Description of Vasnetsov. Viktor Vasnetsov (artist). The life path and work of the most famous Russian artist of the XIX century. Rise and fall

“The desire for Russian poetic antiquity, for epics, lay deep in nature Vasnetsov, lay there from childhood, back in their homeland, in Vyatka, ”wrote the critic Stasov. So the Russian folk tale in the face of Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov finds its artist. He was one of the first who penetrated into the past, embodied it on canvas and showed it to people, making them, as it were, eyewitnesses of events.

Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov was born in the Vyatka province in a large family of a village priest. Vasnetsov's father, himself a well-educated man, tried to give his children a versatile education. Everyone in the family painted: grandfather, grandmother, brothers. From an early age, Viktor Vasnetsov was imbued with the poetry of folk legends, moreover, he recognized them first-hand: “I lived in a village among men and women and loved them simply as my friends and buddies, listened to their songs and fairy tales, listened while sitting on stoves by the light and the crackle of a torch. All this laid the moral and spiritual foundations of the personality of the future artist. Vasnetsov was educated at the Theological Seminary. Here he studied chronicles, chronographs, lives of saints, parables. Old Russian literature and its poetics directed the young man's interest in Russian antiquity. Later he said: "I have always lived only in Russia."

Painting classes fascinated the young Vasnetsov that he decided to enter the Academy of Arts. With the permission and blessing of his father, he left the penultimate course of the seminary. An art lottery was organized in the city, where Vasnetsov's paintings were raffled off, and he went to St. Petersburg with the money raised from the lottery. Petersburg - the center of political, literary and artistic thought - met Viktor Vasnetsov with a variety of creative life. Ivan Kramskoy became Vasnetsov's friend and adviser. But the future painter dropped out of his studies at the Academy. He explained the reason for leaving as follows: “I wanted to paint pictures on themes from Russian epics and fairy tales, but they, the professors, did not understand this desire. So we parted." The most cherished dream pursued Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov - to tell people the beauty of the Russian folk epic. In his soul, unknown to anyone and no one had seen and not written canvases ripened - fairy tales, epics.

At first creative way Vasnetsov widely covers various phenomena of life, creates works on everyday topics. For a considerable time he created illustrations, to which he was pushed by the constant need to earn money. During the years of his life in St. Petersburg, young Vasnetsov created about two hundred illustrations for the “Folk Alphabet”, for the “Russian Alphabet for Children”, illustrations for books, etc. He reads a lot on Russian history and cultural history, gets acquainted with the monuments of ancient Russian literature, folk poetry and epic. In it, the need to express in art the main national features of the Russian people in all their depth and originality is increasingly brewing.

In 1876 Vasnetsov was in Paris. Like many Russian artists, he sought to go beyond the boundaries of the canons of academic art and the plot of the paintings of the Wanderers.

In 1878 Vasnetsov moved from St. Petersburg to Moscow. The monumental city on the Neva did not make much of an impression on him. And in Moscow, the passion for antiquity arose even more. Later he wrote: “A decisive and conscious transition from the genre was made in Moscow by the golden-domed, of course. When I arrived in Moscow, I felt that I had come home and there was nowhere else to go - the Kremlin, St. Basil the Blessed made me almost cry, to such an extent all this breathed into the soul of my relatives, unforgettable. And Vasnetsov plunged into Moscow life. With friends Repin and Polenov, we spent all our free time getting to know the city, with its sights. In these walks, according to the painter, he "gained the Moscow spirit."

Vasnetsov meets the family of Pavel Tretyakov, attends musical evenings in their house. Acquaintance with the famous philanthropist Savva Ivanovich Mamontov played an important role in the life of the artist. A major industrialist and entrepreneur, Mamontov, managed to unite around him the largest Russian artists in a commonwealth, later called the Abramtsevo circle. Mamontov had the talent to create a creative atmosphere of search around him, to infect everyone with new ideas. It was in this society that Vasnetsov with new force felt the aesthetic value of Russian culture. Friendship with the Tretyakov and Mamontov families finally convinced the artist of the correctness of his chosen path.

Vasnetsov became the discoverer of the wonderful world of folk poetry, introduced the viewer into the realm of fairy tales, epics, historical traditions; he found visual means equivalent to epic-fabulous speech turns and images. Skillfully introducing into the paintings a real, but at the same time colored landscape of a certain mood (a blood-red moon rising over the battlefield, drooping grasses, forest jungles, etc.), he touched the deep spiritual strings, forcing the viewer to empathize with the depicted. Vasnetsov's painting is marked by monumental and decorative features and often gravitates with symbolism, sometimes as if anticipating works written in the Art Nouveau style.

In the painting Ivan Tsarevich ON THE GRAY WOLF (1889, State Tretyakov Gallery), Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov wonderfully conveyed the anxiety and mystery of the moment. Everything that the artist has taken from the people is shown simply and naturally, as in a fairy tale. The wisdom of a strong-willed people was reflected in the plot of a fairy tale about the search for a beautiful princess. Overcoming tricky and difficult obstacles, Ivan achieves his cherished goal.

Vasnetsov painted a picture in Kyiv, while working in the Vladimir Cathedral. He recalled his childhood, the mysterious fabulousness of the dense forest, his beloved, such a magically beautiful Russian folk tale. In fairy tales, much is taken from the life of nature, in which all human life is connected. In ancient times, there was a cult of the wolf, and in the legends he helps the hero, he was often depicted with the wings of birds - he could move so fast - veneration in such tales is associated with the solar element.

When the picture appeared at the exhibition, the audience stood in front of it for a long time. They seemed to hear the noise of the forest, the rustle of leaves under the feet of the wolf. “Now I have returned from a traveling exhibition and I want to tell you what I feel under the first impression,” Savva Mamontov wrote to Vasnetsov. - “Your Ivan Tsarevich on the wolf” delighted me, I forgot everything around, I went into this forest, I breathed in this air, sniffed these flowers. All this is my own, good! I just came alive! Such is the irresistible effect of true and sincere creativity. The picture was bought by Tretyakov, and since then it has been hanging there, in the Vasnetsov hall, almost opposite ALYONUSHKA. Vasnetsov embodied the praise of perseverance, endurance of the Russian people, the anthem of bright and strong love in a picture-tale.

Painting "ALONUSHKA" (1881, State Tretyakov Gallery) V.M. Vasnetsova became one of his most touching and poetic creations. In the summer of 1880, the artist lived in the village of Akhtyrka, a few places from Abramtsevo. It was here that he became convinced of what he had long felt, that the country's landscape is an expressive element of national culture. He begins to paint landscape sketches that convey the sad state of nature. Alyonushka - the name that captivated him, he gives to a girl who personified the image of almost all the heroines of Russian folklore. Her image was formed by Vasnetsov under the impression of a chance meeting with a simple peasant girl, who struck him with the expression of "purely Russian sadness." A girl sits on the shore of a dark pool, sadly bowing her head in her hands. In nature, everything around is sad, sympathizes with the heroine. Vasnetsov revealed the subtlest connection between human experiences and the state of nature, which is beautifully conveyed in folk poetry. The personification of the Russian female share, and perhaps Russia itself. The whole picture is full of a single mood of sorrow, expresses love and compassion for the unfortunate. This amazing connection between human experiences and nature, this commonality of images of folk poetry, was sensitively perceived and subtly conveyed by the artist. She became the leitmotif of his painting. The image he created is simple and natural. Such a poor girl could often be seen in the old days. Vasnetsov in the picture created a deeply poetic, generalized image, expressing poetry by means of painting, which is characteristic of Russian fairy tales and songs about bitter fate.

Vasnetsov was looking for prototypes of heroes for his paintings in reality. He painted a sketch for Elena the Beautiful from Mamontov's niece, young Natalia Mamontova. He was looking for a similarity in the model that could be expressed through posture and general mood. Vasnetsov's female images are captivating. He wrote only people close to him. The female image rises to a divine sound, the heavenly and the earthly are intertwined in it. Fictional images of heroines and portraits of women close to Vasnetsov: his wife, daughters, nieces, Vera and Elizaveta Mamontov from different angles highlight what is called the Russian female soul. They are the personification of the Motherland, Russia.

Folk poetic motifs were known to Vasnetsov from young years, even in Ryabovo he heard them from the old nanny and in the village. Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov recalled them as about a dear childhood and sweet youth long gone. These motives were close and memorable to him in the subsequent years of his further artistic mastery.

Oral folk art is not only a source of wisdom and beauty, but also a belief in heroic greatness and a wonderful future. And Vasnetsov in his canvases shows the strength of the people, the ability to fight, which made the Russian people powerful and great. This is a powerful epic song of Russia, its great past. Defense of the motherland is one of the main themes of folk art. Warrior, hero, defender of the Russian land - a favorite image of legends, epics and historical songs.

Epics are Russian folk songs. If a fairy tale was told, then the epic was sung. The singer-narrators brought them to the listener in a solemn, majestic, slow and calm tone of narration, i.e. chant. These songs praised the heroes, their exploits. They defended the Russian land, defeated countless hordes of enemies, overcame any obstacles. In many fairy tales and epics, the hero is faced with a choice of which road to continue on. And he always chooses the path that leads through danger. He fearlessly overcomes all obstacles and emerges victorious.

The painting "THE VITYAZ AT THE CROSSROADS" was inspired by the epic "Ilya Muromets and the Robbers". In the thoughts and feelings of the hero, one can guess the thoughts of the artist himself about the choice of his further creative path. What is supported by the general mood of the picture, the epic landscape.

Epics tell about the events of the distant past. They depict battles with the enemies of the Russian land. They keep the memory of the past of our Motherland. It's real. The hero of the epic, as already mentioned, is a hero. He is distinguished by extraordinary strength, courage and courage, enormous growth (fiction). The hero embodies the power of the Russian people, he is an ideal hero. Any battle ends with the victory of the Russian warrior. The need to protect the native land is the main idea of ​​the epics. An example is the following painting. The largest and most significant work "BOGATYRS" (1898, State Tretyakov Gallery) was created over 20 years. The painting was purchased by Tretyakov. The Vasnetsovsky Hall was built in the gallery, in which the canvas was hung. It is still there now. Painting this picture Vasnetsov perceived for himself as a civic duty, an obligation to his native people. It was very difficult and sad to part with her. She was his favorite brainchild, "the heart was always attracted to her, and the hand reached out."

