for this series was published in 1942 in Good Housekeeping magazine under the heading “She knows what “freedom” really is” and depicted a girl dressed in a Red Cross officer's uniform.
In 1942, Jill Jr. was born, and in 1943 his wife was already expecting a third child. Elvgren's family grew, however, as did his business. Jill is engaged in advertising projects and also sells his old work. He enjoyed life, as he himself was already a respected artist and a happy family man. When the third child was born in his family, Elvgren was already receiving about $1,000 per painting, i.e. about $24,000 a year, which at the time was a huge amount. This meant that Gil could become the highest paid illustrator in the US and, of course, have a special place in Brown and Bigelow.
Before working exclusively for Brown and Bigelow, he took his first (and only) commission from the Philadelphia firm of Joseph Hoover. To avoid problems with Brown and Bigelow, he accepted the offer on the condition that the painting not be signed. For this work, called “Dream Girl,” he received $ 2,500, because. it was the largest he had ever painted (101.6cm x 76.2cm).
The collaboration with Brown and Bigelow allowed Elvgren to continue painting for Coca-Cola, although he could work for any other company that did not have conflicts with Brown and Bigelow. Thus began a collaboration between Elvgren and Brown and Bigelow in 1945 that lasted over thirty years.
Brown and Bigelow director Charles Ward made Elvgren's name recognizable. He also suggested that Gil make a nude pin-up, to which the artist agreed with great enthusiasm. This painting was of a naked blond nymph on a beach, under a lilac blue-purple moonlight. This illustration was released in a deck of cards, in conjunction with the work of another artist - ZoÎ Mozert. The following year, Ward commissioned another nude pin-up from Elvgren for more maps, but this time Elvgren did it entirely on his own. This project broke Brown and Bigelow sales records and was called "Mais Oui by Gil Elvgren".
The first three pin-up projects for Brown and Bigelow became the company's bestsellers after just a couple of weeks. These images were soon used for playing cards.
By the end of the decade, Elvgren had become the most successful Brown and Bigelow artist, thanks to the media, his work was widely known to the public, even magazines published articles about him. Companies he worked with included Coca-Cola, Orange Crush, Schlitz, Red Top Beer, Ovaltine, Royal Crown Soda, Campana Balm, General Tire, Sealy Mattress, Serta Perfect Sleep, Napa Auto Parts, Detzler Automotive Finishes, Frankfort Distilleries, Four Roses Blended Whiskey, General Electric Appliance and Pangburn's Chocolates.
Faced with such demand for his work, Elvgren thought about opening own studio, because there were already quite a few artists who admired his work and the so-called “mayonnaise painting” (the style of Sandblom and Elvgren was called so because the colors on the works looked “creamy” and smooth as silk). But after weighing all the pros and cons, he abandoned this idea.
Gil Elvgren traveled a lot, met many influential people. His salary at Brown and Bigelow changed from where he used to pay $1,000 a canvas to $2,500 and painted 24 paintings a year, plus he received a percentage of the magazines that printed his illustrations. He moved with his family to a new house in the suburb of Winnetka, where he began building his studio in the attic, which allowed him to work even more productively.
Gil had excellent taste, and he was also witty. His works are always interesting in composition, color schemes, and carefully thought out poses and gestures make them alive and exciting. His paintings are sincere. Gil felt the evolution of female beauty, which was very important. Therefore, Elvgren was always in demand by customers.
In 1956, Gil moved with his family to Florida. He was completely satisfied with the new place of residence. There he opened an excellent studio, where he studied Bobby Toombs, who rightfully became a recognized artist. He said that Elvgren was an excellent teacher who taught him to use all his skills thoughtfully.
In Florida, Gil painted a huge number of portraits, among his models were Myrna Loy, Arlene Dahl, Donna Reed, Barbara Hale, Kim Novak. In the 1950s and 1960s, every aspiring model or actress would like Elvgren to draw a girl in her likeness, which would then be printed on calendars and posters.
