Kramskoy village Kramskoy Ivan Nikolaevich. Famous works of Kramskoy Ivan Nikolaevich

Unknown

The artist Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy is an outstanding Russian master of painting who lived and worked in the second half of the nineteenth century. He is not just a painter - he is one of the founders of the movement of realist artists in Russian and world art.

Since Ivan Nikolaevich stood at the origins critical realism, a very tempting idea arose to present the artist as a revolutionary painter who led a revolt at the Academy of Arts, spoke out against biblical painting and, accordingly, the reactionary tsarist system. All this is politicking. And nothing more. The truth, as always, is somewhere in the middle.

Biography of the artist Ivan Kramskoy

Self-portrait

The artist Ivan Kramskoy was born on May 27, 1837 in the Voronezh province, near the city of Ostrogozhsk, in the family of a tradesman. He graduated from a real school with honors, but was unable to enter the gymnasium - the boy’s father died in 1849 and the family lived very modestly. After graduating from real school, Ivan worked for some time in the City Duma. It was in the City Duma that he became interested first in calligraphy and then in painting.

The desire to paint was so great that Ivan constantly asked his older brother for help - his brother could get him an apprenticeship with some local painter. He annoyed his older brother with these requests for two whole years and, as a result, was assigned to study with one of the Voronezh painters. Ivan Nikolaevich did not work long in the icon-painting workshop - he ran away. Subsequently, he recalled that in the icon-painting workshop he was not allowed to paint, but was used as a household assistant - to bring, carry, wash.

After escaping, young Kramskoy met M.B. Tulinov, who was a passionate lover of painting and the emerging photography. For some time, Ivan Nikolaevich lived with Tulinov, and then moved to Kharkov and got a job as a retoucher in the photo workshop of Ya.P. Danilevsky. During this period future artist became interested in reading, began to study the theory of painting and art theory.

Christ in the desert

Kramskoy worked in Kharkov for three years and decided to enter the Academy of Painting.

Life in St. Petersburg turned out to be far from cheap and the money earned in Kharkov quickly ran out. Kramskoy decided to combine his studies at the Academy and work as a retoucher in a photo workshop. The combination turned out to be successful - the young artist was able to rent a small (by nineteenth-century standards) apartment of three rooms on Vasilyevsky Island. It was this apartment that became the place for almost daily gatherings of fellow students, a place for heated discussions and ambitious dreams about the future.

moonlit night

Kramskoy's training at the Academy was quite successful. For the work “The Mortally Wounded Lensky” in 1860, student Kramskoy received a second silver medal, in 1861-1862 for the painting “The Prayer of Moses upon the Israelites Crossing the Black Sea”, seven portraits, the painting “Oleg’s March to Constantinople” and two large copies of paintings by Y. Kapkov and P. Petrov (paintings on religious themes) were nominated for the second gold medal.

Forester

In 1862, Kramskoy was hired as a teacher at the school of the Imperial Society for the Encouragement of the Arts.

To complete training at the Academy, one had to complete the program to receive the First Gold Medal. The first gold medal allowed the artist to receive classy rank and a state pension for a business trip abroad for the purpose of developing and studying painting.

Beekeeper

However, in 1863, the Academy Council developed new rules for students wishing to receive the First gold medal. The conditions were so difficult (simply impossible) that 14 graduates, led by Ivan Kramskoy, appealed to the Council with a request to exempt them from participating in the competition. Exactly with a request. Not with a demand or a revolutionary appeal.

Offended Jewish boy

This is how the legend of the “Revolt of the Fourteen” arose. However, the reluctance to participate in the competition became a challenge and outraged the leadership of the Academy. But was it a rebellion?

Moses' prayer after the Israelites crossed the Black Sea

Students were released from the Academy without the title of class artist, which significantly complicated the future life of young painters. And Kramskoy proposed creating the “St. Petersburg Artel of Artists” - a community of young painters with a mutual aid fund and mandatory contributions to the cash desk from each work sold at a percentage established by the comrades.

