Unequal marriage Russian artist. Secrets of old paintings - “Unequal Marriage” by V. Pukirev

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UNEQUAL MARRIAGE - LIES AND TRUTH

“Hypocrisy is a knowledge of our society.
Hypocrisy is a conspiracy of the greedy.
Hypocrisy is the banner of a woman..."
(Gennady Volovoy)

Painting by Vasily Vladimirovich Pukirev “ Unequal marriage" first appeared at the exhibition in 1863, simultaneously with “The Last Supper” by N.N. Ge. Pukirev’s painting immediately attracted the attention of the public, who admired the artist’s work. In the same year, the artist received the title of professor. And today it attracts the attention of viewers in the Tretyakov Gallery, who look with pleasure at the splendor of the colors of a bygone era.

The picture was painted with a certain meaning. And surprisingly, this meaning is not revealed either by critics or viewers. Everyone enters into a silent conspiracy to hide the truth and interpret the picture in a way that would please everyone. As a result of such silence, a bad tradition has already developed of talking not about what is actually depicted, but about the cruelty of society, forcing a young maiden to marry a disgusting old man...

Here is this picture in front of you. Look at it, think about it, draw conclusions... Free your mind from routine, look straight into the eyes of the truth and it will tell you the whole truth about the artist's true intention...

What did you see?.. A selfish old man who marries a poor and unhappy girl, forced by force of circumstances to tie the knot with an unloved? Heartbroken young man who lost his beloved for the sake of inert society.. What a beautiful and sweet lie!.. Another myth that society creates to hide its vices!

Let us consider the traditional view, which was established in public opinion, and which determines the ideology of the picture.

"The plot of the picture is a life drama that was not uncommon at that time: an unequal marriage. A young girl is married off to a rich old man. The bride's appearance is charming: she has still unformed, childishly soft features, beautiful eyes. The bride is pale, she is probably close to fainting The elderly groom makes an unpleasant impression: he has expressionless, dull eyes, disdainfully protruding lips. This man is used to ordering the fate of a girl: she will become a toy in the house of a rich and powerful old man.

The viewer’s imagination depicts powerful and greedy parents who forced her to marry a rich official. I immediately remember Pushkin's Dubrovsky... Poor Masha, who was excommunicated from the noble robber...

A decrepit but still handsome old man marries a young girl, almost a child. The groom is an important nobleman, a general official. On the groom's neck is the Order Cross of Vladimir, II degree, and the star corresponding to this order. He is filled with a sense of his own importance. And the bride, pale, unhappy, after a night of crying tears, can barely stand on her feet, and it seems that, exhausted, she will simply faint or sit down exhausted right in front of the priest.

There is a blatant injustice of an unequal marriage!.. O viewer, be horrified by this picture of injustice. A blooming child ties the knot of marriage with a callous and withered old man! The priest obligingly bowed down before the arrogant official and served him cloyingly. He sees that the young girl does not want to get married, but he does not heed God’s instructions for free expression of will; he is subject to the same spirit of acquisitiveness. About the same as Pushkin’s Masha in Dubrovsky, who was literally carried into the church and married to the old womanizer, whom Pushkin elevated into a noble hero. He is good because he is rich, and because he is brave - he shoots at robbers when they overtake him on the road. But nevertheless, in this and other cases, the priest violates his direct duties and crowns people who have not agreed on their desires, crowns people when one of the parties is forced to unite the bonds of marriage against their will...

The priest puts a wedding ring on the frozen finger of the dead hand of a grief-stricken girl, blessing a marriage without love, or in other words, according to calculation, where everyone wins. The priest will receive his profit, the courtier will receive a young beauty, the parents will receive a good ransom for the bride, the only victims here are love, which is thrown as a sacrifice to gold.

““Unequal Marriage” is a mature and completely finished picture by Pukirev. The author’s thought, his idea is immediately recognizable. Everything here is thought out, everything is balanced.”
What exactly?.. A young girl was forced against her will to marry an old man, separated from her beloved. We feel sorry for the girl, we feel sorry for the unfortunate young man, we feel sorry for the fact that love has been destroyed by this cruel and unfair world, where only self-interest and calculation reign!.. The curtain closes, the viewer wipes away his tears!..

“Until the last moment, the girl must have hoped for something that would prevent this terrible marriage for her. Now, when the wedding ceremony is coming to an end, there is nothing more to wait for. Lowering her tear-stained eyes with eyelids swollen from tears, without looking at the priest, she , almost losing strength, slowly, as if half asleep, not noticing that the candle she holds in her fallen hand is almost touching the flame of her dress, she extends her other hand to the priest so that with a heavy wedding ring he will forever chain her fate with this stranger to her , an unloved person." (from www.rodon.org)

Masha was waiting for her liberator Dubrovsky in approximately the same way, but bad luck, he was late, did not show up on time (not without the help of the author, of course) and therefore, alas, fate separates them. But in the picture the situation is different. Our heroine’s beloved is standing nearby and can prevent the wedding, disrupt it, but he, on the contrary, plays the role of best man... Alas, not the robber Dubrovsky, who would pull out a dagger and stab him in the very heart of the groom, or even the priest. Our “Romeo” does not have the determination to fight for love to the end. This is a pensive young man in his mournful reflection who serves as best man at a wedding. The loved one stands nearby and cannot do anything. He is too intelligent to fight for his beloved, just as she is too weak-willed to reject the matchmaking of the general-official and say a decisive no to the priest.

V.V. Stasov rightly called “Unequal Marriage” “one of the most capital, but at the same time the most tragic pictures Russian painting". “What could be simpler than the plot taken here? - asked the critic. “Isn’t the sale and purchase of a bride a scene that everyone sees with their own eyes almost every day?” .

Beautiful story, which was presented to us, has nothing to do with the reality depicted in the picture. Bargaining?.. Yes, there is bargaining, but this bargaining should not evoke sympathy for the bride, but disgust... We have before us a direct fact that they do not want to comprehend in its direct meaning. The audience finds justification and understanding, finds sympathy and empathy, but does not find common sense to understand what this fact means?...

And it means the following. The girl in the picture betrayed love. She betrayed the young man and sold herself for money. There is no need to look for excuses for her actions, that she was forced or persuaded. Love does not forgive betrayal. If we agree that the girl had no choice, then let's declare Shakespeare a charlatan, and Juliet an extravagant girl who, out of sheer idiocy, committed suicide instead of agreeing to marry a representative of her clan...

There are two truths. This is the truth of a Russian girl who, under pressure from her parents, agreed to marry someone she didn’t love, and the truth of Juliet, who chose death. But there are no two truths, just as there is no day or night outside the window at the same time... If you listen to the mellifluous judgments of domestic critics, then the truth turns out to be on the side of Pukirev’s heroine. And if you follow Shakespeare’s judgments, then the truth is on the side of his heroes. For whom love was higher than death...