Elvgren was always on the lookout for new ideas for his paintings. Although many of his artist friends helped him with this, he relied most of all on his family: he discussed his ideas with his wife and children.
Elvgren worked in a circle of artists whom he taught or, conversely, from whom he studied; who were his friends with whom he had much in common. Among them were Harry Anderson, Joyce Ballantyne, Al Buell, Matt Clark, Earl Gross, Ed Henry, Charles Kingham and others.
Gil Elvgren lived full life. As an avid hiker, he loved fishing and hunting. He could spend hours in the pool, was fond of racing cars, and also shared his children's passion for collecting antique weapons.
Over the years, Elvgren had many assistants in the studio, most of whom went on to become successful artists. When Elvgren was forced to turn down companies because of the sheer amount of work, the art directors agreed to wait a year or more just to have Jill work for them.
But all this success of Gil in 1966 was overshadowed by the terrible tragedy that overtook his family: Gil's wife, Janet, died of cancer. After that, he plunged into work even more. His popularity remains unchanged, he does not need to worry about anything except the result of his work. It was the best period of Elvgren's career, if not for the death of his wife.
Elvgren's transfer ability feminine beauty was unsurpassed. While drawing, he usually sat in a wheelchair so that he could easily move around and look at the drawing from different angles, A large mirror behind allowed him to have a general idea of the whole picture. Girls were the main thing in his work: he preferred models of 15-20 years old who were just starting their careers, as they had an immediacy that disappears with experience. When asked about his technique, he said that he adds his touches: lengthens the legs, enlarges the chest, narrows the waist, makes the lips more plump, the eyes more expressive, the nose snub-nosed, thereby giving the model more attractiveness. Elvgren always carefully worked out his ideas from start to finish: he selected the model, props, lighting, composition, even the hair was very important. After all, he photographed the scene and started painting.
A distinctive feature of Gil's work was that looking at the paintings, it seemed that the girls in them were about to come to life, say hello or offer to drink a cup of coffee. They looked pretty and full of enthusiasm. Always charming, armed with a friendly smile, even during the war they gave the soldiers strength and hope to return to their girls home.
Many artists dreamed of painting the way Elvgren did, and everyone admired his talent and success.
Each year he painted with greater ease and professionalism, his early paintings seem more "tough" compared to the later ones. He has reached the pinnacle of excellence in his field.
On February 29, 1980, Gil Elvgren, a man who had dedicated himself to making people happy with his art, died of cancer at the age of 65. His son Drake found in his father's studio the last unfinished, but nevertheless great picture for Brown and Bigelow. Three decades have passed since Elvgren's death, but his art still lives on. Without a doubt, Elvgren will go down in history as an artist who made a great contribution to twentieth-century American art.
Chinese artist and photographer Dong Hong-Oai was born in 1929 and died in 2004 at the age of 75. He left behind incredible works created in the style of pictorialism - amazing pictures similar to traditional Chinese paintings.
Dong Hong-Oai was born in 1929 in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China. He left the country at the age of seven after the unexpected death of his parents.
As the youngest of 24 children, Dong went to live in a Chinese community in Saigon, Vietnam. He later visited China several times, but never lived in that country again.
Upon his arrival in Saigon, Dong became an apprentice in a Chinese immigrant photography studio. There he learned the basics of photography. He also developed a passion for nature photography, which he often did with one of the studio's cameras. In 1950, at the age of 21, he entered the Vietnam National University of Arts.
In 1979 between socialist republic Vietnam and Chinese people's republic bloody frontier opened. The Vietnamese government began a repressive policy against ethnic Chinese living in the country. As a result, Dong became one of the millions of "boatmen" who fled Vietnam in the late 70s and early 80s.
At the age of 50, speaking no English and having no family or friends in the US, Dong arrived in San Francisco. He was even able to purchase a small room to develop his photographs.
