Ivan Kramskoy. Kramskoy Ivan Nikolaevich (1837–1887) - Russian painter What is the name of the famous work of the artist and Kramskoy

Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy (May 27, 1837, Ostrogozhsk - March 24, 1887, St. Petersburg) - Russian painter and draftsman, master of genre, historical and portrait painting; art critic.

Self-portrait. 1874

Kramskoy was born on May 27 (June 8, according to a new style), 1837 in the city of Ostrogozhsk, Voronezh province, in the family of a clerk.

After graduating from the Ostrogozhsk district school, Kramskoy was a clerk in the Ostrogozhsk Duma. From 1853 he was a photo retoucher; first, the future artist was taught in several steps to “finish photographic portraits with watercolors and retouching” by his fellow countryman M. B. Tulinov, then he worked for the Kharkov photographer Ya. P. Danilevsky. In 1856 he came to St. Petersburg, where he was engaged in retouching in the then famous photograph of Aleksandrovsky.

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

In 1863, the Academy of Arts awarded him a gold medal for the painting Moses Spouting Water from a Rock. Before graduating from the Academy, it remained to write a program for a big medal and get a pension abroad. The Council of the Academy offered the students a theme from the Scandinavian sagas "Feast in Valhalla" for the competition. All fourteen graduates refused to develop this topic, and petitioned to be allowed to each choose a topic of their choice. The subsequent events went down in the history of Russian art as the "Riot of the Fourteen". The Council of the Academy refused them, and Professor Ton noted: “if this happened before, then all of you would be 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 release them from participating in the competition." Among these fourteen artists were: I. N. Kramskoy, B. B. Venig, 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. V. 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, Kramskoy, together with the artists Venig and Koshelev, made the entire main painting of the dome.

In 1863-1868 he taught at the drawing school of the Society for the Support of Applied Arts. In 1869, Kramskoy received the title of academician.

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 the view of the high social role of the artist, the principles of realism, the moral essence and nationality of art.

Ivan Nikolayevich Kramskoy created a number of portraits of prominent Russian writers, artists and public figures (such as: Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, 1873; I. I. Shishkin, 1873; Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov, 1876; M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, 1879 - all are in the Tretyakov Gallery; portrait of Botkin[specify] (1880) - private collection, Moscow).

One of Kramskoy's most famous works is "Christ in the Desert" (1872, Tretyakov Gallery).

The successor of 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 Last Songs period, 1877-1878; "Unknown", 1883; "Inconsolable grief", 1884 - all in the Tretyakov Gallery.

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

Prayer of Moses after the passage of the Israelites through the Black Sea. 1861

Reading Portrait of Sophia Nikolaevna Kramskoy, the artist's wife. 1866–1869

Female portrait. 1867

Portrait of the artist K. A. Savitsky. 1871

Mermaids. 1871

Portrait of the artist M. K. Klodt. 1872

Christ in the wilderness. 180 x 210 cm. 1872

Portrait of A I Kuindzhi. 1872

Beekeeper. 1872

A girl with a loose braid. 1873

Portrait of I. I. Shishkin. 1873

Portrait of the writer Leo Tolstoy. 1873

Insulted Jewish boy. 1874

Forester. 1874

Portrait of the writer Ivan Aleksandrovich Goncharov 1874

Head of a Peasant 1874

Portrait of Sofya Nikolaevna and Sofya Ivanovna Kramskoy, the artist's wife and daughter. 1875

Portrait of the writer Dmitry Vasilyevich Grigorovich 1876

Portrait of Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov. 1876

Portrait of the sculptor Mark Matveyevich Antokolsky. 1876

N. A. Nekrasov during the period. Latest songs. 1877–1878

Portrait of the writer Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov (N. Shchedrin). 1879

