Ivan Ivanovich Firsov. Young painter

For a long time, A. Losenko was considered the author of the painting “The Young Painter”, a little later, art critics recognized the authorship of the German artist D. Khodovetsky, based on the dissimilarity of the outfits of the characters depicted in the picture with Russian traditional costumes of the middle of the 18th century. Only by 1913, thanks to the activities of the researcher I. Grabar, it was proved that the painting “The Young Painter” was painted by the Russian master Ivan Ivanovich Firsov in 1760.

Firsov can be safely called the founder of genre painting. Unfortunately, during the life of the artist, this style of art was not popular and was not recognized by the official Academy of Arts for a long time. Perhaps it was precisely in connection with the denial of genre painting by the public of that time that the canvas “Young Painter” is the only painting by I.I. Firsov, which has come down to our days.

It is known for certain that the great artist was a pioneer not only in painting, Ivan Ivanovich was directly involved in the design of the first Russian opera. This respectable, outstanding person was far ahead of the time in which he lived and created his unrecognized masterpieces.

Judging by the surviving historical sources, the painting "Young Painter" was painted by the artist during a trip to France. Even the relatively recently discovered authentic signature of the master is written in French.

The image of a small room, dimly lit by a single window with heavy dark green curtains, immerses the viewer in the creative atmosphere of the workshop of a very young artist. Perhaps a boy of thirteen earns his living by selling portraits, but more likely, he is simply honing the skills he acquired in the gymnasium. It is felt that the young portrait painter devoted quite a lot of time to his painting, he clearly wants to stretch his muscles, stiff from sitting work, and the baby model is clearly tired. A girl in a simple coral dress with a white apron and high hair over a headdress in the tone of the outfit persuades the baby, ready to be capricious at any moment. A girl with wheat-gold hair in a puffy peach-colored dress agrees to pose again, cuddling up to her senior mentor.

The young artist paints a portrait diligently, trying to achieve the greatest similarity, and the visible result of his work is quite good. Judging by the size of the wooden easel, the oil-stained towel, and the open box with art supplies, one can judge that the young talent is in his studio.

The walls are decorated with two framed portraits, perhaps by a young artist, or by more professional masters, serving as a stimulus and example for him.

Near the window is a table topped with a heavy, plaster or marble mannequin. Often artists use such busts, putting on them luxurious headdresses, popular among wealthy ladies of that time, in order to convey as accurately as possible the grace of numerous laces and folds of expensive fabrics.

Probably, the portrait is very important for the family of the golden-haired baby. For the convenience of the child, even a stand for small legs is brought. The woman, judging by the position of her hand, is clearly saying something instructive, is pregnant, it is definitely hard for her to stand, but despite the inconvenience, she continues to be near the girl, who wants to jump up quickly and see her image on the canvas.

Who knows, maybe Firsov's painting is autobiographical, the artist simply embodied on canvas one of the memories of his creative youth. There is a desire from the bottom of my heart to wish the young painter creative success and public recognition, so that the next picture, which delighted the whole world, belonged to his brush.

Ivan Firsov's painting "Young Painter" is one of the first works of Russian genre painting.
Archival documents testify that the Russian artist Ivan Firsov, decorator of the imperial theaters, lived and worked in Paris in the mid-1760s, where he improved his skills at the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture.

There, the painting "Young Painter" was believed to have been painted by Firsov. This is indicated, in particular, by the non-Russian appearance of the characters in the painting.

Upon his return to Russia in 1768, he worked as a decorator for the design of opera performances. Information about this time is extremely scarce, about the last years of I.I. Firsov are absent altogether. But the picture is amazing.

The plot of this picture is simple. In a spacious studio filled with even light, a boy artist sits in front of an easel and enthusiastically paints a portrait of a girl. An adult woman, mother or older sister, persuades the little model to sit still and maintain a pose. At the feet of the artist is an open box of paints, on the table is the usual props of a painting workshop: a marble bust, several books, a papier-mache mannequin depicting a human figure.

The scene written by Firsov seems snatched from life. The artist skillfully conveys the relaxed naturalness of postures and movements. With apt observation, characteristic of a true realist, the calm and affectionate severity of the mother, the cunning and impatience of the little model, the selfless passion of the young painter are depicted.
The true fidelity of the characters creates that sense of poetic charm that permeates the whole picture.

In The Young Painter everything is festive, artistic, unusual; and bright colors of clothes, and a wonderful green curtain, and paintings on the walls, and art attributes on the table. Unusual and beautiful color harmony in general.

