Animalistic genre in art. The main genres of painting by Russian artists with examples of paintings. Other types of animalism

In the 17th century, a division of painting genres into “high” and “low” was introduced. The first included historical, battle and mythological genres. The second included mundane genres of painting from everyday life, for example, everyday genre, still life, animal painting, portrait, nude, landscape.

Historical genre

The historical genre in painting does not depict a specific object or person, but a specific moment or event that took place in the history of past eras. It is included in the main genres of painting in art. Portrait, battle, everyday and mythological genres are often closely intertwined with the historical.

"Conquest of Siberia by Ermak" (1891-1895)
Vasily Surikov

Artists Nicolas Poussin, Tintoretto, Eugene Delacroix, Peter Rubens, Vasily Ivanovich Surikov, Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev and many others painted their paintings in the historical genre.

Mythological genre

Tales, ancient legends and myths, folklore - the depiction of these subjects, heroes and events has found its place in the mythological genre of painting. Perhaps it can be distinguished in the paintings of any people, because the history of each ethnic group is full of legends and traditions. For example, such a plot of Greek mythology as the secret romance of the god of war Ares and the goddess of beauty Aphrodite is depicted in the painting “Parnassus” by an Italian artist named Andrea Mantegna.

"Parnassus" (1497)
Andrea Mantegna

Mythology in painting was finally formed during the Renaissance. Representatives of this genre, in addition to Andrea Mantegna, are Rafael Santi, Giorgione, Lucas Cranach, Sandro Botticelli, Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov and others.

Battle genre

Battle painting describes scenes from military life. Most often, various military campaigns are illustrated, as well as sea and land battles. And since these battles are often taken from real history, the battle and historical genres find their intersection point here.

Fragment of the panorama “Battle of Borodino” (1912)
Franz Roubaud

Battle painting took shape during the Italian Renaissance in the works of artists Michelangelo Buonarroti, Leonardo da Vinci, and then Theodore Gericault, Francisco Goya, Franz Alekseevich Roubaud, Mitrofan Borisovich Grekov and many other painters.

Everyday genre

Scenes from the everyday, public or private life of ordinary people, be it urban or peasant life, are depicted in the everyday genre in painting. Like many others genres of painting, everyday paintings are rarely found in their own form, becoming part of the portrait or landscape genre.

"Musical Instrument Seller" (1652)
Karel Fabricius

The origin of everyday painting occurred in the 10th century in the East, and it moved to Europe and Russia only in the 17th-18th centuries. Jan Vermeer, Karel Fabricius and Gabriel Metsu, Mikhail Shibanov and Ivan Alekseevich Ermenev are the most famous artists of everyday paintings in that period.

Animalistic genre

The main objects of the animalistic genre are animals and birds, both wild and domestic, and in general all representatives of the animal world. Initially, animal painting was part of the genres of Chinese painting, since it first appeared in China in the 8th century. In Europe, animal painting was formed only during the Renaissance - animals at that time were depicted as the embodiment of human vices and virtues.

"Horses in the Meadow" (1649)
Paulus Potter

Antonio Pisanello, Paulus Potter, Albrecht Durer, Frans Snyders, Albert Cuyp are the main representatives of animal painting in the fine arts.

Still life

The still life genre depicts objects that surround a person in life. These are inanimate objects combined into one group. Such objects may belong to the same genus (for example, only fruits are depicted in the picture), or they may be dissimilar (fruits, utensils, musical instruments, flowers, etc.).

"Flowers in a Basket, Butterfly and Dragonfly" (1614)
Ambrosius Bosshart the Elder

Still life as an independent genre took shape in the 17th century. The Flemish and Dutch schools of still life are especially distinguished. Representatives of a wide variety of styles painted their paintings in this genre, from realism to cubism. Some of the most famous still lifes were painted by painters Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder, Albertus Jonah Brandt, Paul Cezanne, Vincent Van Gogh, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Willem Claes Heda.