Portrait of Adrian Viktorovich Prakhov, art historian and art critic. 1879

Moonlight night 1880

Portrait of Dr. Sergei Petrovich Botkin 1880

Portrait of the actor Vasily Vasilyevich Samoilov. 1881

Portrait of the publisher and publicist Alexei Sergeevich Suvorin. 1881

Portrait of Anatoly Ivanovich Kramskoy, the artist's son. 1882

Portrait of Sophia Ivanovna Kramskoy, the artist's daughter. 1882

Girl with a cat. 1882

Unknown. 1883

Peasant with a bridle Mina Moiseev. 1883

Actor Alexander Pavlovich Lensky as Petruchio in Shakespeare's comedy The Taming of the Shrew. 1883

Bouquet of phlox flowers. 1884

Inconsolable grief. 1884

Kramskoy, painting a portrait of his daughter, Sophia Ivanovna Kramskoy, married Juncker. 1884

Portrait of the philosopher Vladimir Sergeevich Solovyov. 1885

Portrait of Alexander III. 1886

Children in the forest. 1887

Fully

On the page are the most famous paintings of Kramskoy Ivan Nikolaevich.

Kramskoy is one of the founders and main ideologist of the association of the Wanderers.

The main event of the first exhibition of the Wanderers was Kramskoy's painting "Christ in the Desert". But the most famous and popular painting was later on the painting "Unknown".

Kramskoy, like no one else, left us a lot of portraits of the great figures of his time.

Self-portrait of Kramskoy.

Unknown. Kramskoy.

The most mysterious and intriguing picture of Kramskoy. And the most famous.

But the prototype is completely unknown, the woman with whom the artist painted. The face immediately catches the eye. The look of the woman is cold and haughty, dressed in the latest fashion. Sitting in a carriage against the backdrop of winter St. Petersburg with its Alexandrinsky Theater.

In the photo, the painting “Bouquet of flowers. Phloxes. Kramskoy. A rare still life for Kramskoy.

Kramskoy's paintings almost always depict people.

A girl with a loose braid. Kramskoy.

What a sad face the girl has, what a sad look!

Surely Kramskoy himself experienced disappointments in life, emptiness and torment. It is no coincidence that the painting was without an audience for many years, being in the artist's studio.

The girl is sitting and her gaze is turned to nowhere, to the void.

Portrait of Sophia Nikolaevna Kramskoy, the artist's wife. She is reading a book with enthusiasm.

Herodias. Kramskoy.

There is a religious story here. Herodias is guilty of the death of John the Baptist, who openly condemned her marriage to her uncle.

And after the murder of John, Herodias wished to look at his severed head and enjoy the long-awaited victory over the enemy. In the picture all around is poisonous red, the color of blood and murder! And this is not so much a religious plot as a moral one, or rather a plot of immorality.

Peasant with a bridle. Kramskoy. Epic peasant!

Kramskoy's paintings very often depict ordinary people, people from the people! And this picture is a kind of result of numerous portraits of peasants. The real peasant Mina Moiseev became the model. Wise calmness and good humor on his face!

Forest path. Kramskoy.

Rare landscape for Kramskoy without people. Kramskoy's paintings are almost always with people!

Moonlight night. Kramskoy.

The original title of the painting is "Magic Night".

And indeed the night is magical, but it is precisely the magical moon that makes it so! The moon illuminated many details in the night with its bright light. In the center, a beautiful and thoughtful girl in a chic white dress sits on a bench.

In front of her is a pond with water lilies. Behind her is a park with mighty trees! The picture is filled with lyrics and mystery!

Moses' prayer after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea.

Nekrasov in the period of the Last Songs.

At the head of the dying Nekrasov, Kramskoy placed a portrait of Dobrolyubov and a bust of Belinsky. So he portrayed in the name of what the poet lived and created!

Insulted Jewish boy

In the photo "Beekeeper". Kramskoy.

Kramskoy's paintings often depict a simple Russian peasant.

Forester. Kramskoy.

Forester is an old word meaning forester.

Other names for the painting are "A Man with a Club" and "A Man in a Shot Cap".

Kramskoy wrote such a formidable and strong forester.

Kramskoy also commented on this portrait with the words that it was from such men that the popular uprisings of Razin and Pugachev were formed.

