Russian art is a real storehouse of talents and geniuses of their craft - be it architecture, classical music, ballet or painting. Today we will focus on the work of the great Russian painter, icon painter and illustrator of fairy tales - Vasnetsova Viktor Mikhailovich.
A little bit about the artist ...
The future artist was born in a small village called Lopjal in the Vyatka province in 1848. From childhood, the artist saw green meadows and beautiful, sky-blue lakes, a dense, almost magical forest and huge fields of yellow wheat, all these magical landscapes he subsequently depicted on his canvases. Have you noticed that this painter has a lot of images of fairy tales? This suggests that Viktor Mikhailovich believed in miracles all his life, and loved fairy tales. And now let's go on a journey through the fabulous (and not only) plots of the great artist.
1
The Book Shop (1876)
In this work, the artist shows us that in those days the uneducated peasant was not alien to be interested in literature and science. We see that a lot of people gathered at the bookstore, who with genuine interest considers the books and images with which the shop is hung. A worker with an ax on his back even decides to buy one of the images. Even an old man and a grandson choose a book for Maltese for general development and, so to speak, knowledge of science. Thus, Vasnetsov exalts the Russian people, speaks of his soulfulness, the ability to develop and comprehend something new, unknown, as if believing in his people as an idol.
2
“From apartment to apartment” (1876)
As for me, perhaps, in the artist’s collection, this picture is the most sad and pessimistic. The author loved fairy tales, but he saw everything that surrounds him in reality, so he tried to draw the attention of the authorities through his paintings. The plot of the picture is quite eloquent. Here we see how an elderly couple seeks not such an expensive refuge, having lost their comfortable housing for some reason. The gray snow and the modest decoration of the people make this plot even more depressing and tragic. Behind them is winter St. Petersburg. Most-beauty.ru has an interesting article about the most beautiful parks in the Northern Capital!
3
“Tsar Ivan the Terrible” (1879)
Thanks to this historical portrait of Vasnetsov, this is exactly what we imagine of this first, very wise and very formidable lord of All Russia - Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible. The portrait turned out to be very deep, lively, soulful and historically reliable, because historians and art historians have confirmed that the king’s outfit was made with the pedantic accuracy of that time. This is the whole Vasnetsov, he always painted historically accurate paintings, without thinking up anything that can not be said about his fairy tales. It was here that he gave the course of his stormy imagination.
4
“After the Battle of Igor Svyatoslavich with the Polovtsy” (1880)
We know this historical battle from the school bench thanks to The Tale of Bygone Years and Nestor the Chronicler, who recorded the historical course of those ancient events in his annals, a rumor of which has reached us. The lover of Russian painting and folklore, Viktor Vasnetsov, could not get around this topic, because defending their territory and honor, the heroes were not afraid of either the powerful enemy of the formidable army of the Polovskii, or death, which cannot but admire modern man. It is death that is the main plot of the picture. The author exalts it in the eyes of the viewer thereby saying that to die, protecting their homeland, children and wives is a real honor and pride.
5
“Carpet-plane” (1880)
All of us in childhood dreamed of falling into a fairy tale, taking a ride on an airplane carpet, and tasting a tidbit from a self-assembled tablecloth. Indeed, in this magical world all cherished desires come true, which can not be said about harsh reality, where often everything is so gloomy and unpredictable. It was this idea that the artist wanted to convey to us when he was creating his next fairy-tale picture called “Carpet-plane”. On a beautiful carpet-carpet Ivan the Athlete flies over the river, and not just one, but with a firebird presented to him by Baba Yaga. He is calm and confident, waiting for his new adventures, and yet in a fairy tale it is impossible in a different way.
6
Alyonushka (1881)
The most interesting thing is that Vasnetsov originally painted a picture of an ordinary village girl named Alyonushka, whom he once saw and decided to portray by the lake in Akhtyrka. Her sadness and pain so dumbfounded the master of the brush that he remembered her and wrote. And people themselves already attributed this plot to a fairy tale thinking that this sister Alyonushka is sad about her brother Ivanushka lying at the bottom of the lake.
7
The Baptism of Prince Vladimir (1893)
This historical event in the formation of modern Russia, and then Kievan Rus, the author simply could not miss. Indeed, with the baptism of Prince Vladimir, Christianity appeared and became established on our lands. The theme of religion is very close to the author of the work, because his father was a clergyman. The king decided to be the first to be baptized and set an example for his subjects. This moment of baptism was captured by Victor Vasnetsov, of course, before that he had read and studied the chronicle The Tale of Bygone Years. Although, when you look at the canvas, it seems that he was personally present at this sacrament - everything is plausibly and vividly drawn.