Portrait

Portrait is a genre of painting, which is one of the most common in the fine arts. The purpose of a portrait in painting is to depict a person, but not just his appearance, but also to convey the inner feelings and mood of the person being portrayed.

Portraits can be single, pair, group, as well as a self-portrait, which is sometimes distinguished as a separate genre. And the most famous portrait of all time, perhaps, is the painting by Leonardo da Vinci called “Portrait of Madame Lisa del Giocondo,” known to everyone as the “Mona Lisa.”

"Mona Lisa" (1503-1506)
Leonardo da Vinci

The first portraits appeared thousands of years ago in Ancient Egypt - these were images of pharaohs. Since then, most artists of all times have tried themselves in this genre in one way or another. The portrait and historical genres of painting can also overlap: the image of a great historical figure will be considered a work of the historical genre, although at the same time it will convey the appearance and character of this person as a portrait.

Nude

The purpose of the nude genre is to depict the naked human body. The Renaissance period is considered the moment of the emergence and development of this type of painting, and the main object of painting then most often became the female body, which embodied the beauty of the era.

"Rural Concert" (1510)
Titian

Titian, Amedeo Modigliani, Antonio da Correggio, Giorgione, Pablo Picasso are the most famous artists who painted nude paintings.

Scenery

The main theme of the landscape genre is nature, the environment - city, countryside or wilderness. The first landscapes appeared in ancient times when painting palaces and temples, creating miniatures and icons. Landscape began to emerge as an independent genre in the 16th century and has since become one of the most popular genres. genres of painting.

It is present in the works of many painters, starting with Peter Rubens, Alexei Kondratyevich Savrasov, Edouard Manet, continuing with Isaac Ilyich Levitan, Piet Mondrian, Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque and ending with many contemporary artists of the 21st century.

"Golden Autumn" (1895)
Isaac Levitan

Among landscape paintings, one can distinguish such genres as sea and city landscapes.

Veduta

Veduta is a landscape, the purpose of which is to depict the appearance of an urban area and convey its beauty and flavor. Later, with the development of industry, the urban landscape turns into an industrial landscape.

"St. Mark's Square" (1730)
Canaletto

You can appreciate city landscapes by getting acquainted with the works of Canaletto, Pieter Bruegel, Fyodor Yakovlevich Alekseev, Sylvester Feodosievich Shchedrin.

Marina

A seascape, or marina, depicts the nature of the sea element, its grandeur. The most famous marine painter in the world is perhaps Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky, whose painting “The Ninth Wave” can be called a masterpiece of Russian painting. The heyday of the marina occurred simultaneously with the development of the landscape as such.

"Sailboat in a Storm" (1886)
James Buttersworth

Katsushika Hokusai, James Edward Buttersworth, Alexey Petrovich Bogolyubov, Lev Felixovich Lagorio and Rafael Monleon Torres are also famous for their seascapes.

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The name of this genre comes from the Latin word “anima” - “animal”. It includes works of painting, sculpture, graphics, decorative and applied and folk art depicting animals. An animal artist must combine great love and sensitivity for nature with the observational powers of a scientist.

The animal world was of great importance in the life of primitive man. The most ancient artists left colorful drawings of deer, bison and mammoths on the walls of caves, which even today amaze with their authenticity. In the 1st millennium BC. e. magical figurines of birds and animals made of clay, metal, and bone gave rise to the so-called animal style in the art of the Scythian tribes from the Carpathians to the borders of Western China. The spontaneity of living form, combined with the ornamentation of compositions, will remain for a long time in the decorative and applied art of many peoples.

Images of animals reach unsurpassed monumentality and grandeur in Ancient Egypt. After all, the Egyptians considered many animals to be gods. Sphinxes, humanoid deities with the heads of animals and birds, embodied the connection between human and animal principles in nature. The same idea of ​​the unity of the world prompted the ancient inhabitants of Peru and Mexico to combine figures of people and animals into bizarre groups in the decoration of decorative vessels.

