Famous portrait painters and their works. Famous Russian artists

Nikolai Nikolaevich Ge (1831-1894)

Russian artist. Born in Voronezh on February 15 (27), 1831 in the family of a landowner. He studied at the mathematical departments of Kyiv and St. Petersburg universities (1847-1850), then entered the Academy of Arts, from which he graduated in 1857. He was greatly influenced by K.P. Bryullov and A.A. Ivanova. He lived in Rome and Florence (1857-1869), in St. Petersburg, and from 1876 - on the Ivanovsky farm in the Chernigov province. He was one of the founders of the Association of the Wanderers (1870). He did a lot of portrait painting. He began working on portraits while still studying at the Academy of Arts. Behind long years creativity he wrote many of his contemporaries. Basically, these were advanced cultural figures. M.E. Saltykov - Shchedrin, M.M. Antokolsky, L.N. Tolstoy and others. Ge owns one of the best portraits of A.I. Herzen (1867, State Tretyakov Gallery) - the image of a Russian revolutionary, a fiery fighter against autocracy and serfdom. But by transmission resemblance the artist's intent is by no means limited. Herzen's face, as if snatched from the twilight, reflected his thoughts, the unbending determination of a fighter for social justice. Ge captured in this portrait the spiritual historical personality, embodied the experience of her whole life, full of struggle and anxiety.

His works differ from the works of Kramskoy in their emotionality and drama. Portrait of the historian N.I. Kostomarov (1870, State Tretyakov Gallery) is written in an unusually beautiful, temperamental, fresh, and free manner. The self-portrait was painted shortly before his death (1892-1893, KMRI), the master's face is lit up with creative inspiration. Portrait of N.I. Petrunkevich (1893) was painted by the artist at the end of his life. The girl is depicted in almost full height at the open window. She is immersed in reading. Her face in profile, tilt of the head, posture express a state of thought. As never before, Ge paid great attention to the background. Color harmony indicates unspent forces artist.

From the 1880s, Ge became a close friend and follower of L.N. Tolstoy. In an effort to emphasize the human content of the gospel sermon, Ge moves to an increasingly free manner of writing, sharpening color and light contrasts to the limit. The master painted wonderful portraits full of inner spirituality, including a portrait of L.N. Tolstoy for desk(1884). In the image of N.I. Petrunkevich against the backdrop of a window open to the garden (1893; both portraits in Tretyakov Gallery). Ge died on the Ivanovsky farm (Chernigov province) on June 1 (13), 1894.

Vasily Grigorievich Perov (1834-1882)

Born in Tobolsk on December 21 or 23, 1833 (January 2 or 4, 1834). He was the illegitimate son of the local prosecutor, Baron G.K. Kridener, the surname "Perov" was given to the future artist in the form of a nickname by his literacy teacher, a provincial deacon. He studied at the Arzamas School of Painting (1846-1849) and the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (1853-1861), where one of his mentors was S.K. Zaryanko. Experienced a special influence of P.A. Fedotov, masters of magazine satirical graphics, and from foreign masters - W. Hogarth and genre painters of the Düsseldorf school. Lived in Moscow. He was one of the founding members of the Association of the Wanderers (1870).

The best portrait works of the master belong to the turn of the 60-70s: F.M. Dostoevsky (1872, Tretyakov Gallery) A.N. Ostrovsky (1871, Tretyakov Gallery), I.S. Turgenev (1872, Russian Museum). Dostoevsky is especially expressive, completely lost in painful thoughts, nervously clasping his hands on his knee, an image of the highest intellect and spirituality. Sincere genre romance turns into symbolism, imbued with a mournful sense of frailty. Portraits by the master (V.I. Dal, A.N. Maikov, M.P. Pogodin, all portraits - 1872), reaching a spiritual intensity unprecedented for Russian painting. No wonder the portrait of F.M. Dostoevsky (1872) is rightfully considered the best in the iconography of the great writer.

IN recent decades life, the artist discovers an outstanding talent as an essay writer (stories Aunt Marya, 1875; Under the Cross, 1881; and others; last edition - Stories of the Artist, M., 1960). In 1871-1882 Perov taught at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, where N.A. Kasatkin, S.A. Korovin, M.V. Nesterov, A.P. Ryabushkin. Perov died in the village of Kuzminki (in those years - near Moscow) on May 29 (June 10), 1882.

Nikolai Alexandrovich Yaroshenko (1846-1898)

Born in Poltava on December 1 (13), 1846 in a military family. He graduated from the Mikhailovsky Artillery Academy in St. Petersburg (1870), served in the Arsenal, and in 1892 retired with the rank of major general. He studied painting at the Drawing School of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts under I.N. Kramskoy and at the Academy of Arts (1867-1874). Traveled a lot - around the countries Western Europe, Near and Middle East, Ural, Volga, Caucasus and Crimea. He was a member (since 1876) and one of the leaders of the Association of Wanderers. He lived mainly in St. Petersburg and Kislovodsk.