By selling his photographs at local street fairs, Dong was able to earn enough money to periodically return to China to take photographs.
Moreover, he had the opportunity to study under Lung Ching-San in Taiwan for some time.
Lung Ching-San, who died in 1995 at the age of 104, developed a style of photography based on the traditional Chinese depiction of nature.
For centuries, Chinese artists have created majestic monochromatic landscapes using simple brushes and ink.
These paintings were not supposed to depict nature exactly, they were supposed to convey the emotional atmosphere of nature. In the later years of the Song Empire and early Yuan Empire, artists began to combine the three on one canvas. different forms arts…poetry, calligraphy and painting.
It was believed that this synthesis of forms allowed the artist to fully express himself.
Lung Chin-San, born in 1891, studied precisely this classical tradition in painting. At some point in his long career, Lun began experimenting with the transfer of the Impressionist style of art to photography.
While maintaining a layered approach to scale, he developed a method for layering negatives that corresponded to three levels of distance. Long taught this method to Dong.
Trying to imitate traditional Chinese style even more closely, Dong added calligraphy to the photographs.
Dong's new work, based on ancient Chinese painting, began to attract critical attention in the 1990s.
He no longer needed to sell his photographs at street fairs; now he was represented by an agent, and his work began to be sold in galleries throughout the United States, Europe and Asia.
He no longer had to depend on individual clients; his work was now sought after not only by private art collectors but also by corporate buyers and museums. He was about 60 when he achieved any level of financial success for the first time in his life.
Pictorialism is a movement in photography that emerged around 1885 after the extensive presentation of the process of photography on an unmoistened printing plate. The movement reached its peak at the very beginning of the 20th century, and the period of decline came in 1914, after the emergence and spread of modernism.
The terms "Pictorialism" and "Pictorialist" came into common use after 1900.
Pictorialism is concerned with the idea that art photography should imitate the painting and engraving of that century.
Most of these photographs were in black and white or in sepia tones. Among the methods used were: unstable focus, special filters and lens coating, as well as exotic printing processes.
The purpose of such techniques was to achieve the "personal expression of the author."
Despite this goal of self-expression, the best of these photographs ran in parallel with the Impressionist style, not in step with contemporary painting.
Looking back, one can also see a close parallel between composition and pictorial object. genre paintings and photographs in the style of pictorialism.
If you think that all great artists are in the past, then you have no idea how wrong you are. In this article, you will learn about the most famous and talented artists of our time. And, believe me, their works will sit in your memory no less deeply than the works of the maestro from past eras.
Wojciech Babski
Wojciech Babski is a contemporary Polish artist. He graduated from the Silesian Polytechnic Institute, but connected himself with. Lately he has been painting mostly women. Focuses on the manifestation of emotions, seeks to obtain the greatest possible effect by simple means.
Loves color, but often uses shades of black and gray to achieve the best impression. Not afraid to experiment with new techniques. Recently, he has been gaining more and more popularity abroad, mainly in the UK, where he successfully sells his works, which can already be found in many private collections. In addition to art, he is interested in cosmology and philosophy. Listens to jazz. Currently lives and works in Katowice.
Warren Chang
Warren Chang - modern American artist. Born in 1957 and raised in Monterey, California, he graduated magna cum laude from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena in 1981 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fine Arts. For the next two decades, he worked as an illustrator for various companies in California and New York before starting his career as a professional artist in 2009.
His realistic paintings can be divided into two main categories: biographical interior paintings and paintings depicting working people. His interest in this style of painting is rooted in the work of the 16th-century painter Jan Vermeer, and extends to objects, self-portraits, portraits of family members, friends, students, studio, classroom and home interiors. His goal is to create mood and emotion in his realistic paintings through the manipulation of light and the use of muted colors.
