Portrait is the art of reproducing the image of a person or group of persons with absolute accuracy. As a rule, this is an artistic drawing that follows a certain style. The artist who painted the portrait may belong to one or another school of painting. And his works are recognizable due to the individuality and style that the painter follows.

Past and present

Portrait artists depict real-life people by drawing from life, or reproduce images from the past from memory. In any case, the portrait is based on something and carries information about a specific person. Often such a picture reflects some era, be it modernity or the past. In this case, portrait artists, instead of the usual background, depict several accompanying conventional features, such as the architecture of the time indicated in the background, or other characteristic objects.

Rembrandt

Fine art is diverse, and its individual genres can exist independently of each other, or can be synthesized. Likewise, in a portrait, different subjects are combined into one whole, but the person’s face always dominates. The great portrait painters of the past mastered the art of artistic depiction to perfection. Such masters include the Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669), who painted many portraits. And each of them is recognized as true art is immortal, because the paintings of Rembrandt van Rijn are already more than five hundred years old.

Engraving is a fine art

The great portrait painters of the past are the national treasure of the countries in which they were born, lived and created their paintings. A noticeable mark in the history of painting was left by the German artist Albrecht Durer (1471-1528), who worked in the genre of engraving. His paintings are exhibited in the most prestigious museums in the world. Paintings painted by the artist at different times, such as “Portrait of a Young Venetian Woman”, “Portrait of Emperor Maximilian”, “Portrait of a Young Man” and others, are unsurpassed masterpieces. Great portrait painters differ from all other artists in their high level of self-expression. Their paintings are an example to follow.

Women's theme

Giovanni Boldini (1842-1931), Italian artist, ranks high on the list of "Great Portrait Painters of the World." He is recognized as an unrivaled master of female portraiture. You can look at his paintings for hours, the images are so accurate and picturesque. Rich colors, mostly cool shades, contrasting strokes, play of halftones - everything is collected in his paintings. The artist manages to convey the character of the lady depicted on the canvas, and even her mood.

Famous portrait artists of Russia

There have always been great artists in Rus'. Portrait art originated in the 14th century AD, when talented painters such as Andrei Rublev appeared and their work did not fully correspond to the portrait genre, since these artists painted icons, but the general principles of creating images coincided.

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

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

Alexey Zubov (1682-1750), an outstanding master of portrait art. He was a favorite. Together with his father, the famous icon painter Fyodor Zubov, he participated in the design of the Armory Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin.

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

Vasily Tropinin (1776-1857), a famous Russian artist, truly became famous in 1827. He created the belt of Alexander Sergeevich, the brightest representative of Russian poetry. The order was made by the poet himself. And the painting was intended for Alexander Sergeevich’s friend, Sobolevsky. The portrait became the most famous creation of all that ever depicted Pushkin. Tropinin's painting "Alexander Pushkin" forever became a classic of the genre.

Orest Kiprensky (1782-1836) began writing at the age of 22. The first portrait was created by Kiprensky in the style of Rembrandt; the canvas depicted A. K. Walbe. The artist’s most famous work is considered to be “Portrait of E.V. Davydov,” painted in 1809. Several paintings by Orest Kiprensky are in the Tretyakov Gallery.

Alexey Venetsianov (1780-1847) is a Russian artist who is considered the founder of the narrative style in portrait art. He was a student of the venerable painter Vladimir Borovikovsky. The young man gained wide fame thanks to the painting “Portrait of a Mother,” created in 1801.

Borovikovsky Vladimir (1757-1825), a native of Mirgorod, became famous and famous after meeting Catherine II, traveling as part of her 1787 tour. The painter created a series of artistic paintings in the palace, which was located on the route of the empress. Catherine was delighted with Borovikovsky’s work and awarded him a large sum of money.

The list of “Great portrait painters of Russia of the 19th century” is headed by Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy (1837-1887), an outstanding painter, master of religious wall paintings. Kramskoy's portrait art allowed him to create a number of images of famous people, including P. M. Tretyakov, S. P. Botkin, I. I. Shishkin, M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, L. N. Tolstoy and others.

The most famous portrait painters of modern Russia

Igor Belkovsky (born 1962), corresponding member of the Russian Art Academy, member of the Union of Artists of Russia, laureate of the “For a Bright Future” award, established by the governor of the Chelyabinsk region.

(born 1943), People's Artist of the USSR, member of the Presidential Council for Culture and Art. Author of numerous portraits of his contemporaries.

Among the many Russian and foreign artists who worked in Russia, the outstanding masters of portraiture in the 18th century can safely be called

A.P. Antropova, I.P. Argunova, F.S. Rokotova, D.G. Levitsky, V.L. Borovikovsky.

On his canvases A.P. Antropov and I.P. Argunov sought to portray a new ideal of a person - open and energetic. Cheerfulness and festivity were emphasized by bright colors. The dignity of those depicted, their corpulence was conveyed with the help of beautiful clothes and solemn static poses.

A.P. Antropov and his paintings

Self-portrait of A.P. Antropov

In the works of A.P. Antropov still has a noticeable connection with icon painting. The master paints the face with continuous strokes, and clothes, accessories, background – freely and broadly. The artist does not “fawn over” the noble heroes of his paintings. He paints them as they really are, no matter what features, positive or negative, they have (portraits of M.A. Rumyantseva, A.K. Vorontsova, Peter III).

Among the most famous works of the painter Antropov are portraits:

• Izmailova;
• A.I. and P.A. Quantitative;
• Elizaveta Petrovna;
• Peter I;
• Catherine II in profile;
• Ataman F. Krasnoshchekov;
• portrait of the prince Trubetskoy

I.P. Argunov - portrait artist of the 18th century

I.P. Argunov “Self-portrait”

Developing the concept of a national portrait, I.P. Argunov quickly and easily mastered the language of European painting and abandoned old Russian traditions. What stands out in his legacy are the ceremonial retrospective portraits that he painted from lifetime images of P.B.’s ancestors. Sheremetev. His work also predicted the painting of the next century. He becomes the creator of a chamber portrait, in which great attention is paid to the high spirituality of the image. This was an intimate portrait, which became more common in the 19th century.