His works can be called a portrait - such as "Stoker" and "Prisoner" (1878, State Tretyakov Gallery). "Stoker" - the first image of a worker in Russian painting. "Prisoner" - an actual image in the years of the stormy populist revolutionary movement. "Student student" (1880, Russian Museum) a young girl with books walks along the wet St. Petersburg pavement. In this image, the whole era of the struggle of women for the independence of spiritual life found expression.

Yaroshenko was a military engineer, highly educated with a strong character. The Wanderer artist served revolutionary democratic ideals with his art. Master of the social genre and portrait in the spirit of the Wanderers. He won a name for himself with sharply expressive pictorial compositions that appeal to sympathy for the world of the socially outcast. A special kind of disturbing, "conscientious" expression gives life to the best portraits of Yaroshenko's work (P.A. Strepetova, 1884, ibid; G.I. Uspensky, 1884, Art Gallery, Ekaterinburg; N.N. Ge, 1890, Russian Museum, St. Petersburg). Yaroshenko died in Kislovodsk on June 25 (July 7), 1898.

Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy (1837-1887)

Born in the Voronezh province in the family of a petty official. From childhood he was fond of art and literature. After graduating from the district school in 1850, he served as a scribe, then as a retoucher for a photographer.

In 1857 he ended up in St. Petersburg working in a photo studio. In the autumn of the same year he entered the Academy of Arts.

The predominant area of ​​artistic achievement remained for Kramskoy portrait. Kramskoy in the portrait genre is occupied by a sublime, highly spiritual personality. He created a whole gallery of images of the largest figures of Russian culture - portraits of Saltykov - Shchedrin (1879, State Tretyakov Gallery), N.A. Nekrasov (1877, State Tretyakov Gallery), L.N. Tolstoy (1873, State Tretyakov Gallery), P.M. Tretyakov (1876, State Tretyakov Gallery), I.I. Shishkin (1880, Russian Museum), D.V. Grigorovich (1876, State Tretyakov Gallery). portrait painting artistic

Kramskoy's artistic manner is characterized by a certain protocol dryness, monotony of compositional forms, schemes, since the portrait shows the features of work as a retoucher in his youth. The portrait of A.G. Litovchenko (1878, State Tretyakov Gallery) with picturesque richness and beauty of brown, olive tones. Collective works of peasants were also created: "Woodsman" (1874, State Tretyakov Gallery), "Mina Moiseev" (1882, Russian Museum), "Peasant with a bridle" (1883, KMRI). Repeatedly Kramskoy turned to this form of painting, in which two genres came into contact - portrait and everyday life. For example, the works of the 80s: "Unknown" (1883, State Tretyakov Gallery), "Inconsolable grief" (1884, State Tretyakov Gallery). One of the peaks of Kramskoy's work is the portrait of Nekrasov, Self-portrait (1867, State Tretyakov Gallery) and the portrait of the agronomist Vyunnikov (1868, Museum of the BSSR).

In 1863-1868 Kramskoy taught at the Drawing School of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists. In 1870, Kramskoy became one of the founders of the TPHV. When writing a portrait, Kramskoy often resorted to graphic techniques (the use of must, whitewash and pencil). This is how the portraits of artists A.I. Morozov (1868), G.G. Myasoedov (1861) - State Russian Museum. Kramskoy is an artist of great creative temperament, a deep and original thinker. He always fought for advanced realistic art, for its ideological and democratic content. He fruitfully worked as a teacher (at the Drawing School of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, 1863-1868). Kramskoy died in St. Petersburg on March 24 (April 5), 1887.

Ilya Efimovich Repin (1844-1930)

Born in Chuguev in the Kharkov province in the family of a military settler. He received his initial artistic training at the school of typographers and from local artists I.M. Bunakov and L.I. Persanova. In 1863 he came to St. Petersburg, studied at the Drawing School of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists under R.K. Zhukovsky and I.N. Kramskoy, then was admitted to the Academy of Arts in 1864.

Repin is one of the best portrait painters of the era. A whole gallery of images of his contemporaries was created by him. With what skill and power they are captured on his canvases. In Repin's portraits, everything is thought out to the last fold, every feature is expressive. Repin possessed the greatest ability of the artist's instinct to penetrate the very essence of psychological characteristics, continuing the traditions of Perov, Kramskoy, and Ge, he left images famous writers, composers, actors who glorified Russian culture. In every separate case he found different compositional and coloristic solutions, with which he could most expressively reveal the image of the person depicted in the portrait. How sharply the surgeon Pirogov squints. The mournfully beautiful eyes of the actress Strepetova (1882, State Tretyakov Gallery) are darting about, and the sharp, intelligent face of the artist Myasoedov, the thoughtful Tretyakov are painted. With merciless truth, he wrote "Protodeacon" (church minister 1877, Russian Museum). Patient M.P. was written with warmth. Mussorgsky (1881, Tretyakov Gallery), a few days before the death of the composer. The portraits of the young Gorky, the wise Stasov (1883, Russian Museum) and others are penetratingly executed. "Autumn Bouquet" (1892, Tretyakov Gallery) is a portrait of Vera's daughter, how sunny the face of the artist's daughter shines in the warm shade of a straw hat. WITH big love Repin conveyed an attractive face with his youth, cheerfulness, and health. The expanses of fields, still blooming, but touched by the yellowness of the grass, green trees, and the transparency of the air bring an invigorating mood to the work.

