Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy - realist painter of the second half of the 19th century. Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy For which picture Kramskoy received a gold medal

Kramskoy Ivan Nikolaevich (1837-1887)

Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy (1837 - 1887), Russian artist, critic and art theorist. Born in Ostrogozhsk (Voronezh province) May 27, 1837 in a poor bourgeois family.

From childhood he was fond of art and literature. He was self-taught in drawing since childhood, then, on the advice of a drawing lover, he began to work in watercolor. After graduating from the district school (1850), he served as a scribe, then as a retoucher for a photographer, with whom he wandered around Russia.

In 1857 he ended up in St. Petersburg, worked in the photo studio of A. I. Denier. In the autumn of the same year he entered the Academy of Arts, was a student of A. T. Markov. For the painting “Moses exudes water from a rock” (1863) he received a Small Gold Medal.

During the years of teaching, he rallied around himself the advanced academic youth. He led the protest of the graduates of the Academy (“rebellion of fourteen”), who refused to paint pictures (“programs”) based on the mythological plot set by the Council. The young artists petitioned the council of the academy to be allowed to choose a theme for each painting for a large gold medal. The Academy reacted unfavorably to the proposed innovation. One of the professors of the academy, the architect Ton, even described the attempt of young artists in this way: “in the past, you would have been given to the soldiers for this,” as a result of which 14 young artists, headed by Kramskoy, refused to write in 1863 on the topic set by the academy - “ Feast in Valhalla” and left the academy.

The artists who left the Academy united in the St. Petersburg artel. The atmosphere of mutual assistance, cooperation and deep spiritual interests that reigned here is largely due to Kramskoy. In his articles and extensive correspondence (with I. E. Repin, V. V. Stasov, A. S. Suvorin and others) he defended the idea of ​​“tendentious” art, not only reflecting, but also morally transforming the inert, false world.

At this time, the vocation of Kramskoy as a portrait painter was also completely determined. Then he most often resorted to his favorite graphic technique using white, Italian pencil, he also worked using the so-called “wet sauce” method, which made it possible to imitate a photograph. Kramskoy had a painting technique - a subtle finish, which some sometimes considered 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. This portrait was painted in one morning, but remained unfinished, since Kramskoy died while working on this picture.

"Portrait of Princess Ekaterina Alekseevna Vasilchikova"

The portraits created at this time were mostly commissioned, made for the sake of earning money. The portraits of artists A. I. Morozov (1868), I. I. Shishkin (1869), G. G. Myasoedov (1861), P. P. Chistyakov (1861), N. A. Koshelev (1866) are well known. The nature of Kramskoy's pictorial portrait is meticulous in drawing and light and shade modeling, but restrained in color. The artistic language corresponded to the image of a raznochint-democrat, who was a frequent hero of the master's portraits. These are the "Self-portrait" of the artist (1867) and "Portrait of the agronomist Vyunnikov" (1868). In 1863-1868 Kramskoy taught at the Drawing School of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists.

"Portrait of an old peasant"

However, over time, Artel began to gradually deviate in its activities from the high moral principles declared at its inception, and Kramskoy left it, carried away by a new idea - the creation of a partnership of traveling art exhibitions. He took part in the development of the charter of the "Partnership" and immediately became not only one of the most active and authoritative members of the board, but also the ideologist of the Partnership, defending and substantiating the main positions. From other leaders of the Association, he was favorably distinguished by his independence of outlook, a rare breadth of views, sensitivity to everything new in the artistic process and intolerance to any dogmatism.

"Portrait of Sofia Ivanovna Kramskoy"

At the first exhibition of the Association, “Portrait of F. A. Vasiliev” and “Portrait of M. M. Antokolsky” were exhibited. A year later, the picture “Christ in the Desert” was shown, the idea of ​​which was nurtured for several years. According to Kramskoy, “for the former artists, too, the Bible, the Gospel and mythology served only as a pretext for expressing completely contemporary passions and thoughts.” He himself, like Ge and Polenov, in the image of Christ expressed the ideal of a man full of high spiritual thoughts, preparing himself for self-sacrifice. The artist managed to speak convincingly here about the problem of moral choice, which is very important for the Russian intelligentsia, which confronts everyone who understands their responsibility for the fate of the world, and this painting, rather modest in terms of painting, entered the history of Russian art.

