Style trends in art. What are the main genres of painting you know? Think about what you draw most often

Directions in art are a system artistic techniques, expressive means that are designed to express a certain idea, a worldview that is dominant in a certain community at a given period of time. Styles have developed over the past millennium, successively replacing each other. Sometimes a new style arose as a continuation and development of the previous one, sometimes became the result of a struggle with the ideas of the predecessor.

IN individual cases it is so difficult to single out a style that it is rather classified as a direction. So symbolism, cubism can be attributed as an independently formed style, and they can be considered as directions of comprehensive modernism.

Each era gave birth to more than one art style. By studying works of art, you can get to know better the time in which this or that artistic style was formed and dominated.

The main trends in art of the 10th - 19th centuries

Romanesque style (X - XIII centuries)

Gothic style (XIII - XVI centuries)

Baroque (XVI - XVIII centuries)

Classicism (XVII - XIX centuries)

Sentimentalism (XVIII century)

Romanticism (XVIII - XIX centuries)

Realism (XIX century)

The main trends in the art of the XX century

Modernism

Symbolism

Impressionism

Surrealism

Formed in the 1920s of the last century, it is a style of paradoxical forms and allusions, reflecting the combination of dream and reality. In painting, surrealism is clearly reflected in the paintings of Magritte, Ernst, Dali, Matta...

The triumphant return of the classic painting; Andy Warhol digital revolution and other interesting things that are happening in the world of fine arts

Modern art is no longer modern. Contemporary art, with all its postmodern tricks, was invented a century ago.

Skinned carcasses of cows, video performances - at first it was exciting, but the question arises, what's next. Can artists come up with something even more abstract and incomprehensible than Kazimir Malevich's square and Jackson Pollock's splashes?

Think outside the box- advised the notorious Banksy. New trends in art and the art market came from an unexpected direction.

Trend number 1.

Hand drawn picture: return to the throne

According to critics, the painting was “dying” until recently, being replaced by other types of art – video art, installation… At the end of the 2000s, the situation changed dramatically: the painting was revived as a genre.

The border between fine art (" fine art”, made in the old fashioned way, with a brush on canvas) and contemporary art (with its deliberate madness and noncoformism) - suddenly disappeared somewhere.

Spectators, and first of all - the artists themselves - terribly missed the paintings in the traditional sense. And it turns out that far from everything has been said here.

However, to grab attention in the gigantic, oversaturated art market, a painting must be truly talented.

Czech artists Svetlana Kurmaz and Alexander Sokht are bright representatives of the new trend. Famous in Europe and the USA, they are almost unknown in Russia, although they come from the Krasnodar Territory.

The married couple emigrated to Prague a long time ago. Quite quickly, their work gained success with the Western community.

Russian emigrants from difficult fate are now included in the list of the most sought-after pool by participants in the prestigious world art fairs and biennials.

Not least thanks to a new approach to doing art business - therefore, it is on their example that we will consider the latest trends.

From myself I will say: I recently crossed paths with the brilliant works of Kurmaz and Sokht and, without any hesitation, I urge you to familiarize yourself with it. It absolutely deserves it.

Trend number 2.

A revolution of interfaces: you draw on a tablet, you get a canvas with oil.

The widespread use of the iPad mechanic has seriously affected the technology of creating paintings. For example, diasec frontal printing has become popular: in a principle similar to printing photographs, paints are applied to acrylic.

Nadezhda Voronina, art critic:

- Alexander Sokht creates his works in graphic programs, which he then transfers to canvas, paper or diasec. In this way, innovative techniques help the evolution of the creative method.

Trend number 3.

Democratization of the art market: now art is collected not by bored millionaires, but by ordinary students and housewives.

Surprising fact: the original work famous master can now cost less than $100. The European audience has already tasted the delights of art shopping and is massively buying up the works of contemporaries.

Democratization of prices for high art especially noticeable in the example many years of success the largest international fair AAF(Affordable Art Fair, accessible art fair)

For its organizers, the most important criterion for selecting works is their cost: it should not exceed the price ceiling available to people of average income.

Marketing in the era of copy-paste and repost reinterpreted Warhol's ideas: the picture can now be produced in several versions and at different prices.

For example, the works of the same Kurmaz and Sokhta are quite expensive. But they came up with a strategy that allows them to capture three different price categories.