Portrait of Alexander III

This is no longer a hero from the people, but a hero over the people. However, the king was the best, he only drank a lot.

Portrait of Anatoly Ivanovich Kramskoy, the artist's son.

Portrait of Vera Nikolaevna Tretyakova

Wonderful portraits at Kramskoy!

Portrait of the great doctor Botkin

Portrait of I. I. Shishkin. Kramskoy.

The most famous portrait of Shishkin!

And this is Shishkin against the backdrop of nature. Surely Shishkin admires the trees.

Kramskoy himself hardly separated portraits from paintings. And on this canvas, the mighty and uninhibited Shishkin is depicted against the backdrop of a sunny forest glade. Portraits and paintings of Kramskoy are magnificent!

Portrait of the great Tretyakov

Portrait of Goncharov. Kramskoy.

Ivan Kramskoy (May 27, 1837, Ostrogozhsk - March 24, 1887, St. Petersburg) - Russian painter and draftsman, master of genre, historical and portrait painting; art critic.

Biography of Ivan Kramskoy

Kramskoy was born on May 27 (June 8, according to a new style), 1837 in the city of Ostrogozhsk, Voronezh province, in the family of a clerk.

After graduating from the Ostrogozhsk district school, Kramskoy was a clerk in the Ostrogozhsk Duma. Since 1853 he began to retouch photographs.

Kramskoy's compatriot M. B. Tulinov taught him in several steps 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 photograph of Aleksandrovsky.

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

Creativity Kramskoy

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

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.

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 the view of the high social role of the artist, the principles of realism, the moral essence and nationality of art.

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

One of Kramskoy's most famous works is "Christ in the Desert" (1872, Tretyakov Gallery).

The successor of 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 Last Songs period, 1877-1878; "Unknown", 1883; "Inconsolable grief", 1884 - all in the Tretyakov Gallery.

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

In 1863, the Academy of Arts awarded him a small gold medal for the painting "Moses pours water from a rock."

Before graduating from the Academy, it remained to write a program for a big medal and get a pension abroad. The Council of the Academy offered the students a theme from the Scandinavian sagas "Feast in Valhalla" for the competition. All fourteen graduates refused to develop this topic, and petitioned to be allowed to each choose a topic of their choice.

The subsequent events went down in the history of Russian art as the "Riot of the Fourteen".

The Council of the Academy refused them, and Professor Ton noted: “If this happened before, then all of you would be 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 release them from participating in the competition."

Among these fourteen artists were: I. N. Kramskoy, B. B. Venig, 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. V. Petrov.

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 Nikolayevich stood at the origins of critical realism, a very tempting idea arose to present the artist as a revolutionary painter who led a revolt at the Academy of Arts, opposed biblical painting and, accordingly, the reactionary tsarist system. All this is politicking. And no more. The truth, as always, lies somewhere in the middle.

Biography of the artist Ivan Kramskoy

self-portrait

Artist Ivan Kramskoy was born on May 27, 1837 in the Voronezh province, near the city of Ostrogozhsk, in a bourgeois family. He graduated with honors from a real school, but he could not enter the gymnasium - in 1849 the boy's father died and the family lived very modestly. After graduating from a 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 draw was so great that Ivan constantly asked his older brother for help - his brother could arrange him as an apprentice to some local painter. With these requests, he annoyed his older brother for two whole years and, as a result, was assigned to study with one of the Voronezh painters. In the icon-painting workshop, Ivan Nikolaevich did not work for a long time - he ran away. Subsequently, he recalled that in the icon-painting workshop he was not allowed to paint, but was used as an assistant in the household - to bring, carry, wash.

Mermaids

After the escape, the young Kramskoy met M.B. Tulinov, who was a passionate lover of painting and emerging photography. For some time, Ivan Nikolayevich 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, the future artist became interested in reading, began to study the theory of painting and the theory of art.

Christ in the wilderness

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

Life in St. Petersburg turned out to be not at all 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 studio. The combination turned out to be successful - the young artist was able to rent a small (by the standards of the nineteenth century) apartment of three rooms on Vasilyevsky Island. It was this apartment that became the place for an almost daily gathering of classmates, a place for heated discussions and ambitious dreams about the future.