I.P. Argunov “Portrait of an unknown woman in a peasant costume”

The most significant images in his work were:

• Ekaterina Alekseevna;
• P.B. Sheremetev in childhood;
• the Sheremetev couple;
• Catherine II;
• Ekaterina Alexandrovna Lobanova-Rostovskaya;
• unknown woman in peasant costume.

F.S. Rokotov - artist and paintings

A new phase in the development of this art is associated with the name of the Russian portrait artist F.S. Rokotova. He conveys the play of feelings and the variability of human character in his dynamic images. The world seemed spiritual to the painter, and so are his characters: multifaceted, full of lyricism and humanity.

F. Rokotov “Portrait of an unknown man in a cocked hat”

F.S. Rokotov worked in the genre of semi-ceremonial portrait, when a person was depicted from the waist up against the background of architectural buildings or a landscape. Among his first works are portraits of Peter III and Grigory Orlov, seven-year-old Prince Pavel Petrovich and Princess E.B. Yusupova. They are elegant, decorative, colorful. The images are painted in the Rococo style with its sensuality and emotionality. Thanks to Rokotov's works, you can learn the history of his time. The entire advanced noble elite sought to be captured on the canvases of the great painter.

Rokotov's chamber portraits are characterized by: a bust-length image, a ¾ turn towards the viewer, the creation of volume by complex cut-off modeling, and a harmonious combination of tones. Using these expressive means, the artist creates a certain type of canvas, which depicts the honor, dignity, and spiritual grace of a person (portrait of the “Unknown Man in a Tricorne Hat”).

F.S. Rokotov “Portrait of A.P. Struyskaya”

The artist’s youthful and female images were especially remarkable, and he even developed a certain Rokotov type of woman (portraits of A.P. Struyskaya, E.N. Zinovieva and many others).

In addition to those already mentioned, the following works brought fame to F.S. Rokotov:

• IN AND. Maykova;
• Unknown in pink;
• V.E. Novosiltseva;
• P.N. Lanskoy;
• Surovtseva;
• A.I. and I.I. Vorontsov;
• Catherine II.

D.G.Levitsky

D. G. Levitsky Self-portrait

They said that the portraits of D. G. Levitsky reflected the entire century of Catherine. No matter who Levitsky portrayed, he acted as a subtle psychologist and certainly conveyed sincerity, openness, sadness, as well as the national characteristics of people.

His most outstanding works: portrait of A.F. Kokorinov, a series of portraits “Smolyanka”, portraits of Dyakova and Markerovsky, a portrait of Agasha. Many of Levitsky’s works are considered intermediate between ceremonial and chamber portraits.

D.G. Levitsky “Portrait of A.F. Kokorinov”

Levitsky combined in his work the accuracy and truthfulness of Antropov’s images and Rokotov’s lyrics, as a result of which he became one of the most outstanding masters of the 18th century . His most famous works are:

• E. I. Nelidova
• M. A. Lvovoy
• N. I. Novikova
• A. V. Khrapovitsky
• the Mitrofanovs
• Bakunina

V.L. Borovikovsky - master of sentimental portrait

Portrait of V.L. Borovikovsky, artist. Bugaevsky-Blagodatny

The personality of the domestic master of this genre V.B. Borovikovsky is associated with the creation sentimental portrait. His miniatures and oil portraits depicted people with their experiences, emotions, and conveyed the uniqueness of their inner world (portrait of M.I. Lopukhina). Women's images had a certain composition: the woman was depicted against a natural background, waist-deep, leaning on something, holding flowers or fruits in her hands.

V.L. Borovikovsky “Portrait of Paul I in the costume of the Order of Malta”

Over time, the artist’s images become typical of the entire era (portrait of General F.A. Borovsky), and therefore the artist is also called the historiographer of his time. The artist's portraits are from Peru:

• V.A. Zhukovsky;
• “Lisanka and Dashenka”;
• G.R. Derzhavina;
• Paul I;
• A.B. Kurakina;
• "Beardless with daughters."

For the development of Russian painting, the 18th century became a turning point. Portrait becomes the leading genre . Artists adopt painting techniques and basic techniques from their European colleagues. But the focus is on a person with his own experiences and feelings.

Russian portrait painters tried not only to convey similarities, but also to reflect on their canvases the soulfulness and inner world of their models. If Antropov and Argunov sought to overcome conventions and truthfully portray a person, then Rokotov, Levitsky and Borovikovsky went further. Inspired personalities look out from their canvases, whose mood was captured and conveyed by the artists. They all strove for the ideal and sang beauty in their works, but physical beauty was only a reflection of the humanity and spirituality inherent in Russian people.

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Russian portrait has its own history of development and its wonderful portrait artists.

In general terms, we will talk about how the portrait genre developed in Russia. In general - because this topic is vast for one article.

History of Russian portrait

In the Middle Ages, the Russian portrait differed from the understanding of this genre in later times: the individual traits of a particular person were almost not reflected in his image. In medieval portraiture it was a timeless image. Individuality was manifested only in the depiction of his social status, or rather, the ideal that corresponded to representatives of a certain level in the feudal hierarchy. Naturally, only noble people, church leaders and other high-ranking officials of their time were depicted in the portraits.

Miniature from “Svyatoslav’s Collection” 1073 “Svyatoslav with his family.” Svyatoslav is on the far right. Svyatoslav is the third son of Yaroslav the Wise and Ingegerda of Sweden.

And here is a group portrait of “The Daughter of Yaroslav the Wise.” Here we see some individualization of the images, although it is not the main criterion in this portrait; for the artist it was more important to show the princely dignity of the girls.
Some iconographic images of Dionysius are distinguished by individual characteristics. For example, the icon of Joseph of Volotsk.

