Description and analysis of A. Benois’ illustrations for the poem “The Bronze Horseman. Illustrations by A.N. Benois for Pushkin's poem "The Bronze Horseman" Benois's drawings for the poem The Bronze Horseman

In the first decades of the twentieth century, drawings by Alexander Nikolaevich Benois (1870 – 1960) were made for “The Bronze Horseman” - the best that was created in the entire history of Pushkin’s illustrations.
Benoit began working on The Bronze Horseman in 1903. Over the next 20 years, he created a series of drawings, headpieces and endings, as well as a huge number of options and sketches. The first edition of these illustrations, which were prepared for a pocket edition, was created in 1903 in Rome and St. Petersburg. Diaghilev published them in a different format in the first issue of the World of Art magazine in 1904. The first cycle of illustrations consisted of 32 drawings made in ink and watercolor.
In 1905, A.N. Benois, while in Versailles, reworked six of his previous illustrations and completed the frontispiece for The Bronze Horseman. In the new drawings for “The Bronze Horseman” the theme of pursuit by the Horseman little man becomes the main one: the black horseman over the fugitive is not so much Falcone’s masterpiece as the personification of brutal force and power. And St. Petersburg is not the one that captivates with artistic perfection and the scope of construction ideas, but a gloomy city - a cluster of gloomy houses, shopping arcades, fences. The anxiety and concern that gripped the artist during this period here turns into a real cry about the fate of man in Russia.
In 1916, 1921–1922, the cycle was revised for the third time and supplemented with new drawings.

In the drawings of A.N. Benois, the images of A.S. Pushkin’s “Petersburg Tale” are, as it were, colored by the reflections and experiences of a person at the beginning of the 20th century.
Therefore, it is “modernity” illustrations by Benoit caught the eye of art connoisseurs at the beginning of the twentieth century, it seemed to them no less significant than the artist’s sense of style, understanding of Pushkin’s era and the ability to skillfully theatricalize the action, developing a number of “masterfully choreographed mise-en-scenes.” The artist and art critic Igor Emmanuilovich Grabar at that time wrote to Benoit about these illustrations of his: “They are so good that I still can’t come to my senses from the novelty of the impressions. The era and Pushkin are conveyed damn well, and there is no smell of engraving material at all, no patina. They are terribly modern - and this is important..."

"Academician Alexandre Benois is a subtle esthete, a wonderful artist, a charming person." A.V. Lunacharsky

World famous Alexander Nikolaevich Benois acquired as a decorator and director of Russian ballets in Paris, but this is only part of the activity of an eternally searching, captivating nature, possessed of irresistible charm and the ability to light up those around him with his necks. Art historian, art critic, editor of two major art magazines “World of Art” and “Apollo”, head of the painting department of the Hermitage and, finally, just a painter.

Himself Benois Alexander Nikolaevich wrote to his son from Paris in 1953 that “... the only one of all the works worthy of outliving me... will probably be a” multi-volume book “ A. Benois remembers“, because “this story about Shurenka is at the same time quite detailed about an entire culture.”

In his memoirs, Benoit calls himself "a product artistic family" Indeed, his father - Nikolai Benois was a famous architect, maternal grandfather of A.K. Kavos was an equally significant architect, the creator of St. Petersburg theaters. Elder brother A.N. Benoit - Albert is a popular watercolorist. With no less success we can say that he was a “product” of an international family. On his father’s side he is French, on his mother’s side he is Italian, or more precisely Venetian. My family connection with Venice - the city of beautiful decay of once powerful muses - Alexander Nikolaevich Benois felt especially acute. There was Russian blood in him too. The Catholic religion did not interfere with the family's amazing respect for Orthodox Church. One of the strongest childhood impressions of A. Benois is the St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral (St. Nicholas of the Sea), a work of the Baroque era, the view of which opened from the windows of the Benois family house. With all of Benoit’s completely understandable cosmopolitanism, there was only one place in the world that he loved with all his soul and considered his homeland - St. Petersburg. In this creation of Peter, who crossed Russia and Europe, he felt “some kind of great, strict force, great predestination.”