Moonlight night

Kramskoy's education at the Academy was quite successful. For the work "Mortally Wounded Lensky" in 1860, the student Kramskoy received a second silver medal, in 1861-1862 for the painting "Moses' Prayer for the Israelites Crossing the Black Sea", seven portraits, the painting "Oleg's Campaign to Constantinople" and two large copies with paintings by J. Kapkov and P. Petrov (paintings on religious themes) was presented to the second gold medal.

Forester

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

To complete his studies at the Academy, he had to complete the program to receive the First Gold Medal. The first gold medal allowed the artist to receive a class rank and a state pension for a business trip abroad in order to develop and study painting.

Beekeeper

However, in 1863, the Academy's council worked out new rules for students wishing to receive the First Gold Medal. The conditions were so difficult (simply impossible) that 14 people from among the graduates, led by Ivan Kramskoy, turned to the Council with a request to release them from participation in the competition. It's with a request. Not with a demand or a revolutionary appeal.

Insulted Jewish boy

Thus arose the legend of the "Riot of the Fourteen". However, the unwillingness to participate in the competition became a challenge and outraged the leadership of the Academy. But was it a riot?

Prayer of Moses after the Israelites crossed the Black Sea

Students were released from the Academy without the title of a class artist, which significantly complicated the future life of young painters. And Kramskoy proposed the creation of the "Petersburg Artel of Artists" - such a community of young painters with a mutual benefit fund and mandatory deductions to the cashier from each sold work of the percentage established by the comrades.

Peasant with a bridle Mina Moiseev

Ivan Nikolaevich with great desire was engaged in the affairs of the artel, but the community very soon broke up - one of the comrades began to petition the Academy for a personal pension for a trip abroad. Kramskoy was indignant, but the bulk of the participants in the apostate's artel supported him. It's not a pretty 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 only in 1869 he contributed more than 3,000 rubles to the coffers of the artel. It turned out that he kept artists whom he considered like-minded people, and his comrades were in the artel solely because of material gain, and when they received more benefits, they easily left the artel.

For reading. Portrait of Sofya Nikolaevna Kramskoy, the artist's wife

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

Female portrait

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, suddenly froze and fell. The arriving doctor stated the death of the great artist.

I will not talk about the artist's works - I will show you some of them.

self-portrait

Kramskoy Ivan Nikolaevich (1837-1887), Russian artist of genre, historical and portrait painting. Born in Ostrogozhsk, in a poor bourgeois family, he received his initial education at the district school. Since childhood, Kramskoy has been self-taught in drawing, and then, with the help of the advice of a drawing lover, he began to work in watercolor. At the age of sixteen, he entered a retoucher for a Kharkov photographer.

Maria Feodorovna, born Princess Dagmar of Denmark, wife of the Russian Tsar Alexander III. 1880

Having moved to St. Petersburg in 1856, Kramskoy continued to do the same with the best metropolitan photographers. The following year, he decided to enter the Academy of Arts, where he soon made rapid progress in drawing and painting. As a student of Professor A. T. Markov, Kramskoy received a small silver medal for the painting "The Dying Lensky" (1860),

Painting of the main dome of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. 1863

Prayer of Moses after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea 1861

a large silver medal for a sketch from nature (1861) and a small gold medal for a painting painted according to the program: “Moses exudes water from a stone”. Kramskoy was supposed to compete for a big gold medal, but at that time doubts arose and ripened between young academic artists about the correctness of academic teaching, and they filed a petition with the academy council that they should be allowed to choose each their own theme for a painting for the competition for a large gold medal. medals. The Academy of Arts reacted negatively to the proposed innovation.

