Paintings of famous artists portraits. Great portrait painters. Portrait artists

Portrait is 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 follows a certain style. The artist who painted the portrait may belong to one or another school of painting. And his works are recognizable due to the individuality and style that the painter follows.

Past and present

Portrait artists depict real-life people by drawing from life, or reproduce images from the past from memory. In any case, the portrait is based on something and carries information about a specific person. Often such a picture reflects some era, be it modernity or the past. In this case, portrait artists, instead of the usual background, depict several accompanying conventional features, such as the architecture of the 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 can be synthesized. Likewise, in a portrait, different subjects are combined into one whole, but the person’s face always dominates. The great portrait painters of the past mastered the art of artistic depiction to perfection. Such masters include the Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669), who painted many portraits. And each of them is recognized as true art is immortal, because the paintings of Rembrandt van Rijn are already 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. A noticeable mark in the history of painting was left by the German artist Albrecht Durer (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 Woman”, “Portrait of Emperor Maximilian”, “Portrait young man"and others are unsurpassed masterpieces. Great portrait painters differ from all other artists in their high level of self-expression. Their paintings are an example to follow.

Women's theme

Giovanni Boldini (1842-1931), Italian artist, ranks high on the list of "Great Portrait Painters of the World." He is recognized consummate master female portrait. You can look at his paintings for hours, the images are so accurate and picturesque. Rich colors, mostly cool shades, contrasting strokes, 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 portrait artists of Russia

There have always been great artists in Rus'. Portrait art originated in the 14th century AD, when talented painters such as Andrei Rublev appeared and their work was not fully consistent with the genre of portraiture, since these artists painted icons, however general principles the creation of the images coincided.

During the same period, the famous artist Dionysius (1440-1502), a protege of Ivan III, Tsar of Moscow, worked. The monarch commissioned the artist to paint a cathedral or church, and then watched him create his masterpieces. The king liked to participate in such a godly activity.

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

Alexey Zubov (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 Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin.

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

Vasily Tropinin (1776-1857), a famous Russian artist, truly became famous in 1827. He created the belt of Alexander Sergeevich, the brightest representative of Russian poetry. The order was made by the poet himself. And the painting was intended for Alexander Sergeevich’s friend, Sobolevsky. The portrait became the most famous creation of all that ever depicted Pushkin. Tropinin's painting "Alexander Pushkin" forever became 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; the canvas depicted A. K. Walbe. The artist’s most famous work is considered to be “Portrait of E.V. Davydov,” painted in 1809. Several paintings by Orest Kiprensky are in Tretyakov Gallery.

Alexey Venetsianov (1780-1847) is a Russian artist who is considered the founder of the narrative style in portrait art. He was a student of the venerable painter Vladimir Borovikovsky. The young man gained wide fame 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 Catherine II, traveling as part of her 1787 tour. The painter created a series of artistic paintings in the palace, which was located on the route of the empress. Catherine was delighted with Borovikovsky’s work and awarded him a large sum 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 religious wall paintings. Kramskoy's portrait art allowed him to create a whole range of images famous people, among whom are 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.

The mysterious world of art may seem confusing to the untrained eye, but there are masterpieces that everyone should know. Talent, inspiration and painstaking work on every stroke give birth to works that are admired centuries later.

It is impossible to collect all the outstanding creations in one selection, but we tried to select the most famous paintings that attract giant queues in front of museums around the world.

The most famous paintings by Russian artists

“Morning in a pine forest”, Ivan Shishkin and Konstantin Savitsky

Year of creation: 1889
Museum

Shishkin was an excellent landscape painter, but he rarely had to draw animals, so the figures of bear cubs were painted by Savitsky, an excellent animal artist. At the end of the work, Tretyakov ordered Savitsky’s signature to be erased, considering that Shishkin had done much more extensive work.

“Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan November 16, 1581”, Ilya Repin

Years of creation: 1883–1885
Museum: Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Repin was inspired to create the masterpiece, better known as “Ivan the Terrible Kills His Son,” by Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Antar” symphony, namely its second movement, “The Sweetness of Revenge.” Under the influence of the sounds of music, the artist depicted a bloody scene of murder and subsequent repentance observed in the eyes of the sovereign.

"The Seated Demon", Mikhail Vrubel

Year of creation: 1890
Museum: Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

The painting was one of thirty illustrations drawn by Vrubel for the anniversary edition of the works of M.Yu. Lermontov. “The sitting demon” personifies the doubts inherent in the human spirit, the subtle, elusive “mood of the soul.” According to experts, the artist was to some extent obsessed with the image of a demon: this painting was followed by “The Flying Demon” and “The Defeated Demon.”

