Viktor Vasnetsov work. Fairy tale world of Viktor Vasnetsov

Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov (1848 - 1926) - Russian artist, famous for his depictions of historical, folk scenes.

Biography of Viktor Vasnetsov

Vasnetsov was born on May 3, 1848 in a small village in the Vyatka province in the family of a priest. Education in the biography of Vasnetsov was received at the Vyatka Theological Seminary. But art style Vasnetsov improved while studying at the school of arts in St. Petersburg. The final moment of education was the end of the Academy of Arts in 1873.

After graduating from the Academy, he went abroad. He began to exhibit his works in 1869, first participating in the expositions of the Academy, then in the exhibitions of the Wanderers.

Member of the mammoth circle in Abramtsevo.

In 1893 Vasnetsov became a full member of the Academy of Arts. After 1905, he was close to the Union of the Russian People, although he was not a member, participated in the financing and design of monarchist publications, including the Book of Russian Sorrow.

In 1912 he was granted a "noble Russian Empire dignity with all descendants."

In 1915 he participated in the establishment of the Renaissance Society artistic Russia, along with many other artists of his time.

Viktor Vasnetsov died on July 23, 1926 in Moscow, was buried at the Lazarevsky cemetery, after the destruction of which the ashes were transferred to the Vvedenskoye cemetery.

Creativity Vasnetsov

In the work of Vasnetsov are clearly represented different genres, which have become stages of a very interesting evolution: from everyday writing to a fairy tale, from easel painting to the monumental, from the earthiness of the Wanderers to the prototype of the Art Nouveau style.

On the early stage Vasnetsov's works were dominated by everyday subjects, for example, in the paintings From Apartment to Apartment (1876), Military Telegram (1878), Bookshop (1876), Booths in Paris (1877).

Later, the epic-historical became the main direction - “The Knight at the Crossroads” (1882), “After the Battle of Igor Svyatoslavich with the Polovtsians” (1880), “Alyonushka” (1881), “Ivan Tsarevich on the Gray Wolf” (1889), “Heroes "(1881-1898)," Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible "(1897).

In the late 1890s, an increasingly prominent place in his work was occupied by a religious theme (works in the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv and in the Church of the Resurrection (Church of the Savior on Blood) in St. Petersburg, watercolor drawings and, in general, the preparatory originals of wall painting for the Cathedral of St. Vladimir, the murals of the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist on Presnya.

Vasnetsov worked in a team of artists who designed the interior of the memorial church of Alexander Nevsky in Sofia.

After 1917, Vasnetsov continued to work on folk fairy tale themes, creating canvases “The Battle of Dobrynya Nikitich with the Seven-Headed Serpent Gorynych” (1918); "Koschey the Immortal" (1917-1926).

One fact from the biography of V.M. testifies to what a cruel joke self-doubt can play with a person. Vasnetsov.

Arriving from distant Siberia to enter the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, the young man was very worried. At the exam, he drew everything that was asked, and began to look around. To his horror, he noticed that an applicant standing behind a nearby easel was skeptically examining his drawing and even frankly smiling, almost laughing.

"Everything - failed!" - Vasnetsov decided and fell into such despair that he did not even begin to find out the results of the exam. After spending a few days in a foreign city, future artist entered the Drawing School of I.N. Kramskoy, hoping to learn more and try his luck next year.

What was his amazement when, having again come to apply to the Academy of Arts, he found out that he had entered for the first time and had been in his first year for a year already!

Bibliography

• Kulzhenko S.V. Cathedral of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir in Kyiv. - Kyiv: S.V. Kulzhenko Publishing House, 1898.
• Bakhrevsky V.A. Viktor Vasnetsov. - M .: Young Guard, 1989. - (Life of wonderful people). - ISBN 5-235-00367-5.
• Butina N. Yu. Vasnetsov Viktor Mikhailovich: Afterword // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. - 1994 . - No. 7/8. - S. 124-125.
• Iovleva L. I. Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov. - L.: Artist of the RSFSR, 1964. - 56 p. - (People's Art Library). - 20,000 copies.
• Kudryavtseva L. Vasnetsov. - M.: White City, 1999. - ISBN 5-7793-0163-8.