Peasant with a bridle Mina Moiseev

Ivan Nikolaevich was involved in the affairs of the artel with great desire, but the community very soon disintegrated - one of the comrades began to petition the Academy for the allocation of a pension for him personally to travel abroad. Kramskoy was indignant, but the majority of the participants in the artel supported the apostate. It turned out to be an ugly story. It must be said that Kramskoy was not only the ideological inspirer of the artel, but also its main patron of the arts - it is known that in 1869 alone he contributed more than 3,000 rubles to the artel's cash desk. It turned out that he supported artists whom he considered like-minded people, and his comrades were in the artel solely for material gain and, when they received greater benefits, they easily left the artel.

While reading. Portrait of Sofia Nikolaevna Kramskoy, the artist’s wife

Kramskoy himself left the artel and soon this community of artists disintegrated.

Portrait of a woman

In 1870, the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions was formed. And one of the organizers of this society, as you may have guessed, was Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy, who was not only the creator - he simply put his soul into the Partnership.

Girl with a loose braid

Portrait of Sofia Ivanovna Kramskoy, the artist’s daughter

The artist died on March 25, 1887. He was painting a portrait of Dr. Rauchfus, when he suddenly froze and fell. The arriving doctor confirmed the death of the great artist.

I won’t talk about the artist’s works – I’ll show you some of them.

Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy, an artist of the second half of the 19th century, went down in the history of Russian painting as the founder of the realistic movement in art. He actively developed the principle of critical realism in his work, as well as in articles devoted to the theory of art. Many of his paintings are recognized as classics Russian painting. The author was a master of portraits, historical and genre scenes.

Brief biography

Kramskoy, an artist famous for his realistic paintings, was born in 1837 into a bourgeois family. He graduated from the Ostrogorzh real school, but due to the poverty of his family he was unable to continue his education at the gymnasium. While working in the local council, he became interested in retouching photographs. Soon M. Tulinov became his teacher, who taught him the basics of painting. A few years later, Kramskoy, an artist best known for his portraits, moved to St. Petersburg, where his fruitful career began. creative career, which continued until his sudden death in 1887.

Studying at the academy

In 1857 he became a student of academician A. Markov, who specialized in historical painting. During his studies, he received several medals both for his paintings and for copies of paintings by other painters on religious themes. The future famous painter received his small gold medal for a painting dedicated to a biblical story.

To receive the title of artist with the right to receive a state pension, it was necessary to submit a work dedicated to a scene from the Scandinavian sagas to the competition. However, Kramskoy, an artist who strived for a realistic depiction of events and freedom of creativity, along with other thirteen students appealed to the administration of the academy with a request to remove them from the competition, justifying their desire by the fact that they wanted to write on topics that they themselves preferred. After this, the young painters founded their own artistic artel, which, however, did not last long, since its members very soon decided to switch to state support.

"Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions"

Which already in the early period of his work became a landmark event in cultural life empire, became one of the organizers and ideological inspirers of this organization. Its members defended the principles of realism in art and the active social and civic position of artists. In his work, the author defended the principles of realism. He believed that paintings should not only be believable, but also carry a moral and educational meaning. Therefore, his works are imbued with a special drama.

In the 1870s the author creates a whole series wonderful portraits of his famous contemporaries: he paints images of Tolstoy, Nekrasov, Shishkin, Tretyakov and others. In this series, a special place is occupied by the portrait of the artist Kramskoy, created by himself in 1867. This painting is distinguished by a high degree of realism, like his other works of this period.

Portrait of N. Nekrasov

Such, for example, is the famous work of the artist “Nekrasov during the period of the Last Songs” of 1877-1878. In this painting, the artist set out to show the famous poet at work in last period his life. In general, the theme of a person’s emotional experiences, his struggle with death or some kind of shock played a big role in the artist’s work. In the master’s works, this theme did not have a social connotation, as in the works of other painters. He always showed the struggle of the spirit with illness and most powerfully managed to convey this idea in the above picture.

Women's portraits

Perhaps the master’s most famous work is the painting “Stranger”. The artist Kramskoy emphasized the beauty of his model. He emphasized that she was an urban fashionista, and therefore prescribed her with special care appearance: a rich fur coat, a flirty headdress, magnificent jewelry and fabrics.