“Boyaryna Morozova”, Vasily Surikov

Years of creation: 1884–1887
Museum: Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

The film is based on the plot of the Old Believer life “The Tale of Boyarina Morozova”. Understanding key image came to the artist when he saw a crow spreading its black wings like a blur on the snowy surface. Later, Surikov spent a long time looking for a prototype for the noblewoman’s face, but could not find anything suitable until one day he met an Old Believer woman with a pale, frantic face in a cemetery. The portrait sketch was completed in two hours.

"Bogatyrs", Viktor Vasnetsov

Years of creation: 1881–1898
Museum: Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

The future epic masterpiece was born as a small pencil sketch in 1881; For further work on the canvas, Vasnetsov spent many years painstakingly collecting information about the heroes from myths, legends and traditions, and also studied authentic ancient Russian ammunition in museums.

Analysis of Vasnetsov’s painting “Three Heroes”

“Bathing the Red Horse”, Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin

Year of creation: 1912
Museum: Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Initially, the painting was conceived as an everyday sketch from the life of a Russian village, but during the work the artist’s canvas became overgrown with a huge number of symbols. By the red horse, Petrov-Vodkin meant “The Fate of Russia”; after the country joined the First world war he exclaimed: “So that’s why I painted this picture!” However, after the revolution, pro-Soviet art critics interpreted the key figure in the painting as a “harbinger of revolutionary fires.”

"Trinity", Andrei Rublev

Year of creation: 1411
Museum: Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

The icon that laid the foundation for the tradition of Russian icon painting in the 15th–16th centuries. The canvas depicting the Old Testament trinity of angels who appeared to Abraham is a symbol of the unity of the Holy Trinity.

"The Ninth Wave", Ivan Aivazovsky

Year of creation: 1850
Museum

A pearl in the “cartography” of the legendary Russian marine painter, who without hesitation can be considered one of the most famous artists in the world. We can see how the sailors who miraculously survived the storm cling to the mast in anticipation of meeting the “ninth wave,” the mythical apogee of all storms. But the warm shades dominating the canvas give hope for the salvation of the victims.

“The Last Day of Pompeii”, Karl Bryullov

Years of creation: 1830–1833
Museum: Russian Museum, St. Petersburg

Completed in 1833, Bryullov’s painting was originally exhibited in largest cities Italy, where it caused a real sensation - the painter was compared to Michelangelo, Titian, Raphael... At home, the masterpiece was greeted with no less enthusiasm, securing the nickname “Charle the Great” for Bryullov. The canvas is truly great: its dimensions are 4.6 by 6.5 meters, which makes it one of the largest paintings among the creations of Russian artists.

The most famous paintings of Leonardo da Vinci

"Mona Lisa"

Years of creation: 1503–1505
Museum: Louvre, Paris

A masterpiece of the Florentine genius that needs no introduction. It is noteworthy that the painting received cult status after the incident of theft from the Louvre in 1911. Two years later, the thief, who turned out to be a museum employee, tried to sell the painting to the Uffizi Gallery. The events of the high-profile case were covered in detail in the world press, after which hundreds of thousands of reproductions went on sale, and the mysterious Mona Lisa became an object of worship.

Years of creation: 1495–1498
Museum: Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan

After five centuries, the fresco with a classical plot on the wall of the refectory of the Dominican monastery in Milan is recognized as one of the most mysterious paintings in history. According to Da Vinci's idea, the painting depicts the moment of the Easter meal, when Christ notifies the disciples of imminent betrayal. Great amount hidden characters gave rise to an equally huge variety of studies, allusions, borrowings and parodies.

"Madonna Litta"

Year of creation: 1491
Museum: Hermitage, St. Petersburg

Also known as "Madonna and Child" painting for a long time was kept in the collection of the Dukes of Litta, and in 1864 was purchased by the St. Petersburg Hermitage. Many experts agree that the figure of the baby was painted not by da Vinci personally, but by one of his students - a pose too uncharacteristic for the painter.

The most famous paintings of Salvador Dali

Year of creation: 1931
Museum: Museum contemporary art, NY

Paradoxically, the most famous work of the genius of surrealism was born from thoughts about Camembert cheese. One evening, after a friendly dinner that ended with cheese appetizers, the artist was lost in thought about “spreading pulp,” and his imagination painted a picture of a melting clock with an olive branch in the foreground.

Year of creation: 1955
Museum: National Gallery of Art, Washington

A traditional plot given a surreal twist using arithmetic principles studied by Leonardo da Vinci. The artist put the peculiar magic of the number “12” at the forefront, moving away from the hermeneutic method of interpreting the biblical plot.