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Sirin and Alkonost. Song of Joy and Sorrow

Oleg's farewell to the horse. Illustration for “Songs about prophetic Oleg” A.S. Pushkin

Vasnetsov Viktor Mikhailovich (Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov, 1848-1926), a great Russian artist, one of the founders of Russian Art Nouveau in its national romantic version.
Born in the village of Lopyal (Vyatka province) on May 3 (15), 1848 in the family of a priest. He studied at the seminary in Vyatka (1862-1867), then at the drawing school at the Society for the Encouragement of Arts in St. Petersburg (where Vasnetsov's mentor was Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy) and at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts (1868-1875).

Vasnetsov is the founder of a special "Russian style" within the pan-European symbolism and modernity. The painter Vasnetsov transformed the Russian historical genre, combining the motifs of the Middle Ages with the exciting atmosphere of a poetic legend or fairy tale; however, the tales themselves often become the themes of his large canvases. Among these picturesque epics and fairy tales by Vasnetsov are the paintings "The Knight at the Crossroads" (1878, Russian Museum, St. Petersburg), "After the Battle of Igor Svyatoslavich with the Polovtsy" (based on the legend "The Tale of Igor's Campaign", 1880), "Alyonushka" (1881), "Three Heroes" (1898), "Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible" (1897; all paintings are in the Tretyakov Gallery). Some of these works ("Three Princesses of the Underworld", 1881, ibid.) present decorative panel paintings already typical of Art Nouveau, taking the viewer into the world of dreams. For his painting "Alyonushka" the artist could not find a model for a long time. None of the girls, according to the artist, resembled that fairy-tale sister Ivanushka, whom he so clearly imagined. But one day the artist realized that his heroine should have the eyes of Verochka Mamontova (the one with whom Serov wrote his "Girl with Peaches"). And he immediately rewrote the face again, asking the girl to sit motionless in front of him for at least half an hour.

Master decorative painting Vasnetsov showed himself in the panel " Stone Age"(1883-85), written for the Moscow Historical Museum, depicting on it the ancient ancestors of the Slavs. But his greatest achievement in the field of monumental art was the murals of the Kyiv Vladimir Cathedral (1885-96); striving to update the Byzantine canons as much as possible, the artist introduces a lyrical, personal beginning into religious images, framing them with folklore ornaments.

Vasnetsov's contribution to the history of architecture and design is also original. In the Russian style, he saw not just a pretext for imitating antiquity, but also the basis for reproducing such properties of ancient Russian architecture as organic, "vegetative" integrity and decorative richness of forms. According to his sketches, a church was built in Abramtsevo in the spirit of the medieval Pskov-Novgorod tradition (1881-82) and the playfully fairy-tale Hut on Chicken Legs (1883). He also developed a decorative composition for the facade of the Tretyakov Gallery (1906) with the coat of arms of Moscow (St. George defeating the dragon) in the center.

After 1917, the artist went entirely to fairy theme, which is eloquently evidenced by the titles of the last large canvases: "The Sleeping Princess", "The Frog Princess", "Kashchei the Immortal", "Princess Nesmeyana", "Sivka-Burka", "Baba Yaga", "Three princesses of the underworld", "Sirin and Alkonost" ... He existed on a pension provided to him as an honored artist, Soviet power, to which he, in turn, was forced to sell the house, which is now a house-museum. In the upper room of this house, to this day, there is a heroic oak table with the image of a huge Double-headed Eagle in full breadth, which vividly illustrates the scale and spirit of Vasnetsov's monarchism. The importance of Vasnetsov for the development of the creative element of Russian monarchism can hardly be overestimated. It was in his paintings that a generation of future theorists of Russian autocracy was brought up (I. A. Ilyin, P. A. Florensky). It was Vasnetsov who gave rise to the national school in Russian painting (M. Nesterov, P. Korin, I. Bilibin). Black-and-white postcards with images of Vasnetsov's paintings, published in millions of copies during the First World War, contributed to the high patriotic upsurge of the Russian spirit. The influence of the artist on Soviet art and culture was no less great, it was during the Vasnetsov Budyonnovka (or, as they were originally called, the bogatyrs), developed by the artist for a single celebratory parade of the tsarist army, due to a special set of circumstances, that they became the form of the army, which in 1918-1922 restored the unity of the country and rebuffed foreign intervention.