What prevented the Russian heroine from running away from home?.. What prevented her from overcoming the oppression of her parents?.. What prevented her from dying for love?.. Weakness?.. Then this girl is unworthy of love, if she is not ready to fight for love, then as a person she is insignificant, she is weak, she is immature, she must be condemned... Why sympathize with a person who is so treacherously weak, who does not want to fight for love, who does not want to overcome obstacles in order to be with her beloved... An insignificant type of woman who can only evoke disgusting sympathy...

A person has a choice, and the heroine of an “unequal marriage” also had a choice. She could have run away with her beloved?.. She could have.. She could have not put on a dress and not gone to church?.. She could have.. She could have thrown herself into the water like Katerina?.. She could have... But she didn’t do anything like that, she made a choice in favor of weakness. In favor of the fact that love for her is less than pleasing the surrounding opinion, parents, life itself. Love is insignificant to her. And although it’s hard for her, she’s ready to overcome love...

However, weakness and weak-willedness are a very rare phenomenon for female types, this is rather the exception, but what is the rule, this is what we need to figure out. What was the mistake of those interpreters who justified the heroine?.. That they did not look at the essence of the fact, although it is obvious. Here he is directly depicted. Here is a young girl, here is her beloved, here is a high-ranking official. The direct fact says that the girl abandoned her beloved for the sake of the dignitary. That is, she preferred material benefits. So between two choices, material or spiritual, she chose the first. This is the crude, materialistic, merciless truth of life. Woman in real life sacrifices love in the name of commercialism. This fact is difficult to accept, it causes indignation. All our sympathy goes to the unfortunate girl, who is depicted with such hopelessness and weak-willedness. Nevertheless, the main motive for writing “unequal marriage” was this brutal truth of life.

Or maybe our heroine really had no choice? After all, girls of that era were subordinate to their parents. And to disobey their will would mean being cursed, and even losing an inheritance. But even in those days, the girl still had a choice, she could refuse the unloved and give consent to the beloved. Or "run to dark night"with her beloved, as Natalya did from Karamzin's story "Natalya, the Boyar's Daughter"

"How? Without my father's knowledge? Without his blessing? - “Without his knowledge, without his blessing, or I died!” - “Oh my God!.. My heart sank. Leave quietly from your parents' house? What will happen to the father? He will die of grief, and a terrible sin will remain on my soul. Dear friend! Why don't we throw ourselves at his feet? He will love you, bless you and let us go to church himself.” - “We will throw ourselves at his feet, but after a while. Now he cannot agree to our marriage. My very life will be in danger when they recognize me.”

What prevented a young girl like Natalya from running away with her beloved and getting married?.. Only weakness and cowardice, only a miscalculation of future profit from an official husband. He made a fortune and earned a pension of 300 rubles a year, a lot of money for that time... So the girl gave in to her parents’ persuasion, so she stepped over her soul and heart. It’s not easy for a girl to make a choice, but she overcomes herself, walks down the aisle, refuses to fight, lets her fate go with the flow, like a boat carried by a river without oars... Probably they persuaded Tatyana Larina too, but at least she was sure that she wouldn’t my beloved needs it, and here, here he is standing next to me, point at him with your hand and tell the priest, here he is my beloved, I don’t want to marry a nasty old man, I want to live with my beloved, either the priest will marry me or take my life! I will give everything for love!.. But no.. he is silent, silent, following the powerful hand of fate...

The main source of the idea for the artist’s painting was a real event - the story of the unhappy love of Pukirev’s friend S.M. Varentsov. A year before the creation of the picture, a wealthy manufacturer, already quite elderly, became engaged to a young girl from a poor family, a certain S.N. Rybnikova, Varentsov’s beloved. For some reason, the girl married not her loved one, but a rich manufacturer, and her lover had the role of best man at this wedding." Rybnikova ended sadly. In the almshouse.

"- And I must say that when they come to me, everyone asks, but it’s true that this young man on the right is the artist himself... Luckily for us, we recently bought one drawing with the inscription, Vladimir Sukhov, portrait Praskovya Matveevna Varentsova, 1907, inscription, Praskovya Matveevna Varentsova, from which 44 years ago the artist Pukirev wrote his famous painting"Unequal marriage". Mrs. Varentsova lives in Moscow in the Mazurin almshouse... This is her life, yes, she apparently outlived her old man. The Mazurins had a room for such merchants, former merchant wives, for about 50 people, there on Kotelnicheskaya Embankment, in fact, apparently, the life of this woman ended." (L. POLOZOVA. (Echo of Moscow)

This is the truth of life. The main truth is that young women are not only ready to marry unloved people, but also to sacrifice love. The worst thing is that a woman, a source of love and inspiration, is so cynically in control of her own destiny. For her, her youth becomes a bargaining chip. It is she who sells herself, and society only contributes. If a prostitute sells her body to many men for the sake of enrichment, then an ordinary woman sells not only her body, but also her soul to a rich man. Arranged marriages became so cynical in Russian society that the Tsar was forced to ban them. This is how only a ban could limit the greed of young girls.

"Relationships are bargaining - everyone sets their own price and the buyer is looking for a seller and the seller is looking for a buyer. Words are just a shell for bargaining, which is based on two things - sexuality and money. The sexy woman is sold at the highest price. A rich man buys himself the sexiest woman. In in a world where everything is bought and sold, there is no place for love - after all, love cannot be bought for any money, and tenderness cannot be acquired with any tricks." (Gennady Volovoy)

An interesting situation was described by one writer in his book about how to win a woman; unfortunately, I don’t remember either the author or the title of the book, so I quote his story from memory. The author decided to conduct an experiment to reveal the commercialism of women. At the dawn of perestroika, when the first businessmen began to appear, racketeering was flourishing, and girls at school began dreaming of becoming currency prostitutes, he placed an advertisement in the newspaper, where he wrote. That “a young man living in a dormitory, a factory worker, strong, athletic, without bad habits, loves animals and children, wants to meet a girl to start a family." After some time, three invitations came to him. From a woman over forty years old, from a mother of three children, and from an alcoholic.

Then a month later he posted a new ad in which he changed his status. He wrote. "A businessman with a strong and solid business, bald, vertically challenged, with a belly, with a difficult, if not difficult, character, forty years old, wants to meet with the goal of having a mistress, marriage is possible, but I don’t promise." This proposal was responded to... 400 letters!.. Who was not among them. Not at all. young girls were ready to throw their innocence at their feet. Married women offered to become lovers. The rest were simply eager to marry such a “lucky groom.” The classic situation repeated itself, as in the fairy tale about “Tsakhis,” who was ugly, but had three hairs on his bald head. And the girls fell in love with him and did not see his ugliness. Everything is natural, women choose gold and betray love.