That amazing charge of harmony and beauty that A. Benoit received in childhood, helped make his life something like a work of art, amazing in its integrity. This was especially evident in his novel of life. On the threshold of his ninth decade, Benoit admits that he feels very young, and explains this “curiosity” by the fact that the attitude of his adored wife towards him has not changed over time. AND " Memories"He dedicated his to her, " Dear Ate" - Anna Karlovna Benoit (née Kind). Their lives have been connected since they were 16 years old. Atya was the first to share his artistic delights and first creative attempts. She was his muse, sensitive, very cheerful, artistically gifted. Although not a beauty, she seemed irresistible to Benoit with her charming appearance, grace, and lively mind. But the serene happiness of the children in love was to be tested. Tired of their relatives' disapproval, they separated, but the feeling of emptiness did not leave them during the years of separation. And finally, with what joy they met again and got married in 1893.

The couple Benoit there were three children - two daughters: Anna and Elena, and a son, Nikolai, who became a worthy successor to his father’s work, a theater artist who worked a lot in Rome and at the Milan Theater...

A. Benoit is often called “ artist of Versailles" Versailles symbolizes in his work the triumph of art over the chaos of the universe.
This theme determines the originality of Benoit's historical retrospectiveism and the sophistication of his stylization. The first Versailles series appears in 1896 - 1898. She received the name " Last walks Louis XIV" It includes such famous works as “ The king walked in any weather», « Feeding the fish" Versailles Benoit begins in Peterhof and Oranienbaum, where he spent his childhood.

Nevertheless, the first impression of Versailles, where he visited for the first time during honeymoon, was stunning. The artist was overcome by the feeling that he had “already experienced this once.” Everywhere in the Versailles works one can see the slightly dejected, but still outstanding personality of Louis XIV, the Sun King. The feeling of the decline of a once majestic culture was extremely consonant with the era of the end of the century when he lived Benoit.

In a more refined form, these ideas were embodied in the second Versailles series of 1906, in the artist’s most famous works: “”, “”, “ Chinese pavilion», « Jealous», « Fantasia on a Versailles theme" The grandiose in them coexists with the curious and exquisitely fragile.

Finally, let us turn to the most significant thing that the artist created in the theater. This is primarily a production of the ballet "" to the music of N. Tcherepnin in 1909 and the ballet " Parsley"to the music of I. Stravinsky from 1911.

Benoit in these productions showed himself not only as a bright theater artist, but also as a talented libretto author. These ballets seem to personify two ideals that lived in his soul. "" - embodiment European culture, the Baroque style, its pomp and grandeur, combined with overripeness and withering. In the libretto, which is a free adaptation famous work Torquato Tasso " Liberated Jerusalem", tells about a certain young man, Viscount René de Beaugency, who, while hunting, finds himself in a lost pavilion of an old park, where he is miraculously transported into the world of a living tapestry - the beautiful gardens of Armida. But the spell dissipates, and he, having seen the highest beauty, returns to reality. What remains is the eerie impression of life, forever poisoned by mortal longing for extinct beauty, for fantastic reality. In this magnificent performance, the world of retrospective paintings seems to come to life. Benoit.

IN " Parsley“The Russian theme, the search for an ideal, was embodied people's soul. This production sounded all the more poignant and nostalgic because the booths and their hero Petrushka, so beloved by Benoit, were already becoming a thing of the past. In the play, puppets are animated by the evil will of an old man - a magician: Petrushka is an inanimate character, endowed with all the living qualities that exist in a suffering and spiritualized person; his lady Columbine is a symbol of eternal femininity and the “blackamoor” is rude and undeservedly triumphant. But the end of this puppet drama Benoit sees differently than in an ordinary farce theater.

In 1918, Benois became the head of the Hermitage art gallery and did a lot to ensure that the museum became the largest in the world. At the end of the 20s, the artist left Russia and lived in Paris for almost half a century. He died in 1960 at the age of 90. A few years before his death Benoit writes to his friend I.E. Grabar, to Russia: “And how I would like to be where my eyes were opened to the beauty of life and nature, where I first tasted love. Why am I not at home?! Everyone remembers some pieces of the most modest, but so sweet landscape.”

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A.S. Pushkin “The Bronze Horseman”

The history of the creation of the poem The poem is based on real story flood that occurred in November 1824 in St. Petersburg. During the flood, Pushkin was in exile in Mikhailovskoye, so in the poem he described the events according to eyewitnesses. The story about the “revived monument” could have been taken by Pushkin from the story about how in 1812 Emperor Alexander I wanted to remove the monument to Peter from St. Petersburg. But the emperor was stopped by reporting the dream of a major. In his dream, the major saw the “Bronze Horseman” galloping through the streets of St. Petersburg and, approaching the emperor, said to him: “Young man! What have you brought my Russia to! But while I’m in place, my city has nothing to fear.” According to another version, Pushkin could have borrowed the idea of ​​​​a revived monument from Don Juan.

