Russian portrait artists and their paintings. The best artists of Russia

Horsewoman, 1832

"Girl Picking Grapes" 1827

"Portrait of Countess Yulia Samoilova with her adopted daughter"

"The Death of Inessa de Castro" 1834

Portrait of M. A. Beck with her daughter, 1840

Erminia with the shepherds

Portrait of the Volkonsky children with a blackamoor, 1843

Portrait of Countess Yulia Pavlovna Samoilova with her pupil and blackamoor, 1832-1834

Portrait of Countess O.I. Orlova-Davydova with her daughter, 1834

Portrait of Teresa Michele Tittoni with her sons, 1850-1852

Venetsianov Alexey Gavrilovich- Russian painter Greek origin, one of the founders everyday genre in Russian painting.
From a merchant family of Tver lips. Born in Moscow on February 7, 1780.
Having served as an official in his youth, he was forced to study art largely on his own, copying paintings from the Hermitage. In 1807-1811 took painting lessons from V. L. Borovikovsky.
Considered the founder of Russian printed caricature. During Patriotic War In 1812, together with I. I. Terebenev, he created a series of propaganda and satirical pictures on the theme of popular resistance to the French occupiers.
Since 1811 Venetsianov has been an honorary member of the Academy of Arts.
Having retired in 1819, Venetsianov A.G. settled in the village. Safonovka, Vyshnevolotsky district, Tver province, where he began to write genre paintings from rural life of an idyllic nature.
Founded in his village art school, in which over 70 painters received training. Venetsianov, together with V. A. Zhukovsky and K. P. Bryullov, contributed to the release of T. G. Shevchenko from serfdom. ()

Zakharka, 1825

These are the ones dad's lunch, 1824

Portrait of A. A. Venetsianova, the artist’s daughter, 1825-1826

Sleeping Shepherd, 1823-182

Peasant children in the field, 1820s.

Portrait of Nastenka Khavskaya, 1826

Peasant boy putting on sandals, 1820s.

Kiprensky Orest Adamovich- Russian artist, painter and graphic artist, master portrait painting.
Born on March 13 (24), 1782 on the Nezhinskaya manor (now Leningrad region). Presumably there was illegitimate son landowner A.S. Dyakonova. A year after his birth, his mother, a serf peasant woman, was married to the serf Adam Schwalbe. The surname Kiprensky was made up.
When the boy was six years old, Dyakonov gave him his freedom and sent him to an educational school at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts.
Nine years later, Kiprensky was accepted into the class historical painting, which at that time was considered the highest genre visual arts.
In 1805, O. A. Kiprensky sums up his studies at the academy with the painting “Dmitry Donskoy on winning victory over Mamai,” for which he received the Grand Prize gold medal and the right to travel abroad. However, due to the military actions of Napoleon's armies, this voyage had to be postponed.
After graduating from the Academy, portraiture became the main focus of the artist’s work. Kiprensky O. A. was one of the first in Russia to begin to develop a portrait composition in which the social and class prestige of the model was finally replaced by interest in the person’s personality, recognition of his self-worth. In fact, he is one of the creators of the romantic style in Russian painting.
Kiprensky lives in Moscow (1809), Tver (1811), St. Petersburg (since 1812).
During this period the most famous works in his work are: portraits of a boy A. A. Chelishchev (1810-1811), E.D. Davydov (1809), E.P. Rostopchina (1809), P.A. Olenin (1813), spouses V. S. Khvostov and D. N. Khvostova (1814) and V. A. Zhukovsky (1816), etc.
In 1816, O. A. Kiprensky went abroad. The Italian business trip turned out to be fruitful for the painter. He was inundated with orders. Having appreciated the skill of the Russian artist, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence ordered him a self-portrait (1820).
TO best works This period includes the painting “The Italian Gardener” (1817), portraits of A.M. Golitsyn (around 1819) and E.S. Avdulina (around 1822), etc.
It is necessary to mention the “Portrait of Mariucci”, which played a significant role in the artist’s fate. The model for him was the charming girl Mariuccie Falkucci. Her mother did not have a decent lifestyle. Kiprensky, leaving Italy, bought Mariuccia from her dissolute mother and placed her in a monastery boarding school.
Russia greeted the artist unfriendly. However, in 1824, after another public exhibition at the Academy of Arts, where Kiprensky showed his works, his reputation was restored.
In 1827 the artist writes famous portrait A.S. Pushkin. “I see myself as in a mirror, But this mirror flatters me...”, the famous poet wrote in a message of gratitude.
In 1828, O. A. Kiprensky again left for Rome, where he married his former pupil Mariuccia. To get married, he secretly had to convert to Catholicism. However family life did not bring happiness to the artist. He didn't create anything significant anymore.
On October 17, 1836, Orest Adamovich Kiprensky died in Rome from pneumonia and was buried there in the Church of Sant’Andrea delle Fratte. His daughter Clotilde was born after his death.