The portrait was not only the leading genre, but also the basis of Repin's work in general. When working on large canvases, he systematically turned to portrait studies to clarify the appearance and characteristics of the characters. Such is the Hunchback portrait associated with the painting "The Religious Procession in Kursk province"(1880-1883, State Tretyakov Gallery). From the hunchback, Repin persistently emphasized the prosaic, squalor of the hunchback's clothes and his whole appearance, the ordinariness of the figure more than its tragedy and loneliness.

The significance of Repin in the history of Russian Art is enormous. In his portraits, in particular, his closeness to the great masters of the past affected. In portraits, Repin achieved highest point its picturesque power.

Repin's portraits are surprisingly lyrically attractive. He creates sharply characteristic folk characters, numerous perfect images of cultural figures, graceful secular portraits (Baroness V.I. Ikskul von Hildebrandt, 1889). The images of the artist's relatives are especially colorful: whole line paintings with his wife Repin N.I. Nordman-Severovoy. His purely graphic portraits, executed with graphite pencil or charcoal, are also virtuosic (E. Duse, 1891; Princess M.K. Tenisheva, 1898; V.A. Serov, 1901). Repin also proved to be an outstanding teacher: he was a professor-head of the workshop (1894-1907) and rector (1898-1899) of the Academy of Arts, at the same time he taught at the school-workshop of Tenisheva.

After October revolution 1917 the artist is separated from Russia, when Finland gains independence, he never moved to his homeland, although he maintained contact with friends living there (in particular, with K.I. Chukovsky). Repin died on September 29, 1930. In 1937, Chukovsky published a collection of his memoirs and articles about art (Far Close), which was later reprinted several times.

Valentin Alexandrovich Serov (1865-1911)

Born in St. Petersburg in the family of the composer A.N. Serov. Since childhood, V.A. Serov was surrounded by art. Repin was the teacher. Serov worked near Repin with early childhood and very soon discovered talent and independence. Repin sends him to the Academy of Arts to P.P. Chistyakov. The young artist won respect, and his talent aroused admiration. Serov wrote "The Girl with Peaches". First major work Serov. Despite the small size, the picture seems very simple. It is written in pink and gold tones. He received an award from the Moscow Society of Art Lovers for this painting. On next year Serov painted a portrait of his sister Maria Simonovich and later called it "The Girl Illuminated by the Sun" (1888). The girl is sitting in the shade, and the glade in the background is illuminated by the rays of the morning sun.

Serov became a fashionable portrait painter. Famous writers, aristocrats, artists, artists, entrepreneurs and even kings posed in front of him. In adulthood, Serov continued to write relatives, friends: Mamontov, Levitan, Ostroukhov, Chaliapin, Stanislavsky, Moskvin, Lensky. Serov carried out the orders of the crowned - Alexander III and Nicholas II. The emperor is depicted in a simple jacket of the Preobrazhensky regiment; this painting (destroyed in 1917, but preserved in the author's replica of the same year; Tretyakov Gallery) is often considered best portrait the last Romanov. The master painted both titled officials and merchants. Serov worked on each portrait to the point of exhaustion, with complete dedication, as if the work started were his latest work. The impression of spontaneous, light artistry was intensified in Serov's images also because he worked freely in a wide variety of techniques (watercolor, gouache, pastel), minimizing or even eliminating the difference between sketch and painting. The black-and-white drawing was also an equal form of creativity (the latter's inherent value was fixed in his work from 1895, when Serov performed a cycle of animal sketches, working on illustrating the fables of I.A. Krylov).

At the turn of the 19th-20th centuries. Serov becomes perhaps the first portrait painter in Russia, if someone in this regard is inferior, then only one Repin.

It seems that best of all he succeeds in intimate lyrical images, female and childish (N.Ya. Derviz with a child, 1888-1889; Mika Morozov, 1901; both portraits are from the Tretyakov Gallery) or images of creative people (A. Mazini, 1890; K. A. Korovin, 1891; F. Tamagno, 1891; N. A. Leskov, 1894; all in the same place), where a colorful impression, a free brushstroke reflect state of mind models. But even more official, secular portraits organically combine subtle artistry with the no less subtle gift of an artist-psychologist. Among the masterpieces of the "secular" Serov - Count F.F. Sumarokov-Elston (later - Prince Yusupov), 1903, Russian Museum; G.L. Hirshman, 1907; IN. Hirshman, 1911; I.A. Morozov, 1910; Princess O.K. Orlova, 1911; everything is there).