“If a woman wants to pick up a rich man in order to earn money, she needs to know that there is fierce competition in this area and everyone needs money. The question here is not where to find it, this is not a problem, but is the woman worth being looked for? And for this it is necessary have beauty, a cheerful character, bitchiness, the ability to enslave a man, arouse passion and interest in him, in a word, a woman should be such as to make a rich man want to buy her for money and push aside a competing contender for a piece of his wealth.” (Gennady Volovoy)

Today, times have changed, but the greedy desires of women have not changed. Of course, today young girls no longer dream of being currency prostitutes, but the passion for profit, for sudden enrichment at the expense of a man, blinds and attracts to tempting horizons. And today, guide Lyudmila Polozova, in front of the painting “Unequal Marriage,” tempts young girls with tricky questions. And hears different answers from different age groups. If these are fifth grade girls, then they say in unison that they would never marry an old man; if these are eighth grade girls, then they are already beginning to doubt and are not so categorical, and if these are young women, then they are already openly expressing the possibility of such a thing. marriage... Here, evolution pure soul girls, until the girls' souls are clouded by selfishness.

“The demon who has crept into a woman’s soul whispers to her: “You need strong man and power is in money. After all, a man who knows how to earn money attracts people not even with the money itself, but with the confidence that comes from him. You must be a support and support for this man. You need to think about your children and their happiness is in wealth.” As soon as a woman agrees with these arguments, she will betray love." (Gennady Volovoy)

There is a proverb that best characterizes best qualities men and women, with its brevity it sheds light on genuine people and it sounds like this. “A man is tested with damask steel, a woman with gold.” When a woman frees herself from the “shackles” of “gold”, when she has a free soul and chooses love, when she overcomes all obstacles and temptations for the sake of love, only then will a woman emerge as a free person. Then the girl will be able to choose true values ​​and find the best destiny that can be found in life!..

“If a girl looks into the depths of her soul, then she will see that her soul thirsts not for love, but for vanity. If a woman looks into the depths of her soul, she will see that her soul thirsts not for love, but for gold. If an old woman looks into the depths of her soul, then will see that her soul only wants love. If the mind of an old woman were put into a girl and a woman, how many mistakes would they avoid?" (Gennady Volovoy)

And in conclusion of the article, I offer the reader a wonderful perception of the painting “Unequal Marriage” by the hero Gennady Martynov. (Picturesque Dreams)

“The trembling hand of the priest with a gold ring reaches out to the finger of the bride. But what this grandfather in a sparkling golden robe is doing can not be called anything other than blasphemy. And he, as if by right given to him by God, is doing this that is contrary to God sacrilege. After all, he marries youth, beauty, life with decay, decrepitude and death itself. It is unlikely that the little god from above looks with approval at this act, which is unnatural to all human nature. Is it possible that all the people standing closely behind do not understand this? God’s. And the union of all living things in it is intended, first of all, so that life does not cease. And this means that the union, according to divine thought, should occur only in that case, and only in order to fulfill the first law of everything on earth - to prolong life.
The bride - still just a teenage girl - stands completely depressed by the weight of a forced ritual action in which she is assigned the main role. The call of the young flesh, still permeated through and through with romantic dreams, is rudely and mercilessly suppressed in this house of God. This is touching young creature, who, it seems, has just put aside her favorite dolls and all the games of daughter-mother, already upon leaving this space filled with the smell of incense, should henceforth be imbued with a stern feeling of the end of all the poetry of waiting for happiness under the watchful cold gaze of an old man whom only that she was named as a spouse.
Andrei remembered this picture well from childhood, from the moment their third grade class was first taken on an excursion to the famous museum. Then he didn’t understand well who and why made this big girl all in white with a sad face and eyes from which tears were about to flow, deprived of strength to such an extent that a light candle fell out of her hands, stand next to this nasty old man , looking like a dried-up mummy, and a huge star studded with diamonds on his chest. He clearly heard his raspy voice. The stern grandfather barely audibly teaches, like a schoolgirl, how she should behave at this moment. What did she do wrong, and why is the grandfather with the star so dissatisfied? And why will she now certainly be punished? He didn't understand it. But he felt sorry for the girl to the point of tears.”

" – Pukirev’s painting “Unequal Marriage” was first shown at an academic exhibition in 1863 in St. Petersburg. It was first acquired by the famous Moscow collector Alexander Borisovsky, he was a friend of the artist Pukirev and twice financed their joint trips to Europe. To the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery The painting “Unequal Marriage” arrived in 1871, Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov bought it from Borisovsky, he also bought other paintings from Borisovsky. Tretyakov paid Borisovsky 1,500 rubles, which was enough for those times. high price. The painting has a unique carved gilded frame made of solid wood, which was made by Pukirev’s friend Grebensky. In gratitude for such a luxurious gift, Pukirev depicted one of the characters in the painting with Grebensky’s portrait features. Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov liked this frame so much that he subsequently began ordering Grebensky frames for his other paintings." (G. DOLINCHUK. Echo of Moscow)

Reviews

Inaccuracy. It was not S.N. Rybnikova who ended her life in an almshouse, but the model with whom Pukirev painted his picture - P.M. Varentsova. And Rybnikova lived richly and happily in her house until the end of her days.

“In 2002, the Tretyakov Gallery received a portrait made in 1907, on which it is written: “Praskovya Matveevna Varentsova, with whom 44 years ago the artist V.V. Pukirev painted his famous painting “Unequal Marriage.” Mrs. Varentsova lives in Moscow, in the Mazurin almshouse." Yes, Varentsova lived out her old age in the almshouse. Rumor circulating around Moscow said that as a young beauty she was married to a rich man, he soon died, but she never returned to her beloved, the artist Pukirev. Should we believe this rumor?

The daily audience of the Proza.ru portal is about 100 thousand visitors, who in total view more than half a million pages according to the traffic counter, which is located to the right of this text. Each column contains two numbers: the number of views and the number of visitors.

Painting “Unequal Marriage”

Design: I. Martynov

Genre: Domestic

Era, style, direction: Realism

Material: Canvas

Technique: Oil

Color: Multicolor

Perforation: 12x 12, comb

Circulation: 6 900 000

Printing method: offset with varnishing

Paper: regular

Catalogs: CFA 5213 i. Art. collection 5213

Storage: Federal State Institution “State Tretyakov Gallery”

Size: 173 x 136.5

Year of admission: 1871

Source of admission to the museum: Acquired by P.M. Tretyakov at A.A. Borisovsky

Date of creation: 1862

Place of creation: Unknown

Characteristics of the picture, description, plot

In September 1863, another academic exhibition opened in St. Petersburg. It did not evoke particularly lively responses. But those who closely followed the growth of young, not yet mature realistic art saw that it had finally “arrived.” A passionate advocate of the truth of life in art, V.V. Stasov wrote: “It has finally arrived... and although not many of its representatives appeared at the current exhibition, these few examples testify to growth, to incipient strength, to deep and real development." As the most compelling evidence of the correctness of his judgment, Stasov pointed to the painting “Unequal Marriage”, performed by the young artist V.V. Pukirev. This work attracted general attention and caused the most controversial opinions.

