Children's artist Yu a Vasnetsov. Good storyteller Yuri Vasnetsov. Ivan Tsarevich on the Gray Wolf

“When I was a child, my mother read all the books and fairy tales to me. And so did my nanny. The fairy tale entered into me...
The publishing house gives me the text. I take the one I like. And sometimes there is no fairy tale in it. It happens that it is only four or even two lines, and you can’t make a fairy tale out of them. And I'm looking for a fairy tale... I always remember who the book will be for." Yu. Vasnetsov

One example of a combination of a book of remarkable quality + competent popularization of creativity and preservation of heritage is books about Yuri Alekseevich Vasnetsov, which are published by his daughter Elizaveta Yuryevna Vasnetsova.

A long time ago I showed the first book from Vasnetsov’s series “The Unknown Yuri Vasnetsov”. It was released in 2011. And a year later a sequel was released: “The Famous Yuri Vasnetsov”!

"The famous Yuri Vasnetsov." Materials for the biography of the great artist. 106 lifetime publications: description, official press, responses from readers and colleagues. Pskov regional printing house, 2012. 480 p. Under the general editorship of E.Yu. Vasnetsova.

The publisher's foreword is so good that I'm sorry to chop it up into quotes. Let it be in its entirety:

"This book is nostalgia. For all forty-year-olds and others who carefully preserve their children's books, books of their parents, grandparents; for collectors who, in search of Detgiz's masterpieces, spend hours on the Internet and spend time in used bookstores. A thin children's book - a perishable product. It has multi-million circulations, a penny price. Once in the hands of children, the book deteriorates, gets torn, gets dirty, gets read and rarely survives to children's children. In the "dashing" seventies and eighties of the 20th century, books of our childhood along with "Murzilka" magazines and "Funny Pictures", tied with string, are weighed on scales and go for processing for the so-called waste paper publications. The masterpieces survived. Who among us did not have "The Boat Sails and Sails" with drawings by Konashevich, "The Stolen Sun" with drawings by Vasnetsov, " Luggage" with illustrations by Lebedev! And who still has them? Do you remember the series "Kindergarten Library"? How many good, beautifully designed books there were! What a wonderful format, what colors, what paper!

And what magnificent artists! People involved in printing understand: what was printed on captured post-war equipment cannot be repeated on ultra-modern Japanese-German machines. The colors have changed, the paper has changed, the attitude towards the book has changed. All in the past. This book is dedicated to the work of one of the best children's book illustrators of the 20th century, Yuri Vasnetsov. We were prompted to work by a recently published book - materials for the biography of the great artist “Unknown Yuri Vasnetsov”. Since the title of the book was somewhat provocative, since the name of the artist is widely known, we had no choice but to call ours - “Famous Yuri Vasnetsov,” especially since this is a book about books, the first attempt in Russian book science to systematize the work of Yuri Vasnetsov as an illustrator of children's books. books. (A story about Yuri Vasnetsov - a painter, the creator of a series of magnificent prints and the author of drawings in children's magazines "Murzilka", "Funny Pictures", "Bonfire" - in the future.) This publication, as it seems to us, is the first attempt to systematize the entire work of one artist - from the first edition, the book “Karabash” in 1929, to the last lifetime edition, “What are we doing” in 1973. The publishers have conscientiously collected everything that they could find, but they rightly believe that there may be publications from the period of the Great Patriotic War and publications from the 20s and 30s that we have not taken into account. We will be grateful for the help of bibliographers and collectors - for additions, corrections and any information about unknown facts and lifetime publications of Yuri Vasnetsov. The appearance of such masterpieces of illustration as “The Stolen Sun”, “Three Bears”, “Cat’s House” and so on and so forth could not have happened without a brilliant environment - his artist friends and teachers in the creation of children’s illustrated books: V. Lebedeva , V. Konashevich, V. Tambi, V. Kurdov, A. Pakhomov, E. Charushin, N. Tyrsa. I would like to think that we will set an example for our colleagues to publish this kind of publications about the work of artists from the golden age of children's illustrated books. The history of children's books of the 20th century awaits its Karamzin. We publish materials for the biography of only one of the artists. The publishing principle is as follows:

A scientific description is given, the cover and back are reproduced (as a rule, if it contains an element of drawing);
- the best, in our opinion, illustrations are given, as well as
- sketches, sketches, drawings;
- the most striking critical articles are published, including abusive ones from the 30s and 40s;
- in addition, photographs are published;
- letters, memoirs, business documents related to the publishing process. Mostly previously unpublished materials were selected. To make the reading process easier, not all illustrations are captioned. In the “Lifetime Editions” section, which contains the required elements - cover, back, title page, illustrations from a specific book, these elements are presented without signatures. For other illustrations - photographs, sketches, letters, objects of applied art and others - captions are given. A bibliographic list of sources used with extended descriptions is presented in chronological order at the end of the publication. In-text and interlinear references to sources are given in abbreviated form.