It is significant that the background in this canvas plays a secondary role: it is presented in a haze, as the author concentrates all his attention on the elegant young woman. The artist Ivan Kramskoy especially loved to draw portraits. The author's paintings have different moods.

If the woman in the above-described picture is depicted in a proud, confident pose, then the model in the canvas “Girl with a Loose Braid,” on the contrary, is shown in a difficult, even painful moment, when she seemed to have renounced everything around her and was completely immersed in herself. Therefore, her face, in contrast to the stranger’s appearance, expresses deep, concentrated thoughtfulness, sadness and light sadness.

"Inconsolable Sorrow"

This painting was painted in 1884, inspired by the personal grief of the artist who lost his son. Therefore, in the image of a woman depicted in a mourning dress, one can discern the features of the author’s own wife.

This painting differs from other works of the author by the hopelessness with which it is imbued. In the center of the canvas is a middle-aged woman in a black dress. She stands next to a box full of flowers. Her grief is expressed not in her pose, which is quite natural and even free, but in her eyes and the movement of her hand, with which she presses the handkerchief to her mouth. This painting is perhaps one of the most powerful in the artist’s work and Russian painting in general.

Russian painter and draftsman, master of genre, historical and portrait painting; art critic

Ivan Kramskoy

Brief biography

Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy(June 8, 1837, Ostrogozhsk - April 5, 1887, St. Petersburg) - Russian painter and draftsman, master of genre, historical and portrait painting; art critic.

After graduating from the Ostrogozh district school, Kramskoy was a clerk in the Ostrogozh Duma. In 1853 he began retouching photographs. Kramskoy’s fellow countryman M.B. Tulinov taught him in several techniques “to finish photographic portraits with watercolors and retouching,” then the future artist worked for the Kharkov photographer Yakov Petrovich Danilevsky. In 1856, I. N. Kramskoy arrived in St. Petersburg, where he was engaged in retouching in the then famous photographic studio of Alexandrovsky.

In 1857, Kramskoy entered the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts as a student of Professor Markov.

Riot of the fourteen. Artel of artists

Portrait of the artist Shishkin. (1880, Russian Museum)

In 1863, the Academy of Arts awarded him a small gold medal for his painting “Moses Bringing Out Water from a Rock.” Before finishing his studies at the Academy, all that was left was to write a program for a big medal and receive a pension abroad. The Academy Council offered students a competition on a theme from the Scandinavian sagas “The Feast in Valhalla.” All fourteen graduates refused to develop this topic and petitioned to be allowed to each choose the topic as they wished. Subsequent events went down in the history of Russian art as the “Revolt of the Fourteen.” The Academy Council refused them, and Professor Tone noted: “If this had happened before, then all of you would have been soldiers!” On November 9, 1863, Kramskoy, on behalf of his comrades, told the council that they, “not daring to think about changing academic regulations, humbly ask the council to exempt them from participating in the competition.” Among these fourteen artists were: I. N. Kramskoy, B. B. Wenig, N. D. Dmitriev-Orenburgsky, A. D. Litovchenko, A. I. Korzukhin, N. S. Shustov, A. I. Morozov , K. E. Makovsky, F. S. Zhuravlev, K. V. Lemokh, A. K. Grigoriev, M. I. Peskov, V. P. Kreitan and N. P. Petrov. The artists who left the Academy formed the “Petersburg Artel of Artists,” which existed until 1871.

In 1865, Markov invited him to help paint the dome of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. Due to Markov's illness, the entire main painting of the dome was done by Kramskoy together with the artists Wenig and Koshelev.

In 1863-1868 he taught at the Drawing School of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists. In 1869, Kramskoy received the title of academician.

Wandering

The grave of I. N. Kramskoy at the Tikhvin cemetery in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra (St. Petersburg)

In 1870, the “Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions” was formed, one of the main organizers and ideologists of which was Kramskoy. Under the influence of the ideas of Russian democratic revolutionaries, Kramskoy defended an opinion consonant with them about the high social role of the artist, the fundamental principles of realism, the moral essence of art and its nationality.

Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy created a number of portraits of outstanding Russian writers, artists and public figures (such as: Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy, 1873; I. I. Shishkin, 1873; Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov, 1876; M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, 1879 - all are V Tretyakov Gallery; portrait of S. P. Botkin (1880) - State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg).

One of famous works Kramskoy - “Christ in the Desert” (1872, Tretyakov Gallery).

A successor to the humanistic traditions of Alexander Ivanov, Kramskoy created a religious turning point in moral and philosophical thinking. He gave the dramatic experiences of Jesus Christ a deeply psychological life interpretation (the idea of heroic self-sacrifice). The influence of ideology is noticeable in portraits and thematic paintings - “N. A. Nekrasov during the period of “The Last Songs,” 1877-1878; "Unknown", 1883; “Inconsolable Grief”, 1884 - all in the Tretyakov Gallery.

USSR postal envelope, 1987:
150 years since the birth of Kramskoy

The democratic orientation of Kramskoy's works, his critical insightful judgments about art, and persistent research into objective criteria for assessing the characteristics of art and their influence on it, developed democratic art and a worldview on art in Russia in the last third of the 19th century.

IN recent years Kramskoy was sick with a heart aneurysm. The artist died from an aortic aneurysm on March 24 (April 5), 1887, while working on a portrait of Dr. Rauchfuss, when he suddenly bent over and fell. Rauchfuss tried to help him, but it was too late. I. N. Kramskoy was buried at the Smolensk Orthodox cemetery. In 1939, the ashes were transferred to the Tikhvin cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra with the installation of a new monument.

In Tsarskoye Selo there is a sculptural composition of Kramskoy and the Unknown by sculptor Alexander Taratynov.

Family

Sofya Nikolaevna Kramskaya (1840-1919, nee Prokhorova) - wife
- Nikolai (1863-1938) - architect
- Sophia - daughter, artist, repressed
- Anatoly (02/01/1865-1941) - official of the Department of Railway Affairs of the Ministry of Finance
- Mark (? −1876) - son

Addresses in St. Petersburg

1863 - apartment building A. I. Likhacheva - Sredny Avenue, 28;
1863-1866 - 17th line V.O., building 4, apartment 4;
1866-1869 - Admiralteysky Prospekt, building 10;
1869 - 03/24/1887 - Eliseev's house - Birzhevaya line, 18, apt. 5.

Gallery

Kramskoy's works

Mermaids, 1871

Christ in the Desert, 1872

He did not have strong organizational skills. Thanks to Kramskoy, all art formations of the second century were created half of the 19th century century. Kramskoy was the main Itinerant and a great theorist in art.

The artist's parents were bourgeois. Kramskoy's father was a clerk of the city duma; he died when the boy was 12 years old. At the age of 12, Ivan Kramskoy graduated from the Ostrogozhsk School with certificates of merit in all subjects. Then, until the age of 16, in the Duma, where my father worked, he studied calligraphy. At the age of 15, he began studying with an Ostrogozh icon painter and studied for about a year. At the age of 16, Ivan leaves Ostrogozhsk with a Kharkov photographer, working as a retoucher and watercolorist. So he traveled around Russia for three years.

Since 1857 I.N. Kramskoy in St. Petersburg. Having no art education, he enters the Academy of Arts, having successfully passed the exams! The young man spends six years within the walls of the Academy, facing the difficulties of earning a living. To earn a living I.N. Kramskoy comes to Denyer, who opened his own “daguerreotype establishment”, where artists practiced photography. Kramskoy was known as the “god of retouching.”

In 1863, the young painter left the Academy with loud scandal which made him famous. His nature was formed on the writings of the critic and novelist Chernyshevsky. I.N. Kramskoy led the famous “revolt of 14”. Fourteen graduates refused to write a competition paper on mythological history, wanting to choose free topic. So, having refused to fight for the Big Gold Medal, they slammed the door. They organized an “Artel of Artists”, with Kramskoy as its leader and inspirer. The Artel of Artists declared deductions in the amount of 10% of private cash receipts and 25% of earnings for “artel” works, but some artists hid their income. With the growth of popularity, “there appeared,” according to Kramskoy, “some thirst for the spirit, while others had complete contentment and obesity.” Because of this, in 1870 the artist left the artel, which soon disintegrated after his departure.