In the portraits of the master in these years, Art Nouveau completely dominates with its cult of a strong and flexible line, monumental catchy gesture and pose (M. Gorky, 1904, A.M. Gorky Museum, Moscow; M.N. Ermolova, 1905; F.I. Chaliapin, charcoal, chalk, 1905, both portraits - in the Tretyakov Gallery, Ida Rubinstein, tempera, charcoal, 1910, Russian Museum). Serov left a grateful memory of himself as a teacher (in 1897-1909 he taught at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, where among his students were K.F. Yuon, N.N. Sapunov, P.V. Kuznetsov, M. S. Saryan, K.S. Petrov-Vodkin). Serov died in Moscow on November 22 (December 5), 1911.

Portrait - the art of reproducing the image of a person or group of persons with absolute accuracy. As a rule, this is an artistic drawing that obeys a certain style. The artist who painted the portrait may belong to one or another school of painting. And his works are recognizable thanks to the individuality and style that the painter follows.

Past and present

Portrait painters depict real-life people by drawing from nature, or reproduce images from the past from memory. In any case, the portrait is based on something and carries information about specific person. Often, such a picture reflects some era, whether it be modernity or the past. In this case, instead of the usual background, portrait painters depict several accompanying conventional signs, such as the architecture of that time, indicated in the background, or other characteristic objects.

Rembrandt

Fine art is diverse, and its individual genres can exist independently of each other, or they can be synthesized. So in the portrait, different subjects are combined into one whole, but at the same time the person's face always dominates. The great portrait painters of the past mastered the art of artistic representation to perfection. Such masters include the Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669), who painted many portraits. And each of them is recognized. True art is immortal, because the canvases of Rembrandt van Rijn are more than five hundred years old.

Engraving is a fine art

The great portrait painters of the past are National treasure those countries in which they were born, lived and created their paintings. He left a significant mark in the history of painting german artist Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), who worked in the genre of engraving. His paintings are exhibited in the most prestigious museums in the world. Paintings painted by the artist at different times, such as "Portrait of a Young Venetian", "Portrait of Emperor Maximilian", "Portrait of a Young Man" and others, are unsurpassed masterpieces. Great portrait painters are different from all other painters. high level self-expression. Their paintings are an example to follow.

Women's theme

Giovanni Boldini (1842-1931), italian artist, occupies one of the first places in the list of "Great portrait painters of the world". He is recognized as an unsurpassed master of the female portrait. His canvases can be viewed for hours, the images are so accurate and picturesque. Juicy colors, mostly cold shades, contrasting strokes, the play of halftones - everything is collected in his paintings. The artist manages to convey the character of the lady depicted on the canvas, and even her mood.

Famous Russian portrait painters

There have been great artists in Rus' at all times. Portrait art originated in the 14th century AD, when talented painters such as Andrei Rublev appeared and Their work did not fully correspond with the portrait genre, since these artists painted icons, however general principles image creations matched.

During the same period he created famous artist Dionysius (1440-1502), henchman of Ivan III, Tsar of Moscow. The monarch instructed the artist to paint the cathedral or church, and then watched how he creates his masterpieces. The king liked to participate in such a charitable work.

One of the first masters of Russian portrait art was Ivan Nikitin (1680-1742), who was trained in Europe. He enjoyed the favor of Emperor Peter the Great. The most famous works of Nikitin are portraits of August II, the King of Poland and the Duke of Mecklenburg.

Zubov Alexey (1682-1750), an outstanding master of portrait art. He was a favorite. Together with his father, the famous icon painter Fyodor Zubov, he participated in the design of the Armory of the Moscow Kremlin.

The great portrait painters of the 18th century in Russia, as a rule, painted to order.

Vasily Tropinin (1776-1857), famous Russian painter, really became famous in 1827. He created the waist Alexander Sergeevich, the brightest representative of Russian poetry. The order was made by the poet himself. And the picture was intended for a friend of Alexander Sergeevich, Sobolevsky. The portrait became the most famous creation of all, which ever depicted Pushkin. The painting "Alexander Pushkin" by Tropinin has forever become a classic of the genre.

Orest Kiprensky (1782-1836) began writing at the age of 22. The first portrait was created by Kiprensky in the style of Rembrandt, A. K. Walbe was depicted on the canvas. The most famous work of the artist is "Portrait of E.V. Davydov", written in 1809. Several paintings by Orest Kiprensky are in the Tretyakov Gallery.

Alexei Venetsianov (1780-1847) is a Russian artist who is considered the founder of the narrative style in portraiture. He was a student of the venerable painter Vladimir Borovikovsky. Young became widely known thanks to the painting "Portrait of a Mother", created in 1801.

Borovikovsky Vladimir (1757-1825), a native of Mirgorod, became famous and famous after meeting with Catherine II, traveling as part of her 1787 tour. The painter created a series of artistic paintings in the palace, which was on the path of the empress. Catherine was delighted with the work of Borovikovsky and awarded him a large sum of money.