The publishers express gratitude to the custodians of the family archive - daughters Elizaveta Yuryevna and Natalya Yuryevna Vasnetsov, the library of the publishing house "Young Guard" and personally E.I. Ivanova and L.V. Petrov, as well as S.G. Kosyanov - for help in publishing this book.

Let's look at the book first. Horizontal layout, fabric binding, strap. The cover is completely consistent with the style of the series.

on the fabric there is a relief drawing by Vasnetsov: The Little Humpbacked Horse

And the endpapers are very interesting: they show a fragment of a tapestry from an unidentified factory based on illustrations by Yu. Vasnetsov. Counterfeit product of the early 21st century!

From the publisher
Erast Kuznetsov "About the book graphics of Yuri Vasnetsov"
Elizaveta Vasnetsova "How dad worked on a book"
Lifetime editions (the main part of the book from pp. 49-419)
Key dates of life and work
List of lifetime publications
Valentin Kurbatov "Knocking, strumming along the street..."

First, about what's around. There are a lot of interesting things around lifetime publications! These are photographs published for the first time, and not ceremonial portraits, which can easily be inserted into any publication, be it an article in a magazine or a book. And these are momentary, random ones, which do not seem to be suitable as a “title photo”, but for those who value every bit of information and memory about the artist, these photographs will bring joy, they fit perfectly here into the accompanying materials - like this photograph from the 1960s X

or a photograph from a small feast at home (not the noisy Vasnetsov celebrations, but together with Vladimir Vasilyevich, modestly. And then a masterpiece artistic telegram to the hero of the day from the Lebedevs:

Elizaveta Vasnetsova's articles are richly illustrated with archival materials: photographs, documents, sketches, sketches. Here, for example, are sketches for S. Marshak’s book “English Folk Songs”, 1943

and here is a sketch for it - and an excerpt from such a warm and sincere article by Elizaveta Yuryevna “How dad worked on a book”

Or the “storyboard” of the illustration “A ship runs across the blue sea” for the book “Rainbow-Arc” 1965-1968: first a sketch of the illustration (glass, watercolor, whitewash)

then drawing (paper, graphite pencil)

and then the illustration itself (paper, watercolor, whitewash, ink)

Well, now the main part of the book is the reproduction of 106 lifetime publications, accompanied by press clippings, responses from readers and colleagues, as well as numerous additional materials. From the very first book “Karabash” to the last one in my lifetime. The artist’s career from 1929 to 1973, almost half a century!

Finally, there is an opportunity to look at the fantastic book “Swamp”, which Erast Davydovich Kuznetsov talked about so temptingly in “The Bear is Flying, twirling its tail”:

"...The book "Swamp" was published in 1931 - the third, but I would like to consider it the first, because Vasnetsov began, of course, not with "Karabash" and not with "How Dad Shot My Ferret", but precisely with "Swamp" .<...>

Indeed, this book is strange, some kind of monster, if you look at it impartially. You can't compare it with either the first or the second - it's all awkward and awkward. It is not clear what it is about and why. Doesn't fit into any genre. It would be hard to classify it as an “educational book about the life of nature”: the pictures are not very clear, jumbled, confused.<...>

Many people wrote with admiration about the originality of "Swamp". This admiration can be understood by anyone who was lucky enough to see Vasnetsov’s drawings at one of his exhibitions or in the collections of the Russian Museum, where they are stored, and appreciate their rare pictorial richness - richness of color, richness of texture.”