The accessibility strategy is achieved through the release of limited editions on paper and canvases of author's originals.

That is, a work can exist in five copies, but each of them is an original, which is confirmed by an international certificate.

Trend number 5.

Galleries are now opened not by gallerists, but by the artists themselves.

The most important trend: the personal gallery of artists is becoming the main place of interaction between art market participants. This is the same advanced formation as a small shop, where the owner himself stands behind the counter.

Nadezhda Voronina, art critic

- In the center of Prague, Kurmaz and Sokht have their own gallery, created to exhibit themselves. Perhaps this is one of the most successful options for a modern gallery that exhibits and sells art, since everything is merged here - a clear concept, goals and objectives of the artist. This is the type of gallery of the future, because in contemporary art everything is simplified.

IN this case the mechanics of facebook and twitter work. Direct communication between the author and connoisseurs of his work is becoming more winning strategy than communication through agents and buyers.

Painting is perhaps the most ancient view art. Even in the primitive era, our ancestors made images of people and animals on the walls of caves. These are the first examples of painting. Since then, this art form has always been a companion human life. Examples of painting today are numerous and varied. We will try to cover this type of art as much as possible, to talk about the main genres, styles, directions and techniques in it.

painting techniques

Consider first the basic techniques of painting. One of the most common is oil. This is a technique in which paints created on oil based. These paints are applied in strokes. With the help of them, you can create a variety of different shades, as well as convey the necessary images with maximum realism.

Tempera is another popular technique. We are talking about it when emulsion paints are used. The binder in these paints is egg or water.

Gouache- a technique widely used in graphics. Gouache paint is made on an adhesive basis. It can be used to work on cardboard, paper, bone or silk. The image is durable, and the lines are clear. Pastel- This is a drawing technique with dry pencils, while the surface must be rough. And, of course, it is worth mentioning about watercolors. This paint is usually diluted with water. Soft and thin paint layer obtained using this technique. Particularly popular Of course, we have listed only the main techniques that are used in painting most often. There are others.

What are the paintings usually painted on? The most popular painting on canvas. It is stretched on a frame or glued to cardboard. Note that in the past, wooden boards were used quite often. Today, not only painting on canvas is popular, but any other flat materials can be used to create an image.

Painting types

There are 2 main types of it: easel and monumental painting. The latter is related to architecture. This type includes paintings on the ceilings and walls of buildings, decorating them with images made of mosaics or other materials, stained-glass windows, and so on. Easel painting is not associated with a specific building. It can be moved from place to place. In easel painting, there are many varieties (otherwise they are called genres). Let's dwell on them in more detail.

Genres of painting

The word "genre" is French in origin. It translates as "genus", "species". That is, under the name of the genre there is a content of some kind, and, pronouncing its name, we understand what the picture is about, what we will find in it: a person, nature, an animal, objects, etc.

Portrait

The most ancient genre of painting is the portrait. This is an image of a person who looks only like himself and no one else. In other words, a portrait is an image in painting of an individual appearance, since each of us has an individual face. This genre of painting has its own varieties. A portrait can be full-length, chest-length, or only one person is painted. Note that not every image of a person is a portrait, since an artist can create, for example, "a person in general" without writing him off from anyone. However, when he portrays a specific representative human race, then he works on the portrait. Needless to say, there are numerous examples of painting in this genre. But the portrait below is known to almost every resident of our country. We are talking about the image of A. S. Pushkin, created in 1827 by Kiprensky.

Self-portrait can also be added to this genre. In this case, the artist depicts himself. There is a paired portrait, when in the picture there are people in a pair; And group portrait when a group of people is shown. It can also be noted formal portrait, a variety of which is equestrian, one of the most solemn. It was very popular in the past, but such works are rare now. However, the next genre that we will talk about is relevant at any time. What is it about? This can be guessed by sorting through the genres that we have not yet named, characterizing painting. Still life is one of them. It is about him that we will now talk, continuing to consider painting.

Still life

This word also has French origin, it means "dead nature", although the meaning would be more accurate "inanimate nature". Still life - the image of inanimate objects. They are of great variety. Note that still lifes can also depict "living nature": butterflies subsided on the petals, beautiful flowers, birds, and sometimes a person can be seen among the gifts of nature. However, it will still be a still life, since the image of the living is not the most important thing for the artist in this case.