Dionysius. Icon of Joseph Volotsky

Dionysius (c. 1440-1502) is a famous Moscow icon painter, a successor to the traditions of Andrei Rublev.
In the 16th century The secular portrait is emerging in Russia. The Council of the Hundred Heads in 1551 legalized the possibility of writing kings, princes and people on icons; a little later it was allowed to write parables along with ordinary subjects on icons - this made it possible to insert everyday motifs into icons. At the same time, according to the decision of the Stoglavy Council, kings, princes, saints, and peoples who are alive could appear in the bottom row of icons.
And Ivan the Terrible himself demanded that historical events and his deeds be reflected in art. Under him, a royal workshop was created, which in the 17th century. became the basis of the school of royal isographers of the Armory Chamber.
In the Russian kingdom of that period, the portrait genre was called “parsuna” - a distorted transcription of the Latin word “persona” - “personality”, “person”. Parsuns of the 17th century, with rare exceptions, do not have signatures of the authors and no indication of the time of writing. And although the portrait resemblance in the parsun is conveyed rather conditionally, and the signature helps to determine the identity of the person depicted, nevertheless, this was already a step towards the further development of the Russian pictorial portrait.

Parsun of the 17th century. "Portrait of Tsarevich Peter Alekseevich." Russia, late XVII-early XVIII centuries. Unknown artist. Canvas, oil.
By the 16th century These include lifetime images of Ivan the Terrible and many other historical figures of that time.

Parsuna of Ivan the Terrible
In the 17th century The genre of portraiture continues to develop, the iconographic face begins to approach the individual face more and more, artists no longer depict only kings, but also boyars, stewards, and merchants. It is especially important that resemblance to the model becomes mandatory. The innovators in the field of creating a realistic portrait image were the artists of the Armory Chamber, Iosif Vladimirov and Simon Ushakov. Vladimirov creates the image the way he sees it in life. Their work approaches realism. Ushakov worked a lot on the depiction of the human face. He created new icon-painting images with anatomically correct, three-dimensionally modeled faces, real representation of the shape of the eyes and the brilliance of the pupils. But these were only individual steps towards a realistic portrait.
XVIII century contributed his achievements to the portrait genre: artists introduced direct perspective, depth and three-dimensionality of the image on a plane; comprehend the relationship between light and color, the role of light as a means of constructing volume and space.
The central theme of the art of Peter the Great's era becomes the person, and the main genre is the portrait. At this time, the transition from parsuna to portrait was made. By the middle of the 18th century. Original and talented portrait painters have already appeared. The domestic school of portraiture was represented by artists Ivan Nikitin, Andrey Matveev, Ivan Vishnyakov, Alexey Antropov, Ivan Argunov. Let's turn to the work of at least one of them.

Ivan Petrovich Argunov (1729-1802)

I.P. Argunov was a serf of the Sheremetev counts. He studied portrait painting from his cousin Fyodor Leontievich Argunov, as well as from foreign masters. Under the guidance of his teacher Georg Christopher Groot, he created icons for the church of the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo.

I. Argunov “Self-portrait”
He is the author of excellent ceremonial and intimate portraits. Portraits of St. Petersburg nobility, for example, P.B. Sheremetev, brought Argunov fame. In 1762, Argunov received an order to create a portrait of Empress Catherine II.

I. Argunov “Portrait of Catherine II” (1762)
The portrait was painted in the tradition of a ceremonial portrait. The Empress is depicted in an emphatically theatrical pose, her gaze directed at the viewer from top to bottom. The details are carefully painted: a fragment of a column, luxurious draperies, gilded furniture parts, regalia.
Portraits of children and youth occupy a special place in I. Argunov’s work. One of the most famous portraits of the artist is “Portrait of an unknown peasant woman in Russian costume.”

I. Argunov “Portrait of an unknown peasant woman in Russian costume” (1784)
In this portrait, he managed to show the natural beauty and dignity of a person, regardless of his class. Soft facial features, a friendly smile and a calm pose - all this emphasizes the modesty, openness and kindness of a woman from the people.
We should not forget that foreign artists also worked in Russia during Peter’s time and also contributed to the development of the portrait genre. Thanks to them, this genre began to develop in a new quality. To designate Western European artists who worked in Russia, there is a special term - “rossika”. Here are some names: Georg Christophor Groot, John Wedekind, Louis Caravaque, Alexander Roslin, Pietro Rotari, Stefano Torelli and many others.

L. Caravaque “Portrait of princesses Anna Petrovna and Elizaveta Petrovna”
In works of the portrait genre, composition, color, and style are developed.

I.G. Tannauer "Portrait of Peter I"
The next new step in the portrait genre was made by artists of the 18th century. F. Rokotov, D. Levitsky, V. Borovikovsky. Read about them. By the end of the 18th century. The Russian portrait, in its high level of quality, is equal to contemporary world examples. Levitsky and Rokotov move from a ceremonial portrait to a chamber portrait. Their portraits are characterized by delicacy, thoughtfulness, and restrained attentiveness.
In the genre of official portrait at the end of the 18th century. S. Shchukin (1762-1828), a student of D. Levitsky, was considered an indisputable authority. The famous portrait painters Vasily Tropinin and Alexander Varnek were students of S. Shchukin himself.

S. Shchukin “Paul I in the Maltese Crown” (1799). Hermitage, St. Petersburg
For this portrait, S. Shchukin was awarded the title of academician.
By the end of the 18th century. Russian portrait art began to develop in accordance with the pan-European style trends of baroque, rococo, classicism, and sentimentalism.

The rise of Russian portraiture

With the advent of the era of romanticism at the beginning of the 19th century. The portrait genre received new development. The most famous masters of this period were Orest Kiprensky, V. Tropinin, K. Bryullov, Alexander Varnek.

Alexander Grigorievich Varnek (1782-1843)

A. Varnek “Self-portrait”
Graduate and later teacher at the Academy of Arts, master of portraiture. The main theme of his work was portraits. They note his ability to capture the likeness, choose lighting, and portray the model truthfully and without embellishment. He painted many portraits of his contemporaries. For example, a portrait of M.M. Speransky, Russian public and statesman, reformer, who participated in the education of Tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich.

A. Varnek “Portrait of Mikhail Mikhailovich Speransky” (1824). Canvas, oil. Irkutsk Regional Art Museum named after. V. P. Sukacheva
From the middle of the 19th century. The best examples of the realistic portrait genre are created by the Itinerant artists Vasily Perov, Ivan Kramskoy, Nikolai Ge, Nikolai Yaroshenko, Valentin Serov, Ilya Repin. They created portraits of representatives of the intelligentsia of this era, many of which were made directly by order of P.M. Tretyakov, a famous philanthropist and art collector.