Vasnetsov died in Moscow in his studio, working on a portrait of the artist M.V. Nesterov.

The younger brother of the famous Viktor Vasnetsov, much less known, Appolinary Vasnetsov was also an artist - by no means was his timid shadow, but had a completely original talent. An excellent master landscape painter, A. M. Vasnetsov became famous as a connoisseur and inspired poet of old Moscow. It is rare for anyone, once seen, not to remember his paintings, watercolors, drawings, recreating the excitingly fabulous and at the same time so convincingly real image of the ancient Russian capital.

AT In 1900, Appolinary Vasnetsov became an academician of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, then led the landscape class of the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, and from 1918 headed the Commission for the Study of Old Moscow and conducted archaeological research during earthworks in the central part of the city.

The grandson of Viktor Vasnetsov, Andrei Vasnetsov, also became an artist, later - the founder of the so-called " severe style". In 1988-1992 Andrey Vasnetsov was the chairman of the Union of Artists of the USSR, a full member of the Russian Academy of Arts, since 1998 - a member of the Presidium. He was the honorary chairman of the Vasnetsov Foundation.

Master of historical and mythological painting, wrote more than 30 works on the themes of Russian fairy tales, songs, epics, historical events. "I have always lived in Russia," said Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov. He became famous for such works as The Bogatyrs, The Knight at the Crossroads, Alyonushka, etc. They can be called picturesque poetic tales about the native Russian people, about the glorious national antiquity and its immortal Russian heroes.

Vasnetsov's childhood and early youth were spent in a semi-patriarchal family, in the distant Vyatka side, in the small village of Ryabovo. The father, a village priest, taught his sons to read and write. On long winter evenings the children loved to listen to stories about Alyonushka and Kashchei the Immortal. And little Vitya loved to draw - the blue sea, sailing ships sail on the billowing waves. The brother of Victor, Appolinary Vasnetsov, was also engaged in drawing in the family.

Victor first studied in Vyatka, in a theological seminary. But he was more interested in drawing. And after graduating from the seminary, Viktor Vasnetsov went to study in St. Petersburg, at the Academy of Arts. He earned the money for the trip himself. He did not enter the Academy immediately, he studied at the Drawing School.

While studying at the Academy, money was constantly lacking, and Vasnetsov worked as an illustrator in magazines and cheap publications. His illustrations were popular, they are full of lively observation, sincere, sometimes humorous and deserved a bronze medal at the World Exhibition in London.

Vasnetsov began to work in domestic genre, having gained fame with such paintings as "Beggars Singers", "Bookshop" and others. In them, the artist showed without embellishment the life of the poor, social injustice in Russian society.

At the turn of the 70s - 80s in the art of Vasnetsov, a turning point occurs. He becomes a master of Russian historical and mythological painting. In 1878, Vasnetsov moved to Moscow, which greatly influenced the artist's work - with its patriarchal streets, the ancient Kremlin, ancient churches, she inspired him, inspired him.

In Moscow, the Vasnetsov brothers actively participated in the Mamontov circle of artists, art lovers, who gathered at the Mamontov estate in Abramtsevo. It included such Russian artists as Repin, Polenov, Levitan, Nevrev, Vrubel and many others. And this also contributed to the flowering of the talent of the artist Viktor Vasnetsov.

No one, like Vasnetsov, drew so widely and freely from the world of ancient, Russian folk, nameless creativity and left so many wonderful works for its glory.