Girl in a poppy wreath with a carnation in her hand (Mariuccia)

Neapolitan fisher boys

Neapolitan girl with fruits

Portrait of Avdotya Ivanovna Molchanova with her daughter Elizaveta, 1814

Mother with child (Portrait of Madame Pres?)

Portrait of A.A. Chelishcheva, 1808 - early 1809

<Tropinin Vasily Andreevich- Russian artist, academician, representative of romanticism in Russian fine arts, master of portraiture.
Born in the village of Karpovka (Novgorod province) on March 19 (30), 1776 in the family of serfs of Count A. S. Minikh; Later he was sent to the disposal of Count I.I. Morkov as a dowry for Minich’s daughter.
Tropinin V.A. Showed his ability to draw as a boy, but his master sent him to St. Petersburg to study as a pastry chef. He attended classes at the Academy of Arts, first on the sly, and from 1799 - with the permission of Morkov; During my studies I met O. A. Kiprensky.
In 1804, the owner summoned the young artist to his place, and from then on he alternately lived in Ukraine, on the new carrot estate of Kukavka, and then in Moscow, as a serf painter.
In 1823 Tropinin V.A. received his freedom and the title of academician, but, abandoning his career in St. Petersburg, he remained in Moscow. ()

Boy with a hatchet, 1810s

Portrait of Arseny Vasilievich Tropinin, Circa 1818

Portrait of a boy, 1820s

Portrait of V.I. Ershova with her daughter, 1831

Boy with a pity

Portrait of Prince Mikhail Alexandrovich Obolensky (?) as a child, circa 1812

Boy with a Goldfinch, 1825

Girl with a doll, 1841

Boy with a Dead Goldfinch, 1829

Portrait of Dmitry Petrovich Voikov with his daughter Varvara Dmitrievna and the Englishwoman Miss Forty, 1842

<Makovsky Konstantin Egorovich(20.06 (2.07).1839 - 17 (30).09.1915), Russian artist, full member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts (1898).
Born in Moscow, in the family of one of the organizers of the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, E. I. Makovsky. The elder brother of the artist Vladimir Makovsky.
He studied at the MUZHVZ (1851-58) with S. K. Zaryanko and at the Academy of Arts (from 1858).
One of the participants in the “revolt of the fourteen” (Kramskoy, Korzukhin, Lemokh, Venig, Grigoriev, etc.), Konstantin Makovsky left the Academy of Arts in 1863, becoming one of the members of the Artel of Artists, and then became a member of the Association of Itinerants (see artists Itinerants).
The work of Konstantin Makovsky can be divided into two stages. In the 1860s - early 1870s, under the influence of Peredvizhniki ideas, he turned to subjects from folk life ("The Herring Girl" 1867, "Booths on Admiralty Square" 1869, both paintings in the State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, " Little organ grinders at the fence in winter" 1868, private collection).
A turning point in the artist’s work can be considered a trip to Egypt and Serbia (mid-1870s). After this event, Makovsky began to lean more and more towards academicism ("The Return of the Sacred Carpet from Mecca to Cairo", 1876, Russian Museum).
In 1883, the final break with the Wanderers took place. From that moment on, he painted mainly visually spectacular portraits and genre-historical scenes (portrait of the artist’s wife, 1881, “The Kissing Rite,” 1895, both in the Russian Museum; “Prince Repnin at the feast of Ivan the Terrible,” Irkutsk Regional Art Museum). The paintings of Konstantin Makovsky were a huge success in high society. He was one of the most highly regarded artists of the time.
Konstantin Egorovich Makovsky died in an accident (a tram collided with his crew) in 1915 in St. Petersburg. The artist left a huge artistic legacy.