In Ancient Japan and Ancient China, images of animals became a common motif in decorative and monumental compositions. The most essential in each image is invariably noted. The main achievement of the art of ancient Crete was the dynamism that permeated all generalized images - from a bull to flying fish. In the countries of Ancient Mesopotamia, figures and heads of bulls, lions, and horses decorated dishes, weapons, carved seals and musical instruments.

The reliefs of the palaces in ancient Nineveh and Susa convey with amazing force the character of animals, especially lions, which in hunting scenes are depicted as worthy rivals to powerful kings.

For the artists of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, the main object of art becomes a person; images of animals do not play a significant role in ancient art.

Wounded lioness. Fragment of the relief “The Great Lion Hunt” from the palace of King Ashurbanipal in Nineveh. 669- approx. 663 BC e. Limestone. British museum. London.

In their desire to reflect the real world in all its diversity, artists of the European Renaissance widely practiced life sketches of animals, images of which are found in sculpture, frescoes and easel paintings. One of the first to turn to such images was in the 15th century. A. Pisanello, and in the 16th century. Animal drawings of remarkable strength and accuracy were created by Leonardo da Vinci and Albrecht Durer.

In Holland in the 17th century. the image of animals stands out as a separate genre. Its founders A. Cape and P. Potter skillfully show domestic animals against the backdrop of farms and pastures. Each animalist chooses his favorite range of themes and images. In the 19th century The outstanding sculptor A.L. Bari reflected his admiration for the love of freedom and the peculiar grace of animals in dynamic groups of predators. And K. Troyon, close to the artists of the Barbizon school, painted poetic landscapes with cows and sheep surrounded by peaceful rural nature. At the turn of the 19th - 20th centuries. the Swede B. Liljefors depicts wild animals in their natural habitat, the French sculptor F. Pompon shows interest in the decorative and plastic qualities of birds and animals, and the German painter F. Mark revives the heroism of images of wild animals in his works.

V. A. Serov. Illustration for I. A. Krylov’s fable “The Lion and the Wolf” Graphite pencil, ink, pen. State Tretyakov Gallery. Moscow.

The first animal painter in Russia was in the 18th century. I. F. Groot. In the 19th century N. E. Sverchkov, E. A. Lanceray and especially P. K. Klodt (sculptural groups on the Anichkov Bridge in St. Petersburg) achieve great expressiveness in images of horses. The highest achievement of the Russian animalistic genre is the masterly graphic illustrations for the fables of I. A. Krylov, performed by V. A. Serov . They combine the poignancy of natural sketches of animals with gentle humor.

P. Potter. Farm. 1649. Oil on canvas. State Hermitage Museum. Leningrad.

The creativity of Soviet animal painters in painting, easel and park sculpture, as well as in book graphics is distinguished by a deep understanding of the natural world. The oldest sculptor and graphic artist V. A. Vatagin, with scientific observation, conveys the attractive liveliness of his feathered and four-legged heroes. Sculptor I. S. Efimov prefers decorative solutions. The fabulous illustrations of Yu. A. Vasnetsov and other masters reflected the traditions of folk decorative art, the images of which still live in wood, bone, stone carvings, folk clay toys and embroidery.

V. A. Vatagin. Mammoths. 1946. Tree.

Animal image

Knowledge of the anatomy, life and habits of an animal is a necessary condition for creating a complete image. This knowledge is acquired gradually, and no opportunity should be missed to replenish it.

Drawing from living nature is the main way to understand an animal.

Impressions gleaned directly from life are the only, irreplaceable, truly living material for the artist’s further creative work.

It is better to start getting acquainted with drawing an animal with a training sketch. The sketch conveys in the most general and meager lines the various poses, moments of movement and proportions of the animal, as well as its individual parts. When executing a sketch, you should not pay attention to the details, and there is no need to shade it either. A sketch is the fastest way to put your first impressions of nature on paper.