Chang became famous after the transition to traditional visual arts. Over the past 12 years, he has earned numerous awards and honors, the most prestigious being the Master Signature from the Oil Painters of America, the largest oil painting community in the United States. Only one person out of 50 is honored with the opportunity to receive this award. Currently, Warren lives in Monterey and works in his studio, he also teaches (known as a talented teacher) at the San Francisco Academy of the Arts.
Aurelio Bruni
Aurelio Bruni - italian artist. Born in Blair, October 15, 1955. Graduated with a degree in scenography from the Art Institute in Spoleto. As an artist, he is self-taught, as he independently “built the house of knowledge” on the foundation laid back in school. He began painting in oils at the age of 19. Currently lives and works in Umbria.
Bruni's early painting is rooted in surrealism, but over time he begins to focus on the closeness of lyrical romanticism and symbolism, reinforcing this combination with the exquisite sophistication and purity of his characters. Animate and inanimate objects acquire equal dignity and look almost hyper-realistic, but at the same time, they do not hide behind a curtain, but allow you to see the essence of your soul. Versatility and sophistication, sensuality and loneliness, thoughtfulness and fruitfulness are the spirit of Aurelio Bruni, nourished by the splendor of art and the harmony of music.
Aleksander Balos
Alkasandr Balos is a contemporary Polish artist specializing in oil painting. Born in 1970 in Gliwice, Poland, but since 1989 he has been living and working in the USA, in the city of Shasta, California.
As a child, he studied art under the guidance of his father Jan, a self-taught artist and sculptor, so from early age, artistic activity received full support from both parents. In 1989, at the age of eighteen, Balos left Poland for the United States, where he school teacher and part-time artist Cathy Gaggliardi encouraged Alcasander to enter art school. Balos then received a full scholarship to the University of Milwaukee Wisconsin, where he studied painting with philosophy professor Harry Rosin.
After completing his studies in 1995 with a bachelor's degree, Balos moved to Chicago to study at the School of Fine Arts, whose methods are based on the work of Jacques-Louis David. figurative realism and portrait painting made up the bulk of Balos' work in the 90s and early 2000s. Today, Balos uses the human figure to highlight features and show imperfections. human being without offering any solutions.
The plot compositions of his paintings are intended to be independently interpreted by the viewer, only then the canvases will acquire their true temporal and subjective meaning. In 2005, the artist moved to Northern California, since then the scope of his work has expanded significantly and now includes freer methods of painting, including abstraction and various multimedia styles that help express the ideas and ideals of being through painting.
Alyssa Monks
Alyssa Monks is a contemporary American artist. She was born in 1977 in Ridgewood, New Jersey. She became interested in painting when she was still a child. Studied at the New School in New York and State University Montclair, and graduated from Boston College in 1999, received a bachelor's degree. At the same time, she studied painting at the academy Lorenzo Medici in Florence.
Then she continued her studies under the program for a master's degree at the New York Academy of Art, in the Department of Figurative Art, graduating in 2001. She graduated from Fullerton College in 2006. For some time she lectured at universities and educational institutions throughout the country, teaching painting at the New York Academy of Art, as well as Montclair State University and Lyme Academy College of Art.
“Using filters such as glass, vinyl, water and steam, I distort human body. These filters allow you to create large areas of abstract design, with islands of color peeking through them - parts of the human body.
My paintings change the modern look at the already established, traditional poses and gestures of bathing women. They could tell an attentive viewer a lot about such seemingly self-evident things as the benefits of swimming, dancing, and so on. My characters are pressed against the glass of the shower cabin window, distorting their own body, realizing that they thereby influence the notorious male look at a naked woman. Thick layers of paint are mixed together to mimic glass, steam, water and flesh from afar. However, up close, delightful physical properties oil paint. By experimenting with layers of paint and color, I find the moment when abstract strokes become something else.
When I first started painting the human body, I was immediately fascinated and even obsessed with it and felt that I had to make my paintings as realistic as possible. I "professed" realism until it began to unravel and deconstruct itself. Now I am exploring the possibilities and potential of a style of painting where representational painting and abstraction meet – if both styles can coexist at the same moment in time, I will do it.”