Unequal marriage! How much grief and cruel suffering such marriages brought to their victims! How many deep tragedies they gave rise to in past times! It is no coincidence that the theme of unequal marriage has run through all Russian art. In mournful, filled with sadness folk songs A Russian woman cried about her bitter lot. Many outstanding artists of words, brushes, and music were captivated by this theme with its tragedy.

The motif of unequal marriage, drawn from life itself, came to fine art much later than to literature, and only when the “everyday genre” began to win the right to exist in Russian painting. The innovator here was P. A. Fedotov, the founder critical realism, author of "The Major's Matchmaking." However, telling about the bitter truth of life, this wonderful artist did not resort to harsh and merciless civil reproof. It appeared in Russian fine arts somewhat later, from the 1860s, during the era of rapid social democratic upsurge. It was during these years that Pukirev began his creative path, belonging to the glorious galaxy of those sixties who laid the foundations of the art of critical realism.…

The dimly lit parish church. Objects of church utensils are drowning in the surrounding darkness. Only when you look closely do you notice the intricate bronze curls of the heavy chandelier, the dull gleaming gilding on the royal doors and the silhouettes of dark icons barely visible on them. A strong stream of light, falling from an invisible source located somewhere to the left, outside the canvas, bursts into the darkness, dramatically illuminating the central group - the groom, the bride and the priest. Dissolving into the darkness of the church, he still clearly identifies a small group of wedding ceremony participants surrounding the wedding couple.

Unequal marriage! This is clear to the viewer at first glance at the picture. What brought here such a young girl, so touching in her charm and purity, what made her connect her life with an old man? Dry prudence and callous selfishness shine through the features of his face. This is a man without a heart, without a soul, and the marriage into which he enters is nothing more than the whim of an elderly sensualist, the willfulness of a rich tyrant.

As is clear from materials recently received by the State Tretyakov Gallery from Pukirev’s relatives, the artist based his work on the painting on a real event. In 1861, that is, a year before the creation of the picture, an engagement took place between a wealthy manufacturer, already quite elderly, and a young girl from a poor family, a certain S.N. Rybnikova. Pukirev knew about this engagement from his friend and student S. M. Varentsov. According to the latter’s story, he and S.N. Rybnikova loved each other, but for reasons unknown to us now, the girl married not her beloved man, but a rich manufacturer, and her lover had the role of best man at this wedding. Having used a specific event, the artist did not limit himself to its protocol image. He subordinated the fact of life to his creative plan, based on social generalization. Pukirev made the groom much older and more decrepit than he actually was, while the bride looks almost like a child in the picture. The blatant injustice of unequal marriage began to be perceived with visual conviction. In addition, trying to convey, perhaps more expressively, the negative properties of the hero, Pukirev turns him from a manufacturer into a civilian general-official. There is something official, dry, and prim about this man. How sharp and unpleasant are the deep wrinkles of his long, callous, decrepit face! It seems especially motionless and frozen, pinched by a tight and rigid collar. On the groom’s neck is the Order Cross of Vladimir, II degree, and on his chest the star corresponding to this order shines. He is filled with a sense of his own importance. Seeing the bride's tears, he did not even turn his head in her direction and, only squinting his eyes, whispered to her his annoyance.

For the same purpose of contrast, Pukirev painted an image of a young bride full of charm. The gentle oval of her pretty face, silky brown hair, graceful small mouth - everything about her is full of girlish charm. She seems especially touching and pure in her wedding dress. In sharp contrast to the priest’s “forged” rigid chasuble, the transparent muslin of her veil and the delicate foam of the lace of her dress appear almost weightlessly light.

Until the last moment, the girl must have hoped for something that would prevent this terrible marriage for her. Now that the wedding ceremony is coming to an end, there is nothing more to wait for. Lowering her tear-stained eyes with eyelids swollen from tears, not looking at the priest, she, almost losing strength, slowly, as if half asleep, not noticing that the candle she holds in her fallen hand is almost touching the flame of her dress, extends her other hand to the priest, so that with a heavy wedding ring he would forever chain her fate with this stranger, unloved person.

It is known that in 2002, employees of the Tretyakov Gallery received a pencil drawing by V.D. Sukhov, made by him in 1907. The portrait shows an old woman with beautiful eyes, and below the signature: “Sofya Nikolaevna Rybnikova, with whom 44 years ago the artist V.V. Pukirev painted his famous painting “Unequal Marriage”.

Mrs. Rybnikova lives in Moscow, in the Mazurin almshouse.” It turned out that that young girl, who married a rich old man, ended her days in poverty 44 years later... The priest performing the wedding ceremony also plays a big role in the artist’s creative plan. Pukirev very skillfully introduces his figure into the composition, cutting it off halfway with the frame, otherwise it would distract the audience’s attention from the main characters.

Obsequiously bowing before the groom, the priest puts a wedding ring on the trembling finger of the unfortunate girl, consecrating this cynical marriage, which is more like a trade deal. The prominent characterization of the representative of spiritual authority further enhances the socially accusatory sound of the picture.

The rest of the characters play a secondary role. Each of them reacts to the wedding ceremony in their own way, complementing the artist’s story about an unequal marriage. For greater clarity of his narrative, although to some extent naively, Pukirev divides them into two groups - the groom’s group and the bride’s group. The first is characterized clearly negatively. Some important military man and woman are looking at the bride with frank and immodest curiosity. standing nearby there is a man with him. The elderly woman on the left, apparently a matchmaker, looks faithfully at the old groom. They are all completely indifferent sad fate unhappy girl.

The second group consists of people who sympathize with the bride. The artist especially highlights the figure of a young man with his arms crossed on his chest. This is the best man ex-lover brides His beautiful, noble face and burning gaze attract the attention of the elderly man standing behind him, in whose gaze one can clearly read lively participation. In the original version of the painting, Pukirev depicted S. M. Varentsov himself in the figure of the best man, but the latter, recognizing himself, strongly protested, and the artist had to rewrite the head. Many researchers now see in the image of the best man a self-portrait of Pukirev. This assumption has serious grounds. By giving self-portrait features to the character who plays the role of a reasoner in the picture, the artist could openly express his protest.