The line is the main element of the sketch; it should be applied to the paper easily and freely, maintaining clarity. For sketches, it is better to take smooth thin paper and a medium-soft pencil. On rough paper, the line of a soft pencil breaks into dots, becomes more easily smeared and loses its clarity. It is better for a beginner to draw light lines without blackening them: in this case, you can leave incorrect lines without erasing, and replace them with more correct ones, and at the end of the sketch, erase what is unnecessary; In this way, the beginner gets used to using an eraser less often and not unnecessarily scuffing the paper: not all paper tolerates an eraser.

For the first acquaintance with any animal or bird, it is convenient to take a medium-sized sheet of paper and start making sketches from the upper left side, several on one sheet, following the changing poses of nature (do not make them too small - there should be five sketches on the sheet or six).

You should not throw it around while working. Having chosen a nature, you should concentrate on it as seriously and as long as possible.

One should strive for both the beauty of the line and a sharp and true expression of the character of what is being depicted, i.e., the semantic content of the sketch.

). However, for the purposes of this article we will only consider object art.

Historically, all genres were divided into high and low. TO high genre or historical painting included works of a monumental nature, carrying some kind of morality, a significant idea, demonstrating historical, military events associated with religion, mythology or artistic fiction.

TO low genre included everything connected with everyday life. These are still lifes, portraits, household paintings, landscapes, animalism, images of naked people, etc.

Animalism (lat. animal - animal)

The animalistic genre arose in ancient times, when the first people painted predatory animals on the rocks. Gradually, this direction grew into an independent genre, implying an expressive depiction of any animals. Animalists usually have a great interest in the animal world, for example, they can be excellent equestrians, keep pets, or simply study their habits for a long time. As a result of the artist's intentions, animals can appear realistic or in the form of artistic images.

Among Russian artists, many were well versed in horses, for example, and. Thus, in Vasnetsov’s famous painting “Bogatyrs”, heroic horses are depicted with the greatest skill: the colors, behavior of the animals, bridles and their connection with the riders are carefully thought out. Serov did not like people and considered a horse in many ways better than a person, which is why he often depicted it in a variety of scenes. although he painted animals, he did not consider himself an animal painter, so the bears in his famous painting “Morning in a Pine Forest” were created by the animal painter K. Savitsky.

In tsarist times, portraits with pets, which were dear to man, became especially popular. For example, in the painting, Empress Catherine II appeared with her beloved dog. Animals were also present in the portraits of other Russian artists.

Examples of paintings by famous Russian artists in the everyday genre

History painting

This genre involves monumental paintings that are designed to convey to society a grandiose plan, some truth, morality, or demonstrate significant events. It includes works on historical, mythological, religious themes, folklore, as well as military scenes.

In ancient states, myths and legends were long considered events of the past, so they were often depicted on frescoes or vases. Later, artists began to separate the events that took place from fiction, which was expressed primarily in the depiction of battle scenes. In Ancient Rome, Egypt and Greece, scenes of heroic battles were often depicted on the shields of victorious warriors in order to demonstrate their triumph over the enemy.

In the Middle Ages, due to the dominance of church dogmas, religious themes prevailed; in the Renaissance, society turned to the past mainly for the purpose of glorifying its states and rulers, and since the 18th century, this genre has often been turned to for the purpose of educating youth. In Russia, the genre became widespread in the 19th century, when artists often tried to analyze the life of Russian society.

In the works of Russian artists, battle painting was presented, for example, and. He touched on mythological and religious subjects in his paintings. Historical painting predominated among, folklore - among.

Examples of paintings by famous Russian artists in the genre of historical painting

Still life (French nature - nature and morte - dead)

This genre of painting is associated with the depiction of inanimate objects. They can be flowers, fruits, dishes, game, kitchen utensils and other objects, from which the artist often creates a composition according to his plan.