Antonio Finelli
Italian artist - time watcher” – Antonio Finelli was born on February 23, 1985. Currently lives and works in Italy between Rome and Campobasso. His works have been exhibited in several galleries in Italy and abroad: Rome, Florence, Novara, Genoa, Palermo, Istanbul, Ankara, New York, and they can also be found in private and public collections.
Pencil drawings " Watcher of time” Antonio Finelli send us on an eternal journey through the inner world of human temporality and the rigorous analysis of this world associated with it, the main element of which is the passage through time and the traces it inflicts on the skin.
Finelli paints portraits of people of any age, gender and nationality, whose facial expressions indicate the passage through time, and the artist also hopes to find evidence of the ruthlessness of time on the bodies of his characters. Antonio defines his works as one, common name: “Self-portrait”, because in his pencil drawings he not only depicts a person, but allows the viewer to contemplate real results passage of time within a person.
Flaminia Carloni
Flaminia Carloni is a 37-year-old Italian artist, the daughter of a diplomat. She has three children. Twelve years she lived in Rome, three years in England and France. Received a degree in art history from the BD School of Art. Then she received a diploma in the specialty restorer of works of art. Before finding her calling and devoting herself entirely to painting, she worked as a journalist, colorist, designer, and actress.
Flaminia's passion for painting arose as a child. Her main medium is oil because she loves “coiffer la pate” and also plays with the material. She learned a similar technique in the works of the artist Pascal Torua. Flaminia is inspired by the great masters of painting such as Balthus, Hopper, and François Legrand, as well as various artistic movements: street art, Chinese realism, surrealism and renaissance realism. Her favorite artist is Caravaggio. Her dream is to discover the therapeutic power of art.
Denis Chernov
Denis Chernov is talented Ukrainian artist, was born in 1978 in Sambir, Lviv region, Ukraine. After graduating from the Kharkov Art College in 1998, he stayed in Kharkov, where he currently lives and works. He also studied at Kharkov state academy design and arts, department of graphics, graduated in 2004.
He regularly participates in art exhibitions, this moment there were more than sixty of them, both in Ukraine and abroad. Most of Denis Chernov's works are kept in private collections in Ukraine, Russia, Italy, England, Spain, Greece, France, USA, Canada and Japan. Some of the works were sold at Christie's.
Denis works in a wide range of graphics and painting techniques. Pencil drawings are one of his favorite painting methods, the list of topics of his pencil drawings is also very diverse, he paints landscapes, portraits, nudes, genre compositions, book illustrations, literary and historical reconstructions and fantasies.
Genres of painting appeared, gained popularity, faded away, new ones arose, subspecies began to be distinguished within the existing ones. This process will not stop as long as a person exists and tries to capture the world around him, whether it be nature, buildings or other people.
Previously (before the 19th century), there was a division of the genres of painting into the so-called "high" genres (French grand genre) and "low" genres (French petit genre). Such a division arose in the 17th century. and was based on what subject and plot were depicted. In this regard, to high genres attributed: battle, allegorical, religious and mythological, and to low - portrait, landscape, still life, animalism.
The division into genres is rather arbitrary, because. elements of two or more genres can be present in the picture at the same time.
Animalism, or animalistic genre
Animalism, or animalistic genre (from lat. animal - animal) - a genre in which the main motive is the image of an animal. We can say that this is one of the most ancient genres, because. drawings and figures of birds and animals were already present in life primitive people. For example, on a wide famous painting I.I. Shishkin "Morning in pine forest» Nature is depicted by the artist himself, and bears are depicted by a completely different one, who specializes in depicting animals.
I.I. Shishkin "Morning in a pine forest" How can a subspecies be distinguished Ippian genre(from the Greek hippos - horse) - a genre in which the image of a horse acts as the center of the picture.