Children running from a thunderstorm, 1872

Peasant lunch in the field. 1871

Portrait of a son in the workshop

Little organ grinders near a fence in winter, 1868

In the artist's studio, 1881

Family portrait of the Volkovs

Princess Maria Nikolaevna

Portrait of the artist's children, 1882

Family portrait, 1882

Children of Mr. Balashov

Grandfather's stories. 1881(?)

Storyteller

<Makovsky Vladimir Egorovich(January 26 (February 7) 1846, Moscow - February 21, 1920, Petrograd) - an outstanding Russian artist, academician (1873), full member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts (1893).
One of the largest masters of the everyday genre in realistic painting of the 19th century.
Born in Moscow, in the family of one of the organizers of the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, E. I. Makovsky. Brother of K. E. Makovsky.
From 1861 to 1866 Vladimir studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture with the successor of the Venetsianov school S.K. Zaryanko, E.S. Sorokin and V.A. Tropinin himself.
He graduated from college with a silver medal and the title of class artist of the third degree for his work “Literary Reading”. During this period, which coincided with the rise of the realistic everyday genre in Russian painting, its creative direction was determined.
In 1869, for the painting “Peasant Boys Guarding Horses,” Makovsky received the title of “class artist of the first degree with the Vigee-Lebrun gold medal for expression.” In 1873, for the painting “Nightingale Lovers,” V. E. Makovsky was promoted to academician by the Academy of Arts.
Member of the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions since 1872.
Since 1894 Makovsky V. E. lived in St. Petersburg. He also successfully acted as a book and magazine illustrator and teacher (since 1882 he taught at the Moscow School of Painting and Painting, and then at the Academy of Arts).

In his work, V. E. Makovsky continued and developed the best traditions of the founders of the Russian genre - A. G. Venetsianov and V. A. Tropinin, outstanding Russian genre artists P. A. Fedotov and V. G. Perov.

Boy selling kvass, 1861

Rendezvous, 1883

Peasant boys, 1880

From the rain, 1887

Game of Grandmas, 1870

Shepherdesses, 1903

Fisherwomen, 1886

Peasant children, 1890

Peasant boys guarding horses at night, 1869

<Perov Vasily Grigorievich- Russian painter, master of everyday painting, portrait painter, historical painter.
Born in Tobolsk on December 21 or 23, 1833 (January 2 or 4, 1834). He was the illegitimate (since his parents were married after his birth) son of the local prosecutor, Baron G. K. Kridener, and the surname “Perov” was given to the future artist as a nickname by his literacy teacher, a lowly sexton.
He spent part of his childhood years in Arzamas, where he studied at the school of A.V. Stupin (1846-1849, with interruptions.
In 1853 he entered the Moscow School of Painting and Sculpture. Perov's teachers were Scotty M.I., Mokritsky A.N., Zaryanko S.K., classmate and friend - Pryanishnikov I.M.
In 1858, his painting “The Arrival of the Stavoy for Investigation” (1857) was awarded the Large Silver Medal, then he received the Small Gold Medal for the painting “First Rank. The Son of a Sexton, Promoted to Collegiate Registrar” (1860, location unknown). Perov's first works were a great success at exhibitions. For the graduation competition, V. G. Perov prepared the painting “Sermon in a Village” (1861, Tretyakov Gallery). The author was awarded the Big Gold Medal and the right to travel abroad.
Having traveled abroad, the artist settled in Paris. However, “not knowing the people, their way of life, or their character,” Perov did not see the benefit of working in France and asked permission to return home ahead of schedule. He received permission to continue his retirement in Russia and in 1864 came to Moscow.
V. G. Perov entered the history of art as the leader of the critical movement in Russian everyday painting of the 1860s, combining in his work sympathy for the “humiliated and insulted” and the angry pathos of the satirical face of those in power. The artist’s work had a significant influence on the development of Russian, especially Moscow, art in the second half of the 19th century.
He was one of the founding members of the Association of Itinerants (1870).
In 1871-1882, V. G. 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 V.G. died in the village of Kuzminki (in those years - near Moscow) on May 29 (June 10), 1882. ()