The most famous paintings of Pablo Picasso

Year of creation: 1905
Museum: Pushkin Museum, Moscow

The painting became the first sign of the so-called “pink” period in Picasso’s work. Rough texture and simplified style are combined with a sensitive play of lines and colors, the contrast between the massive figure of an athlete and a fragile gymnast. The canvas was sold along with 29 other works for 2 thousand francs (in total) to the Parisian collector Vollard, changed several collections, and in 1913 it was acquired by Russian philanthropist Ivan Morozov, already for 13 thousand francs.

Year of creation: 1937
Museum: Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid

Guernica is the name of a city in the Basque country that was subjected to German bombing in April 1937. Picasso had never been to Guernica, but was stunned by the scale of the disaster, like “the blow of a bull’s horn.” The artist conveyed the horrors of war in abstract form and showed the real face of fascism, veiling it with bizarre geometric shapes.

The most famous paintings of the Renaissance

"Sistine Madonna", Raphael Santi

Years of creation: 1512–1513
Museum: Gallery of Old Masters, Dresden

If you look closely at the background, which at first glance consists of clouds, you will notice that in fact Raphael depicted the heads of angels there. The two angels located at the bottom of the picture are almost more famous than the masterpiece itself, due to its wide circulation in mass art.

"Birth of Venus", Sandro Botticelli

Year of creation: 1486
Museum: Uffizi Gallery, Florence

The picture is based on the ancient Greek myth of the birth of Aphrodite from sea foam. Unlike many masterpieces of the Renaissance, the canvas has survived to this day in excellent condition thanks to the protective layer of egg yolk that Botticelli prudently covered the work with.

"The Creation of Adam", Michelangelo Buonarotti

Year of creation: 1511
Museum: Sistine Chapel, Vatican

One of the nine frescoes on the ceiling Sistine Chapel, illustrating the chapter from Genesis: “And God created man in His own image.” It was Michelangelo who was the first to depict God as a gray-haired old man, after which this image became archetypal. Modern scientists believe that the contours of the figure of God and angels represent the human brain.

"Night Watch", Rembrandt

Year of creation: 1642
Museum: State Museum, Amsterdam

The full title of the painting is “Performance of the rifle company of Captain Frans Banning Kok and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburg.” Modern name The painting received its attention in the 19th century, when it was found by art critics who, due to the layer of dirt covering the work, decided that the action in the painting was taking place under the cover of night darkness.

"The Garden of Earthly Delights", Hieronymus Bosch

Years of creation: 1500–1510
Museum: Prado Museum, Madrid “Black Square”

Malevich wrote “Black Square” for several months; Legend has it that a painting is hidden under a layer of black paint - the artist did not have time to finish the work on time and, in a fit of anger, covered up the image. There are at least seven copies of the “Black Square” made by Malevich, as well as a kind of “continuation” of the Suprematist squares – “Red Square” (1915) and “ White square"(1918).

"The Scream", Edvard Munch

Year of creation: 1893
Museum: National Gallery, Oslo

Due to its inexplicable mystical effect on the viewer, the painting was stolen in 1994 and 2004. There is an opinion that the picture created at the turn of the 20th century anticipated numerous disasters of the coming century. The deep symbolism of "The Scream" inspired many artists, including Andy Warhol

This painting still causes a lot of controversy. Some art critics believe that the excitement around the painting, painted using the signature splashing technique, was created artificially. The canvas was not sold until all the artist’s other works were purchased, and accordingly, the price for a non-figurative masterpiece skyrocketed. “Number Five” was sold for $140 million, becoming the most expensive painting in history.

"Marilyn Diptych", Andy Warhol

Year of creation: 1962
Museum: Tate Gallery, London

A week after the death of Marilyn Monroe scandalous artist started working on the canvas. 50 stenciled portraits of the actress were applied to the canvas, stylized in the “pop art” genre based on a 1953 photograph.
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Russian portrait painters appeared in the early 14th century AD. Brush masters of that time had limited resources, so they often resorted to stylized drawings. This could not be called surrealism, but the paintings certainly suffered from insufficient detail. Later, Russian portrait artists and their works were reoriented to the design of churches. Masters of sacred painting painted the walls and ceilings of churches and cathedrals.

Early portrait art

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

The most prominent representative of that time was Andrei Rublev (1370-1428), who left behind imperishable works: “Savior Almighty,” “Archangel Michael,” “Trinity,” and other masterpieces of icon painting.

A contemporary of Rublev was the famous icon painter Theophanes the Greek (1340-1410). They worked together for a long time. In the 90s of the 14th century, artists painted the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. Other Russian portrait artists also took part in the work. The amount of work was quite large. The main icons of the Deesis row were painted by the “prophetic” and part of the upper “forefathers” row by Andey Rublev. There is no reliable data confirming that he painted the marks of the large icons of the lower row, but the hand of a talented icon painter is recognizable in these works.