Christ in the Desert, 1872 Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Unknown, 1883 Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Girl with a loose braid, 1873 Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Alexander III, 1886 Russian Museum, St. Petersburg

Maria Fedorovna 1880

One of the professors of the academy, the architect Ton, even described the attempt of young artists as follows: “in the old days you would have been given to the soldiers for this.” As a result, 14 young artists, headed by Kramskoy, refused in 1863 to paint on the topic set by the academy - “Feast in Valhalla” and left the academy. At first, in order to find means of subsistence, they formed an art artel, and in 1870 some of them, having joined the young Moscow artists, headed by Myasoedov, founded an association of traveling exhibitions. Kramskoy became a portrait painter. In his further artistic activity, Kramskoy constantly showed a desire for paintings - works of the imagination and willingly gave himself up to him when everyday circumstances allowed it. Even when he was an academician, Kramskoy brought great benefit to his professor Markov, using a year of time to draw cardboard for the ceiling in the Church of the Savior (in Moscow), according to Markov's sketches.

Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich

The best works of non-portrait painting by Kramskoy include paintings: “May Night” (according to Gogol), “Lady on a Moonlit Night”, “Inconsolable Grief”, “Woodsman”, “Contemplator”, “Christ in the Desert” and some others. Kramskoy put a lot of work into composing the painting “Jesus Christ, ridiculed as the king of the Jews” - a painting that he called “Laughter”, and hoped a lot for it.

But Kramskoy did not manage to provide himself in such a way as to completely surrender to this work, which remained far from finished.

Sculpture Christ 1883

Forester 1874

Contemplator 1876

Mermaids (May Night) 1871

Moonlight night 1880

Kramskoy painting a portrait of his daughter Sophia 1884

Artist's family

Children in the forest 1887

Kramskoy painted many portraits; Of these, the portraits of S. P. Botkin, I. I. Shishkin, Grigorovich, Mrs. Vogau, the Gunzburg family (portraits of women), a Jewish boy, A. S. Suvorin, an unknown person, Count L. N. Tolstoy, Count Litke deserve special mention. , D. A. Tolstoy, Goncharov and many others. They are distinguished by their complete resemblance and talented characterization of the face from which the portrait was painted; the above-mentioned painting "Inconsolable grief" is a portrait proper, having all the qualities and virtues of a painting.

Portrait of Sophia Kramskoy, 1869

Portrait of the landscape painter Fyodor Vasiliev (1850-1873), who burned down from consumption - a friend of the artist

Portrait of Leo Tolstoy 1873

Portrait of the artist Shishkin, 1873

Portrait of the artist Ivan Shishkin, 1880

Portrait of the philosopher Solovyov, 1885

Portrait of a Woman 1881

Inconsolable grief 1884

But not all of Kramskoy's works are of equal strength, which the artist himself admitted without hesitation; sometimes he was not interested in the person from whom he had to write, and then he became only a conscientious recorder. Kramskoy also understood the landscape, and although he did not paint a single picture of this genre, in May Night, as well as in another Night, he excellently conveyed the moonlight not only of human figures, but also of the landscape setting.

Forest path, 1870

Village-Yard-in-France, 1876

Kramskoy had a painting technique - a subtle finish, which was sometimes considered by some to be superfluous or excessive. Nevertheless, Kramskoy wrote quickly and confidently: in a few hours the portrait acquired a similarity: in this respect, the portrait of Dr. Rauchfus, the last dying work of Kramskoy, is remarkable (The portrait was painted in one morning, but remained unfinished, since Kramskoy died during this work.)

Many of Kramskoy's works are in the famous Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow (the paintings "Inconsolable Grief", "Christ in the Desert" and "May Night"; portraits of P. M. Tretyakov, gr. L. N. Tolstoy, D. V. Grigorovich, N A. Nekrasova, P. I. Melnikova, V. V. Samoilov, M. E. Saltykova and others; drawings: “Green oak near the seashore”, a portrait of V. Vasistov, N. Yaroshenko and other works).