The list of "Great portrait painters of Russia of the 19th century" is headed by Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy (1837-1887), an outstanding painter, master of wall paintings religious nature. Kramskoy's portrait art allowed him to create a number of images famous people, including P. M. Tretyakov, S. P. Botkin, I. I. Shishkin, M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, L. N. Tolstoy and others.

The most famous portrait painters of modern Russia

Igor Belkovsky (born 1962), Corresponding Member of the Russian Art Academy, member of the Union of Artists of Russia, laureate of the "For a Bright Future" award established by the Governor Chelyabinsk region.

(born 1943), People's Artist USSR, member of the Presidential Council for Culture and Art. Author of numerous portraits of his contemporaries.

Among the multitude of Russians and foreign artists who worked in Russia, outstanding portrait masters in the 18th century can be safely called

A.P. Antropova, I.P. Argunova, F.S. Rokotova, D.G. Levitsky, V.L. Borovikovsky.

On his canvases A.P. Antropov and I.P. Argunov sought to portray a new ideal of a person - open and energetic. Cheerfulness, festivity was emphasized by bright colors. The dignity of the depicted, their corpulence was conveyed with the help of beautiful clothes and solemn static poses.

A.P.Antropov and his paintings

Self-portrait of A.P. Antropov

In the work of A.P. Antropov, there is still a noticeable connection with icon painting. The master paints the face with continuous strokes, and clothes, accessories, background - freely and widely. The artist does not "fawn" before noble heroes their paintings. He paints them as they really are, no matter what features, positive or negative, they do not possess (portraits of M.A. Rumyantseva, A.K. Vorontsova, Peter III).

Among the most famous works of the painter Antropov are portraits:

  • Izmailov;
  • A.I. and P.A. Kolichyov;
  • Elizabeth Petrovna;
  • Peter I;
  • Catherine II in profile;
  • ataman F. Krasnoshchekov;
  • portrait book. Trubetskoy

I.P. Argunov - portrait painter of the 18th century

I.P. Argunov "Self-portrait"

Developing the concept of the national portrait, I.P. Argunov quickly and easily learned the language European painting and abandoned the old Russian traditions. Stand out in his heritage are the ceremonial retrospective portraits that he painted from lifetime images of the ancestors of P.B. Sheremetev. In his work, the painting of the next century is foreseen. He becomes the creator of a chamber portrait, in which great attention is paid to the high spirituality of the image. This was the intimate portrait, which became more common in the 19th century.

I.P. Argunov "Portrait of an unknown woman in a peasant costume"

The most significant images in his work were:

  • Ekaterina Alekseevna;
  • P.B. Sheremetev in childhood;
  • the Sheremetevs;
  • Catherine II;
  • Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Lobanova-Rostovskaya;
  • unknown in a peasant costume.

F.S. Rokotov - artist and paintings

A new phase in the development of this art is associated with the name of the Russian portrait painter - F.S. Rokotova. The play of feelings, the variability of human character, he conveys in his dynamic images. The world seemed to the painter spiritualized, and so are his characters: multifaceted, full of lyricism and humanity.

F. Rokotov "Portrait of an unknown man in a cocked hat"

F.S. Rokotov worked in the genre of a half-dress portrait, when a person was depicted waist-deep against the backdrop of architectural buildings or a landscape. Among his first works are portraits of Peter III and Grigory Orlov, the seven-year-old Prince Pavel Petrovich and Princess E.B. Yusupova. They are elegant, decorative, colorful. The images are painted in the Rococo style with its sensuality and emotionality. Thanks to the works of Rokotov, one can learn the history of his time. The entire advanced noble elite strove to be captured on the canvases of the great painter's brush.

Chamber portraits of Rokotov are characterized by: bust image, turn to the viewer by ¾, creation of volume by complex light and shade molding, harmonious combination of tones. With the help of data means of expression the artist creates a certain type of canvas, which depicted the honor, dignity, spiritual grace of a person (portrait of the "Unknown Man in a cocked hat").

F.S. Rokotov "Portrait of A.P. Struyskaya"

Especially remarkable were the artist's youthful and female images, and even a certain Rokotovsky type of woman developed (portraits of A.P. Struyskaya, E.N. Zinovieva and many others).

In addition to those already mentioned, the works of F.S. Rokotov brought fame:

  • IN AND. Maykov;
  • Unknown in pink;
  • V.E. Novosiltseva;
  • P.N. Lanskoy;
  • Surovtseva;
  • A.I. and I.I. Vorontsov;
  • Catherine II.

D.G.Levitsky

D.G.Levitsky Self-portrait

It was said that the portraits of D. G. Levitsky reflected the whole century of Catherine. Whoever Levitsky portrayed, he acted as a subtle psychologist and certainly conveyed sincerity, openness, sadness, as well as national characteristics of people.