Scenery

Landscape is another french word, which means "view of the country" in translation. It is analogous to the German concept of "landscape". Landscape is a depiction of nature in its diversity. The following varieties join this genre: the architectural landscape and the very popular seascape, which is often called the single word "marina", and the artists working in it are called marine painters. Numerous examples of painting in the genre seascape can be found in the work of I. K. Aivazovsky. One of them is "Rainbow" of 1873.

This picture is painted in oil and is difficult to perform. But it’s not difficult to create watercolor landscapes, so at school, in drawing lessons, this task was given to each of us.

Animal genre

The next genre is animalistic. Everything is simple here - this is an image of birds and animals in nature, in a natural environment.

household genre

The household genre is a depiction of scenes from life, everyday life, funny "incidents", home life and stories ordinary people V ordinary environment. And you can do without stories - just capture everyday activities and affairs. Such paintings are sometimes referred to as genre painting. As an example, consider the above work by Van Gogh (1885).

historical genre

The themes of painting are diverse, but the historical genre stands out separately. This image historical heroes and events. The battle genre adjoins it, it presents episodes of war, battle.

Religious and mythological genre

In the mythological genre, paintings are written on the themes of ancient and ancient legends about gods and heroes. It should be noted that the image is of a secular nature, and in this it differs from the images of the deities represented on the icon. By the way, religious painting is not only icons. She unites various works written on religious subjects.

Clash of genres

The richer the content of the genre, the more its "companions" appear. Genres can merge, so there is a painting that cannot be put into the framework of any of them at all. In art, there is both a general (techniques, genres, styles) and an individual (a particular work taken separately). A separate picture carries something in common. Therefore, many artists may have one genre, but the paintings painted in it are never alike. Such features have the culture of painting.

Style

Style in is an aspect of the visual perception of paintings. It can combine the work of one artist or the work of artists of a certain period, direction, school, area.

Academic painting and realism

Academic painting is a special direction, the formation of which is associated with the activities of the academies of arts in Europe. It appeared in the 16th century at the Bologna Academy, the natives of which sought to imitate the masters of the Renaissance. Since the 16th century, methods of teaching painting began to be based on strict observance of rules and norms, following formal patterns. art in Paris was considered one of the most influential in Europe. She promoted the aesthetics of classicism that dominated France in the 17th century. Parisian academy? contributing to the systematization of education, gradually turned the rules of the classical direction into a dogma. So academic painting has become a special direction. In the 19th century, one of the most prominent manifestations of academicism was the work of J. L. Gerome, Alexandre Cabannel, J. Ingres. Classical canons were replaced by realistic ones only at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. It was realism that at the beginning of the 20th century became the basic method of teaching in academies, turning into a dogmatic system.

Baroque

Baroque is a style and era of art, which is characterized by aristocracy, contrast, dynamism of images, simple details when depicting abundance, tension, drama, luxury, a fusion of reality and illusion. This style appeared in Italy in 1600 and spread throughout Europe. Caravaggio and Rubens are its most prominent representatives. Baroque is often compared with expressionism, however, unlike the latter, it does not have too repulsive effects. Paintings of this style today are characterized by the complexity of lines and an abundance of ornaments.

Cubism

Cubism is an avant-garde art movement that originated in the 20th century. Its creator is Pablo Picasso. Cubism made a real revolution in the sculpture and painting of Europe, inspiring the creation of similar trends in architecture, literature, and music. art painting in this style is characterized by recombined, broken objects that have an abstract form. When depicting them, many points of view are used.

Expressionism

Expressionism is another important trend in contemporary art that appeared in Germany in the first half of the 20th century. At first it covered only poetry and painting, and then spread to other areas of art.

Expressionists depict the world subjectively, distorting reality to create a greater emotional effect. Their goal is to make the viewer think. Expression in expressionism prevails over the image. It can be noted that many works are characterized by motifs of torment, pain, suffering, screaming (the work of Edvard Munch, presented above, is called "The Scream"). Expressionist artists are not at all interested in material reality, their paintings are filled with deep meaning and emotional experiences.

Impressionism

Impressionism - a direction of painting, aimed mainly at working in the open air (open air), and not in the studio. It owes its name to the painting "Impression, Sunrise" by Claude Monet, which is shown in the photo below.