The first still lifes appeared in ancient countries. In Ancient Egypt, it was customary to depict offerings to the gods in the form of various foods. At the same time, the recognition of the object came first, so the ancient artists did not particularly care about chiaroscuro or the texture of still life objects. In Ancient Greece and Rome, flowers and fruits were found in paintings and in houses for interior decoration, so they were depicted more authentically and picturesquely. The formation and flourishing of this genre occurred in the 16th and 17th centuries, when still lifes began to contain hidden religious and other meanings. At the same time, many varieties appeared depending on the subject of the image (floral, fruit, scientist, etc.).

In Russia, still life painting flourished only in the 20th century, since before that it was used mainly for educational purposes. But this development was rapid and captured, including abstract art with all its directions. For example, he created beautiful compositions of flowers in, preferred, worked in, and often “revitalized” his still lifes, giving the viewer the impression that the dishes were about to fall off the table or that all the objects were about to start rotating.

The objects depicted by artists were, of course, influenced by their theoretical views or worldview and state of mind. Thus, these were objects depicted according to the principle of spherical perspective discovered by him, and expressionist still lifes amazed with their drama.

Many Russian artists used still life mainly for educational purposes. Thus, he not only honed his artistic skills, but also conducted many experiments, arranging objects in different ways, working with light and color. experimented with the shape and color of the line, sometimes moving away from realism into pure primitivism, sometimes mixing both styles.

Other artists combined in still lifes what they had previously depicted with their favorite things. For example, in the paintings you can find his favorite vase, sheet music and a portrait of his wife that he had previously created, and he depicted his favorite flowers from childhood.

Many other Russian artists worked in the same genre, for example, and others.

Examples of paintings by famous Russian artists in the still life genre

Nude (French nudite - nudity, abbreviated as nu)

This genre is intended to depict the beauty of the naked body and appeared before our era. In the ancient world, great attention was paid to physical development, since the survival of the entire human race depended on it. Thus, in Ancient Greece, athletes traditionally competed naked so that boys and young men could see their well-developed bodies and strive for the same physical perfection. Around the 7th-6th centuries. BC e. Nude male statues also appeared, personifying the physical power of a man. Female figures, on the contrary, were always presented to the audience in robes, since it was not customary to expose the female body.

In subsequent eras, attitudes towards nudity changed. Thus, during Hellenism (from the end of the 6th century BC), endurance faded into the background, giving way to admiration of the male figure. At the same time, the first female nude figures began to appear. In the Baroque era, women with curvy figures were considered ideal; in Rococo times, sensuality became paramount, and in the 19th-20th centuries, paintings or sculptures with naked bodies (especially male ones) were often banned.

Russian artists have repeatedly turned to the nude genre in their works. So, these are dancers with theatrical attributes, these are posing girls or women in the center of monumental scenes. This has a lot of sensual women, including in couples, this has a whole series of paintings depicting naked women in various activities, and this has girls full of innocence. Some, for example, depicted completely naked men, although such paintings were not welcomed by the society of their time.

Examples of paintings by famous Russian artists in the nude genre

Landscape (French Paysage, from pays - terrain)

In this genre, the priority is the depiction of the natural or man-made environment: natural areas, views of cities, villages, monuments, etc. Depending on the chosen object, natural, industrial, marine, rural, lyrical and other landscapes are distinguished.

The first landscapes of ancient artists were discovered in Neolithic rock paintings and were images of trees, rivers or lakes. Later, the natural motif was used to decorate the home. In the Middle Ages, the landscape was almost completely replaced by religious themes, and in the Renaissance, on the contrary, the harmonious relationship between man and nature came to the fore.

In Russia, landscape painting developed from the 18th century and was initially limited (landscapes, for example, were created in this style), but later a whole galaxy of talented Russian artists enriched this genre with techniques from different styles and movements. created the so-called low-key landscape, that is, instead of chasing spectacular views, he depicted the most intimate moments in Russian nature. and came to a lyrical landscape that amazed the audience with its subtly conveyed mood.