Early Masters of Portraiture

At the beginning of the 14th century, the technique of oil painting improved somewhat with the introduction of finely ground paints.

Russian portrait painters of later times:

• Dionysius (1440-1502), favorite of Tsar Ivan III. The monarch used to commission an artist to paint a temple, and then periodically visit the icon painter and observe the work.
• Alexey Zubov (1682-1750) is the greatest 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 Moscow Kremlin Armory.
• Nikitin Ivan (1680-1742) - Russian artist, one of the first Russian masters portrait painting, educated in Europe. He was in a special favor with Peter the Great. The most famous works of the artist are the Polish King Augustus 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 pure form when a painter reflects the image of a specific person on canvas. Russian portrait artists of that time adhered to the classical school of fine art, which involved accurate reproduction the smallest details. In portrait painting, this technique best suited the tasks assigned to the artist - to achieve such an image that it bears all the characteristics artistic style and was as reliable as possible. The work seemed quite painstaking and responsible. Nevertheless, famous Russian portrait artists coped with it superbly. There were more than enough orders; all the court nobility, as well as members of merchant guilds, vied with each other to order portraits of themselves and their loved ones.

Wealthy people preferred to invite painters to their homes, because in this case the whole family could observe the process, and this was considered good manners. The Russian portrait artist usually lived poorly, so he tried to accept 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 artist was in demand in high society and was not left without work. The most successful craftsmen were invited to the royal chambers to carry out especially important assignments.

The rise of portraiture

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

Russian portrait painters of the 18th century:

• Alexey Antropov (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 into the Orthodox Synod as the chief overseer of icon painting. The artist entered the history of Russian art as a talented portrait painter of the Peter the Great period.
• Borovikovsky Vladimir (1757-1825) was born in Mirgorod. He became famous after meeting Catherine II, who was traveling to Crimea in 1787. The artist painted one of the palaces on the empress’s route and was noticed by her. Catherine expressed her admiration and rewarded Borovikovsky with money, with which he subsequently went to St. Petersburg.
• Alexey Venetsianov (1780-1847) - Russian artist, founder of the genre of everyday life in portrait painting. His work “Portrait of a Mother,” painted in 1801, brought him fame. Studied the art of drawing from
• Kiprensky Orest (1782-1836) - an outstanding artist, made his debut in 1804 with a portrait of A. K. Valbe, which was painted in the manner of Rembrandt. Notable work"E.V. Davydov", created in 1809, strengthened the artist's reputation. Many of Kiprensky's paintings are kept in the Tretyakov Gallery.
• Tropinin Vasily (1776-1857) - Russian artist who became famous after he painted a portrait of A.S. Pushkin, commissioned by 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 times.

Portrait art in the 19th century

Russian portrait artists 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) - follower of the academic style in art, historical portrait painter. Studied painting at the Dresden Art Institute higher school. In 1826 he moved to St. Petersburg, where he immediately gained fame by painting a series of portraits of famous people. In 1837, he went on a long trip around Russia to get acquainted with the folklore hinterland and life common people. After his return, he painted the church of the Winter Palace; these works included the famous “Last Supper”. He received a professorship for painting St. Isaac's Cathedral, and at the same time 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 Ermolov took the child into custody. Noticing his adopted son's ability to draw, he sent little Petya to study with portrait painter Lev Volkov. In 1836, Zakharov completed a course at the Academy of Arts and received the title free artist.
• (1822-1897) - Russian painter, for a long time creative life painted many paintings. 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 recognition from the capital's public.

Portrait painter Tyranov

Russian portrait painter (1808-1859), engaged in icon painting. In 1824, he met the artist Venetsianov, who enrolled the young man in his painting school, and when he completed his studies, he arranged for Tyranov to become a student at the Academy of Arts. The further fate of the young painter was successful; 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" he was awarded the title of academician. While in Rome he painted his main paintings: “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 series of misfortunes, and he turned into a beggar. I found shelter in my brother’s house in the city of Kashin. Tyranov died there at the age of 51.

Unsurpassed portrait technique

Sergei Zaryanko (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, teacher at the Academy of Arts. Wrote mostly female portraits. Received the title of academician for the painting "Girl Washing" He was a regular participant in annual exhibitions held under the auspices of the Academy of Arts of St. Petersburg.

Dramatic artist

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

All his life the artist adhered to the philosophical and dramatic subtext in his works, this is especially noticeable in the 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 upheavals and 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 through a good school.