NOT. Sverchkov "Horse in the stable" Portrait
Portrait (from the French word portrait) is a picture in which the image of a person or a group of people is central. The portrait conveys not only external resemblance, but also reflects inner world and broadcasts the feelings of the artist in relation to the person whose portrait he paints.
I.E. Repin Portrait of Nicholas II The portrait genre is subdivided into individual(picture of one person), group(image of several people), by the nature of the image - to the front when a person is depicted in full height against a conspicuous architectural or landscape background and chamber when a person is depicted chest-deep or waist-deep against a neutral background. A group of portraits, united according to some attribute, forms an ensemble, or portrait gallery. An example is portraits of members of the royal family.
Separately allocated self-portrait on which the artist depicts himself.
K. Bryullov Self-portrait The portrait is one of the oldest genres - the first portraits (sculptural) were already present in ancient egypt. Such a portrait acted as part of a cult about the afterlife and was a “double” of a person.
Scenery
Landscape (from French paysage - country, area) is a genre in which the image of nature is central - rivers, forests, fields, sea, mountains. In a landscape, the main point is, of course, the plot, but it is equally important to convey the movement, the life of the surrounding nature. On the one hand, nature is beautiful, admired, and on the other hand, it is rather difficult to reflect this in the picture.
C. Monet "Field of poppies at Argenteuil" The subspecies of the landscape is seascape or marina(from French marine, Italian marina, from Latin marinus - sea) - an image of a sea battle, the sea or other events unfolding at sea. A prominent representative of marine painters - K.A. Aivazovsky. It is noteworthy that the artist wrote many details of this picture from memory.
I.I. Aivazovsky "The Ninth Wave" However, often artists also strive to draw the sea from nature, for example, W. Turner to paint the painting “Snowstorm. The steamer at the entrance to the harbor gives a distress signal, hitting the shallow water, "spent 4 hours tied up on the captain's bridge of a ship sailing in a storm.
W. Turner “Snowstorm. The steamer at the entrance to the harbor gives a distress signal, hitting the shallow water. The water element is also depicted in the river landscape.
Separately allocate cityscape, in which city streets and buildings are the main subject of the image. The urban landscape is Veduta- the image of the urban landscape in the form of a panorama, where the scale and proportions are certainly maintained.
A. Canaletto "Piazza San Marco"There are other types of landscape - rural, industrial and architectural. In architectural painting, the main theme is the image of the architectural landscape, i.e. buildings, structures; includes an image of the interiors ( interior decoration premises). Sometimes Interior(from French intérieur - internal) is distinguished as separate genre. In architectural painting, another genre is distinguished — Capriccio(from Italian capriccio, whim, whim) - an architectural fantasy landscape.
Still life
Still life (from French nature morte - dead nature) - a genre dedicated to the image inanimate objects, which are placed in a common environment and form a group. Still life appeared in the 15th-16th centuries, but as a separate genre was formed in the 17th century.
Despite the fact that the word "still life" is translated as dead nature, in the pictures there are bouquets of flowers, fruits, fish, game, dishes - everything looks "like a living thing", i.e. like real. From its inception to the present day, still life has been an important genre in painting.
C. Monet "Vase with flowers" How can a separate subspecies be distinguished Vanitas(from Latin Vanitas - vanity, vanity) - a genre of painting in which the central place in the picture is occupied by a human skull, the image of which is intended to remind of the vanity and frailty of human life.
The painting by F. de Champagne presents three symbols of the frailty of being - Life, Death, Time through the images of a tulip, a skull, an hourglass.
historical genre
Historical genre - a genre in which the paintings depict important events and socially significant phenomena of the past or present. It is noteworthy that the picture can be dedicated not only to real events, but also to events from mythology or, for example, described in the Bible. This genre is very important for history as for history. individual peoples states, and humanity as a whole. in pictures historical genre can be inseparable from other types of genres - portrait, landscape, battle genre.