Each book has a cover, back

Sometimes - internal pages, sometimes - additional materials - sketches

toys and objects that Yuri Alekseevich held in his hands

The artist’s achievements are very interesting: for example, on the page of the illustration for the book “Shah-Rooster”

there are sketches by the artist: it is known that when Vasnetsov illustrated folk tales, he worked very carefully in museums and libraries, studied ethnographic sources

The imprint and description are given very fully: even information is included where the book was printed

In conclusion, I would like to draw attention to very important words from the publishers’ preface: “I would like to think that we will set an example for our colleagues to publish this kind of publications about the work of artists of the golden age of children’s illustrated books. The history of children’s books of the 20th century is waiting for its Karamzin. We publish materials to the biography of only one of the artists." I liked that the publishers are so welcoming to share their thoughts and invite everyone to follow them and start publishing similar books about other masters of the book. It’s great that they don’t put a bold patent and copyright mark on their idea of ​​systematizing the artist’s publications.

A wonderful book, thanks to Elizaveta Yuryevna Vasnetsova!

It is unlikely that anything else can reveal the qualities of a true artist as much as work for a children's audience. Such illustrations require all the real stuff - knowledge of child psychology, talent, and spiritual attitude. This product for children does not tolerate any counterfeiting. And if the drawing is not made with a cold soul and heart, if the illustrator has not turned his calling into a craft, then such a creation will certainly become an event.

Yuri Alekseevich Vasnetsov was precisely such a master of his craft.

The amazing world of the artist

Books illustrated by Yu. A. Vasnetsov are recognizable at first sight; millions of Soviet children grew up on them. The images in these books are of paramount importance; they inevitably attract the attention of the little reader.

The inexhaustible imagination with which Yuri Vasnetsov designed the books allows you to plunge headlong into the world of childhood, forget about some worries and disorder of the adult world. The images created by the artist sparkle with optimism and are full of life-affirming power. Animals and birds, the main characters in fairy tales, acquire amazing expressiveness; Yuri Vasnetsov gave them a manner of behavior, movements and habits that he subtly noticed in reality.

Why are Vasnetsov’s illustrations loved by children?

He always found his way to the hearts of his young readers and contemplators, who had just begun to explore the world through endless sketches and continuous study of nature. The fairy-tale characters to whom Yuri gave life are, at first glance, unreal, popular prints. But he draws exactly as the eyes of a small viewer see them. He does not go into a string of realistic details; the artist’s main goal is for the young reader to feel the fabulous nature of the characters.

Vasnetsov never dealt with issues of developmental psychology, he was not a teacher either, but he managed to unmistakably feel his youngest reader and admirer - the one who still does not know how to read.

Vasnetsov Yuri Alekseevich. Biography

The future artist was born on March 22, 1900 in the northern city of Vyatka. Vasnetsov's father, grandfather and uncles were clergy. Yuri was brought up in strictness. The family's income was modest, but they were not poor either. In 1917, after the revolution, the Vasnetsov family was evicted from the cathedral house and experienced considerable poverty. Yuri's father did not want to resign his rank, continuing to walk in a cassock.

While still a child, Yuri independently painted the walls of rooms, stoves and shutters in neighboring houses with bright drawings, where Russian ornaments, horses, unknown birds and magical flowers found their place. He already appreciated and loved the art in which his people were so rich.

In 1919, Yuri Alekseevich Vasnetsov graduated from the Second Level Unified School, and in 1921 he left his home in Vyatka and moved to Petrograd. In the same year he became a student in the painting department of the Higher Art Technical Institute. It was here that he became acquainted with the “organic” movement in painting, which later became the closest to his work.

After graduating from the institute, Yuri Alekseevich Vasnetsov works as a teacher at an art school in Leningrad. In 1926, the artist began studying again. This time to the State Institute of Artistic Culture. The artist’s creative director was Kazimir Malevich. The paintings of Yuri Vasnetsov, which came to life during this period, are “Cubist Composition”, “Still Life. In Malevich’s workshop”, “Still life with a chessboard” - carry an excellent knowledge of form and the role of contrast.

The road to a children's book

Vasnetsov Yuri (illustrator) began his activity, thanks to which he acquired millions of admirers of his talent in 1928. It was then that he, who at that time worked as the art editor of the Detgiz publishing house, attracted a young illustrator to collaborate. The first books were “Swamp” and “Karabash” by V.V. Bianchi. It was in these illustrations that Vasnetsov’s humor, grotesque and kind irony were realized, which would be characteristic of all his subsequent work.