Russian portrait artists of the 20th century:

• Kozlov Engels is a Soviet portrait artist, born in 1926, graduated from the Yaroslavl Art School, then entered the painting course at 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, born in 1924. Studied at Leningradskaya 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 expelled from the army. Portraits painted by the artist have been exhibited at exhibitions since 1952.
• Samuil Nevelshtein (1904-1983) - portrait painter, graduated from VKHUTEMAS. The artist has several dozen works to his name. The main theme of Nevelshtein’s work was portraits of his contemporaries. The portrait painter held five personal exhibitions, all of them were held in Leningrad, the first show took place in 1944.
• Oreshnikov Viktor (1904-1987) - Soviet painter and portrait painter. People's Artist Soviet Union, winner of two Stalin Prizes. The works were dominated by subjects dedicated to achievements in the national economy and portraits of contemporaries.
• - Russian portrait painter, born in 1943. Creator of a unique focus. Actively participates in public life, member of the Public Council under the President of Russia.

Famous portrait artists

In the six hundred years that have passed since the advent of painting, more than one generation of artists has changed. In addition to the painters already mentioned, there were quite a lot of other masters.

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

• Musikiysky Grigory Semenovich, court portrait painter.
• Gsell Georg, a Swiss painter, worked in Russia for a long time.
• Nikitin Ivan Nikitich, court artist.
• Vishnyakov Ivan Yakovlevich, portrait painter for the aristocracy.
• Kolokolnikov Mina Lukich, serf artist.
• Matveevich, court portrait painter.

• Ugryumov Grigory Ivanovich, peasant artist.
• noble portrait painter.
• Orlovsky Alexander Osipovich, noble artist.
• Sokolov Petr Fedorovich, portrait painter for the aristocracy.

Of all, the most popular is considered to be a portrait, which allows you to capture a person or a group of people on canvas. According to a long-standing legend, this one originated during the Ancient Greece, when the girl said goodbye to her lover who was leaving for war and, in order to forever perpetuate his image in her memory, she circled the shadow falling from him on the wall. Over the centuries, the art of painting improved and reached the pinnacle of its mastery by the 18th century. It was at this time that portraits began to appear famous artists, which depicted not only the appearance of the hero, but also conveyed his feelings, experiences, and temperament.

Features of paintings from the Peter the Great era

In European fine art, the 18th century is rightly called the time of the dominance of the portrait genre. It was this type of painting that became predominant, because everyone wanted to get paintings with their image. In Russia, the popularity of the portrait was brought by Peter I. The progressive reforms of the emperor contributed to the beginning of close cooperation between the state and European countries, and Russian painting began to gradually be enriched with elements of Western secular art. However, despite the influence of foreign culture, portraits of famous artists of the 18th century living in Russia did not lose their originality and expressiveness.

Types of paintings

Initially, portraits were divided into ceremonial and chamber portraits. The first type included paintings in which a person was depicted in full height during the celebration (if the hero was painted waist-high, then the picture was considered semi-ceremonial). He was dressed in magnificent clothes and stood in a proud pose, surrounded by a luxurious background. Such paintings were exhibited in the reception hall for public viewing.

Chamber portraits were the opposite of ceremonial portraits: here the sitter was depicted in a relaxed pose, immersed in his thoughts and activities. This type of work of art was intended to decorate the walls of small rooms, away from prying eyes.

In the 18th century, ceremonial and chamber paintings still did not lose their popularity, but another type of painting was added to them - intimate painting. Here the artist tried not only to depict a person, but also to convey his inner world with the help of a brush. The luxurious background was ignored. Many famous portraits Russian artists were often painted in an intimate style.

Transformation of paintings in the 18th century

Notable figures in the art of that time were such painters as I. Nikitin, F. Rokotov, I. Argunov, A. Antropov, D. Levitsky, V. Borovikovsky, A. Matveev and others. Portraits of famous artists are imbued with high respect for the individual person. If in the first half of the 18th century, paintings in this genre were parsuns (flat, frozen images of noble people, made using icon-painting techniques), then gradually the masters begin to move away from this, introducing the breath of life, light and emotions into their works. Creative heritage painters of the 18th century largely determined the future fate of Russian portraiture.

Creativity of I. Nikitin

The artist Ivan Nikitin (born in the mid-1680s - died around 1742) was the pride of Peter the Great. The Emperor highly appreciated creative skills painter, considering him a portrait painter of European level. The artist's early works were made in a parsun style with its inherent gloom, flatness of the image, and fuzzy play of light and shadow. But, despite this, Nikitin’s portraits, painted at the initial stage of his work, are particularly realistic and psychological; they completely lack flattery towards the hero of the picture, which was abused by many ceremonial painters of that time. Gradually, Nikitin moved away from parsuns and improved his skill, maintaining in it the realism of the image and a subtle understanding inner world person.