The heroic outpost on the border of the forest and the field - neither the enemy nor the beast can pass, the bird cannot fly. Ilya Muromets - "a great ataman, a peasant's son." His horse is huge, arched its neck like a wheel, sparkles with a red-hot eye. You won’t get lost with this: “He jumps from mountain to mountain, jumps from hill to hill.” Ilya turned heavily in the saddle, took his foot out of the stirrup, put his hand in a patterned mitten to his eyes. Vigilantly, sternly looks into the distance, looking closely, if there is an enemy somewhere. On the right hand on a white shaggy horse - Dobrynya Nikitich takes out his long, sharp sword-hoarder from the scabbard, and his shield burns, shimmers with pearls and gems. To the left of Ilya Alyosha Popovich. He looks slyly with beautiful, clear eyes, took an arrow from a colored quiver, attached it to a thin bowstring of a tight bow. A harp-samogudy hangs by the saddle. Holds a whip at the ready to whip the horse. The eyes of the heroes are directed in the direction where the danger comes from. The horses became alert and turned their heads to the right - they smell the enemy. With thin nostrils they sniff the air, strained their ears - they are ready for battle. Thoroughbred horses are strong, they have powerful riders. How much gravity in the heroes ?! Shield, helmet, armor - not easy clothes, and also tools: sword, shield, bow, club. A heavy burden for a horse, but heroic horses are strong, fast, just like their knights. The mighty hand of Ilya Muromets easily holds a club. There was a legend about her among the people, her weight is 90 pounds: “As Ilya waves it straight ahead, he will lay a street, wave it to the left, he will pave a lane.” Vasnetsov managed to express the heaviness of the club and the enormous physical strength of Ilya. Horses match the heroes, this expresses a sense of the reality of the past, when the horse was everything for the rider: a support, a faithful assistant in battle and in life.

Vasnetsov shows the main thing in heroes - devotion to the motherland, readiness to serve her. An unusually strong, courageous, courageous, huge hero always comes out the winner. It embodies the power of the Russian people, the defender of the Russian land. People defended the borders of their homeland together, it was in those distant times that the proverb appeared: “One man is not a warrior.” Warrior, hero, defender of the Russian land - a favorite image of epics. Plots, images, poetics of epics are reflected in Russian literature. Epics were a source of inspiration not only for artists (Vasnetsov), but also for composers, directors, etc...

In the paintings of Vasnetsov, as in Russian folk art, the truth about the people is embodied, love for the Russian people and faith in his best, highest qualities, which give him the right to a great future, are expressed. Vasnetsov's work, using plots from fairy tales and epics as an example, tells about goodness and truth, about strength and courage, about the best qualities of a Russian person.

After the revolution, Vasnetsov continued to work on fairy tales. In 1883-1885 he executed the monumental panel Stone Age in the Round Hall of the Historical Museum in Moscow. In 1886, scenery for the Snow Maiden at the Russian Private Opera by Savva Mamontov. In 1885-1886 he painted the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv, where Nesterov also worked, and directed artwork. According to the drawings of Vasnetsov, a church and a hut on chicken legs were built in Abramtsevo (1883), facade Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. (1901) and others. He also made sketches for furniture and other works of arts and crafts. In all works, steadily following the traditions of Russian art. N. Ge saw in his works "a synthesis of ancient Russian and Byzantine features, the art of the Pre-Raphaelites and even Michelangelo ... but the main thing is the Russian national spirit."

Basil the Blessed is a monument of ancient Russian architecture. Cathedral, built by order of Ivan the Terrible in memory of the capture of Kazan.

Ryabovo - a village in the Vyatka province - eighty kilometers from the provincial city. The artist Vasnetsov spent his childhood there.

Biography and episodes of life Viktor Vasnetsov. When born and died Viktor Vasnetsov, memorable places and dates important events his life. artist quotes, Photo and video.

Years of life of Viktor Vasnetsov:

born May 15, 1848, died July 23, 1926

Epitaph

With his brush, reviving epics,
Tales, legends, ancient legends,
You have immortalized yourself and gone to eternity,
There you find peace and serenity.

Biography

The great Russian painter Viktor Vasnetsov was endowed with artistic talent from childhood. IN adulthood he asserted himself in the genre of everyday life, which perfectly corresponded to the mood of the Russian Wanderers. But Vasnetsov went down in history mainly as the founder of a fundamentally new direction - epic-historical. Drawing inspiration from the bottomless wells of native folklore, the painter reproduced on his canvases fabulous motifs from Russian legends and traditions. Thus, the famous “Bogatyrs”, “The Knight at the Crossroads”, “Ivan Tsarevich at the Crossroads” appeared in the creative heritage of Russia. gray wolf and other popular stories. Vasnetsov's monumental paintings can still be found on the vaults of the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv, the memorial church of Alexander Nevsky in Sofia, the Church of the Resurrection in St. Petersburg. During his lifetime, Viktor Vasnetsov was known as an excellent illustrator and decorator, he knew how to design houses, and took part in the creation of theatrical costumes. In a word, Vasnetsov was interested in various creative undertakings, which only once again confirms the sincerity of his vocation, the truth of the path.

Viktor Vasnetsov was born into the family of a parish priest in the village of Lopyal, Vyatka province. At that time, the children of priests could receive free education in theological seminaries, so the fate of the boy, it would seem, was predetermined. But the craving for art pursued Viktor Mikhailovich from childhood, and his talent was quite obvious, so with the permission of his father, in the twentieth year of his life, Vasnetsov went to St. Petersburg to enter the Academy of Arts. After a year of study, the young painter began to take part in the expositions of the Academy, and after that in the exhibitions of the Wanderers. In the early work of Vasnetsov, everyday subjects prevailed, and the fame of him, as a newly minted genre artist, quickly spread throughout the district.

When a turning point occurred in Vasnetsov's work - a jump from everyday plots to fairy tales - his former connoisseurs rather grimaced than rejoiced. Innovation in art is always a risk, but Vasnetsov was guided by an exceptional inner instinct, perpetuating the fantastic dreams of his consciousness on canvas. And the artist was not mistaken. His works have created a whole layer of genuine national painting, glorifying the beauty folklore and grandeur of Russian history.

The great painter died in Moscow in his studio, working on a portrait of Nestor. Vasnetsov's death occurred on July 23, 1926, when the artist was in his seventy-ninth year. Vasnetsov's funeral took place at the Lazarevsky cemetery in Moscow, which turned out to be the closest to his house. However, after the abolition of the cemetery in the 30s. the ashes of the painter were reburied at the Vvedensky cemetery. On the grave of Vasnetsov there is a stone monument with an engraved image of a drooping knight at a crossroads.

life line

May 15, 1848 Date of birth of Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov.
1858 Admission to the theological school, and then to the Vitebsk Seminary.
1867 Admission to the St. Petersburg Drawing School.
1868 Admission to the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts.
1869 The beginning of the exhibition activity.
1893 Awarding the title of full member of the Academy of Arts.
1905 Participation in the financing and design of monarchist publications, including The Book of Russian Sorrow.
1915 Participation in the establishment of the Society for the Revival of Artistic Rus'.
July 23, 1926 Date of death of Viktor Vasnetsov.

Memorable places

1. The village of Lopyal, Vyatka province (now Kirov region), where Viktor Vasnetsov was born.
2. Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, where the outstanding painter studied.
3. Lazarevsky cemetery in Moscow (now defunct), where Vasnetsov was buried.
4. Vvedenskoye cemetery, where the ashes of the artist were reburied.
5. Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv, which contains the work of Vasnetsov.
6. Church of the Savior on Blood in St. Petersburg, which contains the work of Vasnetsov.
7. Temple-monument of Alexander Nevsky, in the design of which Viktor Vasnetsov took part.
8. House-Museum of Vasnetsov in Moscow.
9. State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, where paintings by Viktor Vasnetsov are kept.
10. Monument to Vasnetsov in Kirov.

Episodes of life

When the young Vasnetsov conceived a trip to St. Petersburg, he did not have the funds for the trip. The artist tried to get the required amount by working as an illustrator in one project, but the book was never published, and the money, accordingly, was not paid. Later, Vasnetsov's friends organized an exhibition of his paintings in Vyatki, two of which were immediately bought. With that, the young painter went to St. Petersburg, having no more than ten rubles in his soul.

The talent of Viktor Vasnetsov manifested itself in many areas of art. So, in the early 1900s. according to the artist's drawings, the facade of the Tretyakov Gallery, as well as a number of private houses, was made. In Abramtsevo, according to the projects of the painter, a small church and a fabulous hut on chicken legs were erected. For the famous play "The Snow Maiden" Vasnetsov prepared the scenery and costume of the main character. “Never before has fantasy gone so far and so deep in recreating the architectural forms and ornamentation of Ancient Rus', fabulous, legendary, epic,” Vladimir Stasov spoke of his work. At the initiative of the art critic, all the scenery of the play was transferred to the professional stage of the opera by patron Mamontov.

Covenant

“I have always lived only in Russia ...”

The plot about Viktor Vasnetsov from the series of programs "Caches of the Russian Museum"

condolences

“More and more I love and respect this great poet ... And how many lively, beautiful, powerful plots for paintings he still has! I wish him immortality."
Maxim Gorky, writer

“I believe that in the history of Russian painting, Vasnetsov's Bogatyrs occupy one of the first places ... And here and there - all the strength and mighty power of the Russian people. Only this force is there - oppressed and still trampled ... and here - the force is triumphant, calm and important, fearing no one and doing by itself, of its own free will, what it likes, what it seems to be necessary for everyone, for the people.
Vladimir Stasov, art critic

Artist Viktor Vasnetsov - painter. The creative direction of the artist is mostly associated with historical and fairy-tale themes, Russian epics. Vasnetsov very skillfully used his talent and skills to clearly demonstrate his understanding folk tales took inspiration from the wealthy folklore images. Thanks to his ability to accurately embody his plans, he soon became recognizable. The audience immediately appreciated and fell in love with his work.

Biography - Viktor Vasnetsov was born into the family of a poor priest M.V. Vasnetsov, Vyatka province, the village of Ryabovo on May 15, 1848. WITH early childhood it was noticed that he gravitated towards drawing, the main subjects of his sketches were local landscapes and scenes of village life. Later, Vasnetsov was arranged to study at a theological school in 1858, a little later he entered the seminary in the city of Vyatka.