The clutter of the scene with objects and figures is also noteworthy: paintings and sculptures are crowded to the left to leave room for the girl with her mother, the easel obscures his model from the artist. There is almost no free space, the interior, which contains the soul of the everyday genre, here ...
And yet, private life at the hearth for the first time in Russian painting appears in this picture.
The painting by I. Firsov, executed in the Sharden style, like the only swallow that does not make spring, did not mark the beginning of everyday painting in Russia - the time has not come yet ..

In terms of artistic skill, Firsov's painting is one of the most perfect works of Russian painting of the 18th century. It is quite obvious that Firsov is a first-class artist, impeccably mastering the means of pictorial expression. His drawing is distinguished by freedom and precision; the space in which the scene unfolds is built with impeccable skill, no deliberate scheme is felt in the composition, it is natural and at the same time rhythmic.

The coloring of the picture, with its pink-gray, silver scale, so well conveys the spiritual atmosphere of Firsov's heroes, is endowed with special poetic expressiveness.
In terms of its content, conception and pictorial form, The Young Painter has no analogies in Russian art of the 18th century. In addition to Firsov, a short list of Russian artists of the 18th century who worked in the field of everyday genre includes the portrait painter M. Shibanov with the paintings “Peasant Lunch” and “The Feast of the Wedding Contract” and the historical painter I. Ermenev, the author of an amazingly powerful watercolor series dedicated to image of Russian peasants.

The development of genre painting in the 18th century proceeded at a slow pace. She had almost no demand among customers and did not enjoy the patronage of the Academy of Arts. Among Russian artists there were specialists in portraiture, in historical painting, there were decorators, and by the end of the century landscape painters appeared, but there was not a single master who would devote himself entirely to the everyday genre.
Firsov with his "Young Painter" takes chronologically the first place in this list. Almost no information has come down to us about the fate and further work of the artist. The name of this master appeared in the history of Russian art and took an honorable place in it, in fact, quite recently.

In the 19th century, The Young Painter was considered the work of A. Losenko and even had his fake signature “A. Losenko 1756". True, already at the beginning of the 20th century, it was quite clear to art historians that the picture had nothing to do with the work of Losenko. But her authorship remained conjectural. Various assumptions were made, tending to the fact that the author of this picture should be sought among Western European masters. The name of the famous German engraver and painter D. Khodovetsky was even named. Not all the names of Russian painters have come down to our time. Ivan Ivanovich Firsov, to some extent, was lucky. His authorship of the only painting that has come down to us was finally confirmed only at the beginning of the 20th century.<
In 1913, at the initiative of I. Grabar, Losenko's signature was removed and under it was found a genuine, written in French “I. Firsove".

It is also known that in 1771 Firsov made a number of icons and decorative paintings that have not reached us. The "Young Painter" remains alone in the work of the remarkable Russian master. Apparently, Firsov was most gifted precisely in that area of ​​art, which could find so little application in Russian reality in the second half of the 18th century.

The young painter is the first Russian painting about the life of ordinary people. The painting has an interesting history. Before us on canvas is the artist's studio. Soft light pours in through the window. There are paintings on the wall, one is a portrait, the other depicts a corner of the forest. On the table is a white plaster sculpture-bust and a doll with movable arms and legs - a mannequin. Such a doll helps the artist to correctly convey the different positions of the human body. On a wooden tripod stand - an easel - a canvas stretched on a stretcher is fixed.

And here is the artist himself. He is still just a boy. I am fourteen years old. Or even less. How passionate he is about his work! And how confidently, boldly works! In his hands he has brushes and a palette - a board for mixing paints. In front of him is a restless girl. He paints her portrait on canvas. The mother persuades the girl to sit quietly.

The artist grabbed the right paint on the brush, resolutely and accurately puts a stroke on the canvas. It is felt that this boy is a skilled craftsman. The painting is called "Young Painter".

The paintings by I. Firsov depict heroes of the distant past. The artist learned about their exploits from ancient books and legends. The picture "Young Painter" shows people who lived at the same time as the artist and, probably, were well acquainted with him. And they are busy with the most ordinary business. Although no important incidents occur on the canvas, it is very attractive to viewers. The picture is written with great feeling. It does not make you think about serious things, but the cordiality with which it is written is conveyed to the audience. The artist loves the people he painted, their unremarkable lives. This boy-painter is dear to him, his cozy, modest workshop is pleasant, his occupation is close.

When one connoisseur of art saw "The Young Painter" next to solemn canvases about the miraculous deeds of the gods and ancient heroes, he well said that this picture is like a small neglected lawn, overgrown with chamomile and dandelions, in a grand, festively well-groomed park.