The painter's brush includes several paintings depicting Peter I, as well as many other noble persons (the emperor's wife, his daughters Elizabeth, Anna and others). The artist’s most successful work is considered to be “Portrait of a Floor Hetman” (circa 1725). The picture impresses with the tragic image of the hero - an old man, on whose face there is strength, power, emotion and sorrow. To this day, it is not known exactly who exactly Ivan Nikitin painted on his canvas. The painter enhanced the dramatic effect of the painting with a skillful selection of shades of paint. This canvas, like other portraits of famous artists, depicts not just a person, but an entire era.

Rokotov - creator of the semi-dress style

If Ivan Nikitin was a particularly brilliant painter of the early 18th century, then the second half of the century became famous (1735 - 1808). He was especially good at portraits of women. There weren’t many famous artists who could convey a lady’s tenderness and grace on canvas, and Rokotov was in great demand. He wrote many of his works in a semi-ceremonial style.

The master’s talent captivated Catherine II, and in 1763 she specially invited him to create her coronation portrait. The painter depicted the empress in profile, successfully emphasizing her stately figure and thoroughbred face. Catherine liked the painting so much that she continued to order artists to paint her portraits, copying Rokotov’s style. The painter’s brushes belonged to Struyskaya, Princess Yusupova, Peter III and other noble persons of that time. He paid main attention to the customers’ faces, making them soft, gentle, as if glowing from within. Thanks to this approach, his portraits turned out to be realistic; they conveyed the feelings of the people from whom they were painted.

V. Borovikovsky - glorifier of the female image

When looking at portraits of girls by famous Russian artists, one cannot help but mention Vladimir Borovikovsky (1757-1825). Fame came to him in last decade 18th century. Borovikovsky created intimate portraits, emphasizing the sentimentality and tenderness of his sitters. He painted not only rich women, but also simple peasant women, conveying on canvas the whole feminine beauty that era. Images of Lopukhina, Naryshkina, Arsenyeva, peasant woman Khristinya, double portrait The maids of the Lvov family, Lizonka and Dashenka, are the most masters. Women with soft hair, a gentle blush and a luminous gaze look touchingly from the canvases. Despite the fact that all the author’s paintings are written in the same style, they are a true work of art of that time.

D. Levitsky and his paintings

Dmitry Levitsky (1735-1822) is another famous portrait painter of the 18th century. Like other artists, he skillfully depicted in his works the beauty of the inner world of man. Levitsky became famous as a master of ceremonial style. He wrote the characters very realistically, without flattery or embellishment of the client’s appearance. Levitsky left behind a whole gallery of portraits, depicting Catherine II, E. Vorontsova, A. Kokorinov, P. Demidov, Ursula Mnishek and many other of his famous contemporaries.

Features of surviving paintings

The 18th century left as a souvenir of paintings and portraits of famous artists, which today can be seen in the Tretyakov Gallery, Russian and Pushkin Museums, private collections. The painted canvases are so realistic that they amaze art fans with the level of skill of past painters. Portraits of women by famous artists look especially colorful, they exude life, youth and extraordinary believability of the image.

“Every portrait painted with feeling is, in essence, a portrait of the artist, and not of the person who posed for him.” Oscar Wilde

What does it take to be an artist? A simple imitation of a work cannot be considered art. Art is something that comes from within. The author's idea, passion, search, desires and sorrows, which are embodied on the artist's canvas. Throughout the history of mankind, hundreds of thousands, and perhaps millions of paintings have been painted. Some of them are truly masterpieces, known all over the world, even people who have nothing to do with art know them. Is it possible to identify the 25 most outstanding among such paintings? The task is very difficult, but we tried...

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25

"The Persistence of Memory", Salvador Dali

Thanks to this painting, Dali became famous at a fairly young age, he was 28 years old. The painting has several other names - “ Soft watch", "Memory hardness". This masterpiece has attracted the attention of many art critics. Basically, they were interested in the interpretation of the painting. It is said that the idea behind Dali's painting is related to Einstein's theory of relativity.

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24

"Dance", Henri Matisse

Henri Matisse was not always an artist. He discovered his love for painting after receiving a law degree in Paris. He studied art so zealously that he became one of greatest artists in the world. This painting has very little negative criticism from art critics. It reflects a combination of pagan rituals, dance and music. People dance in a trance. Three colors - green, blue and red, symbolize Earth, Sky and Humanity.