I. Kramskoy “Self-portrait”
Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy created a number of portraits of outstanding Russian writers, artists and public figures: L.N. Tolstoy (1873), I.I. Shishkin (1873), P.M. Tretyakov (1876), M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin (1879), A.S. Griboyedov, V. Solovyov, Emperor Alexander III and many others.

I. Kramskoy “Portrait of Emperor Alexander III” (1886)
Portraits are also widely introduced into paintings of everyday and historical genres, for example, in the paintings of V. Surikov.
Valentin Aleksandrovich Serov (1865-1911) – Russian portrait master.

V. Serov “Self-portrait”
His most famous portrait is “Girl with Peaches”.

V. Serov “Girl with Peaches” (1887). Oil on canvas, 91 x 85 cm. State Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow)
This portrait was painted at the Abramtsevo estate by Savva Ivanovich Mamontov, a Russian entrepreneur and philanthropist. And the portrait shows Mamontov’s daughter, 12-year-old Vera. Her spontaneity, lively mind and curiosity are skillfully conveyed by the artist. Although the portrait took almost 2 months to create, and all this time the girl posed for the artist, there is no feeling of stability on the canvas. It seems that Vera only ran into the dining room for a minute to eat a peach, and now she will run about her business again. By the way, peaches were grown in the Mamontov greenhouse.
V. Serov created a portrait gallery of “highest persons,” including portraits of Grand Duke Georgiy Mikhailovich, Emperor Alexander III, Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich, the coronation portrait of Nicholas II, etc.

V. Serov “Portrait of Nicholas II”

Portrait painters of the Silver Age

The portrait genre continued its development in the works of Mikhail Vrubel, Sergei Malyutin, Abram Arkhipov, Boris Kustodiev, Malyavin.
These artists created portraits of types of people from the people. Their works are mostly colorful, full of optimism, color and freshness of perception.

A. Arkhipov “Baba in Red” (1910)
Viktor Borisov-Musatov, Konstantin Somov, Zinaida Serebryakova’s portraits are more lyrical. K. Somov, for example, created a gallery of portraits of his contemporaries (A. Blok, E. Lanceray, S. Rachmaninov, V. Ivanov, M. Dobuzhinsky, etc.)

K. Somov “Portrait of S. Rachmaninoff”
As you know, the Silver Age was a time of searching for a new artistic language, and the portraits of that time reflected this search. Portrait artists of the Silver Age: Kazimir Malevich, Ilya Mashkov, Pyotr Konchalovsky, Aristarkh Lentulov, Alexander Osmerkin, Robert Falk, Nathan Altman and others.

P.P. Konchalovsky “Portrait of V. E. Meyerhold” (1938). Oil on canvas, 211 x 233 cm. State Tretyakov Gallery
The famous director is depicted in the portrait shortly before his arrest and death. The conflict between the individual and the surrounding reality is emphasized. The composition of the portrait plays an important role, to some extent it is allegorical: it seems that the canvas depicts a dreamer, whose dreams are embodied in colored patterns covering the entire wall and the sofa to the floor. But at the same time, we see a person immersed in his thoughts, as if detached from the world around him. The image is revealed through contrast: a bright ornament, and against its background there is a monochrome figure, as if lost and entangled in the countless curves of the patterns.

N. Altman “Portrait of A. A. Akhmatova” (1914). State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg
The portrait of A. Akhmatova was painted in the style of cubism.
An outstanding graphic artist of this period is Yuri Annenkov. He created a large gallery of pictorial and graphic portraits of many figures of Russian culture: A. A. Akhmatova, A. N. Benois, A. M. Gorky, E. I. Zamyatin, A. V. Lunacharsky, B. L. Pasternak, etc. .

Y. Annenkov “Portrait of B. Pasternak” (1921)

By the 30s of the XX century. In the Russian portrait genre, realism again became in demand; it was now called “socialist realism”. The image of a contemporary was also in demand. But this image had to be ideologically correct. “The main content of the Soviet portrait is the image of a new man, a builder of communism, a bearer of such spiritual qualities as collectivism, socialist humanism, internationalism, and revolutionary determination. The main character of the Soviet portrait is the representative of the people” (Great Soviet Encyclopedia). New type portraits and painting portraits are emerging, reflecting the everyday life of Soviet people and their heroic deeds (artists Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin, Georgy Ryazhsky, Alexander Deineka, Sergei Gerasimov, Semyon Chuikov).

A. Deineka “Runners” (1934)
Entire pictorial cycles have emerged dedicated to the leaders of the revolution and the Soviet state (Leniniana, Staliniana).

One of the most famous paintings about the war was “Mother of the Partisan” by artist S. Gerasimov.

S. Gerasimov “Mother of the Partisan” (1943-1950). Oil on canvas, 184 x 229 cm. State Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow)
The theme of his painting is the heroism of ordinary Soviet people during the war. In the center of the picture stands the partisan’s mother with her head held high. S. Gerasimov said this about the idea of ​​this painting: “I wanted to show in her image all the mothers who sent their sons to war.” The woman cannot be intimidated by the German invaders. Behind her is her native land. The face is the embodiment of popular anger, which even the fascists feel: against the background of this heroic Russian woman, the German officer seems pitiful.
In the second half of the 20th century. The genre of Russian pictorial portrait was enriched by artists of a new generation: Nikolai Andronov, Viktor Popkov, Tair Salakhov, Boris Korneev, Lev Rusov, Evsey Moiseenko, Oleg Lomakin, as well as Dmitry Zhilinsky, Alexander Shilov (working in the manner of “photorealism”), Ilya Glazunov.
T. Salakhov created a gallery of images of cultural figures: composers D. D. Shostakovich, Kara Karaev, F. M. D. Amirov, artist R. Rauschenberg, actor M. Schell, writers Rasul Rza, G. Hesse, M. Ibragimbekov, cellist M. L. Rostropovich and others.