His most outstanding works: a portrait of A.F. Kokorinov, a series of portraits "Smolyanka", portraits of Dyakova and Markerovsky, a portrait of Agashi. Many of Levitsky's works are considered intermediate between ceremonial and chamber portraits.

D.G. Levitsky "Portrait of A.F. Kokorinov"

Levitsky combined in his work the accuracy and truthfulness of the images of Antropov and the lyrics of Rokotov, as a result of which he became one of the most prominent masters of the 18th century. . His most famous works are:

  • E. I. Nelidova
  • M. A. Lvova
  • N. I. Novikova
  • A. V. Khrapovitsky
  • the Mitrofanovs
  • Bakunina

V.L.Borovikovsky - master of sentimental portrait

Portrait of V.L. Borovikovsky, art. Bugaevsky-blagodatny

The personality of the domestic master of this genre V.B. Borovikovsky is associated with the creation sentimental portrait. His miniatures and oil portraits depicted people with their experiences, emotions, conveyed the uniqueness of their inner world (portrait of M.I. Lopukhina). Women's images had a certain composition: a woman was depicted against a natural background, waist-deep, she leaned on something, holding flowers or fruits in her hands.

V.L.Borovikovsky "Portrait of Paul I in the costume of the Order of Malta"

Over time, the images of the artist become typical for the entire era (portrait of General F. A. Borovsky), and therefore the artist is also called the historiographer of his time. Peruvian artist owns portraits:

  • V.A. Zhukovsky;
  • "Lizanka and Dashenka";
  • G.R. Derzhavin;
  • Paul I;
  • A.B. Kurakina;
  • "Beardless with daughters."

For the development of Russian painting, the 18th century was a turning point. The portrait becomes the leading genre . Artists adopt painting techniques and basic techniques from their European colleagues. But the focus is on a person with his own experiences and feelings.

Russian portrait painters tried not only to convey the similarity, but also to reflect on their canvases the soulfulness and inner world of their models. If Antropov and Argunov strove, having overcome conventions, to truthfully depict a person, then Rokotov, Levitsky and Borovikovsky went further. Spiritual personalities look from their canvases, the mood of which was captured and conveyed by the artists. All of them strove for the ideal, they sang beauty in their works, but bodily beauty was only a reflection of the humanity and spirituality inherent in the Russian people.

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Valentin Serov is a famous Russian portrait painter and one of the greatest masters of European painting of the 19th century. Although, besides the portrait, everything seemed to be subject to him. Quiet and modest by nature, Serov had unquestioned authority among the masters of his time. Valentin Serov ()






I.Kramskoy was born into a poor bourgeois family. He studied at the Academy of Arts (). Lived and worked in St. Petersburg. Repin became his most famous student. Ivan Kramskoy ()








Karl Bryullov OV () Karl Bryullov was born in St. Petersburg, in the family of academician, wood carver and engraver Pavel Ivanovich Bryullo. From 1809 to 1821 he studied painting at the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. Brilliant student, got gold medal in the class of historical painting. St. Petersburg






Ilya Repin () The future artist was born on August 5, 1844 in the small town of Chuguev in Ukraine, in the family of a military settler. Having early discovered a penchant for drawing and having obtained, with the help of local painters, the first, but rather confident skills in using a brush and pencil, a nineteen-year-old youth goes to St. Petersburg with the hope of entering the Academy of Arts.




The work of Vasily Andreevich Tropinin covers the entire first half of XIX century and reflects during this time more than one change in social ideals, artistic directions And style features. It is an unusually grateful material for the art historian. V. Tropinin () Information resources 1. Portraits of portrait painters V. Serov, V. Tropinin, I. Repin, I. Kramskoy, K. Bryullov - ru.wikipedia.org/wiki... portrait painters. 2. Works of artists (portraits) - ru.wikipedia.org/wiki…portrait artists. 3. Visual arts. Grade 2 Lesson plans according to the textbook Kuzin V.S., Kubyshkina E.I. "Fine arts in elementary school. Grades 1-2" Volgograd: Teacher-AST, ru.wikipedia.orgSerov 6. (6. I. Kramskoy "Christ in the Desert") 7. (V.A. Tropinin) 9. frames) Serov

Russian portrait painters appeared in the early 14th century AD. The masters of the brush of that time had limited means, so they often resorted to stylized drawings. It could not be called surrealism, but the paintings certainly suffered from insufficient detail. Later, Russian portrait painters and their work were reoriented to the decoration of churches. Masters of sacral painting painted the walls and ceilings of churches and cathedrals.

Early portrait art

Russian portrait painters and their paintings had their own features, they were recognizable - each painter could be traced own style in work, moreover, he was revered by both priests and parishioners.

Most bright representative of that time - Andrei Rublev (1370-1428), who left behind imperishable works: "Almighty Savior", "Archangel Michael", "Trinity", and other masterpieces of icon painting.