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23

"The Kiss", Gustav Klimt

Gustav Klimt was often criticized for the nudity in his paintings. "The Kiss" was noticed by critics as it merged all forms of art. The painting could be a depiction of the artist himself and his lover, Emilia. Klimt wrote this painting under the influence Byzantine mosaic. The Byzantines used gold in their paintings. Likewise, Gustav Klimt mixed gold in his paints to create his own style of painting.

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22

"Sleeping Gypsy", Henri Rousseau

No one except Rousseau himself could describe this picture better. Here is his description - “a nomadic gypsy who sings her songs to the accompaniment of a mandolin, sleeps on the ground from fatigue, her jug ​​of drinking water lies nearby. A lion passing by came up to sniff her, but did not touch her. Everything is bathed in moonlight, a very poetic atmosphere.” It is noteworthy that Henri Rousseau is self-taught.

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21

"The Last Judgment", Hieronymus Bosch

Without unnecessary words- the picture is simply magnificent. This triptych is the largest surviving painting by Bosch. The left wing shows the story of Adam and Eve. The central part is the "last judgment" on the part of Jesus - who should go to heaven and who should go to hell. The earth we see here is burning. The right wing depicts a disgusting image of hell.

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20

Everyone is familiar with Narcissus from Greek mythology - a man who was obsessed with his appearance. Dali wrote his own interpretation of Narcissus.

The story is like this. The beautiful young man Narcissus easily broke the hearts of many girls. The gods intervened and, to punish him, showed him his reflection in the water. The narcissist fell in love with himself and eventually died because he was never able to embrace himself. Then the Gods regretted doing this to him and decided to immortalize him in the form of a narcissus flower.

On the left side of the picture is Narcissus looking at his reflection. After which he fell in love with himself. The right panel shows the events that unfolded after, including the resulting flower, the daffodil.

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19

The plot of the film is based on the biblical massacre of the infants in Bethlehem. After the birth of Christ became known from the wise men, King Herod ordered the killing of all small male children and infants in Bethlehem. In the picture, the massacre is at its peak, the last few children, who were taken from their mothers, await their merciless death. Also visible are the corpses of children, for whom everything is already behind them.

Thanks to his use of rich colors, Rubens's painting has become a world-famous masterpiece.

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18

Pollock's work is very different from other artists. He placed his canvas on the ground and moved around and around the canvas, dripping paint from above onto the canvas using sticks, brushes and syringes. Thanks to this unique technique, he was nicknamed “Sprinkler Jack” in artistic circles. For some time, this painting held the title of the most expensive painting in the world.

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17

Also known as "Dancing at Le Moulin de la Galette". This painting is considered one of Renoir's most joyful paintings. The idea of ​​the film is to show viewers the fun side of Parisian life. Upon closer examination of the painting, you can see that Renoir placed several of his friends on the canvas. Because the painting appears slightly blurred, it was initially criticized by Renoir's contemporaries.

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16

The plot is taken from the Bible. In the picture " Last Supper"depicts Christ's last supper before his arrest. He had just spoken to his apostles and told them that one of them would betray him. All the apostles are saddened and tell him that it is, of course, not them. It was this moment that Da Vinci beautifully depicted through his vivid depiction. The great Leonardo took four years to complete this painting.

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15

Monet's "Water Lilies" can be found everywhere. You've probably seen them on wallpapers, posters and covers art magazines. The fact is that Monet was obsessed with lilies. Before he started painting them, he grew countless numbers of these flowers. Monet built a Japanese-style bridge in his garden over a lily pond. He was so pleased with what he had achieved that he drew this plot seventeen times in one year.

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14

There is something sinister and mysterious in this picture; there is an aura of fear around it. Only such a master as Munch was able to depict fear on paper. Munch made four versions of The Scream in oil and pastel. According to the entries in Munch's diary, it is quite clear that he himself believed in death and spirits. In the painting “The Scream,” he depicted himself at the moment when one day, while walking with friends, he felt fear and excitement, which he wanted to paint.

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13

The painting, which is usually mentioned as a symbol of motherhood, was not supposed to become one. It is said that Whistler's model, who was supposed to sit for the painting, did not show up, and he decided to paint his mother instead. We can say that the sad life of the artist’s mother is depicted here. This mood is due to the dark colors that are used in this painting.

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12

Picasso met Dora Maar in Paris. They say that she was intellectually closer to Picasso than all his previous mistresses. Using Cubism, Picasso was able to convey movement in his work. It seems that Maar's face turns to the right, towards Picasso's face. The artist made the woman's presence almost real. Maybe he wanted to feel like she was there, always.