"Portrait of Empress Maria Feodorovna"

The artist repeatedly returned to the theme of Christ. The work on the originally conceived large painting “Laughter (“Hail, King of the Jews”)” (1877 - 1882), depicting the mockery of the crowd over Jesus Christ, ended in defeat. The artist selflessly worked on it for ten or twelve hours a day, but never finished, he soberly assessed his impotence. Collecting material for her, Kramskoy visited Italy (1876). He traveled to Europe in subsequent years.

"Bouquet of flowers. Phloxes»

"Portrait of Sonya Kramskoy, the artist's daughter"

"Forest path"

Poet Apollon Nikolaevich Maikov. 1883.

"Portrait of the singer Elizaveta Andreevna Lavrovskaya, on the stage in the Nobility Assembly"

"Portrait of the artist N.A. Koshelev"

"Portrait of the artist Fyodor Alexandrovich Vasiliev"

"Artist's Family"

"Russian monk in contemplation"

"Laughter. "Hail, King of the Jews"

"Contemplator"

Christ in the wilderness.1872

"Sleepwalker"

Mermaids. (May night) 1871

“For reading. Portrait of Sofia Nikolaevna Kramskoy»

"Peasant with a bridle. Mina Moiseev"

"Empress Maria Feodorovna, wife of Emperor Alexander III"

"Miller"

"Moonlight night"

"Girl with a loose braid"

"Female portrait"

"Female portrait"

"Female portrait"

"Female portrait"

"Girl in a deep shawl"

"Prayer of Moses after the crossing of the Israelites through the Black Sea"

"Portrait of Nikolai Kramskoy, the artist's son"

"Portrait of Alexander III"

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

Portrait of Olga Afanasyevna Raftopulo. 1884

Inconsolable grief. 1884

Insulted Jewish boy. 1874

Unknown. 1883

Portrait of Varvara Kirillovna Lemokh as a child. 1882

"Portrait of the artist Ilya Efimovich Repin"

"Portrait of the Ukrainian writer and artist Taras Grigoryevich Shevchenko"

"Portrait of the actor Vasily Vasilyevich Samoilov"

"Portrait of P.A. Valuev"

"Female portrait"

"Self-portrait"

"Portrait of the artist Shishkin"

"Portrait of a lady"

"Portrait of the astronomer O.V. Struve, director of the Pulkovo Observatory"

"Portrait of P.I. Melnikov"

"Beekeeper"

“N.A. Koshelev. Music lesson"

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

Female portrait. 1884

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

Original entry and comments on

Kramskoy Ivan Nikolaevich (1837-1887)

Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy (1837 - 1887), Russian artist, critic and art theorist. Born in Ostrogozhsk (Voronezh province) May 27, 1837 in a poor bourgeois family.

From childhood he was fond of art and literature. He was self-taught in drawing since childhood, then, on the advice of a drawing lover, he began to work in watercolor. After graduating from the district school (1850), he served as a scribe, then as a retoucher for a photographer, with whom he wandered around Russia.

In 1857 he ended up in St. Petersburg, worked in the photo studio of A. I. Denier. In the autumn of the same year he entered the Academy of Arts, was a student of A. T. Markov. For the painting “Moses exudes water from a rock” (1863) he received a Small Gold Medal.

During the years of teaching, he rallied around himself the advanced academic youth. He led the protest of the graduates of the Academy (“rebellion of fourteen”), who refused to paint pictures (“programs”) based on the mythological plot set by the Council. The young artists petitioned the council of the academy to be allowed to choose a theme for each painting for a large gold medal. The Academy reacted unfavorably to the proposed innovation. One of the professors of the academy, the architect Ton, even described the attempt of young artists in this way: “in the past, you would have been given to the soldiers for this,” as a result of which 14 young artists, headed by Kramskoy, refused to write in 1863 on the topic set by the academy - “ Feast in Valhalla” and left the academy.

The artists who left the Academy united in the St. Petersburg artel. The atmosphere of mutual assistance, cooperation and deep spiritual interests that reigned here is largely due to Kramskoy. In his articles and extensive correspondence (with, V.V. Stasov, A.S. Suvorin and others) he defended the idea of ​​“tendentious” art, not only reflecting, but also morally transforming the inert, false world.