Illustrations by A. N. Benois for the poem “The Bronze Horseman” Eugene at the place where his beloved lived Eugene talking to the Bronze Horseman

Alexander Nikolaevich Benois Alexander Nikolaevich Benois (April 21, 1870, St. Petersburg - February 9, 1960, Paris) - Russian artist, art historian, art critic, founder and chief ideologist association "World of Art".

Born on April 21, 1870 in St. Petersburg, in the family of architect Nikolai Leontyevich Benois and his wife Camilla, daughter of architect A.K. Kavos. He studied for some time at the Academy of Arts, and also studied fine arts independently and under the guidance of his older brother Albert. In 1894 he graduated from the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg University. In 1894, he began his career as a theorist and art historian, writing a chapter on Russian artists for the German collection “History of 19th Century Painting.” In 1896-1898 and 1905-1907 he worked in France. Became one of the organizers and ideologists artistic association"World of Art", founded the magazine of the same name. In 1916-1918, the artist created illustrations for A. S. Pushkin’s poem “The Bronze Horseman”. In 1918, Benoit headed Picture gallery Hermitage, published her new catalogue. He continued to work as a book and theater artist and director, in particular he worked on staging and designing performances of the Petrograd Bolshoi drama theater. In 1925 he took part in International exhibition modern decorative and industrial arts in Paris. In 1926, A. N. Benois left the USSR. Lived in Paris, where he worked on sketches theatrical scenery and suits. Participated in S. Diaghilev’s ballet enterprise “Ballets Russes” as an artist and director of performances. Died on February 9, 1960 in Paris. IN last years I was working on my memoirs.

Illustrations by M. S. Rodionov for the poem “The Bronze Horseman” Death of Eugene Peter I on the banks of the Neva

Mikhail Semenovich Rodionov Mikhail Semenovich Rodionov (1885, Uryupinsky district of the Volgograd region - 1956, Moscow) - Russian artist and art teacher.

He studied in Moscow, initially in the studios of F. Rerberg and I. Mashkov, then at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in the painting department (1908-1910) and after a break in the sculpture department (1915-1918). In the 1920s was part of the art association "Makovets". IN pre-war period worked actively in the field book illustration, especially to the works of L.N. Tolstoy; the best of these works Great encyclopedia“Terra” calls the lithographs for the story “The Canvasser” (1934, for the publishing house “Academia”). Among later works A series of lithographic portraits of cultural figures stands out. He was married to Elizaveta Vladimirovna Giatsintova (1888-1965), daughter of art critic Vladimir Giatsintov and sister of actress Sofia Giatsintova.

BENOIT Alexander Nikolaevich. A set of postcards with the artist’s illustrations for the poem by A.S. Pushkin "The Bronze Horseman" (Edition " Soviet artist". Moscow. 1966)

Illustration from 1916
On the shore of desert waves
He stood there, full of great thoughts,
And he looked into the distance. Wide before him
The river rushed...

Illustration from 1903

Illustration from 1916

I love you, Petra's creation,
I love your strict, slender appearance,
Neva sovereign current,
Its coastal granite,
Your fences have a cast iron pattern,
of your thoughtful nights
Transparent twilight, moonless shine,
When I'm in my room
I write, I read without a lamp,
And the sleeping communities are clear
Deserted streets and light
Admiralty needle,
And, not letting the darkness of the night,
To golden skies
One dawn gives way to another
He hurries, giving the night half an hour.

Illustration 1903

Terrible day!
Neva all night
Longing for the sea against the storm,
Without overcoming their violent foolishness...
And she couldn’t bear to argue...
In the morning over its banks
There were crowds of people crowded together,
Admiring the splashes, mountains
And the foam of angry waters

Illustration 1903

And Petropol surfaced like Triton,
Waist-deep in water.
Siege! Attack! Evil waves
Like thieves, they climb into windows. Chelny
From the run the windows are smashed by the stern.
Trays under a wet veil,
Fragments of huts, logs, roofs,
Stock trade goods,
The belongings of pale poverty,
Bridges demolished by thunderstorms,
Coffins from a washed-out cemetery
Floating through the streets!