The word "impression" English language- impression. Impressionistic paintings convey primarily the light sensation of the artist. The main features of painting in this style are as follows: barely visible, thin strokes; change in lighting, accurately conveyed (attention is often focused on the effect of the passage of time); open composition; a simple common goal; movement like key element human experience and perception. The most prominent representatives of such a trend as impressionism are Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Pierre Renoir.

Modernism

The next direction is modernism, which originated as a set of trends in various fields art in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Parisian "Salon of the Rejected" was opened in 1863. Artists whose paintings were not allowed in the official salon were exhibited here. This date can be considered the date of the emergence of modernism as a separate direction in art. Otherwise, modernism is sometimes called "another art". His goal is to create unique paintings that are not like others. Main feature works - a special vision of the world by the author.

Artists in their work rebelled against the values ​​of realism. Self-awareness is a striking characteristic of this trend. This often leads to experimentation with form as well as a penchant for abstraction. Representatives of modernism pay special attention to the materials used and the work process. One of its most prominent representatives are Henry Matisse (his work "The Red Room" of 1908 is presented above) and Pablo Picasso.

Neoclassicism

Neoclassicism is the main direction of painting in Northern Europe from the middle of the 18th century to the end of the 19th. It is characterized by a return to features ancient renaissance and even classicism. In architectural, artistic and cultural terms, neoclassicism emerged as a response to Rococo, which was perceived as a shallow and artsy style of art. Neoclassical artists, thanks to their good knowledge of church laws, tried to introduce canons into their work. However, they avoided simply reproducing classical motifs and themes. Neoclassical artists tried to place their painting within the framework of tradition and thus demonstrate mastery of the genre. Neoclassicism in this respect is directly opposed to modernism, where improvisation and self-expression are considered virtues. Its most famous representatives include Nicolas Poussin, Raphael.

Pop Art

The last direction that we will consider is pop art. He appeared in Britain in the mid-50s of the last century, and in the late 50s - in America. Pop art is believed to have originated as a reaction to the ideas of abstract expressionism that dominated at the time. Speaking about this direction, it is impossible not to mention In 2009, "Eight Elvis", one of his paintings, was sold for 100 million dollars.

There is simply a huge variety of directions and styles in fine arts. Often they do not have any pronounced boundaries and can smoothly move from one to another, while being in continuous development, opposition and mixing. Most trends in painting coexist at the same time precisely for this reason - there are practically no “pure styles”. We present you the most popular painting styles today.

Impressionism

Claude Monet “Impression. Rising Sun”

It got its name from the painting "Impression, soleil levant" by Claude Monet. Impressionism is a style of painting that tends to work outdoors. Painting in this direction is designed to convey the light sensation of the master.

TO key features impressionism include: thin, relatively small, barely visible strokes; accurately transmitted lighting change; open composition; the presence of any movement; unusual vision of objects.

Outstanding representatives of impressionism: Pierre Renoir, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet.

Expressionism

Edvard Munch "The Scream"

One of modern trends art that originated in Germany around the first half of the 20th century. At first, expressionism covered only poetry and painting.

Expressionists usually depict the world only subjectively, completely distorting reality for even greater emotional effect. Thus, they make their viewer think.

Among its representatives: Amedeo Modigliani, Edvard Munch, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, etc.

Cubism

Pablo Picasso "Dora Maar"

Cubism is an avant-garde art movement that originated in the 20th century thanks to the famous Pablo Picasso. Therefore, it is he who is the most prominent representative of this style. Note that this direction has revolutionized the sculpture and painting of Europe, inspiring also similar trends in architecture, literature and music.

Works of art in this style are characterized by recombined, broken objects in an abstract form.

Modernism

Henri Matisse "Dancer in blue dress”

Modernism demonstrates a combination of different cultural trends, as well as a number of unified art trends that originated in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Painters call modernism "other art", the purpose of which is to create unique, unlike anything else, that is, they show a special vision of the artist.

Notable Representatives: Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso.

Neoclassicism

Nicolas Poussin "Parnassus"

Neoclassicism was the main trend in Northern Europe around the 18th and 19th centuries, which is characterized by the art of the Renaissance, antiquity and even classicism.

Due to their deep knowledge of church laws, the masters of neoclassicism tried to reconstruct, as well as introduce the canons into their works.