“Unequal Marriage” is a mature and completely finished picture by Pukirev. The author's thought, his idea is immediately recognizable. Everything here is thought out, everything is balanced. The artist brings the viewer close to acting persons, making him seem like a direct participant in the scene. In order not to distract attention from the main thing, Pukirev limits the circle of witnesses to the marriage ceremony to just a few characters, but gives each of them an active role. He enriches the content with a variety of characteristics, revealing through them his personal attitude.

The persuasiveness of the picture is largely determined by Pukirev’s large-scale work. Thus, when creating the image of the groom, the artist used his portrait sketch of the old Barents cook. According to the stories of contemporaries, the man standing behind the bride, who sympathizes with the best man, is based on the famous artist P. M. Shmelkov, and the pensive man next to him is based on the frame maker Grebensky, a friend of Pukirev.

The artist’s skill in rendering fabrics is superb. The heavy gilded priest's robe with silver flowers woven on it, and the shiny elastic satin of the bride's dress, reflecting the trembling reflexes of a burning candle, and the deathly cold orange blossom wedding flowers, and light lace, and a transparent veil, and even a thin a soft glove that tightly fits a delicate girl’s hand.

Pukirev based his picture on a generalization of specific life material, and yet, in search of means for the most expressive disclosure of his idea, he went not so much along the path of deep social exposure as along the path of external interpretation of the topic, emphasizing mainly the difference in the ages of the old groom and his young brides The reactionary press took advantage of this, trying to soften in the eyes of the viewer the harsh social sentence clearly heard in the film. On the other hand, “Unequal Marriage” was also subjected to negative criticism by the progressive magazine Iskra. However, this did not prevent the film from becoming one of the most famous and popular to this day.

The middle of the 19th century in Russia was marked by the appearance of so-called dowry brides. Families with average incomes experienced need from time to time; there was not always enough money even for the most necessary things. At this time, the children were growing up, expenses were increasing, and the family budget could not stand it. Life was most difficult for families with several daughters, since every girl wanted to dress beautifully, and this was quite expensive.

Against the backdrop of unsettled life, family troubles arose and, in the end, parents began to look for a way out of the situation. The eighteen-year-old beautiful daughter, as a rule, was surrounded by admirers who were ready to court her and even marry her. Mostly they were young dandies with good appearance, but without material resources. The girl’s parents tried to find her a richer groom, and the bride herself understood that she did not need an insolvent husband. However, time flew quickly, many girls of marriageable age could not find their happiness and remained unmarried. There were not enough suitors, those who could match a decent girl were in short supply, and a real hunt was on for them.

Marriages of convenience

It was not always possible to get engaged to a handsome and wealthy young man; most often, disappointment set in in the first weeks of dating. And then the classic elderly grooms came to the fore, ready to lead a young, inexperienced virgin down the aisle. Seventy-year old men, without any embarrassment, wooed each other, negotiated with their parents, and offered fabulous sums. Of course, the young beauty could not accept such advances from a decrepit old man, but her parents were in a hurry to order a wedding dress. At the same time, the mother told her daughter: “You’ll get married, that’s it... We’ve had enough of living in need.” Next came sleepless nights, girlish tears, pleas, but the parents were adamant. Often girls tried to commit suicide rather than marry the hated old man.

Painting "Unequal marriage": history

In 1863 at the Moscow Academic art exhibition work was presented young artist Vasily Pukirev, who created a real sensation. The painting “Unequal Marriage” was dedicated to the topic of forced marriages in Russian society of that time. However, in the socio-psychological sense, no one saw the problem; only the bride herself suffered, who had to endure the harassment of the hateful groom. Material interest and the desire to make a profitable deal forced parents to sacrifice the interests of their own daughter. The author of the painting “Unequal Marriage” openly condemned the commercialism of Russian society. The elderly generals, who had already had their eye on a young, defenseless bride, began to refuse marriage one after another.

Wedding

The painting "Unequal Marriage", the description of which assumes familiarity with the characters in all details, reflects a wedding scene in the Orthodox Church. The twilight of the altar chapel is slightly dissipated by the light falling from the window. Overall, the film “Unequal Marriage” leaves an impression of hopelessness. In the center is an elderly groom, dressed in an expensive suit, with an unnatural posture, supported by a tight corset. The head barely turns, pinched by a high collar, dull eyes look arrogantly at those around them, a medal sparkles on the chest, an order on the neck. These awards are clearly inappropriate for a church wedding. The old man tries to look at the bride from the height of his general rank, but he is pitiful, although he tries to act like a good man.

It is difficult to understand the psychology of a decrepit warrior, because, most likely, he once had a daughter whom he sought to successfully marry. Behind you long life, in which there was a lot of good, like any person. Where does such callousness and soullessness towards the young creature come from?

Bride

The most significant character in the picture - a young girl - was painted by the artist especially carefully. The bride is still just a child, with her head drooping, barely holding back her tears, this day is the most bitter in her life. A gentle face framed by blond curls is sad, the candle in a child’s hand is tilted, wax is dripping onto Wedding Dress. The hateful groom is very close, the feeling of his presence torments the girl’s soul. Her right hand held out to the priest, who is about to put it on thin finger wedding ring. The bride is indifferent, she is already indifferent to her own fate. Dressed in her wedding attire, the girl sacrificed herself for the benefit of her family, who will now be able to live in prosperity.

Priest

The priest in the picture is depicted hunched over, lost, as if he has to perform a thankless task. He looks from under his brows, his pose is tense, unnatural, his robe, an embroidered robe, is bristling. In the left hand there is an open church book, in the right hand there is a wedding ring, which the priest is ready to put on the bride’s finger. Perhaps he once had a daughter whose life someone tried to ruin. The priest is confused, but he is ready to fulfill his duty to the end.

Best man and others present

In addition to the bride and groom, the painting depicts several other characters. Behind the bride is the best man with a boutonniere on the lapel of his coat, he is sad, even preoccupied. The unnaturalness of the events unfolding under the church vaults depresses the young man. Next to him stands a man who, apparently, is also not indifferent to what is happening. All other characters depicted in the picture are close people of the groom, among whom are an officer, a matchmaker and several civilians.

"Pros and cons"

The famous art critic, art historian, Vladimir Vasilyevich Stasov, having seen Pukirev’s canvas, said: “Finally, a work has appeared on the topic of the day, taken from the very depths modern life".

However, not everyone shared his opinion. The artist had many enemies who began to reproach him for not studying the topic in depth enough. A wave of controversy arose in the press, and people started arguing about Pukirev’s work. In the end it was recognized that he had created a picture doomed to success. The revealing story left no one indifferent. Virtuoso painting, compositional design, refined psychological characteristics each character - all this raised the artistic value of the picture by unprecedented height. A new one has appeared in Russia talented artist- Vasily Pukirev (“Unequal Marriage”). its analysis and the opinion of critics made it possible to draw a conclusion about the timeliness of the appearance of the masterpiece. Russian society was ready to condemn arranged marriages for their immorality.