And this is an epic landscape, when the viewer is shown all the grandeur of the surrounding world. endlessly turned to antiquity, E. Volkov knew how to turn any discreet landscape into a poetic picture, amazed the viewer with his marvelous light in the landscapes, and could endlessly admire forest corners, parks, sunsets and convey this love to the viewer.

Each of the landscape painters concentrated his attention on the landscape that fascinated him especially strongly. Many artists could not ignore large-scale construction projects and painted many industrial and urban landscapes. Among them are works by other artists. fascinated by the monuments, and

Perhaps the very first one that humanity became acquainted with. Although it didn’t even know about it, people wore leather, furs and feathers all year round for lack of anything else. The Society for the Protection of Animals did not yet exist in those days; there were enough animals on the planet, so the population took full advantage of it. So, according to current ideas, our ancestors were quite stylish and fashionable people).

The animalistic style is directly related to the use of leather and fur of various animals as material. And since it exists throughout the development of human civilization, it can rightfully be considered uniquely time-tested.

Its name comes from the Latin word Animalia(animals) or English animal(animals). Nowadays, there are specialized farms where animals are raised specifically for these purposes. By processing their skins in a special way, people use them to make a wide variety of things: from shoes to hats. In a word, we can say that dressing in this style from head to toe is not difficult for a modern person.

In different places of residence, people used different types of leather and fur, depending on what animals were found in the area. But when long-distance travel became possible, many peoples began to trade this valuable commodity. It has never been cheap, so only wealthy people could afford to purchase good quality leather or rare fur.

These materials have many valuable qualities, and that’s why they are loved. First of all, it is convenience and hygroscopicity. Like all natural materials, leather “breathes”, and fur provides excellent warmth. For some cases, this is a very important circumstance, and in severe frost a person will feel more protected in a fur coat than in other clothes. Although with the help of modern technologies they create quite warm products, fur does not lose its position and enjoys constant popularity. One of the clearest confirmations of this is wearing fur products even in the relatively warm season, when there is no need for it, but it is beautiful and chic!)

An active promoter and lover of this original style was Yves Saint Laurent, French couturier born in Algeria. He spent his childhood in Africa, so the spirit and diversity of colors of the savannah was always close to him. He created more than once collections with African themes, thanks to which he was born in the late 60s, and the animalistic one received a new, updated continuation.

Designers continue to exploit these natural materials, creating a huge number of products, clothing and accessories from them. But thanks to modern production, fur and leather, which are the epitome of luxury, have become available to absolutely everyone. A huge selection of artificial leather, of excellent quality, sometimes indistinguishable in appearance from natural leather, allows a woman of any income to expand her wardrobe. And in order to learn to distinguish them you need to. With fur in this regard it is a little more complicated. Artificial from natural can still be distinguished without much difficulty.

Modern fashion has gone even further; it has complemented this style with a variety of fabrics that imitate the skin of animals and reptiles. Original prints that completely replicate animal designs, prints, the color scheme of which can be so varied that it amazes the imagination with its diversity. Women have an excellent choice in this regard, from knitted materials to light, transparent chiffons.

By the way, pay attention to, in which designers invite us to remember the undeservedly forgotten fur in unusual colors and flowy dresses for the fall with animalistic patterns.

It should be noted that clothing of this direction is still not everyday. It is quite catchy and memorable. If you show up in a dress with leopard or snake print at any party, you can soon forget about it, because everyone else certainly won’t forget it. Animalistic drawings leave a certain impression on the image. They add sex appeal and charisma to him. They will only decorate and transform a woman with a strong character, but they will make an indecisive and fragile woman even more defenseless. If birds are chirping in your soul and you feel like a cute flower, then wearing clothes with “war paint” will make you feel ridiculous and unprotected. If you really want to join this memorable style, then it is better to start with small accessories: scarves, shoes or bags.