In Vyatka, the young artist develops his drawing abilities, the main themes of his drawings were the themes of Russian folk proverbs and fairy tales, sayings. While studying at the seminary, he met the exiled Polish artist Andrioli E, who enlightened young artist Vasnetsov about the art of painting, later Vasnetsov decided not to leave the last course of the seminary and enter the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, which the artist Andrioli actually helped him with, introducing Vasnetsov to Bishop A. Krasinsky, who persuaded Governor Kampaneishchikov to arrange a lottery campaign to sell pictures of Vasnetsov the Milkmaid and the Reaper, thus earning some money, plus a little help from her father,

Vasnetsov went to Saint Petersburg in 1867. In the city of Petra, he enters the academy after passing the exams, not knowing about his enrollment in the academy, he faces a difficult financial situation while looking for a place to live. The brother of the Vyatka teacher Krasovsky helps in his difficult situation by arranging Vasnetsov in a cartographic organization, later the artist drew illustrations for books and various magazines, at the same time attending the drawing school of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists, where an important acquaintance with the artist Ivan Kramskoy took place in his life.

In 1868, he again tries to enter the academy, having been surprised to learn that his enrollment in the academy was last year. At the academy, he met Repin and many other artists and teachers, including Pavel Chistyakov. While studying at the academy, the artist Vasnetsov creates hundreds of different illustrations for various children's alphabets and fairy tales. Draws townspeople, everyday scenes from city life.

Without finishing his studies at the academy, he leaves it, the reason was this, Vasnetsov wanted to paint on free theme, one can say where the soul inclined on the themes of Russian epics and fairy tales, which was accordingly forbidden at the Academy of Arts.

On his creative path, the artist Viktor Vasnetsov created a large number of unique paintings among which are famous canvases, such as Ivan the Terrible, After the battle of Igor Svyatoslavich with the Polovtsy - the first serious work in the Russian epic direction was written in 1878, then in 1882 The Knight at the Crossroads, the Battle of the Russians with the Scythians, “Flying Carpet, Three Princesses underworld, the picture of Alyonushka is very remarkable, this picture is written in a national rhythm with a deep poetic touch. His very famous painting Bogatyrs in 1898, which was acquired for his collection by Pavel Tretyakov.

After writing the heroes, Vasnetsov was thinking about his personal exhibition, which he decided to organize in the spring of 1899 in the halls of the Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg. The artist put on public display about 38 of his best works.

The most notable painting at this exhibition, of course, was the Bogatyr's painting, about which there were many flattering statements by contemporaries.

According to Stasov, this picture is simply the leader among other works of artists and deserves everyone's attention and approval.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Vasnetsov worked with paintings on religious themes, and also continued to work with epic and fairy-tale themes.

From under his brush come the pictures of Bayan, the Frog Princess, the Sleeping Princess, Kashchei the Immortal and the Unsmiling Princess

The artist's work in his life path was very rich, many pictorial masterpieces were written, the themes of which are simply unique and unsurpassed. The creative energy of the artist was downright inexhaustible, however, many of his ideas were not destined to come true. In 1926, on the summer of July 23, Vasnetsov died unexpectedly while painting a portrait of his colleague Nesterov.

When it comes to artists who worked on the "revival" of epics, fairy tales and legends, Vasnetsov is one of the first to be remembered. A biography for children will traditionally begin from the birth of a talented master and his childhood.

How was the childhood of the future artist?

And Viktor Mikhailovich was born on May 15, 1848 in a village called Lopyal, near Vyatka. His father, Mikhail Vasilyevich, was a local priest. After the birth of his son, he was forced to move to another place - the village of Ryabovo. The mother of the future artist, Apollinaria Ivanovna, raised six sons (Victor himself was the second).

The life of the Vasnetsov family could not be called particularly rich. In their house, at the same time, there were customs and ways of life characteristic of both rural and urban life. After the death of his wife, the father of the family, Mikhail Vasnetsov, remained in charge. The biography for children, which tells about the main moments in the life of the future artist, continues. Mikhail Vasilyevich was an intelligent and well-educated person, so he tried to instill inquisitiveness and observation in all his sons, to give them knowledge in various fields. But the grandmother taught the children to draw. Despite poverty, adults have always found the means to buy interesting scientific journals, paints, brushes and other accessories for creativity and study. Viktor Vasnetsov, already in childhood, showed an extraordinary penchant for drawing: on his first sketches there are picturesque rural landscapes, as well as scenes of rural life.

Viktor Vasnetsov perceived other residents of the village as his good friends and listened with pleasure to the tales and songs that they told during gatherings in the dimmed light and crackling of the torch.

Vasnetsov could not imagine his life without drawing from an early age

Vasnetsov Viktor Mikhailovich, whose biography is the topic of our conversation today, began to draw very early. But in those days it was customary for the son to follow in the footsteps of his father, so he first went to study at a religious school, and then at a seminary in Vyatka. As a seminarian, Vasnetsov constantly studied chronicles, the lives of saints, chronographs, and various documents. And ancient Russian literature attracted special attention - it further strengthened the love for Russian antiquity, which Vasnetsov was already distinguished by. A biography for children dedicated to this amazing artist should also mention that it was in the seminary that Vasnetsov received deep knowledge in the field of Orthodox symbols, which later came in handy while working on

Studying at the seminary did not prevent Viktor Mikhailovich from diligently studying painting. In 1866-1867. 75 wonderful drawings came out from under his hand, which eventually served as illustrations for the “Collection of Russian proverbs” by N. Trapitsin.

A strong impression on Vasnetsov was made by his acquaintance with E. Andrioli, a Polish artist who was in exile. Andrioli tells his young friend about the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. Vasnetsov immediately lit up with the desire to go there. The artist's father did not mind, but immediately warned that he would not be able to help financially.

The beginning of an independent life in St. Petersburg

However, Vasnetsov did not remain without support. Andrioli and his acquaintance, Bishop Adam Krasinsky, spoke with Governor Kampaneishchikov, who helped them sell the paintings "The Milkmaid" and "The Reaper" that Vasnetsov painted. A biography for children should include a few more interesting points related to this. For the sold paintings, Vasnetsov received 60 rubles, and with this amount he went to St. Petersburg. The modesty and insecurity of the young man did not allow him to even look at the list of those enrolled in the academy after passing the exams. Victor, through acquaintances, was able to get a job as a draftsman in order to earn his living. Later, Vasnetsov finds something to his liking and begins to draw illustrations for magazines and books. Then he enters the school of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists, where he meets I. Kramskoy, who has yet to play an important role in the life of a young artist.

Education at the Academy of Arts and future life artist

In 1868, Vasnetsov again makes an attempt to enter the St. Petersburg Academy. And he learns that the last time he still managed to successfully pass the exams.

The time of study at the academy gave Viktor Mikhailovich many new interesting acquaintances. Here he becomes close and begins to make friends with Repin, Polenov, Kuindzhi, Surikov, Maximov, the Prakhov brothers, Antokolsky, Chistyakov.

Already during the first year of study, Vasnetsov received a silver medal, and then two more small medals for a sketch from nature and a drawing “Two naked models”. Two years later, the teachers awarded him for the drawing "Christ and Pilate before the people", this time with a large silver medal.

This period became very difficult for Vasnetsov. In 1870, the artist's father died, and he began to take care of his maternal uncle, who also dreams of the glory of a talented artist and is looking for an opportunity to earn money. Beginning in 1871, Vasnetsov appeared less and less at the academy, mainly due to lack of time and deteriorating health. However, he still worked fruitfully: during this time he completed more than 200 illustrations for the "Soldier's Alphabet", "Folk Alphabet", "Russian Alphabet for Children" (Vodovozov). The artist is engaged in illustrating the fairy tales "The Firebird", "The Little Humpbacked Horse" and some others. Vasnetsov also manages to draw for himself - as a rule, these were drawings on everyday topics.

1875 was the year of cardinal changes in the life of Viktor Mikhailovich. He leaves the academy because the need to earn money comes first for him, and besides, because he wants to independently develop his talent. At the exhibition of the Wanderers, his painting “Tea drinking in a tavern” appears, and work on “The Beggar Singers” is also being completed. In 1876, he presents the paintings "Bookshop" and "From apartment to apartment."

In the same year, Vasnetsov had the opportunity to visit Paris. A visit to France strikes the artist's imagination, and under the impression of him he writes the famous "Balagans in the vicinity of Paris" (1877).

A year later, the artist returns to his homeland, marries Alexandra Ryazantseva and moves to Moscow with his new wife.

The painting of the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv is the most important work in the life of Vasnetsov

In 1885, A. Prakhov invites Vasnetsov to take part in the painting of the recently erected one. After thinking, the artist agrees. He has already gained minimal experience by working on the Abramtsevo Church of the Savior and epic canvases. Being a deeply religious person, it is in the painting of churches that Vasnetsov begins to see his true calling.

Vasnetsov worked on the painting in the Vladimir Cathedral for more than ten (!) years. After all, he was instructed to paint both the main nave and the apse. The artist skillfully depicted important scenes from the New and Russian saints, ennobled the vaults with the help of amazing ornaments. In the history of art throughout the 19th century, the scale of the work carried out has no equal. Indeed, during this time, Viktor Mikhailovich created over four hundred sketches, and the total area of ​​​​the painting occupies more than 2 thousand square meters. m.!

The work was interesting, but also very difficult. After all, V. M. Vasnetsov, whose biography is the topic of our conversation, carefully studied the topic with which he had to work. To this end, he got acquainted with the monuments of early Christianity, preserved in Italy, the frescoes and mosaics that existed in the Kiev St. Sophia Cathedral, the paintings of the Mikhailovsky and Kirillovsky monasteries. Vasnetsov paid close attention to the study of related areas of art: folk art, ancient Russian book miniatures. In many ways, when working, he was guided by Moscow ones. In addition, Vasnetsov always checked whether his work was sufficiently consistent with the spirit of the Church. The artist was forced to discard many sketches because he himself considered his works to be insufficiently ecclesiastical, or because the Church Council did not give consent to them.

Vasnetsov himself believed that his work in the cathedral was his personal "path to the light", to the comprehension of great values. Sometimes it was very difficult for him due to the fact that he could not portray this or that plot exactly as he saw it in his thoughts.

One of the most beloved images was the Mother of God Vasnetsova, depicted for the first time "with warmth, courage and sincerity." In many Russian houses late 19th-early 20th centuries You could see reproductions of it.

The work was completed in 1896, and in the presence of the Tsar's family, the cathedral was solemnly consecrated. Vasnetsov's painting was a huge success, and already in the same year, many proposals rained down on the artist from all sides for the design of St. Petersburg, Warsaw, Darmstadt and other churches. The pinnacle of Vasnetsov's work as a muralist-decorator was his painting The Last Judgment.

Vasnetsov is an experimenter who combines age-old traditions and manpower in his work.

Painting the Kiev Cathedral, Vasnetsov in his spare time does not stop working in other genres. In particular, at this time he created a whole cycle of historical epic paintings.

Viktor Mikhailovich devoted some time to creating theatrical scenery.