The name of the author of The Young Painter remained a mystery for a long time. True, in the lower part of the picture, on the lid of the box with paints, there was a signature - "Losenko", but scientists doubted that the signature was correct. Some dates did not match. The author of The Young Painter differed from Losenko in some ways of working. And, of course, it was hard to imagine that the solemn, slightly theatrical historical canvases and this simple scene were the creations of one master.

Already in this century, scientists have decided to wash off the signature "Losenko". And here is the joy! Under it was another, in Latin letters: "I. Firsove" - ​​"I. Firsov." Probably, one of the first owners of the painting wanted to add to its price:

Scientists managed to learn something about the life of Ivan Firsov. He served in St. Petersburg, at the court. Then he was sent to Paris "for the best painting and theatrical science training." He returned to his homeland and became an apprentice decorator in the imperial theaters.

Not all the names of Russian painters, especially the beginnings of the formation of domestic fine arts, have survived to our time. Ivan Ivanovich Firsov, an artist of the middle of the 18th century, was lucky to some extent. His authorship of the only painting that has come down to us was finally confirmed only at the beginning of the 20th century.

I. Firsov's ability to draw was hereditary - his grandfather and father painted, worked as wood carvers and were goldsmiths. Having skills in artistic crafts, Ivan Firsov Jr. was sent from Moscow to St. Petersburg to decorate the city and the imperial palaces. His talent was noted, and on the personal instructions of Catherine II, he left for Paris in 1765, where he improved his skills at the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. Apparently, Chardin, the leading master of genre scenes in France of the 18th century, turned out to be the most consonant artist for I. Firsov. The painting by I. Firsov, executed in the Chardin style, in no way detracts from the skill of the artist. Everything is extremely balanced in it and everything, even objects, as they say, is at work.

Ivan Firsov's painting "Young Painter" is one of the earliest, but already perfect examples of Russian everyday genre.
The plot of this picture is simple. In a spacious studio filled with even light, a boy artist sits in front of an easel and enthusiastically paints a portrait of a girl. An adult woman, mother or older sister, persuades the little model to sit still and maintain a pose. At the feet of the artist stands an open box of paints, on the table are the usual props of a painting workshop: a marble bust, several books, a papier-mâché mannequin depicting a human figure.

The scene written by Firsov seems snatched from life. The artist skillfully conveys the relaxed naturalness of postures and movements.
With apt observation, characteristic of a true realist, the calm and affectionate severity of the mother, the cunning and impatience of the little model, the selfless passion of the young painter are depicted. The true fidelity of the characters creates that sense of poetic charm that permeates the whole picture.

In terms of artistic skill, Firsov's painting is one of the most perfect works of Russian painting of the 18th century. It is quite obvious that Firsov is a first-class artist who has an impeccable command of the means of pictorial expression. His drawing is distinguished by freedom and precision; the space in which the scene unfolds is built with impeccable skill, no deliberate scheme is felt in the composition, it is natural and at the same time rhythmic. The coloring of the picture, with its pink-gray, silver scale, so well conveys the spiritual atmosphere of Firsov's heroes, is endowed with special poetic expressiveness.

In terms of its content, conception and pictorial form, The Young Painter has no analogies in Russian art of the 18th century.
The development of genre painting in the 18th century proceeded at a slow pace. She had almost no demand among customers and did not enjoy the patronage of the Academy of Arts. Among Russian artists there were specialists in portraiture, in historical painting, there were decorators, and by the end of the century landscape painters appeared, but there was not a single master who would devote himself entirely to the everyday genre.

This state of affairs is, of course, by no means accidental. Disregard for everyday subjects is typical for the court and noble culture. It is known that Louis XIV ordered to remove the paintings of the great Dutch genre painters from the walls of the Palace of Versailles, calling them "freaks". The successes of the everyday genre in the world art of the 18th century are directly related to the development of bourgeois ideology and the rise of the social and political role of the third estate. In the Russian reality of the Elizabethan and Catherine's times, there were no conditions for the flourishing of genre painting, since the leadership of the cultural life of the country remained completely in the hands of the nobility. Everyday themes, addressed to living modernity, contradicted the official artistic guidelines with their demand for "sublime" and "heroic" in art.

Even the portrait, which was so necessary in the life of the nobility and developed despite official non-recognition, was not ranked among the “high” art. And everyday painting occupied the very last, lowest place in the hierarchy of genres developed by academic theorists.
This explains the extreme paucity of everyday paintings in Russian art of the 18th century. It is noteworthy, however, that the quantitative deficiency is fully compensated for by the unusually high artistic quality of what was done by Russian masters in the field of the genre. What is the reason for this amazing phenomenon? Is it not that works on everyday topics despised by the noble society were created by artists “for themselves”, with all the sincerity arising from the inner need for creativity, without regard to the tastes of the customer and the official requirements of the Academy?