He was a believer and painted many paintings on a religious theme. He himself wrote about it this way: "As for my religious painting, I will also say that I, as an Orthodox and sincerely believing Russian, could not help but put even a penny candle to the Lord God. Maybe this candle is made of coarse wax, but it was delivered from the heart,

In his canvases, Vasnetsov glorified the Russian people, their heroic prowess, courage, their kindness and nobility. He painted scenery for theatrical performances, came up with sketches for costumes. A true masterpiece was the project he created for the facade of the Tretyakov Gallery, made in the spirit of ancient Russian buildings.

The first picture, written by Vasnetsov in St. Petersburg, was "Beggars-singers". The plot arose from childhood memories of those beggar-singers who, on holidays, usually crowded at the Ryabov church, sat on the ground. As a child, these beggars evoked in him some poignant, dreary feeling. And so began the preparation for the picture. Vasnetsov drew, made sketches, wrote sketches. Work on the painting progressed slowly, but Vasnetsov's perseverance and diligence took their toll and the work was completed. And although the picture was praised by many, Vasnetsov himself already saw all its shortcomings.

During the first hungry months of life in Petersburg, when he wandered around the city, he looked for a place to eat cheaply and sit warmly, more than once he went into a rundown tavern, into a tea room. I watched for a long time, listened to the conversations of various visitors, sometimes made sketches. This is how the idea of ​​the painting came about.

The door to the tearoom is open. To the right of the door, a group of peasants is sitting at a table, apparently this is an artel of carpenters who came to St. Petersburg to work. They rest after work. There are two teapots on the table, as it was then customary, one large - with boiling water, the other small, colorful - for tea. Tea is drunk slowly, sedately. The younger guy has already taken a sip of tea, knocked over a cup, listens to what the artel clerk is reading, who has a newspaper in his hand. An old man sits at a table to the left of the door; he was deep in thought, and he has such an exhausted face that one can immediately say that he lived a hard life. A boy, a tavern servant, stopped at the door; he looks at a lonely old man who is probably carrying a teapot and a saucer of sugar. And behind the boy's back is a new visitor, who looks like a tipsy craftsman.

The painting was exhibited at the third traveling exhibition, where it produced good impression on the spectators.

Gloomy Petersburg winter day. Grey sky. The Neva has frozen over, and two people are walking through the dirty snow across the Neva - an old man and an old woman. They walk slowly, bent over, their faces are sad, submissive. In the hands of bundles with miserable rags, a coffee pot. With them, the old dog is a faithful comrade both in grief and in joy. It must not be the first time, like this, in the middle of winter, they move to new apartment cheaper.

The picture is painted in grayish-brown tones, and this color scheme, which conveys the idea of ​​the picture so well, is perhaps the first time Vasnetsov managed to find it with such subtle sincerity.

it last work Vasnetsov in the domestic genre. Here the artist showed the narrow-minded life, devoid of vivid impressions, too leisurely, too shallow. The insignificance of human characters and interests stands out vividly in contrast to the poetic life of nature - the beauty of a summer night, seen through the door open to the balcony. The painting "Preference" completes the cycle of household paintings by Vasnetsov. A decisive turning point comes in the artist's work.

At a roadside stone, on a white mighty horse, a Russian hero stopped - a knight in rich armor, in a helmet, with a spear in his hand. The boundless steppe with boulders scattered over it goes into the distance. The evening dawn is burning down; a reddish stripe brightens on the horizon, and the last weak ray of the sun slightly gilds the knight's helmet. The field where Russian soldiers once fought is overgrown with feather grass, bones are whitening dead people, and black crows over the field. The knight reads the inscription on the stone:

"How to go straight - I live not to be:
There is no way for a passer-by, or a traveler, or a flyer.
Further lines are hidden under grass and moss. But the knight knows what they are talking about:
"To the right to go - to be married,
On the left - be rich."