But there is a compromise that allows you to tame animal clothing for normal everyday occasions. By creating moderate versions, that is, sets in which there will be no more than two things in an animalistic style, combined with simple monochromatic things, the image can turn out to be very original and elegant. Total look in this case will look aggressive and ambiguous. Don't be tempted by the flashy ensembles that designers present on the runway. They are not very appropriate in life.

Famous divas, as always, support popular trends, although they often don’t do it very well.

The animalistic style never goes out of fashion; it is constantly updated with interesting finds. Every woman probably has a favorite animal and a favorite pattern of this trend. Try on snake skin, leopard or zebra fur. It is not necessary to purchase a product made from natural material. It is quite possible to replenish your wardrobe with imitation; this will add zest and extravagance to your image. Have you noticed that women prefer to wear animal prints more than men? What do you think is the reason for this?

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Animalistics (Animalistic genre), sometimes also Animalism (from the Latin animal - animal) -

genre of fine art

The main object of which is animals, mainly in painting, photography, sculpture, graphics and less often in decorative arts. Animal art combines natural science and artistic principles. The main task of an animalist can be both the accuracy of the image of the animal and artistic and figurative characteristics, including decorative expressiveness or endowing animals with human traits, actions and experiences (for example, fables).

From sculpture has a distribution

animal ceramics

Stylized figures of animals are found among the monuments of the animal style (en), in the art of the Ancient East, Africa, Oceania, ancient America, and in the folk art of many countries.

History of animal art

Artists working in the animalistic genre are called animalists. Animals in painting and graphics arouse the same interest among viewers as portraits of famous people. And this is no coincidence. World art began with animal painting, when in the Paleolithic era, more than 30 thousand years ago, people began to depict animals on rocks. The tradition of preserving images of domestic animals, as well as animals and birds considered sacred, is also rooted in the deep past. We have reached us with bas-reliefs of dogs, lions, bulls and horses of ancient Assyria, bas-reliefs and frescoes with dogs, cats, ibises, crocodiles, baboons, snakes, jackals, falcons of Ancient Egypt, ceramics with drawings of dogs and horses of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, sculptural images jaguars, snakes and other animals among the Aztecs and Mayans. The depiction of animals reached the highest level in Ancient China. There are known images of dogs similar to chow chows dating back more than two thousand years. Even today we admire the animalistic graphics of Chinese masters. The European aristocracy became interested in animalism during the Renaissance. From those times until the twentieth century, many portraits depicted a person with an animal to which he was attached - a horse, a dog, a cat. Paintings by such famous artists as Paolo Veronese, Jean-Baptiste Oudry, Van Dyck, Gainsborough, Titian Vecellio, Antonio Moro, Rosalba Carriera, George Stubbs, Henri-François Riesener and many others, depicting people with their pet animals - at least These artists never positioned themselves as animal painters, but are included in the collection of masterpieces of world painting.

The Russian elite also showed interest in animalism. Several years ago, the Historical Museum exhibited portraits of dogs presented to the Russian tsars. A sculpture was made from Catherine the Great's Italian greyhound, which is now kept in Peterhof. And in Borovikovsky’s painting the empress is depicted with her other Italian greyhound. Count Orlov collected a collection of portraits of his greyhounds and horses. Portraits of a man and an animal were painted by Bryullov, Makovsky, Serov, Serebryakova, and other famous Russian artists, not only with a dog, but also with horses, and even with tamed wild animals. Russian animal artists, that is, those who paint mainly animals, are also known throughout the world - Stepanov, Vatagin, Efimov, Laptev, Charushin. In the second half of the twentieth century in Europe, masters of realistic portraiture, including animalistic ones, began to be crowded out by representatives of “modern art”. Among the animal artists was, for example, Hirst, who exhibited a cow, a shark, etc., preserved in formaldehyde. But interest in animalism in a realistic manner developed in the USA - the works of many animal artists are exhibited at exhibitions held there