Married I.N. Kramskoy on Sofya Nikolaevna Prokhorova, who lived in a civil marriage with another artist - a certain Popov. Popov was officially married to another woman. He soon leaves abroad, and the young woman is left alone. Saving her reputation, Kramskoy extended a helping hand to her, taking upon himself all the negative assessments of his chosen one’s behavior. The marriage was happy, the family had six children (the two youngest sons died in childhood). Sofya Nikolaevna has always been the artist’s guardian angel.

After Kramskoy left the artel, he was inspired new idea G. Myasoedov on the organization of a new “Moscow-St. Petersburg” artistic association. This association is known to us from the history of Russia under the name “Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions.” The goals of the Partnership, in accordance with the Charter, read: “The organization of traveling art exhibitions in all cities of the empire, in the following forms: 1) providing residents of the provinces with the opportunity to get acquainted with Russian art and follow its successes; 2) developing love for art in society; 3) making it easier for artists to sell their works.”

I.N. Kramskoy became close friends with philanthropist P.M. Tretyakov, becoming his adviser and executor of a number of his orders. However, fulfilling orders often resembled “bondage.” In the early 1870s Kramskoy met talented artist landscape painter Fyodor Vasiliev, the friendship had a tragic end. The young painter burned out from consumption.

Despite the fact that Kramskoy had been abroad, he remained indifferent to the search for new painting, considering them “fleeting.” Kramskoy felt like a prophet sounding the alarm. From the first Itinerant Exhibition (1871) to the 16th, Kramskoy was one of its main exhibitors. Not only success accompanied Kramskoy, in recent years the Partnership has subjected Kramskoy to severe criticism. “Almost everyone turned their backs on me... I feel insulted,” Kramskoy lamented at the end of his life.

In 1884, while living in a small French town, he treated his heart under the supervision of Russian doctors, and in his free time from treatment he gave drawing lessons to his daughter Sonya - in the future, at the turn of the century, a fairly popular artist. His life ended at work; he was then painting a portrait of Dr. K. Rauchfus.

Famous works of Kramskoy Ivan Nikolaevich

The painting “Mermaids” was painted by the artist in 1871 and is located in the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. Kramskoy showed this picture at the first Peredvizhniki exhibition, which he himself organized. The painting is based on the plot of V. Gogol’s story “May Night”. Kramskoy said that he wanted to portray “something fantastic,” “to catch the moon.” Plot vs. literary source inspiration is freely executed. The painting depicts all the grace, immensity, silvery light of the Ukrainian night.

The painting “N.A. Nekrasov during the period of “The Last Songs” (1877-78), State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. The portrait of Nekrasov, who became seriously ill in 1877, was commissioned by P. Tretyakov, who wanted the trace of the poet and writer to remain in the history of Russia. P. Tretyakov placed the portrait in his gallery. According to the original plan, Nekrasov was supposed to be shown wearing pillows. However, contemporaries argued that it was impossible to imagine a “great fighter” even in a robe. Thus, Kramskoy painted a bust-length portrait of Nekrasov with crossed arms. The portrait was completed in March 1877, but a few days later the artist began a new portrait, in accordance with the original plan, and completed it after the poet’s death in 1878. In the process of work, Kramskoy increased the size of the canvas, stitching it on all sides. He created the image of a “hero”, from which he removed Nekrasov’s beloved dog and his weapons cabinet, which were reminiscent of the poet’s hunting passion, from sight. The painting “N.A. Nekrasov in the period of “last songs”” combines the intimacy of the image and the monumentality of the image of a person with extraordinary spiritual power.