What path will the knight choose? Vasnetsov is sure that the audience will "finish" the picture themselves. The glorious Russian knight is not looking for easy ways, he will choose a difficult, but direct path. All other paths are ordered to him. Now he will shake off unnecessary thoughts, raise the reins, spur his horse, and carry his horse to the battles for the Russian land, for the truth.

big historical painting, written on the motive of "The Tale of Igor's Campaign". The epigraph to Vasnetsov's work is the lines from the "Word" ..:

"From dawn to evening, the whole day,
Arrows fly from evening to light,
Sharp sabers thunder on helmets,

With a crack of spears, damask steel breaks ...
... The third day they are already fighting;
The third day is approaching noon;
Here and Igor's banners fell!

Already the brave Russians are gone
Here is bloody wine for a feast,
We got the matchmakers drunk, and ourselves
They fell for their father's land."

The picture is not just an image of the battle, but an epic majestic and enlightened poetic work that evokes deep admiration for the heroic death of the heroes who fell for the Motherland, for Holy Russia. The painting depicts a field after a battle, the artist tells how brave Russians know how to die defending their native land.

The battle is over; the moon slowly rises from behind the clouds. Quiet. The bodies of the killed Russian knights lie on the field, the Polovtsians lie. Here, spreading his arms wide, the Russian hero sleeps in eternal sleep. Next to him is a beautiful fair-haired young man, struck by an arrow - he seems to be sleeping. In the depths of the field, on the right, solemnly and calmly, lies the killed hero, in his hand there was a clamped bow. The flowers have not yet withered - blue bells, daisies, and vulture eagles are already hovering over the field, sensing their prey. In the foreground, on the left, an eagle is cleaning its feathers. Blue clouds cover the horizon, red, as if washed in blood, the moon hung over the steppe. Dusk falls on the steppe. Deep sadness is poured throughout the Russian land.

Like a heroic outpost, Igor's regiments stood on the border of their land and perished for its honor and inviolability - such is the content of this epicly majestic and deeply lyrical picture.

The canvas "The Last Judgment" was created in 1896 - 1904, among other works for St. George's Cathedral in the city of Gus-Khrustalny, Vladimir Region, by order of the largest breeder and philanthropist Yu.S. Nechaev-Maltsev, who built this cathedral. The artist completed several works on a religious theme, but the Last Judgment was to take center stage in the cathedral.

The artist made to the picture a large number of sketches, so acquaintances and friends who saw these sketches in Vasnetsov's workshop showed great interest in the painting in advance. At first, the artist was offered to exhibit the painting at the Tretyakov Gallery, but this venture failed, since the dimensions of the painting significantly exceeded the size of the room. Nevertheless, such an exhibition took place in February 1904 in Historical Museum in Moscow. The new work caused numerous responses in the press, mostly enthusiastic. Later painting together with others made for the cathedral, it was exhibited twice more: in the halls of the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg and again in the Historical Museum in Moscow.

Finally, in 1910, the paintings were delivered to their destination and fixed on the walls of St. George's Cathedral, where they briefly found peace.

And soon after the October Revolution, the service in the cathedral was stopped. In February 1923, the authorities made a decision: "... transfer the empty premises of the St. George's Cathedral to a cultural and educational institution ..." On the very first Sunday, dances were arranged in the temple, a brass band played ... God?" In the future, the cathedral was used either as workshops or as a cinema.

Meanwhile, the paintings were taken to the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir. They took it out as it should, without being careful. Moreover, the picture "The Last Judgment" was rolled onto a large pole, torn at the bottom and hastily sewn up with twine. And before that, it was folded several times and rubbed on the folds.

In the 80s of the last century, it was decided to restore the Geogievsky Cathedral in Gus-Khrustalny again, and also return to former place paintings by Vasnetsov.

"The Last Judgment" was in serious condition. Therefore, it was entrusted to be restored by a team of Leningrad restorers under the leadership of the largest specialist A.Ya.Kazakov, known for the restoration of murals St. Isaac's Cathedral, Peterhof and Tsarskoye Selo. The colossal dimensions required a large room, so the canvas was restored in the Catherine Palace in Pushkin.