T. Salakhov “Portrait of M. Rostropovich”

Group portrait of D. Zhilinsky “Spring of the Art Theater” (1988)
Take a closer look at the faces of the characters and you will find many familiar faces.
D. Zhilinsky created portraits of people close to him in spirit.

D. Zhilinsky “Richter is playing”
In the portrait gallery of I. Glazunov there are his contemporaries: from a simple rural carpenter to heads of state. He created a series of portraits of Soviet and foreign political and public figures, writers, and artists. The artist created many artistic images of historical characters.

I. Glazunov “Portrait of the writer Valentin Rasputin” (1987). Canvas, oil. 121 x 90 cm

I. Glazunov “The Kiss of Judas” (1985). Canvas, oil

We see how diverse the creative searches of portrait artists of the 20th century are.

Modern Russian portrait

Russian portraiture continues to develop. Now he is no longer bound by any ideological conditions, although the ceremonial portrait has been preserved - customers exist at all times.
The most famous authors of this genre are Alexander Shilov, Nikas Safronov, Leningrad artist Sergei Pavlenko, who lives in London and received two orders for portraits of the British royal family, including Queen Elizabeth. He works in line with the school of Korovin and Nesterov.

S. Pavlenko “Portrait of Elizabeth II”, 250 x 210 cm

S. Pavlenko “Olga”. Oil, 163 x 95 cm
Natalya Tsarkova, a graduate of I. Glazunov’s studio and the Surikov School, is the official court portrait painter at the court of Pope Benedict XVI. But Tsarkova paints portraits of dads from photographs, because for dad
You're not supposed to pose. Natalya Tsarkova is the only woman in the world who painted portraits of four popes.

N. Tsarkova “The Last Supper” (2002)
This is how the artist herself explains this work: “In essence, I didn’t change anything in this well-known evangelical story, I just “went” from the other side. Jesus sits at the table opposite the apostles and looks half-turned directly at the viewer from behind. In the corner of the canvas, in the image of a maid, I depicted myself, looking through the slightly open door. This is also incompatible with the traditional canons of the “Supper,” but in this way I wanted to emphasize the connection with today. This is a view from the third millennium.
The large white canvas lay in my studio for a whole year before the solution to the painting emerged. Ideas appeared spontaneously, like insights, during the work process. I redid many details several times. And in the role of the apostles, I decided to portray my Italian friends and acquaintances. For example, the person who posed for Christ for me is Count Pippi Morgia, a light designer by profession.”
Portrait painter Ivan Slavinsky is popular in France, Georgy Shishkin is an artist in Monaco.

It is obvious that Russian contemporary realist artists are in demand and successful in the world. Why? Are there really not enough talented artists there? Of course they are. But the classical art school practically no longer exists in Europe. And the European aristocracy prefers to have their images for posterity in a classic, recognizable manner. Therefore, among the court artists of our time there are many Russian names.

Nikolai Nikolaevich Ge (1831-1894)

Russian artist. Born in Voronezh on February 15 (27), 1831 in the family of a landowner. He studied at the mathematical departments of Kyiv and St. Petersburg universities (1847-1850), then entered the Academy of Arts, from which he graduated in 1857. He was greatly influenced by K.P. Bryullov and A.A. Ivanova. He lived in Rome and Florence (1857-1869), in St. Petersburg, and from 1876 - on the Ivanovsky farm in the Chernigov province. He was one of the founders of the Association of Itinerants (1870). I did a lot of portrait painting. He began working on portraits while still studying at the Academy of Arts. Over the many years of creativity, he painted many of his contemporaries. These were mostly leading cultural figures. M.E. Saltykov - Shchedrin, M.M. Antokolsky, L.N. Tolstoy and others. Ge owns one of the best portraits of A.I. Herzen (1867, Tretyakov Gallery) - the image of a Russian revolutionary, an ardent fighter against autocracy and serfdom. But the painter’s intention is not limited to conveying external resemblance. Herzen’s face, as if snatched from the twilight, reflected his thoughts and the unshakable determination of a fighter for social justice. Ge captured in this portrait a spiritual historical figure, embodied the experience of her entire life, full of struggle and anxiety.

His works differ from Kramskoy’s in their emotionality and drama. Portrait of the historian N.I. Kostomarov (1870, Tretyakov Gallery) is written extraordinarily beautifully, temperamentally, freshly, freely. The self-portrait was painted shortly before his death (1892-1893, KMRI), the master’s face is illuminated with creative inspiration. Portrait of N.I. Petrunkevich (1893) was painted by the artist at the end of his life. The girl is depicted almost in full growth near the open window. She is immersed in reading. Her face in profile, the tilt of her head, and her posture express a state of thoughtfulness. Like never before, Ge paid great attention to the background. Color harmony testifies to the artist’s unspent powers.

Since the 1880s, Ge became a close friend and follower of L.N. Tolstoy. In an effort to emphasize the human content of the gospel sermon, Ge moves to an increasingly freer style of writing, sharpening color and light contrasts to the limit. The master painted wonderful portraits, full of inner spirituality, including the portrait of L.N. Tolstoy at his desk (1884). In the image of N.I. Petrunkevich against the background of a window open to the garden (1893; both portraits in the Tretyakov Gallery). Ge died on the Ivanovsky farm (Chernigov province) June 1 (13), 1894.

Vasily Grigorievich Perov (1834-1882)

Born in Tobolsk on December 21 or 23, 1833 (January 2 or 4, 1834). He was the illegitimate son of the local prosecutor, Baron G.K. Kridener, the surname “Perov” was given to the future artist in the form of a nickname by his literacy teacher, an ordinary sexton. He studied at the Arzamas School of Painting (1846-1849) and the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (1853-1861), where one of his mentors was S.K. Zaryanko. He was especially influenced by P.A. Fedotov, a master of magazine satirical graphics, and among foreign masters - W. Hogarth and the genre artists of the Düsseldorf school. Lived in Moscow. He was one of the founding members of the Association of Itinerants (1870).