At the back of the room is a bust of the great critic Belinsky, who played main role in the poet's life, giving him a worldview. On the wall, portraits of Dobrolyubov and Mitskevich reveal Nekrasov’s beliefs. On the shelf next to the deathbed of the hero of the canvas is the Sovremennik magazine, the editor of which was N.A. Nekrasov. The author falsely dated the painting – March 3, 1877. On this day, Nekrasov read the poem “Bayushki-Bai” to the artist, which the artist spoke of as “the greatest work.”

“Go to sleep, patient sufferer!
Free, proud and happy
You will see your homeland,
Bye-bye-bye-bye!”

Kramskoy painted the painting “Unknown” in 1883; the painting is located in the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. Kramskoy in his works endows the heroines with an image of femininity. This picture received wide publicity at the 11th exhibition of the TPHV, and was almost accompanied by a scandal. Contemporaries didn’t like the title of the painting either; we know it as “The Stranger.” With extraordinary passion, the public solved the artist’s riddle! Ultimately, she was called a “demi-monde lady” (rich kept woman). V. Stasov wrote: “Cocotte in a stroller.” Stasov’s opinion was confirmed by a sketch for a painting with characteristic vulgarity that became famous. The Russian commitment to literary illusions made “The Unknown” first Natalya Filippovna from Dostoevsky’s “The Idiot,” then Anna Karenina, then Blok’s stranger, and then completely the embodiment of femininity. P. Tretyakov did not buy this work. And the painting appeared in the gallery during the nationalization of private collections in 1925.

Kramskoy was an excellent painter of light and air, and in this picture he brilliantly depicted a frosty pink haze, introducing a feeling of cold. The woman’s clothing corresponds to the fashion of 1883, the heroine is wearing a “Francis” hat with an ostrich feather, a “Skobelev” cut coat, and Swedish gloves. The background of the picture is Nevsky Prospekt in St. Petersburg. Despite their sketchiness, the buildings depicted by Kramskoy are quite recognizable. The heroine has a gypsy type of face, a somewhat contemptuous expression, a sensual look. What is the secret of beauty?

Painting “Inconsolable Grief” (1884), State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. The heroine of the canvas is endowed with the features of the artist’s wife, Sofia Nikolaevna. In the painting, the Russian artist reflected a personal tragedy - the loss youngest son. For a long time, Kramskoy could not construct the composition of the painting, having painted three canvases. At the same time, the heroine herself grew old and seemed to “rise” to her feet: at first she sat by the hearse; then - on a chair; and finally, she stood near the coffin. The artist's work was long and painful. This is the only work from the 1880s purchased by P. Tretyakov. However, P. Tretyakov was not very interested in purchasing the painting because he was sure that it would not find a buyer.

There is dead silence in this work. All internal movement concentrated in the heroine’s eyes, full of inescapable melancholy, and her hands pressing a handkerchief to her lips - these are the only bright spots in the composition, the rest seems to fade into shadow. On the wall is Aivazovsky’s painting “The Black Sea”. It brings human life closer to the life of the sea element, in which storms give way to calm. The red flower symbolizes the fragile human life. The wreath placed on the coffin contrasts brightly with the mourning dress of the inconsolable mother.

Masterpiece of Kramskoy I.N. – painting “Christ in the Desert”

The artist’s work was completed in 1872 and can be seen in the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. Kramskoy’s first fascinations with the theme of the temptation of Christ date back to the period of the artist’s life, when he studied at the Academy, in the 1860s. Then the first sketch of the composition was made. This painting was created over ten years. 1867 – the first unsuccessful version of the painting. The end result was distinguished by its stony, endless desert behind Christ. In order to find the right composition, the Russian artist went abroad in 1869 to look at the paintings of other artists who explored the same theme. For this painting, the Academy wanted to award Kramskoy the title of professor, which he refused. This painting was one of the favorite paintings of P. Tretyakov, who bought it without haggling for 6,000 rubles. Not many artists could risk painting the theme of the temptation of Christ. Among them are Duccio, Botticelli, Rubens, Blake. Realism allowed the artist to move away from the academic structure inherent in secular painting until the mid-19th century. So Christ was humanized, and the picture conveyed his soul in unison with modernity. Kramskoy rediscovered the theme of Christ, and V. Polenov, V. Vasnetsov, I. Repin, V. Vereshchagin followed in his footsteps.