Unequal marriage! Grief and suffering, death for the fragile girl’s soul. How many folk songs have been composed about the fate of women without dowries, about the bitter lot of ordinary Russian women. The tragedy of the theme was also embodied in other works of painting and literature, such as A. N. Ostrovsky’s play “The Poor Bride,” F. Zhuravlev’s painting “Before the Crown,” and V. Makovsky’s painting “To the Crown.” “Unequal Marriage,” a painting by Pukirev, dominated this list. Thus, the motif of arranged marriage entered the visual and theatrical arts.

Confession

The painting “Unequal Marriage” was recognized for it. Vasily Pukirev was awarded the title of professor of painting. The Academy makes a professor of the person who wrote big picture, but which one? A picture where there is no fire, no battle, no ancient, no new history... Everyone was excited about the new one, modern theme the power of money and clearly expressed by the figure of a young man standing behind the bride. However, more on this a little later. After this, Pukirev’s fame became all-Russian. The artist took up teaching, successfully created groups of gifted young men, tried to develop their natural talent, and passed on his knowledge and experience.

Many were interested in who the artist depicted in his painting, and rumors spread throughout Moscow. Some believed that the plot was based on a tragedy from the life of the painter himself - his bride, they say, was married to a rich old man. There were no grounds for such assumptions, but everyone liked this version. And since rumors are persistent, the story of the artist’s unhappy love, invented by someone, occupied the minds of Muscovites for quite a long time.

How the plot came about

In fact, the painting “Unequal Marriage” did not have such a romantic origin. The fact is that Vasily Pukirev had a close friend, the artist Pyotr Shmelkov, an art teacher. He lived in poverty and therefore was constantly in search of work and subjects for his paintings. Sometimes he managed to get tutoring in some rich house. Moving around in high society, Shmelkov more than once observed marriage alliances between old men and young brides. He even made a series of sketches on this topic, hoping to use them in the future when painting.

Church decree

In 1861, in February, the Holy Synod issued a decree condemning the large difference in age, since at that time every second marriage was made on the basis of material interest. Perhaps it was then that Shmelkov suggested to his friend the theme for the painting. Pukirev was carried away by the idea and began work. As a sign of gratitude, he drew Shmelkov next to the best man. And he portrayed himself as the best man.

In addition to Vasily Pukirev himself and his friend Shmelkov, there is another famous character in the picture. This is Grebensky, master frame maker. When he saw the picture, he immediately set out to make a frame for it “like nothing had ever been done before.” The result was truly decorated with fine, elegant carvings. Thus, “Unequal Marriage” (Pukirev’s painting) received a worthy frame. Since then, the Tretyakov Gallery has ordered frames for collection paintings only from Grebensky.

Artist's activities

At one time, Vasily Pukirev successfully worked for interior decoration Holy Church Life-Giving Trinity, in Gryazi. He created nine iconographic images. In addition to sacred creativity, the artist was engaged portrait painting, created a series of images famous people. Among other things, thirty-year-old Pukirev taught at the Moscow School of Painting and Sculpture.

The collapse and death of the creator

The talented artist never started a family, although according to some reports he proposed to Praskovya Matveevna, a woman of a beautiful soul, the same one who posed for him as a bride while working on the painting “Unequal Marriage.” The declaration of love was unrequited, and the artist lived alone all his life. This played a role: business gradually fell into disrepair, new paintings were not in demand. Pukirev started drinking and had to leave the school. Further - more: the artist lost his apartment, sold all his things and began to live on charity handouts. Friends helped as much as they could, but this could not continue for long. And on June 1, 1890, Vasily Pukirev died completely alone, at the age of 58. The artist was buried at Vagankovskoe cemetery, in Moscow.

“Unequal Marriage,” a painting by the artist Pukirev, is currently in the Tretyakov Gallery, located at 10 Lavrushinsky Lane, Moscow. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

"Unequal marriage", painting, price

You can find reproductions of any artistic painting on the Internet. The situation is different with copyrighted copies of masterpieces made at a fairly high level. professional level, there are only a few such works. Both reproductions and artistic copies are posted on specialized websites. Visitors often ask the question, who painted the painting “Unequal Marriage”? Of course, everyone wants to know more about the legendary painting.

Similar paintings

In addition to the masterpiece by Vasily Pukirev, there are a number of paintings on the theme of unequal marriages. The artist Firs Zhuravlev painted a painting in 1874 that continued the theme of the decline of morality in Russian society. In the room, there is a sobbing bride on the floor, already dressed in a wedding dress, with an inexorable father standing nearby. The girl's fate is sealed; in a few minutes she will be taken to church and married to an ugly, rich old man. The painting is called “Before the Wedding”, it is in the Tretyakov Gallery.

In 1894, St. Petersburg artist Vladimir Makovsky painted the painting “To the Crown,” which also reflects the theme of the moral degradation of society in Russia in the mid-19th century. The canvas depicts an immaculate Russian beauty, heartbroken, deprived of any hope for a happy life. The painting is in

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"Unequal marriage". Painting by V.V. Pukireva.

1947. Author: V. Zimenko Frontline art criticism , and above all Vladimir Vasilyevich Stasov, an ardent defender of living realistic art, welcomed the painting of the young artist. The carried away Stasov found her excellent in all respects and even belittled other things to please her. central event exhibitions of 1863 - " Last Supper ", the work of a remarkable artist-thinker Outstanding Russian historical painter and portrait painter. One of the founders of the Association of Itinerants. Master of psychological portrait, his brush belongs to beautiful portrait L. N. Tolstoy.... . 1862 . "For example, " Oil on canvas, 173 x 136 » Mr.

The composition of the painting is structured in such a way that the viewer gets the feeling that the action in the painting is not limited to the persons depicted. The row of figures on the background can easily be continued in both directions, so that the entire image is perceived as a crowd scene, including big number participants who are keenly interested in what is happening.

In the center of this group are two hands: the hand of the priest and the hand of the bride, and, looking at them, we, as if in focus, perceive the entire dramatic situation of the picture.

Without avoiding some sentimentality in depicting the dramatic plot, Born in the village of Luzhniki (Tula province) in 1832 into a peasant family. Initially he studied with an icon painter in Mogilev, then (1847-1858) he studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (MUZHVZ); while continuing to paint icons. He taught at MUZHVZ... nevertheless, he did not superficially approach the resolution of the chosen topic. The painting has a dual focus: it protests and denounces. Protests against the oppression of a beautiful human being, denounces the emptiness and soullessness of representatives of “high society.”