Seeing off the deceased

Sleeping children

Troika

Girl with a jug

A craftsman boy staring at a parrot

Fishing

<Korzukhin Alexey Ivanovich(1835 - 1894) - Russian genre painter. The future artist was born on March 11 (23), 1835 at the Uktus plant (now Yekaterinburg) in the family of a serf gold panner. He discovered his artistic abilities early. Already in his adolescence, he painted portraits of relatives and participated in painting icons for the local Transfiguration Church (1840s).
In 1857, Korzukhin arrived in St. Petersburg and a year later became a student at the Academy of Arts. Here he studied from 1858 to 1863. His painting “The Drunken Father of the Family” was awarded a small gold medal by the Academy in 1861. However, he refused to compete for a big gold medal and the right to a pensioner's trip: together with other participants in the famous rebellion of the fourteen in 1863, he left the Academy and became a member of the Artel of Artists (particularly including Kramskoy, Konstantin Makovsky, Lemokh, etc.).
In 1868, for the painting “The Return of the Father of the Family from the Fair,” Korzukhin received the title of Academician of the Academy of Arts.
Founding member of the Partnership of Itinerants: his signature was on the Charter of the Partnership, adopted by the government in 1870.
Korzukhin’s creativity was not limited only to genre paintings. The artist also painted portraits and often carried out church commissions (he took part in the picturesque decoration of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the painting of the cathedral in Yelets, and completed a number of images for the cathedral in Riga).
The murder of Emperor Alexander II by the Narodnaya Volya as an involuntary witness, which the painter became in 1881, had an extreme shock on him and had a serious impact on the artist’s health. However, he continued his active creative work.
Alexey Ivanovich Korzukhin died in St. Petersburg on October 18 (30), 1894.

Returning from the city

Peasant girls lost in the forest

Avian enemies

Girl

Grandmother with granddaughter

At the edge of the bread

The main source of knowledge is the website webstarco.narod.ru, supplemented by reproductions from various art galleries: arttrans.com.ua, rita-redsky.livejournal.com, many others.

Art has been considered one of the most valuable assets of human culture for several centuries. Paintings by famous artists become state treasures, closely watched by thousands of specialists, and they cost hundreds of millions of dollars. In our country, art is valued much less, but everyone is probably familiar with the following the most famous paintings by Russian artists. Any educated person is sure to know about them.

The Appearance of Christ to the PeopleAlexander Ivanov

"The Appearance of Christ to the People" worthily opens the top of the most famous paintings by Russian artists. Russian artist Alexander Ivanov became famous for his painting “The Appearance of Christ to the People,” which he painted for twenty years. The size of the painting is amazing, as is its detail. The author, of course, was inspired by scenes from the Bible, and it was not the artist’s first work on religious themes - Ivanov knew what everyone liked in the first picture and implemented it again - for the last time. Contemporaries called the picture not just stunning, but the most important event in their lives. Ironically, Ivanov himself died on the same day, and the Tsar bought the painting immediately after the author’s death.

Vasily Pukirev

One of the most famous paintings by Russian artists is considered to be an incredibly deep canvas by Vasily Pukirev. Pukirev is an unremarkable villager who became famous for only one painting - all the author’s other works remained forgotten. Why “Unequal Marriage”? The painting describes a plot from the life of Pukirev himself - he is even depicted in the painting itself. Young Pukirev stands in the background with his arms crossed, unable to do anything, because his bride is marrying an old general. Kostomarov himself, having seen the painting, took a young girl as his wife.

The Rooks Have Arrived Alexey Savrasov

"The Rooks Have Arrived"- the most famous painting by Russian artist Alexei Savrasov. The painting gained popularity even during its first exhibition, where its realism and sincerity were appreciated. “Such landscapes can only be found in The Rooks,” they said about Savrasov’s painting. Interestingly, the church that is shown in the background exists and stands in the same form to this day. In the same village the famous Susanin accomplished his feat.

Hunters at rest Vasily Perov

The author of the picture "Hunters at Rest" is the famous author Vasily Grigorievich Perov. Now everyone knows this one of the most famous paintings by Russian artists, but in the 19th century many described it as unsuccessful. There were also those who admired Perov's work. First of all, the great classic Dostoevsky admired the work. Some criticized the picture because of its unreliability, because Perov painted hunters based on his friends who were unfamiliar with this type of activity.

Three heroes Viktor Vasnetsov

Viktor Vasnetsov created one of the most famous paintings among Russian authors - "Three heroes". Vasnetsov said that he was inspired by the thick oak trees - he was amazed by their power, and a little later the heroes simply appeared to him in a dream. The painting depicts famous characters from Russian folk tales. In the very center is Ilya Muromets, in whose hand is a spear, on the left is Dobrynya Nikitich, drawing a sword from its scabbard, and on the right is Alyosha Popovich with a bow and arrows. It is known that the artist drew Alyosha from Mamontov’s son, on whose estate the painting hung. And the rest of the heroes are similar to members of Vasnetsov’s own family.