In 1875-1883. Vasnetsov is instructed to paint an atypical picture for him, "The Stone Age", which was supposed to decorate the Historical Museum of Moscow, which was opening soon.

But on one of his most famous paintings - "Heroes" - the artist worked for several decades, and finished his work in 1898. Vasnetsov himself called this picture his "obligation to his native people." And in April of the same year, he happily took this picture so that it would forever become one of the most striking exhibits in his gallery.

Vasnetsov's paintings never left people indifferent, although fierce disputes often developed around them. Someone bowed and admired them, someone criticized them. But the amazing, “live” and soulful works could not go unnoticed.

Vasnetsov died on July 23, 1926 at the age of 79 due to heart problems. However, the traditions that he initiated continued and continue to live in the works of artists of the next generations.

The text offered to the reader introduces the main stages of the life and work of the world-famous artist, Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov, and can serve as a guide to the work of the lecturer.

Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov is known primarily as the author of paintings based on epic and fairy tales. Who does not know his "Bogatyrs", "Ivan Tsarevich on the Gray Wolf" and "Alyonushka"? Vasnetsov was a great and serious artist, the author of significant monumental works, murals and mosaics for the churches of Kyiv, St. Petersburg, Darmstadt, Sofia, Warsaw, Gus-Khrustalny. These works of Vasnetsov are less known in our time, but it was they who made the glory of the artist during his lifetime, made him famous. One can definitely say that Vasnetsov is a complex and not yet sufficiently studied figure in the history of Russian culture. An outstanding representative of the Wanderers (at the beginning of his career), he went beyond this direction, laid the foundation for a new phenomenon in Russian painting - monumental and decorative art, he was the first to turn to the problem of art synthesis. His works on the epic-historical theme were accompanied by the enthusiasm of the minority and bewilderment, ridicule and non-recognition of the majority of the public and critics. Then a period of unconditional recognition - in the 1890s, in connection with the work of Vasnetsov on the murals of the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv - a period fixed by a solo exhibition in 1899. At the beginning of the 20th century, the time came for avant-garde trends in painting, various and often the most controversial phenomena, and, as a result, some cooling towards the work of Vasnetsov. However, the leading critics of that time - Alexander Benois and Sergei Makovsky - admitted that Vasnetsov "was the first to turn to the decoration of life" and was an innovator who opened up new paths in art. He was considered the founder of Russian Art Nouveau.

Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov was born on May 3/15, 1848 in the village of Lopyal, Vyatka province. His father, Mikhail Vasilyevich Vasnetsov, and his mother, Appolinaria Ivanovna (nee Kibardina), came from a spiritual environment.

All Vasnetsov's paternal ancestors also had artistic inclinations, his father painted well, and his grandmother, Olga Alexandrovna (nee Vechtomova), was a watercolor artist. Her works became the first "real" paintings that Viktor Vasnetsov saw as a child. The Vasnetsov family had seven children - six sons and a daughter who died in childhood. The younger brother of Viktor Mikhailovich, Appolinary, became a famous artist, while other brothers - Nikolai, Arkady and Alexander taught and were engaged in decorative and applied art. Buffets by Arkady Vasnetsov can be seen in the house-museum of V. M. Vasnetsov in Moscow. Another brother, Peter, was an agronomist.

Viktor Mikhailovich's father was a man of versatile interests. He knew the ancient languages ​​well - Greek and Latin, organized a school at the village church, where he taught children, was interested in astronomy, instilling a love for this science in his sons. As Viktor Mikhailovich recalled, in the evenings his father often took the children to the field outside the village and showed them the stars and constellations. The artist's son, Mikhail Viktorovich, became a professional astronomer, the author of the book "Solar Eclipse of August 8, 1914". Viktor Mikhailovich himself had, according to family tradition to become a priest. Following his elder brother Nikolai (later a teacher), he was placed in the Vyatka Theological Seminary, where he studied for several years (from 1862 to 1867). During his studies, Viktor Vasnetsov drew a lot from engravings, photographs, and made sketches from nature. Without graduating from the seminary, he decided to go to St. Petersburg to receive professional education at the Academy of Arts. Having played two of his small paintings in the lottery, in August 1867 he left for the capital. Having passed the drawing exam, he decided to enter the next year in order to thoroughly prepare in general subjects. But it soon turned out that it was enough to present a seminary certificate. Time, however, was lost, and Vasnetsov went to work. He found a place in the cartographic institution of Colonel of the General Staff A. A. Ilyin, where he drew geographical maps. In addition, for several months he studied at the School of Drawing at the Stock Exchange, where he met Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy.

From 1868 to February 1875 Vasnetsov studied at the Academy. He studied diligently and showed, as reported in his description, "good success in painting, for which he was awarded two small and one large silver medals." Without completing his studies, Vasnetsov left the walls of the Academy. There were many reasons for this: he suffered a serious illness, in parallel with his studies he had to work hard due to financial difficulties. He illustrated children's fairy tales, the alphabet, books by E. N. Vodovozova "The Life of European Peoples", made drawings for the magazine "Bee".

At this time, Vasnetsov was already becoming known for his genre paintings: “Beggars Singers” (1873), “Tea in a Tavern” (1874), “Bookshop” (1876), “From Apartment to Apartment” (1879). The paintings showed Vasnetsov's powers of observation, the ability to subtly capture and convey character traits characters. The paintings were exhibited in traveling exhibitions and were praised by critics for their veracity and "variety of types". The painting “From Apartment to Apartment” received special recognition; reproductions from it could be seen in the windows of St. Petersburg shops. This picture depicts an old married couple walking with their miserable belongings across the ice of the Neva from the Admiralty part to the Petrograd side, where apartments are cheaper. An expression of humility and resignation to fate froze on the senile faces. It is interesting to note that the artist introduced a typical Petersburg landscape into the picture: a cloudy winter day, the Peter and Paul Fortress rises through the fog in the distance. The artist showed the life of small people in the background historical monuments architecture of the city. Involuntarily, an association arises with poor Eugene in Pushkin's The Bronze Horseman.

In February 1876, Vasnetsov was going to travel to the Balkans to study the life of the peoples of Montenegro, Dalmatia, Bosnia and others. However, the trip did not take place due to hostilities in these countries, and Vasnetsov left for Paris. Visiting exhibitions of French artists, Vasnetsov thought deeply about the place of Russian art in European culture, about its original features, and also about what, in his opinion, one should learn, i.e. technical skill. Interestingly, it was in Paris that he wrote the first oil sketch for The Bogatyrs. The painting "Acrobats" (1877) (the first version of 1876 - "Balagany in the vicinity of Paris"), which can be seen in the Russian Museum, also belongs to the Parisian period.

In May 1877 he returned to St. Petersburg and in November of the same year married his compatriot Alexandra Vladimirovna Ryazantseva. She was a doctor, a graduate of women's medical courses. Soon, in March 1878, Vasnetsov moved to Moscow. Once in this old Russian capital, he was captivated by the beauty of its ancient temples. From all this antiquity "breathed in the soul of relatives, unforgettable." He felt at home. In the same year, he was accepted as a member of the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions.

In connection with the war in the Balkans, Vasnetsov painted in the genre typical for him at that time the paintings "Military Telegram" and "News of the Capture of Kars" (both 1878), and in 1879 - "Preference". The first two depict people of different classes, eagerly reading reports on military operations on the street and, as always with Vasnetsov, all the characters are extremely truthful and expressive. In the film "Preference" he somewhat ironically showed the players who sat up at the cards until dawn. Unlike other paintings of a domestic nature, the artist here especially carefully developed the lighting - the light of candles mixes with the predawn, cold, plunging the room into twilight. The criticism noted that "the artist spoke out as a major colorist-everyday writer." In society during these years, the socially critical emphasis of works was appreciated, and Vasnetsov corresponded to this direction.

The more bewilderment and even indignation was caused in the press by the painting of 1880 “After the battle of Igor Svyatoslavich with the Polovtsy”, written on the theme “The Tale of Igor's Campaign”. It is interesting to note that if six or seven newspapers usually responded to the appearance of the paintings of the “promising genre painter” (as Vasnetsov was called in the 1870s), then the painting “After the Battle ...” gave the impression of an exploding bomb. She stirred up the whole society, the whole press, and since then sixteen or seventeen reviews have appeared on each work of Vasnetsov.

What caused such extraordinary attention to the picture? Perhaps the fact that fine arts lagged behind science and literature at that time, and Vasnetsov broke through this veil and unexpectedly opened a new path. Already in the 1860s, the scientific community showed a noticeable interest in folklore, ethnography, folk art, and ancient Russian culture. In 1861, V. I. Dal published “Proverbs of the Russian people”, in the same year “Historical essays on Russian folk literature and art” by F. I. Buslaev were published, and in 1865 - books by A. N. Afanasyev “ Poetic views of the Slavs on nature. In 1868, V.V. Stasov published his study “The Origin of Russian Epics” in several volumes of Vestnik Evropy. Alexei Konstantinovich Tolstoy writes ballads about Russian heroes, and P. V. Kireevsky and P. N. Rybnikov collect and publish folk songs. In 1868, the Art and Industry Museum was established at the Stroganov School of Technical Drawing. Vasnetsov, who was always close to the life and history of the Russian people, turned to the national romantic theme, seeing in it new opportunities for solving ideological and artistic problems. He found his style. In the painting “After the Battle of Igor Svyatoslavich with the Polovtsy”, the artist interprets the historical plot sublimely, as an epic, majestic action. Heroes died in battle native land they are calm and beautiful. Their images are given solemnity and monumentality. Nature intensifies the emotional note, it is full of beauty: the bright moon is shining, flowers are full of flowers in the thick grass. In terms of painting, the picture is decided emphatically decorative. The synthesis of decorativeness and monumentality was a new word in art. The painting was immediately acquired by P. M. Tretyakov. Her merits were appreciated primarily by artists - Kramskoy, P. P. Chistyakov, Repin, Surikov. But Stasov did not say a word about her in the press, so "promising genre painter" disappointed him.