The work carried out by the specialists was unique in scope and complexity. A single canvas measuring 700X680 centimeters turned out to be punctured in more than 70 places, there were numerous breaks in the edges, breakthroughs. The canvas was seriously deformed, resulting in scree, peeling paint. Hard work has been going on for about a year. And so the special commission accepted the work with an "excellent" rating. In 1983, the painting took its place in St. George's Cathedral.

The artist embodied in the picture the idea of ​​free moral choice man between good and evil. The work was not just an illustration of a religious plot .. Before him, everyone could feel in the place of an unknown soul awaiting a verdict high court. The people who came to the cathedral had to think and make their choice of "path in life" by "free will". Vasnetsov eloquently makes it clear that the scales in the hand of an angel come into action not only at the moment of the Last Judgment. The entire middle part of the picture is perceived as a huge scale, on the bowls of which are crowds of righteous and sinners, light and darkness ... "The whole history of mankind is the struggle of a man of the beast with a spiritual man ...", the artist wrote.

Good and evil in the picture are personified in characters from Russian and Christian history. Among the righteous are the figures of the Byzantine emperors Constantine and Helena, Princess Olga and Prince Vladimir, Alexander Nevsky and Sergius of Radonezh. Among the sinners are the emperor Nero, the conqueror Batu, eastern despots and Roman cardinals ... At the same time, many allegorical characters are introduced: Faith, Hope, Love, Sophia, Mercy and others - on the one hand, and on the other - Greed, Drunkenness, Robbery, Anger, etc. Texts and inscriptions are actively used.

Religion, history, folklore are intricately intertwined here. So, the miser swallows gold coins - he looks somewhat like Repin's Ivan the Terrible... Among the righteous, an old man and an old woman are depicted, as if transferred to the Court from a Russian folk tale, and the harlots placed behind the back of the Devil resemble the characters of salon painting...

One of the critics wrote this many years ago: "The Last Judgment" is a series of symbols, sometimes powerful, sometimes weak, but generally irresistible. This is a terrible oratorio outside of time and space. But it's one of those few truly artistic creations worth seeing once to remember forever." And he was right...

The hero of this picture is Ivanushka the Fool - a wonderful prince. He is always laughed at by his older brothers. And he, when trouble comes, overcomes all obstacles, and his smart, kind heart conquers evil, as the sun conquers darkness. He manages to wake up the sleeping beauty, make the princess-Nesmeyana laugh, get the firebird, which brings happiness to people.

A magic carpet flies high in the sky and firmly holds Ivan Tsarevich the firebird in a golden cage. Like a huge bird, the magic carpet spread its wings. In fear, night owls fly away from an unknown bird ...

When Vasnetsov painted this picture, he recalled that first Russian man, a lordly serf who, on wings made by himself, even in the time of Ivan the Terrible, tried to high tower fly into the sky. And let him die, let people ridicule him then for his daring attempt, but the proud dreams of flying into the sky will never disappear, and the magic magic carpet will always inspire people to exploits.

The plot of this picture was born in Vasnetsov's head by chance, when he saw in the town of Akhtyrka, not far from Abramtsevo, one simple-haired girl who struck the artist's imagination. There was so much longing, loneliness and purely Russian sadness in her eyes that Vasnetsov immediately imagined the picture. I wandered around the neighborhood for a long time, looking for a suitable landscape, drawing sketches, writing sketches...

This is one of the most touching, sincere images in Russian painting, exciting the soul with its soulful lyricism, consonant with a fairy tale and folk song about the bitter fate of a defenseless orphan.