Only a man whose morality was crippled by unlimited power over people, by serfdom, could calmly decide to marry a girl against her will, essentially buying her from her parents. And the driving principle on his part was not ardent feeling, but arrogance and tyranny. The groom in the picture Born in the village of Luzhniki (Tula province) in 1832 into a peasant family. Initially he studied with an icon painter in Mogilev, then (1847-1858) he studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (MUZHVZ); while continuing to paint icons. He taught at MUZHVZ... but bright human feeling is inaccessible, and this is not just because he is an old man. He could be younger, and yet marriage with him would be an unequal marriage, a misfortune for the bride. She would have to exchange real treasures - beauty, freshness, cordiality - for the penny splendor of rank, capital and nobility. Pukirev did not sufficiently expose the social meaning of the conflict; the Groom’s advanced age masks his social decrepitude, but, undoubtedly, the artist felt the social content of his chosen topic. V. Stasov very subtly noted in one of his magnificent critical articles social orientation of the picture: “ . 1862 . "For example, "State Tretyakov Gallery» Pukireva is one of the most capital, but at the same time the most tragic pictures Russian school. What could be simpler than the plot taken here? Selling and buying a bride—isn’t this a scene that everyone sees with their own eyes almost every day?” Buying and selling - that's what it comes down to human relations in that environment, flesh: from whose flesh the high-ranking groom appears. Pukirev protested against this situation both as a person and as a citizen. His painting, restrained in painting, is an example of ideological art.

The theme of protecting the violated rights of women is one of the main themes of Russian art and literature.

The great Russian poet Nekrasov, in beautiful lines from the poem “Frost, Red Nose,” excitedly described the fate of a Russian peasant woman:

Fate had three hard parts,
And the first part: with a slave of rank,
The second is to be the mother of a slave's son,
And the third is to submit to the slave until the grave;
And all these formidable shares fell
To a woman of Russian soil.

Life for women of other classes was often little better. Violence and arbitrariness in treating a wife were a commandment of the married life of a merchant. Ostrovsky already touched on this topic in his early play “The Poor Bride.” The image of Katerina from his drama “The Thunderstorm” became a deep generalization of the typical life tragedy of a Russian woman, married to an unloved man against her will, a tragedy brilliantly shown later by Leo Tolstoy in the novel “Anna Karenina”.

Russian artists thought painfully about the fate of women.

A series of paintings dedicated to showing a woman’s difficult lot: “The Arrival of a Governess at a Merchant’s House”, “The Funeral of a Peasant”. Close to the picture Born in the village of Luzhniki (Tula province) in 1832 into a peasant family. Initially he studied with an icon painter in Mogilev, then (1847-1858) he studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (MUZHVZ); while continuing to paint icons. He taught at MUZHVZ... Zhuravlev chose the theme in a small canvas of 1874 “Before the Crown,” where a crying daughter on her knees begs her father, a tyrant merchant, not to force her into marriage.

Painting Born in the village of Luzhniki (Tula province) in 1832 into a peasant family. Initially he studied with an icon painter in Mogilev, then (1847-1858) he studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (MUZHVZ); while continuing to paint icons. He taught at MUZHVZ... and made a great impression on her contemporaries. Repin noted its impact in his memoirs: “ . 1862 . "For example, "State Tretyakov Gallery» Born in the village of Luzhniki (Tula province) in 1832 into a peasant family. Initially he studied with an icon painter in Mogilev, then (1847-1858) he studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (MUZHVZ); while continuing to paint icons. He taught at MUZHVZ... and also, they say, he spoiled a lot of blood not only for the old general, but for N.I. Kostomarov, having seen the picture, took back his intention to marry the young lady.”

The images of the picture were so in everyone’s memory that Leskov, in his novel “On Knives,” risked a curious, ironic reincarnation of the characters in the scene. "It was a picture Born in the village of Luzhniki (Tula province) in 1832 into a peasant family. Initially he studied with an icon painter in Mogilev, then (1847-1858) he studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (MUZHVZ); while continuing to paint icons. He taught at MUZHVZ... « . 1862 . "For example, "State Tretyakov Gallery“Only topsy-turvy,” he describes the wedding scene. — Full bride Elena Dmitrievna Figurina, in a white dress, stood straight and boldly held her candle in front of the lectern, and the groom Iosaf Platonovich sank down, his knees bent, his head fell on his chest, and tears streamed down his cheeks from his tear-stained and red eyes, which he caught with his lips and swallowed..."

Following the example of the London World's Fair of 1862, a world's fair was to be held in Paris in 1867. " . 1862 . "For example, "State Tretyakov Gallery» Born in the village of Luzhniki (Tula province) in 1832 into a peasant family. Initially he studied with an icon painter in Mogilev, then (1847-1858) he studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (MUZHVZ); while continuing to paint icons. He taught at MUZHVZ... and was included among the exhibits of the Russian department and sent to Paris along with other works of the modern Russian school of painting.

Demanding P.M. Tretyakov, who had already begun to assemble his collection at that time, heard about the new work, hastened to see it and negotiated the purchase. Correctly guessing the meaning and merits of the painting, he bought it for his gallery at the end of 1870 or beginning of 1871, paying one thousand five hundred rubles in silver to its owner, A.A. Borisovsky.

Position Born in the village of Luzhniki (Tula province) in 1832 into a peasant family. Initially he studied with an icon painter in Mogilev, then (1847-1858) he studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (MUZHVZ); while continuing to paint icons. He taught at MUZHVZ... and after the success of the picture it became significantly stronger. In the summer of 1864, he made a second trip abroad; his wealth allowed him to collect works by old masters.

His works from this time are small in size and represent typical, somewhat anecdotal “genres”. This is the canvas “The Artist’s Workshop” (1863-1864), purchased in 1868 by Tretyakov. It depicts the arrival of Customers to the painter’s workshop, getting acquainted with samples of the master’s work. Here is a general portraying an expert, and a perplexed, portly merchant. He understands nothing either in the works or in the words with which the artist accompanies the display of his works. The painting “The Baptism of a Jew” (1869-1870) and “Reception of a Dowry by Painting” (1870-1871) were painted in the same spirit. In the latter, painted in blue and pink tones, the artist’s great attention to colorful relationships is noticeable. A repetition of this painting was acquired in 1873 by Tretyakov.