Simultaneously with the painting "After the Battle" at the 8th traveling exhibition, Vasnetsov presented the "Flying Carpet": Ivan Tsarevich on a flying carpet holds a large cage with a Firebird. Critics reproached the artist for not showing the speed of the Flying Carpet and that the Firebird looked like a rooster. But still there were favorable reviews. So, for example, one of the articles said that the painting “After the Battle” was written “excellently”, that the artist “discovered a lot of taste and a well-known fantasy”, and in the “flying carpet” panel the flying carpet is well painted. The picture is constructed in such a way that fairy-tale heroes are shown against the background of the real space of the sky and the earth dissolving into the foggy distance, where the horizon line is hidden behind the clouds. The bend of the carpet resembles the wings of a bird, its slight movement in the air is felt. The center of the picture is a transparent cage with a Firebird, the radiance of which pours bright light around. It is no coincidence that this picture is defined by the critic as a "panel". It was written by Vasnetsov by order of Savva Ivanovich Mamontov for the office of the board of the Donetsk railway. Vasnetsov met the Mamontov family in 1879, shortly after his arrival in Moscow. He spent his summers in Akhtyrka, not far from the Abramtsevo estate of the Mamontovs. Savva Ivanovich was remarkably interesting and talented person. An industrialist, owner and builder of railways, he was the founder of the Russian Private Opera, a philanthropist, collector, and a prominent figure in Russian culture. Both he and his wife Elizaveta Grigoryevna created in their estate Abramtsevo near Moscow art circle, where V. D. Polenov, I. E. Repin, M. A. Vrubel, then young V. A. Serov lived and worked, M. M. Antokolsky, N. V. Nevrev and many others visited.

All this friendly creative family, headed by Elizaveta Grigorievna Mamontova, artists Elena Dmitrievna Polenova and Maria Vasilievna Yakunchikova, collected antiquities from the surrounding villages - costumes, lace, fabrics; in Abramtsevo, a carpentry and carving workshop was organized for the production of household items; Elizaveta Grigoryevna, together with the Polenov family, founded a school for peasant children. Artists and architects V. A. Gartman and I. P. Ropet built a fabulous “bathhouse” and “teremok” in the park, Vrubel built a bench, and Vasnetsov a “hut on chicken legs” and a church, on the decoration of which Antokolsky, Polenov, Repin worked , Nevrev and Vasnetsov himself. Of particular importance to all cultural life Russia had a creation home theater, which became the basis for the Russian Opera by S. I. Mamontov in Moscow.

The artists who worked in Abramtsevo sought to arouse public interest in folk art, they themselves worked on utensils and other household items, trying to bring beauty and fantasy to them.

Andrey Mamontov - the son of Savva Ivanovich and M. A. Vrubel organized a pottery workshop. After some time, a pottery factory was founded on the basis of this workshop in Moscow.

At the IX traveling exhibition in 1881, two more paintings were presented, painted by Vasnetsov by order of S. I. Mamontov for the office of the board of the Donetsk railway - “The Battle of the Scythians with the Slavs” and “Three princesses of the underworld”. These paintings, like the "Flying Carpet", were supposed to recall the events that took place in the distant past in those lands where trains were now running. The “flying carpet” personified a means of transportation in fabulous times, people’s dream of flying, “The Battle of the Scythians with the Slavs” - a battle that could once take place in the steppe, and “Three princesses of the underworld” personified treasures hidden in the bowels of the earth .

The painting is emphatically decorative. Color relationships distributed close-ups. The clothes of the princesses sparkle with precious stones and patterned fabrics. princesses produce strong impression with its mystique. Among the ominous dark mountains, against the background of a bright orange sunset, the beauties froze like statues. It seems that they are overcome by visions inaccessible to anyone, they are waiting for something, listening to some mysterious sounds. They cannot be disturbed, hailed, otherwise the charm may disappear. "Our Russian fabulous and legendary world has not yet been touched by Russian art at all,” noted a contemporary of Vasnetsov, “and if Mr. Vasnetsov is the first to turn to this world, then he deserves, in any case, gratitude and support, and not in any way censure. That is why we believe that despite all the oddities of Mr. Vasnetsov's paintings, they must not be treated with arrogant indifference, they must not be passed over in silence. Thus, the ancient Russian fairy tale world, poetized by Vasnetsov, gradually won public recognition.

Alyonushka was exhibited at the same exhibition. She was somehow immediately rejected by everyone, and even Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov did not want to buy it for his gallery. The painting ended up in the gallery after Tretyakov's death.

Alyonushka had a long way to recognition. It is interesting to note that even the Slavophile newspaper "Rus" gave categorically negative feedback all three paintings by Vasnetsov, shown at the IX traveling exhibition. This fact is remarkable. Non-recognition of the fabulous and historical epic transcriptions of Vasnetsov by Slavophiles once again demonstrated the limitations of their aesthetic positions. They turned out to be alien to the artistic searches of Vasnetsov, who gravitated towards the expression of universal ideals on the basis of historical and fairy-tale images and a special, poetic interpretation of native nature. Recognition came to "Alyonushka" only at the beginning of the 20th century, in the articles of N. K. Roerich and I. E. Grabar, who called this picture among the best creations of the artist. Let's take a closer look at her: a sad girl sits in an awkward position, shrinking, hiding from human anger in a dense forest. The girl's lips are half open, she sings a sad song about her fate. The dark wall of trees separates her from the world and protects her. And around nature lives its carefree life: colorful butterflies flutter, a flock of swallows chirp on a branch, birch and aspen leaves tremble from a light breeze. The stronger the loneliness and grief of Alyonushka is felt. “... Vasnetsov’s penetration into the gray beauty of Russian nature is great in its meaning for Russian painting, the creation of Alyonushka is important for us,” wrote the artist N. K. Roerich, “and it was dear to me once to hear from Viktor Mikhailovich himself that for him Alyonushka is one of the most intimate things.

It was with such sincere things that V. Vasnetsov paved the great Russian path, which many artists are now following.

The history of the creation of “The Knight at the Crossroads” (1882, the first version - 1878) is interesting: Vasnetsov considered this picture autobiographical, since he himself stood “at the crossroads” at that time, thinking how he should work further, which way to go? On the well-trodden path of the genre painter or on the road that the artist has already discovered for himself? Alexander Vasilyevich Krivoshein, a young friend of Vasnetsov (the future Minister of Agriculture), wrote about this in verse on January 6, 1882, after the appearance of the Vityaz. We will not quote the whole poem here, but here is one stanza:

I stand at the crossroads with great anguish,
Like your knight on a white horse.
That past menacingly rises before me,
That future is dreaming of me.

Subsequently, Vasnetsov wrote to A. V. Krivoshein: “... it seems that the Vityaz, the poet and the artist were not mistaken - they chose the straight, straight path, they were not afraid of the sinister cawing of the crows, threatening fears and horrors on the way.” “The Knight at the Crossroads” is Vasnetsov’s first painting on an epic theme, and it already shows a desire for a generalized image, in contrast to specific ones. household characters With individual characteristics that distinguished genre painting. But such a performance was less clear to society, and the picture was criticized for the negligence of painting. Only the armament of the knight is accurately executed. The artist expressively showed the surrounding gloomy landscape: skeletons - the remains of a former life - are scattered right under the feet of a horse, desert marshy distances, a stone with an ominous inscription in front of which the knight stopped - all this does not bode well. But the viewer understands which path the hero will choose, "not afraid" of fears and threats.

Vasnetsov recalled that relatives of the Mamontov family and their friends, artists, often gathered in the house of Savva Ivanovich. They read the plays of famous classics by roles. Once they recited "The Snow Maiden" by A. N. Ostrovsky. Everyone liked the play so much that it was immediately decided to put it on home stage at the Mammoths. Vasnetsov was entrusted with the creation of costume sketches and the scenery themselves. The costumes were finally ready, the roles were distributed. S. I. Mamontov played Tsar Berendey, and Vasnetsov got the role of Santa Claus. The play was performed on the home stage on January 6, 1882.

The scenery and costumes of Vasnetsov for The Snow Maiden are widely known from numerous reproductions. Many of them formed the basis of the sketches that Vasnetsov later, in 1885, completed for the production of the opera The Snow Maiden at the Russian Private Opera of S. I. Mamontov in Moscow. These are deeply poetic and beautiful works. How mysterious it looks snowy forest, through the trees of which one can see the fabulous kingdom of the good king Berendey in the distance! The "Chambers" of the king, made in the style of painting of the 17th century, are surprisingly elegant: the ceiling is decorated with the signs of the Zodiac - golden figures on a blue background - and on the pillars there are flowers and berries on curved stems. Let's take a closer look - magical colorful patterns are typical of Art Nouveau. "Zarechnaya Slobodka Berendeevka" with patterned huts immerses the viewer into the world of a fairy tale. Vasnetsov was the first artist who made unique scenery for a particular performance. Until then, there was a practice in theaters of using typical scenery that was transferred from one performance to another. Vasnetsov introduced a new understanding of the design of a theatrical production - not only the image of the scene, but - spirituality, mood, characteristic of this work. Subsequently, the artists of the World of Art will work in the same direction.

Costumes for the opera Vasnetsov designed in such a way that each sketch includes an understanding of the image - the Snow Maiden, Tsar Berendey, Kupava, Mizgir and others. The rich color scheme is based on folk art motifs. Colorful ornament, bright or, on the contrary, faded, gentle tones in the costumes correspond to the images, for example, of the decisive Kupava or the lyrical, modest Snow Maiden. A similar decision of costumes was also a discovery. The design of The Snow Maiden turned the idea of ​​​​the tasks of theater painting, and in the future, all famous artists who turned to the theater followed the path begun by Vasnetsov: M. A. Vrubel, L. S. Bakst, L. N. Benois, N. K. Roerich, A. Ya. Golovin, K. A. Korovin.
In 1882-1885, Vasnetsov worked on decorative panels "The Stone Age" for the Russian Historical Museum in Moscow. This work was determined not only by the order received from Count A.S. Uvarov, chairman of the Moscow Archaeological Society and initiator of the creation of the Historical Museum, but by the very development of art. In the 19th century, easel painting prevailed and, in the apt expression of a contemporary, “a whole generation of artists yearned for the fresco.” The tasks of art at the end of the 19th century corresponded to the formulation of the problem of the synthesis of arts. The orientation of the search for artists of the younger generation, to which Vasnetsov belonged, determined the appeal to monumental painting. Around the same time, M. A. Vrubel and M. V. Nesterov turned to monumental and decorative art. The works of Vasnetsov, intended for the round hall of the Stone Age in the Historical Museum, became a great event in the artistic life. The Historical Museum on Red Square in Moscow was built according to the project of architects V. O. Sherwood and A. A. Semenov in 1875-1883. Vasnetsov at work on " stone age” sought to revive the art of decorating the hall. The hall is surrounded by a frieze around the perimeter, consisting of several canvases tightly fitted to each other. The frieze combines plots from different times, which meets the task of the murals - to show the life of people of the most ancient historical period in different aspects, and does not contradict the laws of monumental and decorative art. The thematic connection of the paintings with the purpose of the hall did not exhaust the tasks of the artist. Vasnetsov sought to comprehend the laws of monumental paintings: he cared about the rhythmic alternation of the masses, about the composure of the pictorial solution. IN common decision the panel contains elements of easel art: genre interpretation of scenes, the transfer of materiality and texture of objects, real space. We must not forget that this is the first major work in the cycle of works by artists of the late 19th century on monumental murals, a work in which an attempt is made to show a significant period in the history of mankind in a monumental form. This is its enduring significance.