Illustration 1916

Then, on Petrova Square,
Where a new house has risen in the corner,
Where above the elevated porch
With a raised paw, as if alive,
There are two guard lions standing,
Riding a marble beast,
Without a hat, hands clasped in a cross
Sat motionless, terribly pale
Eugene….

Illustration 1916

The water has subsided and the pavement
It opened, and Evgeny is mine
He hurries, his soul sinking,
In hope, fear and longing
To the barely subdued river.
But victories are full of triumph,
The waves were still boiling angrily,
It was as if a fire was smoldering underneath them,
The foam still covered them,
And Neva was breathing heavily,
Like a horse running back from battle.
Evgeny looks: he sees a boat;
He runs to her as if he were on a find;
He's calling the carrier...

Illustration 1903

And long with stormy waves
An experienced rower fought
And hide deep between their rows
Every hour with daring swimmers
The boat was ready...

Illustration 1903

Illustration 1903

But my poor, poor Evgeniy...
Alas, his troubled mind
Against terrible shocks
I couldn't resist. Rebellious noise
The Neva and the winds were heard
In his ears. Terrible thoughts
Silently full, he wandered.
...He'll be out soon
Became alien. I wandered on foot all day,
And he slept on the pier; ate
In the window served in a piece.
His clothes are shabby
It tore and smoldered. Angry children
They threw stones after him.

Illustration 1903
He found himself under the pillars
Big house. On the porch
With a raised paw, as if alive,
The lions stood guard,
And right in the dark heights
Above the fenced rock
Idol with outstretched hand
Sat on a bronze horse.
Evgeny shuddered. cleared up
The thoughts in it are scary. He found out
And the place where the flood played,
Where the waves of predators crowded,
Rioting angrily around him,
And lions, and the square, and that,
Who stood motionless
In the darkness with a copper head,
The one whose will is fatal
A city was founded under the sea...

Illustration 1903

Around the foot of the idol
The poor madman walked around
And brought wild glances
The face of the ruler of half the world.
His chest felt tight...

Illustration 1903

And its area is empty
He runs and hears behind him -
It's like thunder roaring -
Heavy ringing galloping
Along the shaken pavement...
And, illuminated by the pale moon,
Stretching out your hand on high,
The Bronze Horseman rushes after him
On a loud galloping horse...

Illustration 1903

And all night long the poor madman
Wherever you turn your feet,
Behind him is the Bronze Horseman everywhere
He galloped with a heavy stomp.

Illustration 1903

And from the time when it happened
Go to that square for him
His face showed
Confusion. To your heart
He hastily pressed his hand
As if subduing him with torment
A worn out cap,
Didn’t raise embarrassed eyes
And he walked aside.

ILLUSTRATIONS
BENOIT Alexander Nikolaevich. A set of postcards with the artist’s illustrations for the poem by A.S. Pushkin "The Bronze Horseman" (Publishing "Soviet Artist". Moscow. 1966)

Illustration from 1916

On the shore of desert waves
He stood there, full of great thoughts,
And he looked into the distance. Wide before him
The river rushed...

Illustration from 1903

A hundred years have passed, and the young city,
There is beauty and wonder in full countries,
From the darkness of the forests, from the swamps of blat
He ascended magnificently and proudly;
Where was the Finnish fisherman before?
Nature's sad stepson
Alone on the low banks
Thrown into unknown waters
Your old net, now there
Along busy shores
Slender communities crowd together
Palaces and towers; ships
A crowd from all over the world
They strive for rich marinas;
The Neva is dressed in granite;
Bridges hung over the waters;
Dark green gardens
Islands covered it...

Illustration from 1916

I love you, Petra's creation,
I love your strict, slender appearance,
Neva sovereign current,
Its coastal granite,
Your fences have a cast iron pattern,
of your thoughtful nights
Transparent twilight, moonless shine,
When I'm in my room
I write, I read without a lamp,
And the sleeping communities are clear
Deserted streets and light
Admiralty needle,
And, not letting the darkness of the night,
To golden skies
One dawn gives way to another
He hurries, giving the night half an hour.

Illustration 1903

Over darkened Petrograd
November breathed the autumn chill.
Splashing with a noisy wave
To the edges of your slender fence,
Neva was tossing around like a sick person
Restless in my bed.
It was already late and dark;
The rain beat angrily on the window,
And the wind blew, howling sadly.
At that time from the guests home
Young Evgeniy came...