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11

Van Gogh wrote Starry Night while undergoing treatment, where he was only allowed to paint while his condition improved. Earlier in the same year, he cut off his left earlobe. Many considered the artist crazy. From the entire collection of Van Gogh's works " Starlight Night"received the most great fame, possibly due to the unusual spherical light around the stars.

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10

In this painting, Manet recreated Titian's Venus of Urbino. The artist had a bad reputation for depicting prostitutes. Although gentlemen at that time visited courtesans quite often, they did not think that anyone would take it into their heads to paint them. Then it was preferable for artists to paint pictures of historical, mythical or biblical themes. However, Manet, going against the criticism, showed the audience their contemporary.

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9

This painting is a historical canvas that depicts Napoleon's conquest of Spain.

Having received an order for paintings depicting the struggle of the people of Spain against Napoleon, the artist did not paint heroic and pathetic canvases. He chose the moment when the Spanish rebels were shot by French soldiers. Each of the Spaniards experiences this moment in their own way, some have already resigned themselves, but for others the main battle has just arrived. War, blood and death, that's what Goya actually depicted.

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8

It is believed that the girl depicted is eldest daughter Vermeer, Maria. Its features are present in many of his works, but they are difficult to compare. A book with the same title was written by Tracy Chevalier. But Tracy has a completely different version of who is depicted in this picture. She claims that she took this topic because there is very little information about Vermeer and his paintings, and this particular painting exudes a mysterious atmosphere. Later, a film was made based on her novel.

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7

The exact title of the painting is “Performance of the Rifle Company of Captain Frans Banning Cock and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburg.” The Rifle Society was a civilian militia that was called upon to defend the city. In addition to the militias, Rembrandt added several extra people. Considering that he bought an expensive house while painting this picture, it may well be true that he received a huge fee for The Night's Watch.

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6

Although the painting contains an image of Velázquez himself, it is not a self-portrait. The main character of the canvas is Infanta Margarita, daughter of King Philip IV. This depicts the moment when Velázquez, working on a portrait of the king and queen, is forced to stop and look at the Infanta Margarita, who has just entered the room with her retinue. The painting looks almost alive, arousing curiosity in the audience.

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5

This is the only painting by Bruegel that was painted in oil rather than tempera. There are still doubts about the authenticity of the painting, mainly for two reasons. Firstly, he did not paint in oils, and secondly, recent studies have shown that under the layer of painting there is schematic drawing of poor quality, which does not belong to Bruegel.

The painting depicts the story of Icarus and the moment of his fall. According to myth, Icarus' feathers were attached with wax, and because Icarus rose very close to the sun, the wax melted and he fell into the water. This landscape inspired W. Hugh Auden to write his most famous poem on the same topic.

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4

The School of Athens is perhaps the most famous fresco by the Italian Renaissance artist, Raphael.

On this fresco in Athens school All the great mathematicians, philosophers and scientists have gathered under one roof, they share their theories and learn from each other. All the heroes lived at different times, but Raphael placed them all in one room. Some of the figures are Aristotle, Plato, Pythagoras and Ptolemy. A closer look reveals that this painting also contains a self-portrait of Raphael himself. Every artist would like to leave their mark, the only difference is the form. Although maybe he considered himself one of these great figures?

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3

Michelangelo never considered himself an artist, he always thought of himself more as a sculptor. But, he managed to create an amazing, exquisite fresco that the whole world is in awe of. This masterpiece is on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. Michelangelo was commissioned to paint several biblical stories, one of which was the creation of Adam. In this picture the sculptor in Michelangelo is clearly visible. Human body Adam is rendered with incredible precision using vibrant colors and precise muscular shapes. So, we can agree with the author, after all, he is more of a sculptor.

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2

"Mona Lisa", Leonardo da Vinci

Although it is the most studied painting, the Mona Lisa still remains the most mysterious. Leonardo said that he never stopped working on it. Only his death, as they say, completed work on the canvas. "Mona Lisa" is the first Italian portrait in which the model is depicted from the waist up. Mona Lisa's skin appears to glow due to the use of several layers of transparent oils. Being scientists Leonardo da Vinci used all his knowledge to make the image of Mona Lisa realistic. As for who exactly is depicted in the painting, it still remains a mystery.

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1

The painting shows Venus, the goddess of love, floating on a shell in the wind, which is blown by Zephyr, the god of the west wind. She is met on the shore by Ora, the goddess of the seasons, who is ready to dress the newborn deity. The model for Venus is considered to be Simonetta Cattaneo de Vespucci. Simonetta Cattaneo died at 22, and Botticelli wished to be buried next to her. Connected him with her unrequited love. This painting is the most exquisite work of art ever created.

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Conclusion

This was an article TOP 25 most famous paintings in the world. Thank you for your attention!