Vasnetsov presented three main plots from the life primitive people- parking, hunting for a mammoth and a feast. Between these scenes he placed a landscape showing large expanses of land, rivers and forests.

It is interesting to note that until relatively recently, in the middle of the century, in the 1850s and earlier, theories about “the most ancient people who lived in such remote times when herds of mammoths walked the earth” were not allowed, since these theories contradicted the official provision on the appearance of man, "based on biblical stories." The scene of the hunt of primitive people for the mammoth, chosen by the artist himself, instead of the plot of the bear hunt proposed to him and conditioned by the order, testifies to the fact that Vasnetsov recognized the latest achievements of historical science. Vasnetsov came close to understanding the laws of monumental and decorative painting, he sought to combine the depicted subjects with a color scheme. The picture is dominated by ocher-brown, blue and green tones, contributing to the integrity of the overall impression. The paintings are made in oil on canvas, and the artist mixed wax into the oil, which removed the extra shine that would break the impression of the wall painting. Vasnetsov's work received universal recognition, and its success contributed a lot to the artist's commission to paint the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv. He received an order from Adrian Prakhov. Adrian Viktorovich Prakhov was an art historian, archaeologist, professor at Kyiv and St. Petersburg universities. In the 1870s he lived in St. Petersburg, where he edited the magazine "Pchela" and, later, in 1903-1907, - " artistic treasures Russia". He also acted as an art critic under the pseudonym "Profan". To work in the Vladimir Cathedral, A. V. Prakhov attracted, in addition to Vasnetsov, such different artists, as M. A. Vrubel and academicians P. A. Svedomsky and V. A. Kotarbinsky, which testified to the eclectic tastes of A. V. Prakhov.

Vasnetsov wanted to involve V. D. Polenov to work in the cathedral, but was refused, since V. D. Polenov did not believe in the moral improvement of the people through church painting. He himself painted pictures on gospel themes (“Christ and the Sinner”, “Christ on Lake Tiberias”, etc.), but he interpreted them as genre, everyday subjects. Vasnetsov, on the other hand, strove to create significant, lofty images and considered his work in the cathedral necessary for the spiritual education of the people.

Later, Vasnetsov invited M. V. Nesterov; several ornaments were made by Andrei Mamontov, a capable young man, the son of S. I. Mamontov, who died early. M. A. Vrubel also made a number of ornaments. P. A. Svedomsky and V. A. Kotarbinsky created paintings in the side naves. The main work in the cathedral was done by Vasnetsov.

Vladimir Cathedral was built over thirty years - from 1862 to 1896. Various architects participated in its construction - A. V. Beretti, P. I. Sparro and N. V. Shtrom, who influenced the creation of the architectural appearance of the cathedral. This circumstance could not contribute to the integrity of the architectural solution. Under such conditions, the artists could not synthesize painting and architecture, but the desire for a monumental and decorative embodiment of big ideas affected the interior design. Vasnetsov considered this work as a dedication to historical and philosophical problems, the search for a moral ideal. It can be said without exaggeration that it was the work of the century, which glorified Vasnetsov in many countries. Its paintings occupy the central nave, the western wall, the choirs, the plafond and the altar, as well as the icons in the iconostasis. For ten years of work, he painted 2840 square meters of space, made many sketches on canvas and a huge number of beautiful ornaments. He painted in oil on primed plaster from sketches, having previously drawn large-scale cells on the wall. The value of the paintings, of course, is not in their quantity. Vasnetsov was attracted by the problem of "grand style". The artist sought to resolve spatial problems similar to the art of Byzantium; he did not follow the path of creating the illusion of space, but was looking for such techniques that would evoke a sense of spatiality without destroying the plane, he was looking for synthesis. Before starting work on the cathedral, Vasnetsov traveled around Italy for a month, where he studied Byzantine mosaics and monumental painting of the Renaissance. The works of the old masters helped him to create monumental images. Vasnetsov reached that level of decorativeness and monumentality, in which the features of easel painting were largely obscured, giving way to a general decorative solution, when the light and shade modeling of the figures, performed by the artist quite delicately, did not create the illusion of a wall break, but only helped the plastic solution of the image. Based on the traditions of Byzantine painting, Vasnetsov takes into account its plane-ornamental character. The artist created a number of spiritually significant, expressive and strong images in their generalization and typicality. They cannot be called portraits, and even more so it cannot be argued that they are distinguished by a specific realistic characteristic, as was sometimes said in the literature about Vasnetsov. The artist has reached in them the degree of generalization when one can speak of spiritual tension, elation, lofty interpretation, the basis for which is a certain canon found by Vasnetsov. He found his canon, which affirms a generalized, typical character.

The connecting link between the figures and the architectural background was the magnificent ornaments made by Vasnetsov with a truly decorative and monumental flair.

The cathedral captivates with the beauty of colors. It is built on gold and purple tones, enriched with ornamental patterns. The painting sparkles like a jewel.

Whatever we consider in the cathedral – the God of Sabaoth, sadly and dejectedly looking at the crucified Jesus surrounded by angels, whether the Mother of God in the conch of the apse, with a tragic all-understanding expression on her face, the baby Christ in her arms, turned to the world, thoughtful Alexander Nevsky or graceful Mary Magdalene - everywhere the artist reached a high level of spirituality. In the cathedral, it is as if the singing of angels sounds and the rustle of their wings is heard. All Vasnetsov's angels are beautiful. They are different, but all are unusually beautiful and inspired. The image of Christ the Almighty in the main dome is also beautiful. Vasnetsov later repeated the face of Jesus Christ he found in the paintings of other churches.

The image of the Mother of God in the conch of the apse won special love and recognition. Copies and reproductions of this image were distributed throughout Russia. A mosaic copy of it was ordered in St. Petersburg by the English Lord Hasserley and placed on the outer wall of his castle. “Everyone admires her,” the lord reported to Petersburg. The Old Testament prophets, represented among the palm trees on the southern and northern sides of the altar, are also unusually expressive.

In the process of work, the further development of Vasnetsov's work took place. A successful experience in the direction of achieving a synthesis of painting with architecture is the compositions on the choirs of the cathedral, made in the 1890s, depicting Adam and Eve in paradise. Plane-decorative solution of space, faded exquisite colors, somewhat flattened interpretation of figures and background, ornamentation - all these features bring the painting closer to the monumental-decorative synthesis characteristic of Art Nouveau. Sergei Makovsky called these compositions "the most poetic".

The task of reviving the traditions of monumental art corresponded to the problems of the artistic life of the era. Vasnetsov had no predecessors in his work. He took in the direction of synthesis, although the first, but important steps.

Vasnetsov attached special importance to his religious painting. He considered this work necessary for the spiritual and moral education of the people. We can get an idea of ​​the impression that the artist made on his contemporaries while working in the cathedral from the article by the critic S. Vasiliev (S. V. Flerov) “/…/ I don’t know if you have ever seen V. M. Vasnetsov , in any case, you will never be able to imagine, and I will describe to you the amazing stamp of spirituality that now lies on this Russian painter, creating artistic verbs on the stone tablets of the Cathedral of St. Vladimir in Kyiv. This is a thin, very tall, blond, young and very youthful person, unusually easy to handle, modest, almost shy, tending to flare up and blush with a bright blush at every touch of conversation to the sensitive strings of his soul. Apparently, this is a man who is no different from others: he talks about his work, about Moscow, about Kyiv, walks the streets, talks with friends. But if you look more closely at this man, you will see that he does all this out of habit. He is talking to you, but his thoughts are there, in the cathedral. Every atom of his being, every fiber of his soul is imbued with a constantly maintained, never falling asleep process of creativity. He has become so accustomed to his work that he cannot separate it from himself, himself from it. The general picture of the whole creation constantly stands before his eyes, and he mentally fills in the gaps, changes colors, transplants figures, introduces new tones. He is completely embraced by the chord, the individual consonances of which he himself brought to life and now resound incessantly for him alone. He seems calm. Don't trust this peace. Take a closer look. You will feel how this whole person burns as if in a heat, how all his spiritual forces are daily, hourly and every minute spent and spent on his creations. This is not an artist who has taken on the execution of a large responsible order and is worried about his reputation, dreaming of the opportunity to gain fame. It's a man making life feat/…/ No pride, no conceit, no pride. Feat. Fulfillment of debt. Submission to the dictates of the inner voice without any concern for the outer, for glory, for self-love, for its satisfaction / ... /. When the work in the cathedral came to an end and many art critics got the opportunity to carefully examine the paintings, then articles appeared in numerous newspapers and magazines containing not only descriptions of works and their analysis, but also statements of their unconditional significance for Russian culture. Sergei Makovsky devoted a serious and detailed article to the cathedral's murals, in which he expressed his admiration for the images, drawing, color, mood, penetration into history. “/…/ In the images of Vasnetsov,” writes Sergei Makovsky in the journal “World of God,” “despite the great variety of types and facial expressions, at the bottom of each look there is the same sorrow, in the bend of each fold the same anxiety. The whole temple seems to be seized by one suffering impulse.

You need to feel this and then the imaginary calmness of the Byzantine forms instantly dissipates. The long figures begin to move, to advance with imploring drama; gray curls and folds of chitons flutter in the air; raised hands threaten curled parchments; the wings of the seraphim fill the vaults with frightened trepidation; and it seems to everyone - some kind of inexorable whirlwind burst into the cathedral and broke its holy silence / ... / The thunderous metaphysics of the Old Testament poured into the religion of suffering ... What has been said about the color, expressiveness and amazing power of Vasnetsov's historical understanding is enough to put him completely apart from the general level and welcome as a great gift. Stasov in the first issues of the journal "Art and Art Industry" in 1898 placed a detailed article on the work of Vasnetsov. He did not ignore the murals in the Vladimir Cathedral. And here the peculiarity of the worldview of the venerable critic showed up: he did not recognize Orthodox religious painting at all. Judge for yourself, dear reader: in a letter to the sculptor Mark Matveyevich Antokolsky dated June 16, 1889, Stasov writes: “Once again I express hope and ardent expectation that you will at least partially return to “Jewish” subjects, energetic, strong, powerful, instead of whining , elegiac, weak, like a runny nose and scrofula, Christianity, which I always could not stand and could not stand !!! In addition, Stasov did not pay enough attention to the new trends in Russian painting - the search for a "great style", which also influenced his attitude to the murals of the cathedral. It should be noted that Leo Tolstoy, who did not accept the dogmas of Orthodoxy, for which he was excommunicated, criticized Vasnetsov's murals for their closeness to Byzantine traditions.