Girl with peaches Valentin Serov

Valentin Aleksandrovich Serov, unlike previous authors, after painting "Girl with Peaches", became one of the most important artists in the empire. The painting so impressed the public and even the royal family that they turned to the author with an order for several more paintings to decorate the royal palaces. “Girl with Peaches” is deservedly included in the Top of the most famous paintings by Russian artists thanks to the joy that the girl radiates. Critics call the picture “alive.” But imagine what it was like for the girl who had to pose for Serov, and he is not the only one who embodied this young lady on his canvases.

Barge Haulers on the Volga Ilya Efimovich

Ilya Efimovich is a native of Ukraine; as a child he never saw large ships, barge haulers, and especially the Volga. For the first time, Efimovich saw barge haulers on the Neva, where he developed the plot for his future masterpiece. Now "Barge Haulers on the Volga" one of the most representative paintings by Russian artists, which is deservedly included in the top 10. The picture was described more than once by great literary figures, including Dostoevsky himself. To paint the painting “Barge Haulers on the Volga,” the author needed only 200 rubles for the trip. Then it was sold for only 3,000 rubles to Vladimir Alexandrovich, the Grand Duke of Russia. Now the painting is a heritage of Russian culture and its value cannot be estimated.

Boyarina Morozova Vasily Surikov

"Boyaryna Morozova" Russian author Vasily Surikov is one of the most important exhibits of the Tretyakov Gallery and, concurrently, one of the most famous paintings by Russian artists. The painting is large in size, and visitors are amazed at how well detailed life is on such a large canvas. The Tretyakov Gallery purchased the painting for only 25 thousand rubles - a lot of money, of course, for the 19th century, but now its value cannot be overestimated. It is interesting that buying the painting was a risk for the gallery, because the majority did not accept the painting.

Stranger Ivan Kramskoy

The second most famous painting by Russian artists is rightfully the mysterious "Stranger" Ivan Kramskoy. The small canvas depicts a young woman dressed in the most expensive and fashionable clothes of the late 19th century. Some claim that the painting depicts Anna Karenina, and some even believe that “The Stranger” brings great misfortune to everyone who looks into her eyes. “Unknown” is the most famous painting of all Kramskoy’s works, and the world still does not know who the artist based the picture on. The author himself did not mention anything.

Morning in a pine forest Ivan Shishkin

"Morning in a pine forest." Ivan Shishkin, an artist who answered at the academy that he would be a landscape painter, painted the famous painting “Morning in a Pine Forest.” Even small children know about the canvas, although they call it “bears”, since they are depicted on chocolates of the same name. Among Russian artists, the painting “Morning in a Pine Forest” by Shishkin is the most recognizable and often criticized for its lack of realism. The most persistent ones object to why there are three cubs, since a female bear rarely has such offspring. The painting gained popularity thanks to the fabulously beautiful forest landscape with the addition of animalism in the plot, that is, a bear family.

At the beginning of December 2011, new price records were set at Russian auctions in London. Summing up the year, we have compiled a list of the most expensive works by Russian artists based on the results of auction sales.

33 most expensive places. Source: 33 most expensive places.

According to the ratings, the most expensive Russian artist is Mark Rothko. His White Center (1950), sold for $72.8 million, in addition, ranks 12th on the list of the most expensive paintings in the world in general. However, Rothko was Jewish, born in Latvia and left Russia at the age of 10. Is it fair?with such a stretch chase for records? Therefore, we crossed Rothko, like other emigrants who left Russia without yet becoming artists (for example, Tamara de Lempicki and Chaim Soutine), from the list.

No. 1. Kazimir Malevich - $60 million.

The author of “Black Square” is too important a person for his works to be often found on the open market. So this painting got to auction in a very difficult way. In 1927, Malevich, planning to organize an exhibition, brought almost a hundred works from his Leningrad workshop to Berlin. However, he was urgently recalled to his homeland, and he left them in the custody of the architect Hugo Hering. He saved the paintings during the difficult years of the fascist dictatorship, when they could well have been destroyed as “degenerate art,” and in 1958, after Malevich’s death, he sold them to the State Stedelek Museum (Holland).