8
The Chamber of King Berendey (1885)
These royal mansions do not remind you of anything? Yes, it is very similar to the skillful tower of Tsar Gvidon in the famous "Tale of Tsar Saltan" by Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin. The fact is that Viktor Vasnetsov was still a very skillful, talented decorator, and after another work on the scenery, this picture came to his mind. His work came out very bright and colorful. And she talks very well about the development of architecture in Kievan Rus.
9
Ivan Tsarevich on the Gray Wolf (1889)
The plot of this picture is familiar to every child, because this is one of the episodes of the Russian folk tale “Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf”, in which Ivan Tsarevich and Elena the Beautiful riding a wolf flee the chase. The master of the brush adored Russian folklore. Especially fairy tales, so he has a lot of paintings depicting fairy tales, and it was his fairy-tale illustrations that were included in many literary publications.
10
“Song of joy and sorrow” (Sirin and Alkonost) 1896
Very often, the artist turned to the ancient Slavic pagan theme, which was interested in, and, in my opinion, even believed in it. This is her wonderful creation. From ancient times, we know about two forces that are always opposing each other, and their name: good (Alkonost) and evil (Sirin). It was them that the author depicted on his canvas in the form of two beautiful and slightly mystical half-birds with human heads of different colors, white is good and black is evil. They sit on the branches of one tree and sing their wonderful songs. Alkonost claims of eternal Paradise, but Sirin, on the contrary, says that Paradise is lost and eternal darkness awaits everyone, and each one of them chooses to believe. But I still agree with the white bird, Paradise - it still exists ...
11
The Heroes (1898)
I remember this historical and, as I used to think, a fabulous picture from childhood, because it hung in the hall of my grandmother and I think in a huge number of houses and apartments. Who doesn’t know the legendary Russian heroes: Ilya Muromets, Alyoshka Popovich and Dobrynya, who, on their steed of faithful, went to the field to examine their possessions and see if there was an ungodly enemy nearby, and if good people needed their help. A very beautiful painting, which Vasnetsov painted for twenty years, and at this time it can be seen in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.
12
The Snow Maiden (1899)
Victor Vasnetsov's painting “The Snow Maiden”, despite the external winter severity, is permeated with fabulous warmth and magic. One involuntarily recalls Christmas evenings and grandmother's tales by the fireplace. The painting shows the Snow Maiden shyly wandering through the night forest. She seems scared and careful. Trees and everything, no matter what you look, are dotted with snow-white snow. The forest is mysterious and silent. What awaits her in front she does not know, but an unkind premonition is displayed on her face. The fairy-tale plot contains a quite realistic subtext - a feeling of imminent disaster. But it remains to hope that this fairy tale with a good ending.
13
The Guslars (1899)
On this canvas we see three husbands in white shirts sitting on a bench somewhere in a tower, singing songs and skillfully sorting out their harp. Here the author tells and shows us the history of Russian music, because the guslars were very loved and respected in ancient Russia. Vasnetsov loved his Motherland and his people, and for this reason in each work he tried to show all the immense, boundless beauty and originality of Russian culture, as well as the hard life of ordinary peasants.
14
“Oleg's Farewell to the Horse” (1899)
This work was created as an illustration to the poem of Pushkin known to us from the school curriculum. Having learned from the sorcerer that Oleg would decide to part with his faithful horse, Oleg decides to part with him, it was this bitter farewell of his own souls that Vasnetsov portrayed. A very touching and sincere sight - a warrior in chain mail and with a sword on his side clung to the horse with tears in his eyes, and the white-maned horse, as if feeling separation, bent his head and was sad with the owner. As always, Vasnetsov’s paintings are very colorful, deep and accurate. Looking at them is a pleasure.
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15
The Frog Princess (1918)
This painting depicts none other than Vasilisa the Wise herself. She is the enchanted frog princess who shows her magical abilities to the priest-king. This wonderful picture is an illustration to the tale of A.S. Pushkin's “Princess Frog” and she performed very skillfully. Looking at this image, we all know what will happen next. A beautiful girl in an emerald dress, wriggling in a dance, will wave her left hand and create a lake, and when she waves her right, two lovely white swans will appear on the lake. It’s a pity that we don’t see Vasilisa’s face, but only her graceful camp and gorgeous thick hair, but by the faces of the gusliars and their dancing movements you can understand that they admire her beauty. The painting also depicts the life, dishes and musical instruments characteristic of this period.
Finally
Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov is one of my favorite Russian artists, I think and not only. Probably because his paintings have been known to me since childhood, because he painted a lot of fairy tales. Thanks to him, Russian painting has gained a new round and this is an illustration. High-quality, beautiful and very fabulous. The artist somehow magically makes the viewer to be among his subjects and imbued with those long-standing events.