Deeper in essence were the reviews of Alexander Benois, who, speaking of Vasnetsov, emphasized that he “put his talent, his rich spiritual and mental strength to recreate the beauty of life”, that with his religious painting he “signaled a new movement”, noting at the same time that "the main charm of Vasnetsov's decorative works is their colorful effect." Benois writes: “Only a person who is selflessly in love with his native antiquity, deeply understanding its special, peculiar charm, could rediscover the law of ancient Russian beauty, casting aside all the undertakings and distortions of superficial nationalists and frivolous representatives of academic eclecticism.”

Closest to the modern understanding of Vasnetsov's work were the scientist, researcher of ancient Russian culture V. T. Georgievsky and the French archaeologist Baron J. de Bai, who considered Vasnetsov a reformer and the first artist of Russian Art Nouveau.

Vasnetsov's work did not leave anyone indifferent - some spoke from their worldview positions, others from purely aesthetic ones, but unconditional recognition prevailed. Vasnetsov and with ours, modern point vision, created a great work, significant, strong images and showed the way to comprehend the monumental-decorative synthesis.

While working in the cathedral, Vasnetsov painted a poetic painting on the theme fairy tale V. A. Zhukovsky about Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf. Beautiful is the prince with his oriental beauty, thoughtful is the beauty he abducted, whom a very plausible wolf carries through a dark impenetrable forest. And as a bright sign of hope for a speedy return to his native kingdom, a magnificent rose bush so unexpected among the gloomy trees. The decorative flair of the artist was reflected in the splendor of the precious outfits of the princess and prince, sparkling with semi-precious stones and patterns.

The universal recognition of the importance of the artist was confirmed by his personal exhibition in 1899, held in the halls of the Academy of Arts. Prior to that, in 1898, S. P. Diaghilev corresponded with Vasnetsov and posted photographs of his work in the magazine World of Art. It is known that critics of all directions, including Stasov, on the one hand, and the World of Arts - S. P. Diaghilev, on the other, spoke highly of her in the press. The exhibition conquered everyone: Repin, Blok, Chekhov, the most diverse strata of society. At the exhibition, for the first time, Vasnetsov showed "Bogatyrs", on which he had been working for many years. In this picture, he undoubtedly embodied his dream of the Russia of the future. The nineteenth century was coming to an end, Russia was entering a new century. Vasnetsov wanted to see his country, his people the way he showed the heroes.

For the first time, the public also saw the paintings “Gamayun - a prophetic bird”, “Sirin and Alkonost - birds of joy and sadness”, a portrait of Elena Adrianovna Prakhova, “Lyoli”, with whom Vasnetsov was friends and corresponded. The painting “Gamayun” bears the bright features of the Art Nouveau style, both in the most symbolic image of a bird woman and in the nature surrounding her with thin curved flower stems, rare swampy grass and an ominous sunset that painted the horizon. Alexander Blok reflected his impression in verse:

On the endless waters
Clothed in purple by sunset,
She speaks and sings
Unable to raise the wings of the troubled ...
The yoke of evil Tatars broadcasts,
Broadcasts a series of bloody executions,
And a coward, and hunger, and a fire,
The strength of the villains, the death of the right...
Embraced by eternal terror,
A beautiful face burns with love,
But things sound true
Mouths covered in blood

"Sirin and Alkonost" is also a symbolic painting, the images of which the artist gave a special meaning. Sirins and Alkonosts are characters of ancient Russian and Western European medieval folklore, dating back to ancient Greek myths. These are birds of paradise, they proclaimed "Joy and endless life." Vasnetsov, on the other hand, gives one of the birds a tragic meaning. She mourns those who did not get to heaven, while the other sings a song of joy in honor of the righteous.

At the XXV exhibition of the Association of the Wanderers in 1897, Vasnetsov presented the painting "Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible", in which there is a strongly decorative beginning. The expressive face of the king shows his inherent feelings - anger and suspicion, which made him stop on the steps of the stairs and listen. With all the reality of the appearance, the artist flattens the form, bringing the design of the king's clothes closer to a decorative carpet. A charming detail gives a special beauty to the picture: as in the works of old masters, a view of a snow-covered quiet city suddenly opens through a small window, creating an almost fabulous impression. The unpleasant face of the tsar violates the decorative harmony of the work, but, apparently, the artist needed this contrast to complete the characterization of Ivan the Terrible.

Among the graphic works of Vasnetsov, made in the 1890s, one can recall the “Menu” for gala dinners on the occasion of the coronation of Emperor Alexander III, a letter on the election of P. M. Tretyakov by the Moscow City Duma as an honorary citizen of Moscow (1896), and much more. All these works are decorative, in the "Russian" style, where we see St. George slaying the dragon, boyars and heroes, banners, bright ornaments, many patterns and colorful old Russian clothes. Equally bright and spectacular, with excellent knowledge of historical material, are illustrations for the “Song of the Prophetic Oleg”, the publication of which was timed to coincide with the centenary of the birth of A.S. Pushkin.

The new, 20th century began for Vasnetsov with work for churches. Official orders for church paintings did not determine the very fact of turning to this type of work. This appeal was caused by the development of art and the search for artistic and philosophical synthesis - thoughts about man, about the world and their embodiment in monumental images.

In 1891, the construction of a church began in Gus-Khrustalny, at the glass factories of Yu. S. Nechaev-Maltsev. It was built by the architect Leonty Nikolaevich Benois, and in 1895 Vasnetsov received an order for originals for mosaics and canvases for the interior of the church. Yuri Stepanovich Nechaev-Maltsev was a great patriot. Large manufacturer, philanthropist, owner glass factories in the city of Gus, Vladimir province, he worked after graduating from Moscow University in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was a modest official. In 1880, having received a multi-million dollar inheritance from his uncle, he became a benefactor. He financed the well-known magazine Artistic Treasures of Russia. The main business of his life is helping to create the Moscow Museum of Fine Arts named after Emperor Alexander III (now the Museum of Fine Arts named after A. S. Pushkin). For the construction and purchase of the museum collection, Nechaev-Maltsev gave three million rubles in gold, without which Professor I. V. Tsvetaev could not have collected works of art. (“Nechaev-Maltsev died forty days after Tsvetaev’s death. At the same time it turned out that he was almost ruined”).

St. George's Church in Gus-Khrustalny was built until 1904, and during this time Vasnetsov created a sketch of the mosaic "Every creature rejoices in You, Blessed One" (for the main altar) and four compositions on canvas for this church: "The Last Judgment" (on western wall), "Eucharist" (in the apse of the main altar), "Descent into Hell" (in the right aisle) and "Crucifixion" (in the left aisle). Fragments of the paintings are reproduced in the above-mentioned book “Vasnetsov. Letters. New materials". Vasnetsov worked on these compositions in a hall of the Historical Museum specially designated for him in connection with the large format of the works. The images are interpreted in the Art Nouveau style. The red-black-and-white gamut prevailing in the paintings corresponded to the decoration of the interior of the church.

Almost simultaneously, Vasnetsov worked on an order for the Russian Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Darmstadt, which was also built according to the design of the architect L. N. Benois in 1897 - 1899.

Darmstadt, an ancient German city in Hesse, was the birthplace of the wife of Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. At present, at the church of St. Mary Magdalene Center for Decorative and Applied Arts. Two huge canvases "Mary Magdalene" and "The Virgin and Child Enthroned" are the originals for mosaics - the first for decorating the facade of the church, the second for the altar. The works can be seen at the exposition of the Russian Museum. Mosaics were made in the St. Petersburg workshop of V. A. Frolov.

In the center of St. Petersburg rises the magnificent Church of the Resurrection, built by the architect A. A. Parland in the neo-Russian trend of modernity (1883-1907). It is better known as the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, as it was erected on the site of the death of Emperor Alexander II. On the facade of this temple, richly decorated with mosaics, you can see four large works by Vasnetsov: "Carrying the Cross", "Crucifixion", "Descent from the Cross" and "Descent into Hell", all of them are located in small triangular pediments. The beautifully chosen color scheme, dominated by blues, purples and silvery whites, is shown close-up, which gives the image the necessary decorative unity with the architecture. In the iconostasis of the temple there are two mosaic icons by Vasnetsov - "Christ" and "Our Lady", the originals for these mosaics can be seen in the Russian Museum. The museum exposition also draws attention to a large composition in red and white colors "Fatherland" - one of the four works made by the artist for the Warsaw Orthodox Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky in 1908-1912. (The cathedral was built by architect L. N. Benois. Not preserved). "Fatherland" depicts God the Father, the young Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, that is, the "Trinity". Other compositions feature angels and the scene "Rejoices in You". All works are made in mosaic also in the St. Petersburg workshop. In 1912, Vasnetsov created two more images for the iconostasis of the Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky in Sofia (Bulgaria. Arch. I. S. Bogolyubov, 1904 - 1913), - "The Mother of God on the Throne" and "The Savior on the Throne". The cathedral has been preserved. For work for the Warsaw Cathedral, Vasnetsov was awarded the elevation to the hereditary nobility. The decree of the emperor read: “To the Governing Senate. Professor of painting Viktor Vasnetsov, with all his descendants, We most mercifully raise to the hereditary noble Russian Empire dignity.

The ruling Senate will not leave to make a proper order for the execution of this.

On the original by His Own Imperial Majesty's Hand is inscribed: "Nicholas" and the Governor of the Ministry of Justice wrote: "On the roadstead and the yacht" Shtandart "July 9, 1912." On July 13, 1912 Vasnetsov was sent a notice of this event from the Academy of Arts. For his monumental and decorative works, the artist received by imperial decree in 1896 the Order of St. Vladimir of the 4th degree and an annual rent (pension) in the amount of 1,500 rubles, in January 1914 the rank of Actual State Councilor (which was equivalent to the rank of general), and also earlier, in February 1902, he had received the Légion d'honneur from the French government. Vasnetsov attached great importance to his church work in the moral education of the people and considered it his duty to acquaint the public with them.