Prominent representatives are: Nicolas Poussin, Franz Joseph Haydn, Raphael.

Pop Art

Andy Warhol "Dollar"

Romanticism

Francisco Goya "Tribunal of the Inquisition"

Romanticism as an art direction originated in the 18th century in Europe. The true source of aesthetic knowledge was considered powerful emotions. The most valued emotions were reverence, fear, horror and awe.

Among its representatives: Francisco Goya, Isaac Levitan, Ivan Shishkin, Ivan Aivazovsky, William Turner.

Realism

Ilya Repin "The Timid Man"

Surrealism is the exposure of psychological truth by separating objects from their everyday meaning in order to create a strong image in order to arouse the viewer's empathy.

Famous representatives of this style: Max Ernst, Rene Magritte and Salvador Dali.

Symbolism

Mikhail Vrubel "Defeated Demon"

Symbolism is a kind of protest in favor of spirituality, dreams and imagination, which developed in some European countries in late XIX century.

Symbolist artists made a fairly strong influence on surrealism and expressionism in painting. These two directions came directly from symbolism.

Among the representatives of the style: Mikhail Vrubel, Gustave Moreau, Hugo Simberg, Viktor Vasnetsov, etc.

Very varied and multifaceted. Single principle artistic thinking and there is that very key feature, according to which the works of the masters can be attributed to one or another trend. Historically, the main trends in painting changed each other depending on the change in the perception of art. Certain events also played a role in this issue.

Directions in painting of the 19th century

In the nineteenth century, France remained the leading country that made a significant contribution to the development European culture. First place in artistic life turned out to be painting. Directions in painting of the 19th century are classicism, romanticism, realism, academicism and decadence. Eugene Delacroix was considered the main figure of romanticism. His most famous picture"Freedom at the Barricades" was written after real events. In the middle of the nineteenth century, the main trends in painting were classicism and realism. The positions of realism in Europe were strengthened by Gustave Courbet. And in the second half of the century, the same currents moved from France to Russia. Directions in art, painting, architecture and other fields cultural life Europe of this century is quite diverse. The last third of the nineteenth century teetered on the verge of realism and decadence. As a result of this balancing act, a completely new direction arose - impressionism. But the main trend in Russian painting of this period still remained realism.

Classicism

This direction developed in France from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century. It was characterized by harmony and striving for the ideal. Classicism defined its own hierarchy, according to which high position religious historical and mythological genres were included. But the portrait, still life, as well as the landscape were considered insignificant and even everyday. It was forbidden to combine genres. Many traditions of artists owe their appearance to classicism. In particular, we are talking about the completeness of the composition and agreed forms. The works of classicism call for harmony and consonance.

Academicism

Directions in painting did not just change over time in turn. They penetrated each other, closely intertwined and followed for some time together. And it often happened that one direction arose from another. This is what happened to academia. It arose as a consequence of classical art. This is still the same classicism, but already more elaborate and systematized. The key points that fully characterize this trend were the idealization of nature, as well as high skill in technical performance. The most famous artists of this trend were K. Bryullov, A. Ivanov, P. Delaroche and others. Of course, modern academicism no longer occupies the (leading) role that was assigned to it at the time of the birth of this style.

Romanticism

It is impossible to consider the main directions of painting of the 19th century without mentioning romanticism. The era of Romanticism originated in Germany. Gradually, it penetrated into England, France, Russia and other countries. Thanks to this introduction, the world of painting and art was enriched with bright colors, new storylines and bold nudity. Artists of this trend depicted all human emotions and feelings in bright colors. They turned inside out all the inner fears, love and hate, enriching the canvases with a huge number of special effects.

Realism

Considering the main directions of painting of the second half of the 19th century, realism should be mentioned first of all. And although the emergence of this style dates back to the eighteenth century, yet its greatest flowering falls on the middle and second half of the nineteenth century. The main rule of realism of this period was the depiction of modern reality in all its diversity of manifestations. The revolution that took place in France in 1848 had a great influence on the formation of this trend in painting. But in Russia, the development of this trend in art was closely connected with the trend of democratic ideas.