In addition to Firsov, a short list of Russian artists of the 18th century who worked in the field of everyday genre includes the portrait painter M. Shibanov with the paintings “Peasant Lunch” and “The Feast of the Wedding Contract” and the historical painter I. Ermenev, the author of an amazingly powerful watercolor series dedicated to image of Russian peasants.
Firsov with his "Young Painter" takes chronologically the first place in this list. Almost no information has come down to us about the fate and further work of the artist. The name of this master appeared in the history of Russian art and took an honorable place in it, in fact, quite recently.

In the 19th century, "The Young Painter" was considered the work of A. Losenko and even had his fake signature "A. Losenko 1756". True, already at the beginning of the 20th century, it was quite clear to art historians that the picture had nothing to do with the work of Losenko. But her authorship remained conjectural. Various assumptions were made, tending to the fact that the author of this picture should be sought among Western European masters. The name of the famous German engraver and painter D. Khodovetsky was even named. But in 1913, at the initiative of I. Grabar, Losenko's signature was removed and under it was found - a genuine one, written in French “I. Firsove".
Archival documents testify that the Russian artist Ivan Firsov, decorator of the imperial theaters, lived and worked in Paris in the mid-1760s. It can be assumed that The Young Painter was also painted in Paris: this is indicated, in particular, by the non-Russian appearance of the characters in the picture.

Another work, signed by Ivan Firsov, has been preserved - the decorative panel "Flowers and Fruits", dated 1754 and once adorned the Catherine Palace. But in this work, rough and student-like, it is difficult to find a resemblance to the virtuoso painting of The Young Painter. It is also known that in 1771 Firsov made a number of icons and decorative paintings that have not survived. The "Young Painter" remains alone in the work of the remarkable Russian master. Apparently, Firsov was most gifted precisely in that area of ​​art, which could find so little application in Russian reality in the second half of the 18th century.

Composition based on the painting by the young painter of the artist Firsov Grade 4

Plan

1. Acquaintance with the picture

2. The plot of the canvas

3. Feelings that the picture evokes

Recently we were introduced to the work of the Russian artist I.I. Firsov. Among his paintings, I especially liked one - "The Young Painter", written in 1760. It was the first Russian painting depicting ordinary people and not the nobility.

The picture attracts with its simplicity. It doesn't have a big story or an intricate plot. Just a boy painting a portrait of a little girl. Not colorful, not dark. An ordinary picture with ordinary people. They say that everything ingenious is simple. I think that Firsov proved it with his works.

The room is small, the green curtain has been moved on the window to let in more light. The artist is dressed in a dark camisole, short pants and white stockings. In his hand he holds a brush, to his right on the floor of the paint. Pictures hang on the walls of the room. The girl is too small, she does not like to sit and pose for a long time, her mother gently hugging her daughter, asks her not to spin. The girl has a fair face and white curls. She is wearing a pink dress. A bench is placed under her feet so that the child does not get tired.

Soft tonal pinks and yellows, creams and whites, not bright reds work well with greens and browns. And the girl is very similar, the young artist painted her portrait well on his canvas. The picture "Young Painter" makes me smile. I may not be a great critic, but I can appreciate the tenderness and love that the author put into it.

Composition based on the painting Young painter of the artist Firsov Grade 5

Plan

1. Artist Firsov

2.Color range

3. The plot of the picture

4.My opinion

Ivan Ivanovich Firsov - Russian artist of the eighteenth century. In his picture, he depicted not noble persons, as was customary in those days, but ordinary people. It was the painting "Young Painter".

The picture is not distinguished by a riot of colors. The sustained tone, familiar to that time, did not bypass the creator, touching his magic brush. Pink-gray scale, with dark green color - simple colors, so as not to distract the viewer from the main characters. Elegance with simplicity accurately conveys the mood and atmosphere that surrounds the world of the characters in his painting.

Before us is a boy, a teenager who is already quite skillful in his craft. He, sitting on a chair, draws a portrait of a little girl who is hugged by her mother. The little girl can't wait to see the artist's work, but her mother asks her to wait and not fidget. The girl obediently folded her hands in her lap, she smiles slyly. The room is small, bright, with paintings on the walls. There are small sculptures on the table near the artist, paints lie on the floor.

This picture contains various feelings: tenderness, love, warmth. It is they who catch the eye again and again. The work of the young artist turns out to be good, it shows that the girl looks like herself. I like this picture, it's real. The world that the author created suddenly came to life.