At this time, the vocation of Kramskoy as a portrait painter was also completely determined. Then he most often resorted to his favorite graphic technique using white, Italian pencil, he also worked using the so-called “wet sauce” method, which made it possible to imitate a photograph. Kramskoy had a painting technique - a subtle finish, which some sometimes considered 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. This portrait was painted in one morning, but remained unfinished, since Kramskoy died while working on this picture.

The portraits created at this time were mostly commissioned, made for the sake of earning money. Portraits of artists (1868), (1869), (1861), (1861), N. A. Koshelev (1866) are well known. The nature of Kramskoy's pictorial portrait is meticulous in drawing and light and shade modeling, but restrained in color. The artistic language corresponded to the image of a raznochint-democrat, who was a frequent hero of the master's portraits. These are the "Self-portrait" of the artist (1867) and "Portrait of the agronomist Vyunnikov" (1868). In 1863-1868 Kramskoy taught at the Drawing School of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists.

However, over time, Artel began to gradually deviate in its activities from the high moral principles declared at its inception, and Kramskoy left it, carried away by a new idea - the creation of a partnership of traveling art exhibitions. He took part in the development of the charter of the "Partnership" and immediately became not only one of the most active and authoritative members of the board, but also the ideologist of the Partnership, defending and substantiating the main positions. From other leaders of the Association, he was favorably distinguished by his independence of outlook, a rare breadth of views, sensitivity to everything new in the artistic process and intolerance to any dogmatism.

At the first exhibition of the Association, “Portrait of F. A. Vasiliev” and “Portrait of M. M. Antokolsky” were exhibited. A year later, the picture “Christ in the Desert” was shown, the idea of ​​which was nurtured for several years. According to Kramskoy, “for the former artists, too, the Bible, the Gospel and mythology served only as a pretext for expressing completely contemporary passions and thoughts.” He himself, like and, in the image of Christ expressed the ideal of a person full of high spiritual thoughts, preparing himself for self-sacrifice. The artist managed to speak convincingly here about the problem of moral choice, which is very important for the Russian intelligentsia, which confronts everyone who understands their responsibility for the fate of the world, and this painting, rather modest in terms of painting, entered the history of Russian art.

The artist repeatedly returned to the theme of Christ. The work on the originally conceived large painting “Laughter (“Hail, King of the Jews”)” (1877 - 1882), depicting the mockery of the crowd over Jesus Christ, ended in defeat. The artist selflessly worked on it for ten or twelve hours a day, but never finished, he soberly assessed his impotence. Collecting material for her, Kramskoy visited Italy (1876). He traveled to Europe in subsequent years.

Kramskoy's legacy is very unequal. The ideas of his paintings were significant and original, but their implementation ran into the limitations of his abilities as an artist, which he himself was well aware of and tried to overcome with persistent work, but not always successfully.

In general, Kramskoy was very demanding of artists, which earned him a lot of ill-wishers, but at the same time he was strict with himself and strove for self-improvement. His remarks and opinions about art were not subjective, they were, as a rule, conclusive, as far as it is generally possible in matters of aesthetics. Its main requirement is the content and nationality of works of art, their poetry; but he assigned not the last place to painting itself. You can be convinced of this by reading his correspondence published by A. Suvorin under the editorship of V. V. Stasov “Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy, his life, correspondence and art-critical articles” (St. Petersburg, 1888). Sometimes his opinions remained vacillating for a long time until he found a compromise. Kramskoy was not well educated, but he always regretted it and constantly tried to make up for this shortcoming.

In the small composition “Inspection of the old manor house” (1873 - 1880), Kramskoy found an unusual solution in terms of laconicism, successfully overcoming the stereotypes common in genre painting of that time. An outstanding work was his "Unknown" (1883), which still attracts viewers with its unsolvedness (and art historians with the mysteriousness of the circumstances of working on it). But the painting “Inconsolable grief” (1884), which he carried out in several versions, did not become a serious phenomenon, trying to convey a strong feeling with the help of the most restrained means. An attempt to embody a fantastic world in the painting "Mermaids" (1871) ended in failure.