A thin, fragile girl with an affectionate Russian name Alyonushka is yearning over the river. She bowed her head sadly thin hands she hugged her knees, thought, perhaps, about her bitter fate or about her brother Ivanushka. Hardened bare feet, old, faded clothes in places - it would seem that they are unattractive, but for an artist who sympathizes with his heroine, here the whole world beauty, just like in the modest Russian landscape - dark Christmas trees, a pale sky, ordinary thin-barreled aspens and birches, as if protecting Alyonushka's peace. A deep sorrow lurks in the soul of a tormented teenage girl, it shines through both in a helplessly drooping figure, and in a pale face with parched lips, and in big eyes full of unshed tears.

Alyonushka is shown by Vasnetsov sitting on a gray "combustible" stone, surrounded by her native nature - at the edge of the forest. This modest and simple Russian landscape, with its thoughtful sensitive silence, broken only by the obscure rustle of the yellowed foliage of aspens and birches, trembling with every movement of air, corresponds to the state of mind of the orphan.

The picture is written on the plot of a Russian folk tale, which Vasnetsov heard more than once in childhood. Three brothers were looking for a bride. The elder brother searched - did not find. I searched for the middle one - I did not find it. And the youngest, Ivan the Fool, found the treasured stone, pushed it away and got into underworld, where three princesses lived - Gold, Precious Stones and Princess Copper.

Three princesses are standing near a dark rock. Seniors - in rich outfits, strewn precious stones; the youngest is in a black dress, and on her head, in her black hair, an ember burns as a sign that the lands of the Donetsk region are inexhaustible (the picture was painted by order of the Donetsk railway). Vasnetsov took some liberties here and turned Princess Med into Princess Coal. According to a fairy tale, the younger sister marries Ivanushka the Fool.

Another "fabulous" picture of Vasnetsov. When she appeared at the exhibition, the audience stood in front of her for a long time. They seemed to hear a dull roar dense forest, pale pink flowers of a wild apple tree gently rustle, leaves rustle under the feet of a wolf - here he is, a strong, kind giant wolf, out of breath, saving Ivan Tsarevich and Elena the Beautiful from the chase. And curious birds sit on a branch and look at them.

"Your "Ivan Tsarevich on the wolf" delighted me, I forgot everything around, I went into this forest, I breathed this air, sniffed these flowers. All this is mine, dear, good! I just came to life! Such is the irresistible action of a true and genuine creativity. - This is how Savva Ivanovich Mamontov, an industrialist, a famous philanthropist and a great lover of art, an exceptionally gifted person, wrote to Vasnetsov after the exhibition.

Light, wonderful picture. Here she is, dear, light Snow Maiden - a child of Frost and Spring - comes out of the dark forest alone, to the people, to the sunny country of the Berendeys.

Young lady! Is it alive? - Live!
In a sheepskin coat, in boots, in mittens!

Before us is a portrait of Ivan the Terrible, the image of one of the most controversial rulers of the Russian state. Ivan the Terrible is presented in full growth, so that the viewer is forced to look at him as if from the bottom up, which gives the image a special significance and grandeur. As in a hard reliable case, the figure of the king is dressed in heavy, tightly buttoned, woven golden clothes (feryaz), in patterned mittens and chobots studded with pearls. And in this barbaric splendor, with a carved staff, imperiously clutched in a sinewy hand, he seems to be some kind of pagan deity.

Looking into the pale and thin face of the Terrible, which clearly stands out in the dim space of the stairs, you see in it traces of the stormy, unbridled passions of the autocrat. Before us is a passionate, violent and contradictory nature.

Vasnetsov worked on this painting for almost 25 years, and finally, in 1898, this large epic canvas was completed.

Three heroes - Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich - stand in a strong heroic outpost to protect holy Russia. In the middle on a black horse - "large chieftain Ilya Muromets, peasant son"His horse is huge, arched its neck with a wheel, sparkles with a red-hot eye. You won't get lost with such a horse:" He jumps from mountain to mountain, jumps from hill to hill. put a mitten to his eyes, and on his hand "damask mace forty pounds". Vigilantly, sternly he looks into the distance, looks closely to see if there is an enemy anywhere. On his right hand on a white hairy horse - the hero Dobrynya Nikitich, takes out his long, sharp sword from the scabbard - a treasurer, and his shield burns, interrupted by pearls, gems. To the left of Ilya - on a golden horse - the youngest hero, Alyosha Popovich. He looks slyly with beautiful, clear eyes, took an arrow from a colored quiver, attached it to the ringing bowstring of a tight bow. and harp-samogudy hang by the saddle.