At the beginning of the 21st century, a group of Malevich’s heirs, almost forty people, began legal proceedings - because Hering was not the legal owner of the paintings. As a result, the museum gave them this painting, and will give them four more, which will certainly cause a sensation at some auction. After all, Malevich is one of the most forged artists in the world, and the provenance of the paintings from the Stedelek Museum is impeccable. And in January 2012, the heirs received another painting from that Berlin exhibition, taking it away from the Swiss museum.

No. 2. Wassily Kandinsky - $22.9 million.

The auction price of a work is influenced by its reputation. This is not only a big name for the artist, but also “provenance” (origin). An item from a famous private collection or a good museum is always worth more than a work from an anonymous collection. “Fugue” comes from the famous Guggenheim Museum: one day director Thomas Krenz removed Kandinsky, a painting by Chagall and Modigliani from the museum collections, and put them up for sale. For some reason, the museum used the money received to purchase a collection of 200 works by American conceptualists. Krenz was condemned for a very long time for this decision.

This painting by the father of abstract art is curious because it set a record back in 1990, when the auction rooms of London and New York had not yet been filled with reckless Russian buyers. Thanks to this, by the way, it did not disappear into some very private collection in a luxurious mansion, but is on permanent display in the private Beyeler Museum in Switzerland, where anyone can see it. A rare opportunity for such a purchase!

No. 3. Alexey Yavlensky - £9.43 million

An unknown buyer paid approximately $18.5 million for a portrait depicting a girl from a village near Munich. Shokko is not a name, but a nickname. The model, coming to the artist’s studio, asked for a cup of hot chocolate every time. So “Shokko” took root after her.

The sold painting is part of his famous cycle “Race”, depicting the domestic peasantry of the first quarter of the twentieth century. And, really, she portrays her with such faces that it’s scary to watch. Here, in the image of a shepherd, the peasant poet Nikolai Klyuev, the forerunner of Yesenin, appears. Among his poems are the following: “In the heat of the day, the scarlet flower has become defoliated and faded - The daring light of a child is far from the sweetheart.”

No. 19. Konstantin Makovsky - £2.03 million

Makovsky is a salon painter, famous for the huge number of hawthorn heads in kokoshniks and sundresses, as well as for the painting “Children running from a thunderstorm”, which at one time was constantly printed on gift boxes of chocolates. His sweet historical paintings are in steady demand among Russian buyers.

The theme of this painting- Old Russian "kiss ritual" Noble women in Ancient Rus' were not allowed to leave the women's quarters, and only for the sake of honored guests could they come out, bring a glass and (the most pleasant part) allow themselves to be kissed. Pay attention to the painting hanging on the wall: this is an image of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, one of the first equestrian portraits to appear in Rus'. Its composition, although it was blatantly copied from a European model, was considered unusually innovative and even shocking for that time.

No. 20. Svyatoslav Roerich - $2.99 ​​million

The son of Nicholas Roerich left Russia as a teenager. Lived in England, USA, India. Like his father, he was interested in Eastern philosophy. Like his father, he painted many paintings on Indian themes. His father generally occupied a huge place in his life - he painted more than thirty portraits of him. This painting was created in India, where the clan settled in the middle of the century. Paintings by Svyatoslav Roerich rarely appear at auctions, and in Moscow, works of the famous dynasty can be seen in the halls of the Museum of the East, to which the authors donated them, as well as in the International Center of the Roerichs, which is located in a luxurious noble estate right behind the Pushkin Museum. Both museums do not really like each other: the Museum of the East lays claim to both the building and the collections of the Roerich Center.

No. 21. Ivan Shishkin - £1.87 million

The main Russian landscape painter spent three summers in a row on Valaam and left many images of this area. This work is a little gloomy and does not look like classic Shishkin. But this is explained by the fact that the painting dates back to his early period, when he had not found his style and was strongly influenced by the Düsseldorf school of landscape, in which he studied.

We already mentioned this Düsseldorf school above, in the recipe for fake Aivazovsky. " Shishkins" are made according to the same scheme, for example, in 2004 at Sotheby's exhibited “Landscape with a Stream” from the Düsseldorf period of the painter. It was estimated at $1 million and was confirmed by an examination of the Tretyakov Gallery. An hour before the sale, the lot was withdrawn - it turned out to be a painting by another student of this school, the Dutchman Marinus Adrian Koekkoek, purchased in Sweden for 65 thousand dollars.