Kramskoy managed to achieve the greatest success in portraiture. He captured many figures of Russian culture: L. N. Tolstoy (1873), I. I. Shishkin (1873), I. A. Goncharov (1874), Ya. P. Polonsky (1875), P. P. Tretyakov, D V. Grigorovich, M. M. Antokolsky (all 1876), N. A. Nekrasov (1877-1878), M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin (1879) and others; some of these portraits were painted specifically by order of P. P. Tretyakov for his art gallery.

Images of Russian peasants became a major art phenomenon: “Woodsman” (1874), “Contemplator” (1876), “Mina Moiseev” (1882), “Peasant with a bridle” (1883). Over time, Kramskoy as a portrait painter became very popular, he had many customers, up to members of the imperial family. This allowed him to live comfortably in the last years of his life. Not all of these good portraits were equally interesting. Yet it was in the 1880s. he rose to a new level - he achieved a deeper psychologism, which sometimes made it possible to expose the innermost essence of a person. So he showed himself in the portraits of I. I. Shishkin (1880), V. G. Perov (1881), A. S. Suvorin (1881), S. S. Botkin (1882), S. I. Kramskoy, the artist’s daughter (1882), V. S. Solovyov (1885). An intense life undermined the health of the artist, who did not live to be fifty years old.

Kramskoy is an outstanding figure in the cultural life of Russia in the 1860s-1880s. The organizer of the Petersburg Art Artel, one of the founders of the Wanderers Association, a subtle art critic, passionately interested in the fate of Russian art, he was the ideologist of a whole generation of realist artists.

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 one 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 crossing of the Israelites through the Red Sea 1861

a large silver medal for a sketch from nature (1861) and a small gold medal for a picture 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 Feodorovna 1880

One of the professors of the academy, the architect Ton, even described the attempt of young artists in this way: “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. 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 (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-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

female portrait 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

Part 45 -
Part 46 -

The main direction of his work is portrait and historical painting.

He was born on May 27 in the Voronezh province. Kramskoy's father was a clerk in the local duma. OIvan received his education at the Ostroh School, which he graduated at the age of twelve.

The school was finished with a commendable list, he studied well. In the year he received his first education, the young man lost his father. Ivan had to earn extra money in the same Duma where his father worked, served as a clerk in the Duma.

At the age of 15, Kramskoy was a student of the Ostroh icon painter, from whom he took over the skill for a year. He also worked as a retoucher for a photographer, originally from Kharkov, and made a living wandering around, photographing various events.

The Kharkiv resident introduced Kramskoy to his work. Ivan began to travel with the photographer around the country for three years. During this time he improved his skills in retouching.

In 1857, fate threw Kramskoy to the capital of the Empire. In St. Petersburg, he worked in a photo studio and soon entered. In 1863, Kramskoy received a small gold medal from the Academy of Arts for the painting "Moses exudes water from a rock."

It is worth noting that Ivan Nikolaevich was endowed with a certain charisma, he was a leader by nature. During the years of study at the Academy, he managed to establish himself well and gain great authority in the team of its students.

In order to graduate from the Academy of Arts and receive a large gold medal, which promised a pensioner's trip to Europe, he had to write a series of works.

The Council of the Academy offered 14 graduates, including Ivan Nikolayevich, the theme of painting - scenes from Scandinavian mythology. All 14 students refused to write a paper on this topic, as they considered it to be very abstract from real life.

The artists made a proposal to the council that each of them choose the theme of the work. The council refused. The artists, in turn, asked for advice on their exclusion from the competition. This event went down in the history of Russian culture as the "Riot of the Fourteen".

14 rebels formed the "Petersburg artel of artists", which was formed on the initiative of Ivan Nikolaevich. The year 1870 was marked by the creation of the "Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions", Kramskoy should be considered the ideological inspirer and founder of this organization.

There are many good ones in the artist's biography, which are known to everyone today. Kramskoy is a significant figure in Russian history, who had a great influence on the development of art in Russia. In fact, he was the educator of the next generation of Russian realist artists.

Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy died on March 24, 1887, right at work - he was painting a portrait of Dr. Raukhfus and suddenly fell. The doctor tried to help, but still was powerless.

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 Spouts 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 continuer 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 characteristics 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

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