Decadence

The period of decadence is characterized by depictions of hopelessness and disillusionment. This style of art is steeped in decadence vitality. It appeared at the end of the nineteenth century as a form of resistance to public morality. And although in painting decadence has not formed into a separate direction, nevertheless artistic history highlights individual creators in this area of ​​art. For example, Aubrey Beardsley or Mikhail Vrubel. But it should be noted that decadent artists, not afraid to experiment with the mind, often teetered on the edge. But this is precisely what allowed them to shock the public with their vision of the world.

Impressionism

Although impressionism is considered initial stage contemporary art, the prerequisites for this direction originated in the nineteenth century. Romanticism was the origin of Impressionism. Because it was he who put the individual personality at the center of art. In 1872, Monet painted his painting “Impression. Sunrise". It was this work that gave the name to the whole direction. All impressionism was built on perception. The artists who worked in this style were not going to cover philosophical problems humanity. The most important thing was not what to portray, but how to do it. Each picture was supposed to reveal the inner world of the artist. But the Impressionists also wanted recognition. That is why they tried to find compromise topics that would be interesting for all segments of the population. On their canvases, artists depicted holidays or parties. And if everyday situations found their place in their paintings, they were presented only from the positive side. Thus, Impressionism can be called "internal" romanticism.

The main directions of Russian painting of the 19th century (first half)

The first half of the nineteenth century is considered a particularly bright page in the culture of Russia. At the very beginning of the century, classicism remained the main trend in Russian painting. But by the thirties, its significance was lost. The whole culture of Russia breathed a new breath with the advent of romanticism. His main postulate was the assertion of the individual personality, as well as human thoughts as the main value in all art. There has been a particular interest in inner world person. The directions of Russian painting of the first half of the nineteenth century are headed by romanticism. Moreover, at first he had a heroic character, and later transformed into tragic romanticism.

Speaking about the first half of the nineteenth century in the history of Russian culture, researchers divide it into two quarters. But no matter what divisions exist, it is still almost impossible to determine the time line between the three styles in the visual arts. The directions of Russian painting of the 19th century (classicism, romanticism and realism) in its first half were so strongly intertwined that it is possible to distinguish between them only conditionally.

It can be said with certainty that in the first half of the nineteenth century, painting occupied a much greater place in the life of society than in the eighteenth century. Thanks to the victory in the war of 1812, Russian self-consciousness received a strong impetus to development, as a result of which the people's interest in their own culture increased greatly. For the first time, organizations arose in society, which considered it their first task to develop domestic art. The first magazines appeared, which talked about the painting of contemporaries, as well as the first attempts to arrange exhibitions of the works of artists.

Portrait painting achieved outstanding achievements during this period. This genre most united the artist and society. This is due to the fact that the largest number of orders in that period was exactly portrait genre. One of the outstanding portrait painters of the first half of the 19th century was Vladimir Borovikovsky. It should also be noted such famous artists as A. Orlovsky, V. Tropinin and O. Kiprensky.

It was at the beginning of the century that Russian landscape painting also developed. Among the artists who worked in this genre, Fyodor Alekseev should be singled out first of all. He was a master of the urban landscape, as well as one of the founders this genre in Russian painting. Other famous landscape painters of the mentioned period were Shchedrin and Aivazovsky.

Bryullov, Fedotov and A. Ivanov were considered the best artists of Russia in the second quarter of the nineteenth century. Each of them made a special contribution to the development of painting.

Karl Bryullov was not only quite bright, but also a very controversial painter. And although the main trend in Russian painting of the second quarter of the nineteenth century was romanticism, the artist nevertheless remained faithful to some of the canons of classicism. Perhaps that is why his work was valued so highly.

Alexander Ivanov managed to enrich with depth philosophical thought not only Russian, but also European painting nineteenth century. He had a very broad creativity and was not only an innovator historical genre And landscape painting but also an excellent portrait painter. None of the artists of his generation knew how to perceive the world around him in the same way as Ivanov, and did not possess such a variety of techniques.

An important stage in the development of realistic painting in Russia is associated with the name of Pavel Fedotov. This artist was the first to be able to give the everyday genre a critical expression, since he had the talent of a satirist. The characters in his paintings were usually townspeople: merchants, officers, the poor and others.