Vasnetsov’s later illustrations have also forever entered the classics of children’s art. In 1934, “Confusion” by K. Chukovsky was released, in 1935, “Three Bears” by L. Tolstoy, and in 1941, “Teremok” by S. Marshak. Even later there will be “The Stolen Sun”, “Cat’s House”, “Fifty Little Pigs”, “The Little Humpbacked Horse”. The books were published in millions of copies and did not linger on store shelves thanks to the writing skills of their authors and the inexhaustible imagination of the illustrator. The artist created his own unique and unique artistic style, which we still recognize today, even with a fleeting glance at the illustration.

In the mid-thirties, Vasnetsov created several paintings (“Still Life with a Hat and a Bottle”, “Lady with a Mouse”), in which he finally showed himself as a large-scale artist, brilliantly combining the sophisticated artistic culture of his time with the traditions of Russian folk art, so beloved by him . But the appearance of these paintings coincided with the beginning of the fight against formalism, of which the artist was accused.

War and post-war years

Before the war, Vasnetsov worked for the Bolshoi Drama Theater, designing costumes and sets. During the war years, Yuri Vasnetsov produces a series of greeting cards. His work during this period was greatly influenced by the ideology of those times. At the very beginning of the war, the artist became a member of the “Combat Pencil” - a group of artists and poets who, with their creativity, helped defeat the enemy. In 1941, the Vasnetsov family was evacuated to the rear in Perm, and in 1943 - to Zagorsk. The Toy Research Institute became his place of work. Yuri Vasnetsov works there as the main artist. He returned to Leningrad only at the end of 1945.

The artist devotes the post-war years to landscapes. The most widely known were the landscapes of Sosnovo, Estonian and Crimean, and sketches of Melnichny Ruchey.

Personal life

Illustrator Yuri Vasnetsov did not advertise his personal life, which is why not much is known about it.

In the artist’s life there was only one beloved woman. Yuri Vasnetsov married the artist Pinaeva at the age of thirty-four. In 1934, he brought his wife to his native Vyatka, and Vasnetsov’s father married them in the Church of John the Baptist. Galina Mikhailovna gave Vasnetsov two beautiful daughters. Elizaveta was born in 1937, and Natalya in 1939. Late children became a real outlet for Yuri Alekseevich. He perceived any separation from them as a tragedy and was always in a hurry to return home to be near his girls.

Yuri Alekseevich was fond of breeding pigeons and was an avid fisherman.

The artist’s daughters grew up in an atmosphere of love and beauty; Elizabeth often gazed at her father’s works. Later she followed in his footsteps and also found herself in the fine arts. Since 1973 she has been a member of the Union of Artists of the USSR.

Famous kinship

The name Vasnetsov is well-known among any resident of the country thanks not only to Yuri. His distant relatives were the famous Russian artists brothers Victor and also the Russian folklorist Alexander Vasnetsov. However, Yuri Alekseevich never boasted of his famous relatives.

Awards and prizes

After the war, the artist received the title of Honored Artist of the RSFSR. In 1966, Yuri Vasnetsov received the title of People's Artist of the RSFSR.

In the early seventies, the artist illustrated two collections of Russian folk tales. They are called “Rainbow-arc” and “Ladushki”. In the same year, based on his illustrations, the animated film “Terem-Teremok” was shot, which can easily be considered one of the masterpieces of Soviet animation. For these works the artist was awarded the State Prize of the Soviet Union.

Little-known Vasnetsov

The artist devoted his entire life to painting. However, his paintings of the sixties and seventies did not bring him popularity during his lifetime. The most famous works of that period - “Blooming Meadow”, “Still Life with Willow” - were released only after the artist’s death. The fact is that due to accusations of formalism, Yuri Vasnetsov preferred not to exhibit these works of his anywhere. He actually made creativity his secret hobby, and could show these creations to his most trusted and dear people. After his paintings were presented to a wide audience at an exhibition in 1979, it became clear that the artist went far beyond the scope of a book illustrator. He is an outstanding Russian painter of the 20th century.

The artist died on May 3, 1973 in Leningrad. Yuri Vasnetsov was buried in St. Petersburg, which over the long years of his life became the artist’s hometown.