The best portrait works of the master date back to the turn of the 60-70s: F.M. Dostoevsky (1872, Tretyakov Gallery) A.N. Ostrovsky (1871, Tretyakov Gallery), I.S. Turgenev (1872, Russian Museum). Dostoevsky is especially expressive, completely lost in painful thoughts, nervously clasping his hands on his knee, an image of the highest intellect and spirituality. Sincere genre romance turns into symbolism, permeated with a mournful sense of frailty. Portraits by the master (V.I. Dal, A.N. Maikov, M.P. Pogodin, all portraits - 1872), reaching a spiritual intensity unprecedented for Russian painting. No wonder the portrait of F.M. Dostoevsky (1872) is rightfully considered the best in the iconography of the great writer.

In the last decades of his life, the artist discovered the extraordinary talent of a writer and essayist (stories Aunt Marya, 1875; Under the Cross, 1881; and others; the latest edition - Stories of the Artist, M., 1960). In 1871-1882, Perov taught at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, where among his students were N.A. Kasatkin, S.A. Korovin, M.V. Nesterov, A.P. Ryabushkin. Perov died in the village of Kuzminki (in those years - near Moscow) on May 29 (June 10), 1882.

Nikolai Alexandrovich Yaroshenko (1846-1898)

Born in Poltava on December 1 (13), 1846 in a military family. He graduated from the Mikhailovsky Artillery Academy in St. Petersburg (1870), served in the Arsenal, and retired in 1892 with the rank of major general. Studied painting at the Drawing School of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts under I.N. Kramskoy and at the Academy of Arts (1867-1874). Traveled a lot - in the countries of Western Europe, the Near and Middle East, the Urals, Volga, Caucasus and Crimea. He was a member (since 1876) and one of the leaders of the Association of Itinerants. Lived mainly in St. Petersburg and Kislovodsk.

His works can be called portraits - such as "Stoker" and "Prisoner" (1878, Tretyakov Gallery). "Stoker" is the first image of a worker in Russian painting. “The Prisoner” is a relevant image during the years of the turbulent populist revolutionary movement. “Student” (1880, Russian Russian Museum) a young girl with books walks along the wet St. Petersburg pavement. In this image, the entire era of women’s struggle for independent spiritual life found expression.

Yaroshenko was a military engineer, highly educated with a strong character. The Peredvizhniki artist served revolutionary and democratic ideals with his art. Master of the social genre and portrait in the spirit of the “Itinerants”. The island has made a name for itself with its expressive pictorial compositions, appealing to sympathy for the world of socially outcasts. A special kind of anxious, “conscientious” expression gives life to the best portraits by Yaroshenko (P.A. Strepetova, 1884, ibid.; G.I. Uspensky, 1884, Art Gallery, Yekaterinburg; N.N. Ge, 1890, Russian Museum, St. Petersburg ). Yaroshenko died in Kislovodsk on June 25 (July 7), 1898.

Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy (1837-1887)

Born in the Voronezh province into the family of a minor official. Since childhood, I have been interested in art and literature. After graduating from the district school in 1850, he served as a scribe, then as a retoucher for a photographer.

In 1857 he ended up in St. Petersburg and worked in a photo studio. In the autumn of the same year he entered the Academy of Arts.

The predominant area of ​​artistic achievement for Kramskoy remained portraiture. Kramskoy in the portrait genre is occupied by an exalted, highly spiritual personality. He created a whole gallery of images of major figures of Russian culture - portraits of Saltykov - Shchedrin (1879, Tretyakov Gallery), N.A. Nekrasova (1877, Tretyakov Gallery), L.N. Tolstoy (1873, Tretyakov Gallery), P.M. Tretyakov (1876, Tretyakov Gallery), I.I. Shishkina (1880, Russian Museum), D.V. Grigorovich (1876, Tretyakov Gallery). portrait painting artistic

Kramskoy’s artistic style is characterized by a certain protocol dryness, monotony of compositional forms and schemes, since the portrait shows the features of working as a retoucher in his youth. The portrait of A.G. is different. Litovchenko (1878, Tretyakov Gallery) with its picturesque richness and beauty of brown and olive tones. Collective works by peasants were also created: “Forester” (1874, Tretyakov Gallery), “Mina Moiseev” (1882, Russian Museum), “Peasant with a Bridle” (1883, KMRI). Kramskoy repeatedly turned to a form of painting in which two genres came into contact - portraiture and everyday life. For example, works of the 80s: “Unknown” (1883, Tretyakov Gallery), “Inconsolable Grief” (1884, Tretyakov Gallery). One of the peaks of Kramskoy’s creativity is the portrait of Nekrasov, Self-Portrait (1867, Tretyakov Gallery) and the portrait of the agronomist Vyunnikov (1868, Museum of the BSSR).

In 1863-1868, Kramskoy taught at the Drawing School of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists. In 1870, Kramskoy became one of the founders of the TPHV. When painting a portrait, Kramskoy more often resorted to graphic techniques (using wort, whitewash and pencil). This is how portraits of artists A.I. were made. Morozova (1868), G.G. Myasoedova (1861) - State Russian Museum. Kramskoy is an artist of great creative temperament, a deep and original thinker. He always fought for advanced realistic art, for its ideological and democratic content. He worked fruitfully as a teacher (at the Drawing School of the Society for the Encouragement of the Arts, 1863-1868). Kramskoy died in St. Petersburg on March 24 (April 5), 1887.

Ilya Efimovich Repin (1844-1930)

Born in Chuguev in the Kharkov province in the family of a military settler. He received his initial artistic training at the school of typographers and from local artists I.M. Bunakova and L.I. Persanova. In 1863 he came to St. Petersburg and studied at the Drawing School of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists under R.K. Zhukovsky and I.N. Kramskoy, then was admitted to the Academy of Arts in 1864.