Rublev's contemporary was the famous icon painter Theophanes the Greek (1340-1410). For a long time they worked together. In the 90s of the 14th century, artists painted the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. Other Russian portrait painters also took part in the work. The amount of work was quite large. The main icons of the deesis row were painted, while the "prophetic" and part of the upper "forefather" row belong to the brush of Andey Rublev. There is no reliable data confirming that he painted the hallmarks of the large icons of the lower row, however, the hand of a talented icon painter is recognizable in these works as well.

Early Masters of Portraiture

At the beginning of the 14th century, the technique of oil painting improved somewhat due to the appearance of finely ground paints.

Russian portrait painters of later times:

  • Dionysius (1440-1502), favorite of Tsar Ivan III. The monarch used to entrust the artist with the painting of some temple, and then periodically visited the icon painter and watched the work.
  • Zubov Alexey (1682-1750) - the largest master of Russian engraving art of the era of Peter the Great. He worked together with his father, the outstanding icon painter Fyodor Zubov. Together they painted the Armory of the Moscow Kremlin.
  • Nikitin Ivan (1680-1742) - Russian artist, one of the first Russian masters portrait painting educated in Europe. He was in a special location with Peter the Great. The most famous works of the artist are the Polish King August II and the Duke of Mecklenburg.

Russian portrait painters of the 18th century

Masters of the brush of past centuries, as a rule, were engaged in church painting. However, the 18th century was the time of the birth of portrait art in its purest form, when the painter reflects on the canvas the image of a particular person. Russian portrait painters of that time adhered to the classical school visual arts, assuming the exact reproduction of the smallest details. In portraiture, this technique was the best suited to the tasks assigned to the performer - to achieve such an image that it bore all the signs artistic style and was the most reliable. The work seemed to be quite painstaking and responsible. Nevertheless, well-known Russian portrait painters coped with it superbly. There were more than enough orders, all the nobility of the court, as well as members of the merchant guilds, vied with each other to order portraits for themselves and their loved ones.

Wealthy people preferred to invite painters to their homes, because in this case the whole family could watch the process, and this was considered good form. The Russian portrait painter usually did not live well, so he tried to take as many orders as possible. If at the end of the work the image of the head of the family was liked by all household members, then the painter received the next order in the same house. Thus, the Russian portrait painter was in demand in high society and did not remain without work. The most successful masters were invited to the royal chambers to carry out especially important assignments.

Rise of portraiture

When the Renaissance began in the art of painting, many talented masters appeared in Rus'.

Russian portrait painters of the 18th century:

  • Antropov Alexei (1716-1795) - famous Russian portrait painter, participated in decorative design Winter Palace in 1744 and Tsarskoye Selo in 1749. Under his leadership, artists painted St. Andrew's Church in Kyiv. Since 1761, Antropov was introduced to the Orthodox Synod as the chief overseer of icon-painting works. The artist entered the history of Russian art as a talented portrait painter of the Petrine period.
  • Borovikovsky Vladimir (1757-1825) was born in Mirgorod. He became famous after meeting with Catherine II, who was traveling to the Crimea in 1787. The artist painted one of the palaces on the way of the empress and was noticed by her. Catherine expressed her admiration and rewarded Borovikovsky with money, for which he subsequently went to St. Petersburg.
  • Venetsianov Alexei (1780-1847) - Russian artist, founder of the plot household genre in portraiture. Fame brought him the work "Portrait of a mother", written in 1801. Learned the art of drawing from
  • Kiprensky Orest (1782-1836) - outstanding artist, debuted in 1804 with a portrait of A. K. Walbe, which was painted in the manner of Rembrandt. The famous work "E. V. Davydov", created in 1809, strengthened the reputation of the artist. Many of Kiprensky's canvases are kept in the Tretyakov Gallery.
  • Tropinin Vasily (1776-1857) - Russian artist who became famous after he painted a portrait of A.S. Pushkin by order of the poet himself. The painting was intended for S. A. Sobolevsky, a friend of Alexander Sergeevich. The portrait has become a classic image of the great poet for all time.

Portrait art in the 19th century

Russian portrait painters of the 19th century are a whole galaxy of talented painters who turned to the genre of image human face. The most famous of them:

  • Neff Timofey (1805-1876) - a follower of the academic style in art, a historical portrait painter. He studied painting at the Dresden Art School. In 1826 he moved to St. Petersburg, where he immediately became famous by painting a series of portraits of famous people. In 1837, he went on a long journey around Russia to get acquainted with the folklore hinterland and the life of the common people. After returning, he painted the church of the Winter Palace, among these works was the famous " Last Supper". He received a professorship for painting St. Isaac's Cathedral, at the same time he became the curator of the Hermitage painting gallery.
  • Zakharov Peter (1816-1846) - Russian portrait painter with a difficult fate. A three-year-old boy was found in the abandoned Chechen village of Dadi-Yurt. Russian General Yermolov took the child to be raised. Noticing the ability of his adopted son to draw, he gave little Petya to study with the portrait painter Lev Volkov. In 1836, Zakharov completed a course at the Academy of Arts and received the title of a free artist.
  • (1822-1897) - Russian painter, for a long time creative life painted many pictures. The artist's works, including portraits created by him at different times, are in the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum, the Academy of Arts and exhibition halls all around Russia. In 1844, Makarov moved to St. Petersburg, where he won the recognition of the capital's public.