Portrait of the artist Nikolai Dmitrievich Dmitriev-Orenburgsky, 1866

Portrait of Academician Ruprecht Franz Ivanovich. (etching)

Kramskoy was also engaged in engraving on copper with strong vodka; among the etchings he performed, the best are portraits of Emperor Alexander III, when he was his heir, Tsarevich, Peter the Great and Taras Shevchenko. Whether Kramskoy would have become a major historical painter is hard to say. The artist's rationality prevailed over his imagination, as he himself admitted both in intimate conversation and in correspondence, putting I. E. Repin above himself in terms of the essence of talent. In general, Kramskoy was very demanding of artists, which earned himself a lot of detractors, but at the same time he was strict with himself and strove for self-improvement. Kramskoy's remarks and his opinions about art were not merely personal convictions, but were usually conclusive, to the extent possible in matters of aesthetics.

Ivan Kramskoy, Portrait of Empress Maria Alexandrovna. 1877

Its main requirement is the content and nationality of works of art, their poetry; but no less than that, Kramskoy also demanded good painting proper. In this regard, Kramskoy should be noted, and one can be convinced of this by reading the artist’s correspondence, published by A. Suvorin according to the idea and edited by V. V. Stasov (“Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy, his life, correspondence and art-critical articles.” ( SPb., 1888). It cannot be said that Kramskoy judged correctly by first impressions, but he always more or less motivated a change of opinion. Sometimes his opinions remained vacillating for a long time until the painter found a compromise.

Ivan Goncharov

Kramskoy did not have a great education, he always regretted it and made up for this lack by constant serious reading and a community of intelligent people, as a result of which he himself was a useful interlocutor for artists (Kramskoy is also known for his teaching activities, as a teacher since 1862 in the drawing school of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists ).

Portrait of the artist I. E. Repin - a student of Kramskoy

Portrait of the artist Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy by Repin. 1882

Kramskoy Ivan Nikolaevich passed away at work, at the easel. On his last day, March 24 (April 5, according to the new style), 1887, Kramskoy painted a portrait of Dr. K. Rauhfus for several hours in a row. Suddenly he turned pale and, lifeless, collapsed on the easel. Rauhfus tried to help him, but it was too late.

Grave of Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy. St. Petersburg, Tikhvin cemetery, Alexander Nevsky Lavra

Bouquet of flowers, 1884

Without Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy, it is impossible to imagine the democratic artistic culture of the second half of the 19th century. Kramskoy played a decisive role at all stages of the development of advanced Russian painting in the 1860s and 1870s. He was rightfully the ideological leader, conscience and brain of the Wanderers.

Portrait of Sophia Nikolaevna Kramskoy, the artist's wife 1879

Portrait of Anatoly Kramskoy, Son, 1882

Portrait of Sofia Ivanovna Kramskoy, the artist's daughter, 1882

Portrait of Sergei Kramskoy, the artist's son, 1883

Insulted Jewish Boy 1874

Portrait of the writer Ivan Aleksandrovich Goncharov 1874

Portrait of Sofya Nikolaevna and Sofya Ivanovna Kramskoy, the artist's wife and daughter 1875

Portrait of Dmitry Vasilyevich Grigorovich, 1876

Portrait of Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov, 1876

Portrait of Vera Nikolaevna Tretjakowa, born Mamontowa, 1876

Portrait of the sculptor Mark Matveyevich Antokolsky, 1876

Portrait of the poet Nikolai Nekrasov, 1877

ON THE. Nekrasov during the "Last songs" 1877-1878

Portrait of the writer Sergei Timofeevich Aksakov 1878

Adrian Viktorovich Prakhov portrait, art historian and art critic, 1879

Portrait of the singer Elizaveta Andreevna Lavrovsky on the stage of the Nobility Assembly, 1879

Portrait of the writer Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov (N. Shchedrin), 1879

portrait of a woman 1880

Portrait of a doctor Sergei Petrovich Botkin, 1880

Portrait of S. I. Kramskoy. 1880

Portrait of Anna von Derviz, 1881

Girl with a cat, 1882

Portrait of Barbara Kirillovna Lemokh as a child, 1882

Woman with an umbrella (in the grass, Moscow region), 1883

Portrait of Olga Afanasievna Raftopoulo 1884

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