Repin is one of the best portrait painters of the era. A whole gallery of images of his contemporaries was created by him. With what skill and strength they are captured on his canvases. In Repin's portraits everything is thought out down to the last fold, every feature is expressive. Repin had the greatest ability of an artist to penetrate into the very essence of psychological characteristics, continuing the traditions of Perov, Kramskoy, and Ge, he left images of famous writers, composers, and actors who glorified Russian culture. In each individual case, he found different compositional and coloristic solutions with which he could most expressively reveal the image of the person depicted in the portrait. How sharply the surgeon Pirogov squints. The mournfully beautiful eyes of the artist Strepetova (1882, Tretyakov Gallery) dart about, and how the sharp, intelligent face of the artist Myasoedov, the thoughtful Tretyakov, is painted. He wrote “Protodeacon” (church minister 1877, Russian Russian Museum) with merciless truth. Written with warmth by the sick M.P. Mussorgsky (1881, Tretyakov Gallery), a few days before the composer’s death. The portraits of the young Gorky, the wise Stasov (1883, State Russian Museum) and others are soulfully executed. “Autumn Bouquet” (1892, Tretyakov Gallery) is a portrait of Vera’s daughter, how sunny the face of the artist’s daughter shines in the warm shadow of a straw hat. With great love, Repin conveyed a face that was attractive with its youth, cheerfulness, and health. The expanses of fields, still blooming, but touched by the yellowness of the grass, green trees, and the transparency of the air bring an invigorating mood to the work.

The portrait was not only the leading genre, but also the basis of Repin’s work in general. When working on large canvases, he systematically turned to portrait sketches to determine the appearance and characteristics of the characters. This is the Hunchback portrait associated with the painting “Religious procession in the Kursk province” (1880-1883, Tretyakov Gallery). From the hunchback, Repin persistently emphasized the prosaic nature, the squalor of the hunchback’s clothes and his entire appearance, the ordinariness of the figure more than its tragedy and loneliness.

The significance of Repin in the history of Russian Art is enormous. His portraits especially reflected his closeness to the great masters of the past. In portraits Repin reached the highest point of his pictorial power.

Repin's portraits are surprisingly lyrically attractive. He creates poignant folk types, numerous perfect images of cultural figures, and graceful social portraits (Baroness V.I. Ikskul von Hildebrandt, 1889). The images of the artist’s relatives are especially colorful and sincere: a whole series of paintings with Repin’s wife N.I. Nordman-Severovoy. His purely graphic portraits, executed in graphite pencil or charcoal, are also masterful (E. Duse, 1891; Princess M.K. Tenisheva, 1898; V.A. Serov, 1901). Repin also proved himself to be an outstanding teacher: he was a professor-head of the workshop (1894-1907) and rector (1898-1899) of the Academy of Arts, and at the same time taught at Tenisheva’s school-workshop.

After the October Revolution of 1917, the artist found himself separated from Russia, when Finland gained independence, he never moved to his homeland, although he maintained contacts with friends living there (in particular, with K.I. Chukovsky). Repin died on September 29, 1930. In 1937, Chukovsky published a collection of his memoirs and articles on art (Far Close), which was then republished several times.

Valentin Aleksandrovich Serov (1865-1911)

Born in St. Petersburg in the family of composer A.N. Serova. Since childhood, V.A. Serov was surrounded by art. The teacher was Repin. Serov worked near Repin from early childhood and very soon discovered talent and independence. Repin sends him to the Academy of Arts to P.P. Chistyakov. The young artist won respect, and his talent aroused admiration. Serov wrote "Girl with Peaches". Serov's first major work. Despite its small size, the picture seems very simple. It is written in pink and gold tones. He received an award from the Moscow Society of Art Lovers for this painting. The next year, Serov painted a portrait of his sister Maria Simonovich and subsequently called it “Girl Illuminated by the Sun” (1888). The girl sits in the shade, and the rays of the morning sun illuminate the clearing in the background.

Serov became a fashionable portrait painter. Famous writers, aristocrats, actors, artists, entrepreneurs and even kings posed in front of him. In adulthood, Serov continued to write relatives and friends: Mamontov, Levitan, Ostroukhov, Chaliapin, Stanislavsky, Moskvin, Lensky. Serov carried out the orders of the crowned Alexander III and Nicholas II. The Emperor is depicted in a simple jacket of the Preobrazhensky Regiment; this painting (destroyed in 1917, but preserved in the author's replica of the same year; Tretyakov Gallery) is often considered the best portrait of the last Romanov. The master painted both titled officials and businessmen. Serov worked on each portrait to the point of exhaustion, with complete dedication, as if the work he started was his last work. The impression of spontaneous, light artistry was enhanced in Serov’s images because he worked freely in a wide variety of techniques (watercolor, gouache, pastel), minimizing or even eliminating the difference between sketch and painting. Black and white drawing was always an equal type of creativity for the master (the intrinsic value of the latter was consolidated in his work since 1895, when Serov performed a series of sketches of animals, working on illustrating the fables of I.A. Krylov).

At the turn of the 19th-20th centuries. Serov becomes perhaps the first portrait painter in Russia, if he is inferior to anyone in this regard, then only to Repin.

It seems that he is best at creating intimate, lyrical images of women and children (N.Ya. Derviz with a child, 1888-1889; Mika Morozov, 1901; both portraits - Tretyakov Gallery) or images of creative people (A. Masini, 1890; K.A. Korovin, 1891; F. Tamagno, 1891; N.A. Leskov, 1894; all in the same place), where the colorful impression, free brushstroke reflect the state of mind of the model. But even more official, secular portraits organically combine subtle artistry with the no less subtle gift of an artist-psychologist. Among the masterpieces of the “secular” Serov is Count F.F. Sumarokov-Elston (later Prince Yusupov), 1903, Russian Museum; G.L. Girshman, 1907; IN. Girshman, 1911; I.A. Morozov, 1910; Princess O.K. Orlova, 1911; everything is there).

In the portraits of the master in these years, Art Nouveau completely dominated with its cult of a strong and flexible line, monumental, catchy gesture and pose (M. Gorky, 1904, A.M. Gorky Museum, Moscow; M.N. Ermolova, 1905; F.I. Chaliapin, charcoal, chalk, 1905; both portraits are in the Tretyakov Gallery; Ida Rubinstein, tempera, charcoal, 1910, Russian Museum). Serov left a grateful memory of himself as a teacher (in 1897-1909 he taught at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, where his students included K.F. Yuon, N.N. Sapunov, P.V. Kuznetsov, M. S. Saryan, K.S. Petrov-Vodkin). Serov died in Moscow on November 22 (December 5), 1911.