No. 22. Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin - £1.83m

A portrait of a boy holding an icon of the Virgin Mary was found in a private collection in Chicago. After it was handed over to the auction house, experts began research to try to establish its origins. It turned out that the painting was at exhibitions in 1922 and 1932. In the 1930s, the artist’s works traveled around the States as part of an exhibition of Russian art. Perhaps it was then that the owners acquired this painting.

Notice the empty space on the wall behind the boy. At first the author thought of painting a window with a green landscape there. This would balance the picture both in composition and colors - the grass would echo the green tunic of the Mother of God (by the way, according to the canon it should be blue). Why Petrov-Vodkin painted over the window is unknown.

No. 23. Nicholas Roerich - £1.76 million

Before visiting Shambhala and beginning to correspond with the Dalai Lama, Nicholas Roerich quite successfully specialized in ancient Russian themes and even made ballet sketches for Russian Seasons. The lot sold belongs to this period. The scene depicted is a miraculous phenomenon over the water, which is observed by a Russian monk, most likely Sergius of Radonezh. It is curious that the painting was painted in the same year as another vision of Sergius (then the youth Bartholomew), appearing in our list above. The stylistic difference is colossal.

Roerich painted many paintings and the lion's share of them in India. He donated several pieces to the Indian Institute of Agricultural Research. Recently two of them, Himalayas, Kanchenjunga and Sunset, Kashmir ", appeared at auction in London. Only then did the junior researchers of the institute notice that they had been robbed. In January 2011, the Indians applied to a London court for permission to investigate this crime in England. The interest of thieves in Roerich’s heritage is understandable, because there is a demand.

No. 24. Lyubov Popova- 1.7 million pounds

Lyubov Popova died young, so she did not manage to become famous like another Amazon of the avant-garde, Natalya Goncharova. And her legacy is smaller - so it’s difficult to find her work for sale. After her death, a detailed inventory of the paintings was compiled. For many years this still life was known only from a black and white reproduction, until it surfaced in a private collection, turning out to be the artist’s most significant work in private hands. Pay attention to the Zhostovo tray - perhaps this is a hint of Popova’s taste for folk crafts. She came from the family of an Ivanovo merchant who dealt in textiles, and she herself created many sketches of propaganda textiles based on Russian traditions.

No. 25. Aristarkh Lentulov - £1.7 million

Lentulov entered the history of the Russian avant-garde with his memorable image of St. Basil's Cathedral - either cubism or a patchwork quilt. In this landscape he tries to split space according to a similar principle, but it doesn’t turn out as exciting. Actually, that's why "St. Basil the Blessed""in the Tretyakov Gallery, and this painting- on the art market. After all, museum workers once had the opportunity to skim the cream.

No. 26. Alexey Bogolyubov - £1.58 million

The sale of this little-known artist, albeit the favorite landscape painter of Tsar Alexander III, for such crazy money is a symptom of the market frenzy on the eve of the 2008 crisis. At that time, Russian collectors were ready to buy even minor masters. Moreover, first-class artists are rarely sold.

Perhaps this painting was sent as a gift to some official: it has a suitable subject, because the Cathedral of Christ the Savior has long ceased to be just a church, and has become a symbol. And a flattering origin - the painting was kept in the royal palace. Pay attention to the details: the brick Kremlin tower is covered with white plaster, and the hill inside the Kremlin is completely undeveloped. Well, why bother trying? In the 1870s, the capital was St. Petersburg, not Moscow, and the Kremlin was not a residence.

No. 27. Isaac Levitan - £1.56 million

Completely atypical for Levitan, the work was sold at the same auction as Bogolyubov’s painting, but it turned out to be cheaper. This is connected, of course, with the fact that the picture does not look like Levitan " Its authorship, however, is indisputable; a similar plot is in the Dnepropetrovsk Museum. 40 thousand light bulbs, with which the Kremlin was decorated, were lit in honor of the coronation of Nicholas II. In a few days the Khodynka disaster will happen.

No. 28. Arkhip Kuindzhi - $3 million.