Second half of the 19th century

At the end of the fifties of the nineteenth century, a completely new chapter began in the history of realistic painting in Russia. The global impact on these events was the defeat tsarist Russia in the Crimean War. It was the cause of the democratic upsurge and the peasant reform. In 1863, fourteen artists rebelled against the demands to paint on given topics and, wanting to create solely at their own discretion, created an art artel headed by Kramskoy. If realism in Russia in the first half of the nineteenth century strove to reveal the exceptionally beautiful in a person and was called poetic, then the one that replaced it in the second half of the century was called critical. But the poetic beginning did not leave this current. Now it manifested itself in the indignant feelings of the creator, invested by him in his work. The main trend in Russian painting in the second half of the nineteenth century was realism, marching along the path of criticism and denunciation. In fact, it was a struggle for recognition household genre, which would reflect the natural state of affairs in Russia.

In the seventies, the direction of painting changed somewhat. The artists of the sixties in their works reflected the belief in the onset of the common good after the disappearance of serfdom. And the seventies who replaced them were disappointed with the misfortunes of the peasants that followed the reform, and their brushes were already directed against the coming new future. One of the prominent representatives of this genre painting was Myasoedov, and his best picture, reflecting the whole reality of that time, was called "Zemstvo is having lunch."

The eighties shifted the attention of art from a person who was worried about the people to the people themselves. This is the heyday of I. Repin's creativity. The whole strength of this artist lay in the objectivity of his works. All images of his paintings were vitally convincing. Whole line his canvases was devoted to revolutionary themes. With his art, Repin tried to answer all the questions that concern him and the rest of the people that arise in Everyday life of that era. At the same time, other artists have been looking for the same answers in the past. This was the peculiarity and strength of the art of the great painter. Another famous artist this period was Vasnetsov. His work was based on folk art. Through his canvases, Vasnetsov tried to convey the idea of ​​the great power of the Russian people and its heroic greatness. The basis of his work was legends and traditions. In his creations, the artist not only used elements of stylization, but also managed to achieve the integrity of the image. As a background on his canvases, Vasnetsov, as a rule, depicted the landscape of central Russia.

In the nineties concept creative life changes again. Now the bridges built between art and society are called for to be mercilessly destroyed. An association of artists is formed under the name "World of Art", which promotes the purity of works of art, that is, their separation from everyday life. A feature of the creative nature of the artists who were part of this association was the limited scale of intimacy. Actively developing museum activities, whose main task is to stir up interest in cultural monuments. Thus, by the beginning of the twentieth century, all more artists strive to convey on their canvases the historical past of Russia. The figures of the association "World of Art" played a special role in the development of art book illustration, as well as theatrical and decorative art. One of best artists this direction was considered Somov. He never depicted in his works modern life. In extreme cases, he could convey it through a historical masquerade. Following the World of Art, other associations began to form. They were created by artists who had a different point of view regarding painting.

The masters who criticized the work of the creators from the above union created (in opposition to it) the union “ Blue Rose". They demanded the return of bright colors to painting and said that art should only one-sidedly convey the inner feelings of the artist. The most talented among these figures was Sapunov.

In defiance of the Blue Rose, another union soon appeared, which was called the Jack of Diamonds. It had a frankly anti-poetic meaning. But his supporters did not want to return to real things at all. They subjected them to all kinds of distortion and decay (in their own way). Thus, thanks to all these warring alliances, Russian modernism arises.

Modern trends

Time flows, and everything that was considered modern earlier becomes the property of history, and art is no exception. Today, the term "contemporary art" applies to everything that was created creative people beginning in the year one thousand nine hundred and seventy. New trends in painting developed in two stages. The first is modernism, the second is postmodernism. The seventieth year of the twentieth century is considered a turning point in all art. Since this year, artistic movements are practically unclassifiable. The only thing that can be said with absolute certainty is that the social orientation of art over the past thirty years has been expressed much more intensely than in all past eras. At the same time, painting in contemporary art has ceased to occupy a leading place. More and more artists are now turning to photography, as well as computer technology to realize their ideas and ideas.

Despite the versatile trends in painting, we can say that the main task of the artistic life of the nineteenth century was to bring all genres of art as close as possible to everyday life. And it was successfully implemented through the appeal of the masters of the brush - and not only - to contemporary issues humanity and the inner world of the artist himself. All directions in painting of this time allow you to feel the spirit of the era and get an idea of ​​​​what people lived and felt at that time.