Biography

Yuri Alekseevich Vasnetsov (1900-1973) - Russian artist, illustrator, graphic artist and painter. Born into the family of a priest, there were many famous painters and artists in the family - Appolinary Vasnetsov, who mainly depicts historical subjects in his canvases, Viktor Vasnetsov - who has not seen his famous “Bogatyrs”! — also, among distant relatives was Alexander Vasnetsov, a folklorist who collected and published more than 350 songs of the Russian people, mainly from northern Russia. Such a cultural family heritage could not but affect the descendant and was reflected in his further work, where folklore traditions, humor and the grotesque merged together.

From his youth, Yuri Vasnetsov connected his life with illustrating children's books. In 1928, he began collaborating with the magnificent publishing house "Detgiz", which later reorganized into the no less famous "Children's Literature". He designed a large number of children's books - "Swamp", "Cat's House" and "Teremok", "Stolen Sun" and "Confusion" and many others. In parallel with illustration, he taught fine arts at a Leningrad school, drew postcards, designed costumes and scenery for Leningrad theaters, and painted. In 1971, based on his drawings, the animated film “Terem-Teremok” was shot.

When I was a child, my mother read all the books and fairy tales to me. And the nanny too. The fairy tale entered me...
The publishing house gives me the text. I take the one I like. And sometimes there is no fairy tale in it. It happens that it is only four or even two lines, and you can’t make a fairy tale out of them. And I’m looking for a fairy tale... I always remember who the book will be for.

Buy books with illustrations by Yuri Vasnetsov

Images

Name Rainbow-arc Author Russian folklore Illustrator Yu. Vasnetsov The year of publishing 1969 Publishing house Children's literature		Name Wolf and kids Author Russian folklore Treatment Alexey Tolstoy Illustrator Yuri Vasnetsov The year of publishing 1984 Publishing house Children's literature		Name Ruff kids Author Russian folklore Treatment N. Kolpakova Illustrator Yuri Vasnetsov The year of publishing 1991 Publishing house Children's literature

Name Spikelet Author Ukrainian folklore Illustrator Yu. Vasnetsov The year of publishing 1954 Publishing house Detgiz		Name Cat Author K. Ushinsky, Russian folklore Illustrator Yuri Vasnetsov The year of publishing 1948 Publishing house Detgiz		Name Never-before-seen Author Russian folklore Treatment K. Chukovsky Illustrator Yuri Vasnetsov The year of publishing 1976 Publishing house Soviet Russia

Name Naughty kid Author Mongolian folklore Illustrator Yu. Vasnetsov The year of publishing 1956 Publishing house Detgiz		Name Tom Thumb Author Russian folklore Retelling A.N. Tolstoy Illustrator Yuri Vasnetsov The year of publishing 1978 Publishing house Children's literature		Name Fox and mouse Author Vitaly Bianchi Illustrator Yuri Vasnetsov The year of publishing 2011 Publishing house Melik-Pashayev

Name Rainbow Author Russian folklore Illustrator Yu. Vasnetsov The year of publishing 1989 Publishing house Children's literature		Name Swamp Author Vitaly Bianchi Illustrator Yu. Vasnetsov The year of publishing 1931 Publishing house Detgiz

Conversations

“Neskuchny Garden”, 01.2008
Extremely generalized, condensed images were instantly recognized and accepted as family - by both children and adults. It was clear that these were our heroes, Russians from toe to toe. But not epic ones, but living somewhere nearby. Looking at us from under a bush the way the sad top looks from “The Tale of Tales” - sensitively and intently.

“Young Artist”, No. 12.1979
Rarely does anyone manage to carry childhood impressions throughout their lives the way Vasnetsov did. The artist has not lost his direct perception of nature over the years; vividly recalled folk holidays. “As if in reality I remember everything!.. I remember everything so, apparently, I looked at it for a reason - I penetrated into everything, and for a reason. But I regret that not everything remained in my memory, I didn’t look at everything carefully. I should have looked more... A lot of things were uniquely beautiful!” - these words show the wisdom of the old master, the openness of his soul to the beauty of life. Yuri Alekseevich Vasnetsov was a happy man, because he rejoiced in his childhood and brought this joy into his works; his joy and happiness became the property of other people - adults and children.

Events

17.03.2014
As part of the Children's Book Days, the exhibition “Artists of Pre-War DETGIZ” opens at the Library of Book Graphics in St. Petersburg on March 20 at 19.00. The exhibition presents illustrations, sketches, prints, lithographs, covers, and books by the masters of book graphics of the pre-war period.