The pink dawn is a symbol of new life, the emergence of Christianity. The subject of the picture is the life of the spirit reflected in the face of Christ. In Kramskoy’s portraiture, the emphasis is on the hero’s face, the mirror of the soul, which the artist achieved by painting clothes without detailing them and hiding them. The intensity of Christ's inner struggles is conveyed in His clenched hands. The landscape painted by Kramskoy is so deserted and wild that it seems as if no human has ever set foot here. He, immersed in heavy thoughts, does not notice this hostility. Christ's feet are marked with stones and oozing blood. In the viewer's imagination appears long road, preceding the morning thoughts of the hero of the picture.

Country house in France

forest path

In the park. Portrait of wife and daughter

Mermaids

N.A. Nekrasov during the period of “last songs”

KRAMSKOY IVAN NIKOLAEVICH

Kramskoy Ivan Nikolaevich - famous painter (1837 - 1887). Born in Ostrogozhsk, into a poor middle-class family. I have been self-taught in drawing since childhood; Then, with the help of the advice of a drawing enthusiast, I began to work in watercolors. He was a retoucher first for a Kharkov photographer, then for the best photographers in the capital. Having entered the Academy of Arts, he made rapid progress in drawing and painting; studied with A.T. Markova. After receiving a small gold medal for a painting written according to the program: “Moses emanates water from a stone,” Kramskoy had to compete for a large gold medal, but, together with 14 other comrades, refused, in 1863, to paint on given topic- “Feast in Valhalla” and left the academy. Having joined the association of traveling exhibitions, Kramskoy became a portrait painter. In the future artistic activity Kramskoy constantly showed a desire for paintings - works of imagination and willingly surrendered to it when everyday circumstances allowed it. While still an academician, he helped Markov in drawing cardboards for the ceiling in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior (in Moscow). Subsequently, Kramskoy had to paint on these cardboards, along with others, the very ceiling, which remained unfinished. TO the best works Kramskoy's non-portrait paintings include: "May Night" (after Gogol, in the Tretyakov Gallery), "Lady in moonlit night", "Inconsolable Grief" (in the Tretyakov Gallery), "Forester", "Contemplator", "Christ in the Desert" (in the Tretyakov Gallery), etc. He put a lot of work into composing the painting "Jesus Christ, ridiculed as the King of the Jews", which he called “Laughter”; but he did not manage to provide himself so as to completely devote himself to this work, which remained far from finished. Kramskoy painted portraits (the so-called “sauce”) and painted many of them, especially the portraits of S.P. . Botkin, I.I. Shishkin, Grigorovich, Mrs. Vogau, family ( female portraits) Ginzburg, Jewish boy, A.S. Suvorin, unknown, Count L.N. Tolstoy, Count Litke, Count D.A. Tolstoy, Goncharov, Dr. Rauchfus. They differ in facial similarity and characteristics. In the museum Alexandra III there are portraits of the artist’s daughter, Vladimir Solovyov, Perov, Lavrovskaya, A.V. Nikitenko, G.P. Danilevsky, Denier and others. The Tretyakov Gallery has many works by Kramskoy. He also engaged in engraving on copper with strong vodka; The best of his etchings are portraits of Emperor Alexander III (when he was his heir), Peter the Great and T. Shevchenko. Kramskoy was very demanding of artists, but at the same time, he was strict with himself and strived for self-improvement. Its main requirement is content and nationality works of art, their poetry. Very interesting and indicative of his time is his correspondence, published by A. Suvorin (in 1888) according to the thoughts and edited by V.V. Stasova. Kramskoy left a significant mark with his anti-academic activities; he constantly agitated in favor of the principle of free artistic development young people. In the last years of his life, he seemed inclined to reconcile with the academy, but this is explained by the fact that he hoped to wait for the opportunity to transform it, in accordance with his basic views.

Brief biographical encyclopedia. 2012