The heroes are dressed in the rich, beautiful clothes, clad in strong armor, they have helmets on their heads. Autumn day, gray - the sky is low, clouds are walking across the sky; the grass is crushed under the feet of the horses, the fir-trees are tenderly green. The free Russian steppe spread wide before the heroes, and behind them dense forests, hills and mountains, cities and villages - the whole native country of Russia.

Do not jump enemies on our land,
Do not trample their horses on the Russian land,
Do not overshadow our red sun ...

"The language of this picture-ballad is simple, majestic and powerful; every Russian will read it with pride, every foreigner with apprehension if he is an enemy, with a feeling of calm faith in such power - if he is a friend," he said very well soviet artist V.N. Yakovlev.

O Bayan, O prophetic songwriter,
The nightingale of bygone times...

Here he is, the "prophetic songwriter" Bayan, sitting on a high burial mound, among field grasses and flowers, sorting out the psaltery, composes and sings songs. Around the prince's retinue and the prince himself with his little prince, and clouds swirl and float across the sky.

A decorative, widely painted picture, it caused a lot of the most controversial rumors! But in this simple and at the same time complex picture the amazing sense of proportion, taste, and sincerity inherent in Vasnetsov affected.

Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov was born in 1848 on May 15 in the village of funny name Lopyal. Vasnetsov's father was a priest, as were his grandfather and great-grandfather. In 1850, Mikhail Vasilyevich took his family to the village of Ryabovo. It was related to his service. Viktor Vasnetsov had 5 brothers, one of whom also became famous artists, his name was Apollinaris.

Vasnetsov's talent manifested itself from childhood, but the extremely unfortunate financial situation in the family left no options for how to send Viktor to the Vyatka Theological School in 1858. Already at the age of 14, Viktor Vasnetsov studied at the Vyatka Theological Seminary. Children of priests were taken there for free.

Without graduating from the seminary, in 1867 Vasnetsov went to St. Petersburg to enter the Academy of Arts. He had very little money, and Victor put up for the "auction" 2 of his paintings - "The Milkmaid" and "The Reaper". Before leaving, he never received any money for them. He received 60 rubles for these two paintings a few months later in St. Petersburg. Arriving in the capital, the young artist had only 10 rubles.

Vasnetsov did an excellent job with the drawing exam and was immediately enrolled in the Academy. For about a year he studied at the Drawing School, where he met his teacher -.

Vasnetsov began his studies at the Academy of Arts in 1868. At this time, he became friends with, and even at one time they lived in the same apartment.

Although Vasnetsov liked the Academy, he did not finish it, leaving in 1876, where he lived for more than a year. At that time, Repin was also there on a business trip. They also maintained friendly relations.

After returning to Moscow, Vasnetsov was immediately accepted into the Association of Travelers art exhibitions. By this time, the artist’s drawing style had changed significantly, and not only the style, Vasnetsov himself moved to live in Moscow, where he became close to Tretyakov and Mamontov. It was in Moscow that Vasnetsov revealed himself. He liked being in this city, he felt at ease and did various creative work.

For more than 10 years, Vasnetsov designed the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv. M. Nesterov helped him in this. It was after the completion of this work that Vasnetsov can rightfully be called a great Russian icon painter.

1899 was the peak of the artist's popularity. At his exhibition, Vasnetsov presented to the public.

After the revolution, Vasnetsov began to live no longer in Russia, but in the USSR, which seriously oppressed him. People destroyed his paintings, treated the artist disrespectfully. But until the end of his life, Viktor Mikhailovich was faithful to his work - he painted. He died on July 23, 1926 in Moscow, never finishing the portrait of his friend and student M. Nesterov.