The first exhibition of his church works was held in December 1903 - January 1904 in the halls of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts in St. Petersburg. It exhibited the originals for mosaics intended for churches: in Gus-Khrustalny - “Rejoices in You, O Gracious One”, Darmstadt and Voskresensky in St. Petersburg, as well as mosaics made for other churches based on Vasnetsov’s originals. From March 30 to April 1904, an exhibition of paintings "The Last Judgment" was opened in the Historical Museum in Moscow, and in September-October 1905 in the halls of the Academy of Arts - an exhibition of Vasnetsov's religious painting for the church in Gus-Khrustalny. Three paintings were presented - "The Last Judgment", "Crucifixion" and "Descent into Hell". This exhibition has been closed ahead of time in connection with the revolutionary events and rallies that took place in the very halls where Vasnetsov's paintings were placed. The artist was outraged by the disrespect for art shown by the students, and resigned from the membership of the Academy.

In February-April 1910, the Historical Museum hosted an exhibition of all five works by Vasnetsov for the church in Gus-Khrustalny (The Last Judgment, The Crucifixion, The Descent into Hell, The Eucharist, and also the Shroud for the church in Abramtsevo (1901) and the "Head of Christ" for the Semyonovskaya church in St. Petersburg. After the end of this exhibition, Vasnetsov donated a thousand rubles "for the needs of the museum and the acquisition of monuments of ancient Russian culture of not later late XVII century."

In addition to solo exhibitions, the artist took part in the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900, in exhibitions of the Union of Russian Artists (he became a member of this association in 1918), in International exhibition- in Rome (1911), Russian art in Malmö (1914) and Berlin (1922), America (1924 - 1925), in the charitable "Artists to Comrade Soldiers" (1914 - 1915) and others. Having left the Association of the Wanderers in 1891, he nevertheless took part in the anniversary, 25th exhibition of the Association with the painting "Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible" (1897).

Not all of his works were successful, especially in the 20th century, when the latest trends in art appeared, attracting both the public and the audience, arousing constant interest. In addition, in the early 1900s, a genuine old Russian painting, and this circumstance also contributed to a critical attitude towards the religious (and not only) works of Vasnetsov. There was a "reassessment of Vasnetsov." This is exactly the title of the article by S.K. Makovsky, which appeared in 1909. It reflected the state of the ideological and artistic struggle at that time and demonstrated the active role in it of this well-known critic, whose sympathies were inclined towards new artistic phenomena. However, with all the critical attitude towards the work of Vasnetsov at that time, Makovsky argues that his importance for Russian painting is undeniable as an innovator who opened up new paths in art.

At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Vasnetsov turned to architecture. He developed several architectural projects: we already mentioned the Abramtsevo church, in 1891, according to his drawings, a crypt and a chapel were built over the grave of Andrei Mamontov in Abramtsevo. In 1900, Vasnetsov completed work on the design of the facade of the Tretyakov Gallery, which contains a wide variety of motifs dating back to ancient Russian architecture and design of handwritten books. The facade was built according to his plan. All the decoration is completed by a bas-relief - the coat of arms of Moscow, depicting St. George the Victorious. In 1893 - 1894 in Moscow, according to the project of Vasnetsov, the construction of his own house, reminiscent of boyar mansions with a figured tower, was completed. At the same time, Vasnetsov created a wonderful project for the house of the collector I. E. Tsvetkov, this time he turned to the baroque style of the 17th century. Vasnetsov's sketch of the Russian pavilion at the World Exhibition in Paris, made in the old Russian style, is also perceived as a fairy-tale palace. At the beginning of the 20th century, the artist developed the idea of ​​coloring the buildings of the Kremlin and the transition from the Bolshoi Kremlin Palace to the Armory.

At that time, artists faced the acute task of decorating everyday life, filling life with beauty, capable, as it was then believed, of improving and ennobling life. It is no coincidence that Vasnetsov long ago abandoned genre painting, which reflected momentary events, and turned to significant, epic subjects - epics, legends, to a new type of creativity - panels.

In 1910, he completed the large painting "Bayan", on which he worked back in the 1890s. The picture clearly gravitates towards the Art Nouveau style, which was reflected in the flat interpretation of the characters, in the composition, where a group of warriors is opposed to the boundless space of earth and sky, and in general, the emphatically decorative solution of the canvas.

Vasnetsov was also engaged in applied art, an interest in which dates back to his life in Abramtsevo. According to his drawings, furniture in his house and various utensils were made. The artist turned to the traditions of folk, handicraft art, stylizing objects in the Art Nouveau style: the utilitarian simplicity of forms is enriched in his drawings by expressive and varied decor: flat-relief carvings with deliberately broken lines and floral ornaments.

Vasnetsov's search for a new artistic form, decorativeness, was modern and associated "with overcoming the ordinary, in a word, with all the features that were achieved through the use of the stylization method."

Vasnetsov's own house can be considered a real work of art, a monument of the neo-Russian trend of modernity, where interiors, furniture, and all utensils are designed in the same style. Even the paintings in his studio - the famous suite of fairy tales - retain this synthesis. The pictures really show fairy tale characters, immersing the viewer in a different, magical world, in the “golden age”, where, however, there are, however, their anxieties and fears (“Baba Yaga”) and longing for unattainable happiness (“Nesmeyana Princess”). Vasnetsov wrote a suite of fairy tales in the new, 20th century, when he was almost entirely occupied with religious painting. In parallel with it, he delved into the fairy-tale world. It was another haven for his soul in an era of upheavals and revolutions. Vasnetsov experienced the events taking place in Russia with a heavy feeling. According to his convictions, he was a monarchist and enlightener.

The whole "suite of fairy tales" is written on the themes of Russian folklore, except for the painting "The Sleeping Princess". famous fairy tale The artist transferred Charles Perrault to Ancient Rus'. The atmosphere of this charming, poetic fairy tale is full of beauty and charm. In the "suite of fairy tales" the artist glorifies the Russian heroes - Ivan Tsarevich and Dobrynya Nikitich - the winners of monsters, admires the beauty waiting for her fiancé, who will free her from the terrible Koshchei, immerses the viewer in a cheerful holiday, where the Frog Princess gracefully dances.

During the First World War, Vasnetsov again turns to the images of heroes. In the paintings of 1914 "Bogatyr lope" and "One warrior in the field", the artist strives for monumentality, but achieving it only with enlarged figures does not seem convincing enough.

Vasnetsov took an active part in the charity program: in September 1914 he donated 3,000 rubles to the wounded and their families, participated in charity exhibitions, painted posters of various institutions also in favor of the wounded. From the sale of works at the exhibition, from 20% to 100% was deducted in favor of the victims of the war.

And here is the revolution. ABOUT state of mind The artist during these years can give an idea of ​​his letter to Elena Adrianovna Prakhova dated May 4, 1918, where he writes about the “hard time”, about “the great chaos that reigns with might and main in our country, and dominion after dominion is changing: Ukrainians, Germans, Bolsheviks, the Germans are the great social-Pugachevshchina!

We know about the last years of the artist's life from his letters to his son, Mikhail Viktorovich, who emigrated to Prague. M. V. Vasnetsov - astronomer, later a priest (1884 - 1972); the rest of the children remained in Moscow (Tatiana, 1879 - 1961; Boris, 1880 - 1919; Alexei, 1882 - 1949, Vladimir 1889 - 1953). Daughter Tatyana and grandson Andrei Vladimirovich became artists, Vasnetsov's son Vladimir Viktorovich became a zoologist and professor at Moscow University.

The artist and his family lived hard, there were no sales of paintings, but special rations helped - academic, from the Committee for the Improvement of the Life of Scientists (KUBU) and American - from the American Food Assistance to Needy Countries.

On the occasion of his seventieth birthday, Vasnetsov received a congratulation (address from the Union of Russian Artists), written in the font of the Ostromirov Gospel, under the address there are many signatures, among them - his brother, Appolinary Mikhailovich, V. P. Bychkov, A. V. Sredin and others. The last exhibition of the Union of Russian Artists took place in May-June 1923. Vasnetsov also participated in it.

IN last years In his life he read a lot, including philosophical literature, worked on his fairy-tale paintings. M. V. Nesterov, who constantly communicated with Vasnetsov at that time, wrote about him: “An old man at seventy-seven years old looks no more than seventy. Cheerful, witty and handsome with senile noble beauty.

Vasnetsov died suddenly. His niece L. A. Vasnetsova-Voinova recalls: “On the last day of his life on July 23, 1926, an acquaintance came in the evening, after dinner they talked, sitting on a sofa in the dining room. Before going to bed, seeing off the guest at 11 pm, Viktor Mikhailovich left the dining room and in the corridor ... screamed ... and fell. When Tanya and Alyosha (the son and daughter of Viktor Mikhailovich) came running, he was no longer breathing.

Thus ended the wonderful life of Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov.

On July 27, 1926, Alexey Viktorovich Vasnetsov wrote to his brother in Prague: “Dear, dear Misha, yesterday we buried our beloved, priceless dad, our bright, holy dad, great and unforgettable. I don't know, I can't write because there are no words. It all happened so unexpectedly. /…/ Paralysis of the heart, which, according to the doctor, could always come, and it was impossible to foresee it” /…/.

Further, the letter describes in detail the funeral, farewell. “The coffin was carried all the time to the cemetery in their arms, and there were so many who wanted to carry it that they interfered with each other /.../ The funeral made an impression on everyone of some kind of greatness, somehow united everyone on something very good. So the grief of the loss was mixed with the spiritual beauty of the deceased and the general feelings towards him. They said that there is no dead person, but there is a man of extraordinary beauty - however, in the coffin, dad was very good - calm and bright.

In numerous obituaries, contemporaries - critics and historians of literature and art - spoke about the significance of Vasnetsov's work for Russian culture. I. E. Grabar wrote in the Krasnaya Niva newspaper that “history will undoubtedly note the significance of this phenomenon.”

interesting for a long time a fact that remained unknown: in 1923, during the life of Vasnetsov, a collection about the World of Art was being prepared for publication, the publication of which was not carried out. The proposed collection contained articles about the artists of this association. Among them was the work of D. Shilkin, in which the author gave a deep description of the work of Vasnetsov. What matters is the fact that the article about Vasnetsov was supposed to appear in a collection dedicated to the artists of the "World of Art"! Above, we talked about the discussions that took place in the press regarding the work of Vasnetsov in the 19th century, and, as we see, did not stop in the 20th century. This fact once again shows the complexity of the problems facing the researchers of this great artist and man. In art, he did a lot for the first time: for the first time he raised the problem of synthesis of painting and architecture, began to paint in a new style - Art Nouveau, for the first time turned to epic, national-romantic images, decorativeness, adornment of life. He was the first to create works on the themes of fairy tales, imbued with deep feeling, fantasy and love.

I would like to end the essay with the words of M.V. Nesterov: “Not a phrase - Russia will remember Vasnetsov as the best of her sons, who loved her passionately, touchingly, tenderly.”