Portrait painter Tyranov

Russian portrait painter (1808-1859), engaged in icon painting. In 1824, he met the artist Venetsianov, who assigned the young man to his school of painting, and when he finished his studies, he placed Tyranov as a student at the Academy of Arts. Further fate the young painter developed successfully, he received a small gold medal from the Academy, in 1836 he became a student of the venerable Karl Bryullov. For his work, "Girl with a Tambourine" was awarded the title of academician. While in Rome, he painted his main canvases: "Girl squeezing water out of her hair", "Angel with an olive branch", "Mother of Moses on the banks of the Nile". Then, upon the artist's return to St. Petersburg, the artist suffered a streak of failures, and he turned into a beggar. He found shelter in his brother's house in the city of Kashin. There Tyranov died at the age of 51.

Unsurpassed portrait technique

Zaryanko Sergei (1818-1870) is a wonderful Russian portrait painter, famous for the indescribable play of light and shadow on his canvases. The artist's technique is so pronounced that the inner world of the person depicted on the canvas seems to be lost in the richness of shades and halftones. In total, Zaryanko painted about a hundred portraits, most of which are dedicated to the emperor, his family and the highest court nobility.

Master's apprentice

Zhodeiko Leonid (1827-1879) - Russian portrait painter, student of the Moscow artist Zaryanko and the St. Petersburg master Markov, a teacher at the Academy of Arts. Wrote mostly female portraits. He received the title of academician for the painting "The Girl Washing". He was a regular participant in the annual exhibitions held under the auspices of the Academy of Arts of St. Petersburg.

Dramatic style artist

Kramskoy Ivan Nikolaevich (1837-1887) - an outstanding master of portraiture, religious wall paintings, genre drawings. The author of paintings with the image famous writers, artists, artists, including: L. N. Tolstoy (year 1883), M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin (year 1879), I. I. Shishkin (year 1873), S. P. Botkin (year 1880), P. M. Tretyakov (year 1876).

The artist adhered to the philosophical and dramatic overtones in his works all his life, this is especially noticeable in portrait paintings: "Unknown", "N.A. Nekrasov", "Inconsolable grief", which were created in the period from 1877 to 1884. These masterpieces are in the Tretyakov Gallery.

Artistic portraits in the 20th century

The twentieth century was a difficult period for Russia. Political turmoil, two bloody wars left their mark on the development of the country. And yet art was alive, in post-war years painting was revived, including portraiture. There were few artists, but they all went to a good school.

Russian portrait painters of the 20th century:

  • Kozlov Engels - Soviet portrait painter, born in 1926, graduated from the Yaroslavl Art School, then entered the painting course of the Leningrad Repin Institute. In 1956, he presented his thesis"Will live!" Member of the Union of Artists since 1957. The main theme of Kozlov's work is portraits of his contemporaries.
  • Lomakin Oleg - portrait painter Soviet period, was born in 1924. Studied in the Leningrad art school, then - at the All-Russian Academy of Arts. In 1942 he was drafted into the Red Army, fought near Kursk, where he was seriously wounded and was expelled from the army. Portraits painted by the artist have been exhibited at exhibitions since 1952.
  • Nevelshtein Samuil (1904-1983) - portrait painter, graduated from VKHUTEMAS. The artist has several dozen works to his credit. The main theme of Nevelstein's work was portraits of his contemporaries. The portrait painter held five solo exhibitions, all of them were held in Leningrad, the first show took place in 1944.
  • Oreshnikov Victor (1904-1987) - Soviet painter and portrait painter. People's Artist Soviet Union, winner of two Stalin Prizes. His work was dominated by plots dedicated to achievements in national economy, and portraits of contemporaries.
  • - Russian portrait painter, born in 1943. Creator of unique focus. Actively participates in public life, member of the Public Council under the President of Russia.

Famous portrait painters

In the six hundred years since the appearance pictorial art, more than one generation of artists has changed. In addition to the painters already mentioned, there were quite a few other masters.

Who are they - Russian portrait painters? A list of them is presented below.

  • Musikisky Grigory Semenovich, court portrait painter.
  • Gsel Georg, a Swiss painter, worked in Russia for a long time.
  • Nikitin Ivan Nikitich, court painter.
  • Vishnyakov Ivan Yakovlevich, portrait painter for the aristocracy.
  • Kolokolnikov Mina Lukich, serf painter.
  • Matveyevich, court portrait painter.
  • Ugryumov Grigory Ivanovich, peasant artist.
  • noble portrait painter.
  • Orlovsky Alexander Osipovich, artist of the nobility.
  • Sokolov Petr Fedorovich, portrait painter for the aristocracy.

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