Introduction

I. Russian portrait painters of the first half of the 19th century

1.1 Orest Adamovich Kiprensky (1782-1836)

1.2 Vasily Andreevich Tropinin (1776-1857)

1.3 Alexey Gavrilovich Venetsianov (1780-1847)

1.4 Karl Pavlovich Bryullov (1799-1852)

II. Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions

Chapter III. Russian portrait painters of the second half of the 19th century

3.1 Nikolai Nikolaevich Ge (1831-1894)

3.2 Vasily Grigorievich Perov (1834-1882)

3.3 Nikolai Alexandrovich Yaroshenko (1846-1898)

3.4 Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy (1837-1887)

3.5 Ilya Efimovich Repin (1844-1930)

3.6 Valentin Aleksandrovich Serov (1865-1911)

Chapter IV. The art of portraiture

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

The purpose of this work is to talk about the importance of the portrait as one of the main genres of art, about its role in the culture and art of that time, to get acquainted with the main works of artists, to learn about Russian portrait painters of the 19th century, about their life and work.

In this work we will look at the art of portraiture in the 19th century:

The greatest masters of Russian art of the 19th century.

Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions.

What is a portrait?

The history of the appearance of the portrait.

First half of the 19th century - the time of the formation of a system of genres in Russian painting. In painting of the second half of the 19th century. the realistic direction prevailed. The character of Russian realism was determined by the young painters who left the Academy of Arts in 1863, who rebelled against the classical style and historical and mythological themes that were being implanted at the academy. These artists organized in 1870

A traveling exhibition partnership whose mission was to provide members of the partnership with the opportunity to exhibit their work. Thanks to his activities, works of art became available to a wider circle of people. Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov (1832–1898) since 1856 collected works by Russian artists, mainly the Peredvizhniki, and in 1892 donated his collection of paintings along with the collection of his brother S.M. Tretyakov to Moscow. In the genre of portraits, the Wanderers created a gallery of images of outstanding cultural figures of their time: a portrait of Fyodor Dostoevsky (1872) by Vasily Perov (1833–1882), a portrait of Nikolai Nekrasov (1877–1878) by Ivan Kramskoy (1837–1887), a portrait of Modest Mussorgsky (1881) , made by Ilya Repin (1844–1930), a portrait of Leo Tolstoy (1884) by Nikolai Ge (1831–1894) and a number of others. Being in opposition to the Academy and its artistic policy, the Wanderers turned to the so-called. “low” topics; images of peasants and workers appear in their works.

The increase and expansion of artistic understanding and needs is reflected in the emergence of many art societies, schools, a number of private galleries (Tretyakov Gallery) and museums not only in capitals, but also in the provinces, in the introduction to school drawing education. All this, in connection with the appearance of a number of brilliant works by Russian artists, shows that art took root on Russian soil and became national. The new Russian national art was sharply different in that it clearly and strongly reflected the main trends of Russian social life.

2. Russian portrait painters of the first half of the 19th century.

1.1 Orest Adamovich Kiprensky (1782-1836)

Born on the Nezhinskaya manor (near Koporye, now in the Leningrad region) on March 13 (24), 1782. He was the illegitimate son of the landowner A.S. Dyakonov, registered in the family of his serf Adam Schwalbe. Having received his freedom, he studied at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts (1788–1803) with G.I. Ugryumov and others. He lived in Moscow (1809), Tver (1811), St. Petersburg (from 1812), and in 1816–1822 and from 1828 - in Rome and Naples.

The first portrait - the adoptive father of A.K. Schwalbe (1804, Russian Museum, St. Petersburg) - stands out for its emotional coloring. Over the years, Kiprensky’s skill, manifested in the ability to create not only social and spiritual types (which predominated in Russian art of the Enlightenment), but also unique individual images, has been improved. It is natural that the history of romanticism in Russian fine art begins with Kiprensky’s paintings.

The Russian artist, an outstanding master of Russian fine art of romanticism, is known as a wonderful portrait painter. Kiprensky's portraits are imbued with special cordiality, special simplicity, they are filled with his lofty and poetic love for man. In Kiprensky's portraits the features of his era are always noticeable. This is always invariably inherent in each of his portraits - and in the romantic image of young V.A. Zhukovsky, and the wise E.P. Rostopchin (1809), portraits: D.N. Khvostov (1814 Tretyakov Gallery), the boy Chelishchev (1809 Tretyakov Gallery), E.V. Davydov (1809 State Russian Museum).

An invaluable part of Kiprensky’s work are graphic portraits, made mainly in pencil with coloring in pastels, watercolors, and colored pencils. He portrays General E.I. Chaplitsa (Tretyakov Gallery), P.A. Venison (GTG). In these images we see Russia, the Russian intelligentsia from the Patriotic War of 1812 to the December uprising.

Kiprensky's portraits appear before us as complex, thoughtful, and changeable in mood. Discovering various facets of human character and the spiritual world of man, Kiprensky each time used different painting possibilities in his early romantic portraits. His masterpieces, such as one of the best lifetime portraits of Pushkin (1827 Tretyakov Gallery), a portrait of Avdulina (1822 State Russian Museum). The sadness and thoughtfulness of Kiprensky’s characters is sublime and lyrical.

"Favorite of light-winged fashion,

Although not British, not French,

You created again, dear wizard,

Me, the pet of pure muses. –

And I laugh at my grave

Left forever from mortal bonds.

I see myself as in a mirror,

But this mirror flatters me.

It says that I will not humiliate

The passions of important aonides.

So to Rome, Dresden, Paris

From now on my appearance will be known, - 1

Pushkin wrote to Kiprensky in gratitude for his portrait. Pushkin treasured his portrait and this portrait hung in his office.

A special section consists of Kiprensky’s self-portraits (with tassels behind the ear, ca. 1808, Tretyakov Gallery; etc.), imbued with the pathos of creativity. He also owns the soulful images of Russian poets: K.N. Batyushkov (1815, drawing, Museum of the Institute of Russian Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg; V.A. Zhukovsky (1816). The master was also a virtuoso graphic artist; working mainly with an Italian pencil, he created a number of remarkable everyday characters (like the Blind Musician, 1809, Russian Museum) Kiprensky died in Rome on October 17, 1836.