Illustration 1903

Terrible day!
Neva all night
Longing for the sea against the storm,
Without overcoming their violent foolishness...
And she couldn’t bear to argue...
In the morning over its banks
There were crowds of people crowded together,
Admiring the splashes, mountains
And the foam of angry waters

Illustration 1903

And Petropol surfaced like Triton,
Waist-deep in water.
Siege! Attack! Evil waves
Like thieves, they climb into windows. Chelny
From the run the windows are smashed by the stern.
Trays under a wet veil,
Fragments of huts, logs, roofs,
Stock trade goods,
The belongings of pale poverty,
Bridges demolished by thunderstorms,
Coffins from a washed-out cemetery
Floating through the streets!

Illustration 1916

Then, on Petrova Square,
Where a new house has risen in the corner,
Where above the elevated porch
With a raised paw, as if alive,
There are two guard lions standing,
Riding a marble beast,
Without a hat, hands clasped in a cross
Sat motionless, terribly pale
Eugene….

Illustration 1916

The water has subsided and the pavement
It opened, and Evgeny is mine
He hurries, his soul sinking,
In hope, fear and longing
To the barely subdued river.
But victories are full of triumph,
The waves were still boiling angrily,
It was as if a fire was smoldering underneath them,
The foam still covered them,
And Neva was breathing heavily,
Like a horse running back from battle.
Evgeny looks: he sees a boat;
He runs to her as if he were on a find;
He's calling the carrier...

Illustration 1903

And long with stormy waves
An experienced rower fought
And hide deep between their rows
Every hour with daring swimmers
The boat was ready...

Illustration 1903

What is this?...
He stopped.
I went back and came back.
He looks... he walks... he looks some more.
This is the place where their house stands;
Here is the willow. There was a gate here -
Apparently they were blown away. Where is home?
And, full of gloomy care,
He keeps walking and walking around...

Illustration 1903

But my poor, poor Evgeniy...
Alas, his troubled mind
Against terrible shocks
I couldn't resist. Rebellious noise
The Neva and the winds were heard
In his ears. Terrible thoughts
Silently full, he wandered.
...He'll be out soon
Became alien. I wandered on foot all day,
And he slept on the pier; ate
In the window served in a piece.
His clothes are shabby
It tore and smoldered. Angry children
They threw stones after him.

Illustration 1903

He found himself under the pillars
Big house. On the porch
With a raised paw, as if alive,
The lions stood guard,
And right in the dark heights
Above the fenced rock
Idol with outstretched hand
Sat on a bronze horse.
Evgeny shuddered. cleared up
The thoughts in it are scary. He found out
And the place where the flood played,
Where the waves of predators crowded,
Rioting angrily around him,
And lions, and the square, and that,
Who stood motionless
In the darkness with a copper head,
The one whose will is fatal
A city was founded under the sea...

Illustration 1903

Around the foot of the idol
The poor madman walked around
And brought wild glances
The face of the ruler of half the world.
His chest felt tight...

Illustration 1903

And its area is empty
He runs and hears behind him -
It's like thunder roaring -
Heavy ringing galloping
Along the shaken pavement...
And, illuminated by the pale moon,
Stretching out your hand on high,
The Bronze Horseman rushes after him
On a loud galloping horse...

Illustration 1903

And all night long the poor madman
Wherever you turn your feet,
Behind him is the Bronze Horseman everywhere
He galloped with a heavy stomp.

Illustration 1903

And from the time when it happened
Go to that square for him
His face showed
Confusion. To your heart
He hastily pressed his hand
As if subduing him with torment
A worn out cap,
Didn’t raise embarrassed eyes
And he walked aside.

In the first decades of the twentieth century, drawings by Alexander Nikolaevich Benois (1870 – 1960) were made for “The Bronze Horseman” - the best that was created in the entire history of Pushkin’s illustrations. In the drawings of A.N. Benois, the images of A.S. Pushkin’s “Petersburg Tale” are, as it were, colored by the reflections and experiences of a person at the beginning of the 20th century. Therefore, it was precisely the “modernity” of Benois’s illustrations that caught the eye of art connoisseurs at the beginning of the 20th century; it seemed to them no less essential than the artist’s inherent sense of style, understanding of Pushkin’s era and the ability to skillfully theatricalize the action, developing a series of “masterfully choreographed mise-en-scenes.”

The Bronze Horseman (read by I. Smoktunovsky)