I.E. Repin "Cossacks write a letter Turkish sultan»
K. Bryullov "The Last Day of Pompeii" Battle genre
The battle genre (from the French bataille - battle) is a genre in which the paintings of which depict the climax of the battle, military operations, the moment of victory, scenes from military life. For battle painting, the image in the picture is characteristic a large number of people.
A.A. Deineka "Defense of Sevastopol" Religious genre
Religious genre - a genre in which the main story line- biblical (scene from the Bible and the Gospel). According to the subject matter, iconography also belongs to religious, their difference lies in the fact that paintings of religious content do not participate in the services held, and for the icon this is the main purpose. iconography translated from Greek. means "prayer image". This genre was limited by strict limits and laws of painting, because. designed not to reflect reality, but to convey the idea of God's beginning, in which artists are looking for an ideal. In Rus', icon painting reached its peak in the 12th-16th centuries. The most famous names of icon painters are Theophanes the Greek (frescoes), Andrei Rublev, Dionysius.
A. Rublev "Trinity" How the transitional stage from icon painting to portrait stands out Parsuna(distorted from lat. persona - personality, person).
Parsuna of Ivan the Terrible. author unknown household genre
Scenes depicted in the paintings Everyday life. Often the artist writes about those moments of life, of which he is a contemporary. Distinctive features of this genre - the realism of the paintings and the simplicity of the plot. The picture can reflect the customs, traditions, structure of the everyday life of a particular people.
TO household painting include such famous paintings as “Barge Haulers on the Volga” by I. Repin, “Troika” by V. Perov, “Unequal Marriage” by V. Pukirev.
I. Repin "Barge haulers on the Volga" Epic-mythological genre
Epic-mythological genre. The word myth comes from the Greek. "mythos", which means tradition. The paintings depict the events of legends, epics, legends, ancient Greek myths, ancient legends, plots of folklore works.
P. Veronese "Apollo and Marsyas" allegorical genre
Allegorical genre (from the Greek allegoria - allegory). Pictures are written in such a way that they have a hidden meaning. Intangible ideas and concepts, invisible to the eye (power, good, evil, love), are transmitted through the images of animals, people, other living beings with such inherent characteristics that have symbolism already fixed in the minds of people, and help to understand common sense works.
L. Giordano "Love and vices disarm justice" Pastoral (from French pastorale - shepherd, rural)
A genre of painting that glorifies and poetizes the simple and peaceful rural life.
F. Boucher "Autumn Pastoral" Caricature (from Italian caricare - to exaggerate)
A genre in which, when creating an image, a comic effect is deliberately used by exaggerating and sharpening features, demeanor, clothing, etc. The purpose of a caricature is to offend, unlike, for example, a cartoon (from French charge), the purpose of which is simply to play a joke. Closely related to the term "caricature" are such concepts as splint, grotesque.
Nude (from French nu - naked, undressed)
Genre, in the paintings of which a naked human body is depicted, most often a female.
Titian Vecellio "Venus of Urbino" Deception, or trompley (from fr. trompe-l'œil - optical illusion)
A genre that is characterized by special tricks, creating an optical illusion and allowing you to erase the line between reality and the image, i.e. the deceptive impression that the object is three-dimensional, while it is two-dimensional. Sometimes snag is distinguished as a subspecies of still life, but sometimes people are also depicted in this genre.
Per Borrell del Caso "Escape from Criticism" For the completeness of the perception of tricks, it is desirable to consider them in the original, because. a reproduction is unable to fully convey the effect that the artist depicts.
Jacopo de Barberi "The Partridge and the Iron Gloves" Plot-thematic picture
A mixture of traditional genres of painting (everyday, historical, battle, landscape, etc.). In another way, this genre is called figure composition, its characteristic features are: leading role a person plays, the presence of an action and a socially significant idea, relationships (conflict of interests / characters) and psychological accents are necessarily shown.
V. Surikov "Boyar Morozova" 