Born in the village of Luzhniki (Tula province) in 1832 into a peasant family. Initially he studied with an icon painter in Mogilev, then (1847-1858) he studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (MUZHVZ); while continuing to paint icons. He taught at MUZHVZ... is keenly interested in the life around him. Unlike many “Itinerants” who were engaged in the development of any one topic, Pukirev is also attracted peasant life(“Collecting arrears”, 1869-1870, “Potrava”, 1870), and the life of workers (“Building railway", 1870), and scenes of merchant life ("In the concessionaire's reception room", 1875-1876). One of the first Russian artists, along with Schwartz, Pukirev paints a picture on historical topic from the era of Ivan the Terrible: “Philip Metropolitan and Ivan the Terrible in the Assumption Cathedral” (1873).

In 1873 he left his teaching job. His mighty health is eroding serious illness- a nervous disorder complicated by heart disease. The money accumulated earlier is gradually spent, and life becomes more and more difficult. In 1874-1875 Born in the village of Luzhniki (Tula province) in 1832 into a peasant family. Initially he studied with an icon painter in Mogilev, then (1847-1858) he studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (MUZHVZ); while continuing to paint icons. He taught at MUZHVZ... copies " . 1862 . "For example, "State Tretyakov Gallery“, during periods of weakening of the illness, he tries to engage in creativity again. In the 70s he wrote: “The Jealousy of a Woman,” “Failed Marriage,” “The Orphan,” “On the Day of the Annunciation.” Previously sociable, infinitely kind and unusually handsome, according to reviews from people who knew him, Pukirev now becomes gloomy and irritably withdraws into himself. On March 15, 1879, a group of teachers of the School, among whom we find Pukirev’s fellow students - The largest artist of the second half of the twentieth century, a representative of critical realism. A wonderful portrait painter, author of paintings on historical and biblical themes.... and Popov, accepted in his place by Bykovsky and others, submits a petition to the Moscow Council art society about assistance to the sick Pukirev. But the assigned pension of two hundred rubles a year did not bring much relief to the artist. Close friends - artists Nevrev and kind-hearted Gribkov - help their friend from their modest means, send money to P.M. Tretyakov is trying to increase his pension. The petition sent to the Academy is returned with a cold note from the conference secretary that the petitioner is not applying according to his affiliation.

The sick artist does not even have a constant angle. The apartment he rented in the mid-60s in Milyutin’s house near the Sretensky Gate became beyond his means. In 1881, he lives behind the Dorogomilovskaya outpost in the village of Davydovka. Later, in 1884, he moved to Rakhmanov’s house on Babiy Gorodok. The year 1885 finds him in Lyubimov’s house in the same area.

The year 1886 arrived. Born in the village of Luzhniki (Tula province) in 1832 into a peasant family. Initially he studied with an icon painter in Mogilev, then (1847-1858) he studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (MUZHVZ); while continuing to paint icons. He taught at MUZHVZ... felt a little better. “This summer,” he writes to Tretyakov, “I felt quite well and painted Christ in full size, walking through the desert, illuminated by sunset.” Having contacted the Academy with an offer to buy your new work, Born in the village of Luzhniki (Tula province) in 1832 into a peasant family. Initially he studied with an icon painter in Mogilev, then (1847-1858) he studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (MUZHVZ); while continuing to paint icons. He taught at MUZHVZ... received a refusal. Tretyakov, who was sympathetic to him, also did not consider it possible to acquire this apparently rather weak thing. The artist is selling his small collection. Shebuev's drawing and Kiprensky's "Head" were probably bought by Tretyakov, to whom Pukirev offered them in a letter on December 21, 1886.

The artist’s last refuge was the house of priest Sakharov near Bozhedomka. Here he died on June 1, 1890. In the appendix to the “Bulletin of Fine Arts,” Somov placed a small, warmly written obituary about him, with the last phrase from which we conclude our short story about the artist: “Among his comrades and students, he left behind a warm and lasting memory, and in the history of Russian art - a brilliant, albeit short trace."

V. Zimenko
Publishing house "Art". 1947
Series “Mass Library”

Plot

An old ugly man marries a girl so young that it’s even embarrassing to look at. The bride probably does not have a dowry, and the groom has plenty of money, which is why they give the young beauty for him.

They get married in the Orthodox Church. The girl’s eyes are teary, her pose is submissive. The groom feels like the master of the situation and watches the bride with superiority. A veil, a white dress that literally glows in the rays of light falling on it, make the girl’s image look like an angel. It seems like all this dirt can't touch her.

Viewers nicknamed the film “Unequal Marriage” “Koschei with the Bride”

The people around are shown in twilight, even the priest, as if on the side of evil - after all, realizing that the girl is not marrying of her own free will, he still marries the couple. Those around you are no better. All of them are silent witnesses, which, of course, does them no credit.

"In the Artist's Studio" (1865)

Each of the supporting characters plays their own role. Who is looking at the bride, who is watching what is happening with condemnation, who is obsequiously turned towards the groom, who is determined to pull off this business (for example, an old woman next to the groom - perhaps this is a matchmaker or the mother of the bride).

Context

There are several versions of whose story of unhappy love inspired Pukirev’s painting. But we must admit that in those days such cases were, although unpleasant, but common. On the one hand, this was condemned, on the other, this custom continued to exist for many years.

> “Reception of dowry in a merchant family by painting” (1873)

According to the plan, it was not Pukirev who should have taken the place of the best man, but his friend Sergei Varentsov. The artist painted the bride from her namesake, Praskovya Varentsova, who came from a noble family. They say that Pukirev was in love with her, but had no chance of becoming her husband - his peasant origin and lack of any capital did not allow it.

It is believed that Kostomarov, having seen “Unequal Marriage,” changed his mind about getting married

Varentsov was offended by Pukirev. The fact is that Sergei Mikhailovich was going to get married, and gossip, which, of course, would have spread, was undesirable. Then the artist, who looked like his friend, added a beard to the best man and “turned” him into himself.

The groom was painted from several people, apparently: from whom - the head, from whom - the face, and from whom - the crown of gray hair.

Illustration for “Dead Souls”, 1880

Next to the best man, Pukirev’s friend, artist Pyotr Shmelkov, is depicted. On the side is the head of the frame maker Grebensky, who promised to make the artist a frame for a painting “like never before.” And did. Carved from solid wood - both flowers and fruits. Tretyakov liked it so much that he began ordering frames from Grebensky.

The fate of the artist

The artist’s life can be divided into two parts: before “Unequal Marriage” and after. Before the presentation of the painting, everything went slowly but surely: despite his peasant origin, Pukirev was able to enter the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, after which he began teaching there, while at the same time very successfully completing private orders.

Having not created anything better than “Unequal Marriage,” Pukirev drank himself to death

The artist's subsequent works were significantly inferior in technique and, as a result, did not delight either critics or buyers. Pukirev started drinking, stopped teaching at the school, sold his collection of paintings, lost his apartment, lived on handouts from friends and died in obscurity on June 1, 1890.