The famous landscape painter painted three similar paintings. The first is in the Tretyakov Gallery, the third is in the State Museum of Belarus. The second, presented at the auction, was intended for Prince Pavel Pavlovich Demidov-San Donato. This representative of the famous Ural dynasty lived in a villa near Florence. In general, the Demidovs, having become Italian princes, had fun as best they could. For example, Paul's uncle, from whom he inherited the princely title, was so rich and noble that he married Napoleon Bonaparte's niece, and one day he whipped her in a bad mood. The poor lady had a hard time getting a divorce. The painting, however, did not reach Demidov; it was acquired by the Ukrainian sugar factory Tereshchenko.

No. 29. Konstantin Korovin- 1.497 million pounds

Impressionists characterized by a very “light”, sweeping writing style. Korovin is the main Russian impressionist. It is very popular among scammers; According to rumors, the number of its fakes at auctions reaches 80%. If a painting from a private collection was exhibited at the artist’s personal exhibition in a famous state museum, then its reputation is strengthened, and at the next auction it costs much more. In 2012, the Tretyakov Gallery is planning a large-scale exhibition of Korovin. Maybe there will be works from private collections. This paragraph is an example of manipulation of the reader’s consciousness by listing facts that do not have a direct logical connection with each other.

• Please note that from March 26 to August 12, 2012, the Tretyakov Gallery promises to organizeKorovin exhibition . Read more about the biography of the most charming of the Silver Age artists in our review opening days of the State Tretyakov Gallery in 2012.

No. 30. Yuri Annenkov - $2.26 million.

Annenkov managed to emigrate in 1924 and made a good career in the West. For example, in 1954 he was nominated for an Oscar as costume designer for the film "Madame de..." His early Soviet portraits are best known- the faces are cubist, faceted, but completely recognizable. For example, he repeatedly drew Leon Trotsky in this way - and even repeated the drawing many years later from memory, when the Times magazine wanted to decorate the cover with it.

The character depicted in the record-breaking portrait is the writer Tikhonov-Serebrov. He entered the history of Russian literature mainly through his close friendship with. So close that, according to dirty rumors, the artist’s wife Varvara Shaikevich even gave birth to a daughter from the great proletarian writer. It’s not very noticeable in the reproduction, but the portrait was made using the collage technique: glass and plaster are placed on top of a layer of oil paint, and even a real doorbell is attached.

No. 31. Lev Lagorio - £1.47 million

Another minor landscape painter, for some reason sold for a record price. One of the indicators of the success of the auction is exceeding the estimate (“estimate”) - the minimum price that the auction house experts have set for the lot. The estimate for this landscape was 300-400 thousand pounds, but it was sold for 4 times more expensive. As one London auctioneer said: “happiness is when two Russian oligarchs compete for the same thing."

No. 32. Viktor Vasnetsov - £1.1 million

Bogatyrs became a calling card back in the 1870s. He returns to his star theme, like other veterans of Russian painting, during the years of the young Soviet republic - both for financial reasons and to feel in demand again. This picture is the author's repetition “Ilya Muromets” (1915), which is kept in the House-Museum of the artist (on Prospekt Mira).

No. 33. Erik Bulatov - £1.084 million

The second living artist on our list (he also said that the best way for an artist to raise prices for his work is to die). , by the way, this is a Soviet Warhol, underground and anti-communist. He worked in the genre of social art, which was created by the Soviet underground, as our version of pop art. “Glory to the CPSU” is one of the artist’s most famous works. According to his own explanations, the letters here symbolize a lattice blocking the sky, that is, freedom, from us.

Bonus: Zinaida Serebryakova - £1.07 million

Serebryakova loved to paint nude women, self-portraits and her four children. This ideal feminist world is harmonious and calm, which cannot be said about the life of the artist herself, who barely escaped from Russia after the revolution and spent a lot of effort to get her children out of there.

“Nude” is not an oil painting, but a pastel drawing. This is the most expensive Russian drawing. Such a high amount paid for the graphics is comparable to the prices for Impressionist drawings and caused great surprise at Sotheby's, which started the auction with 150 thousand pounds sterling and received a million.

The list is compiled based on prices indicated on the official websites of auction houses. This price is made up of the net price (announced when the hammer comes down), and« buyer's premium (additional percentage of the auction house). Other sources may indicate "pure» price. The dollar to pound exchange rate often fluctuates, so British and American lots are located relative to each other with approximate accuracy (we are not Forbes).

Additions and corrections to our list are welcome.

Russian portrait painters appeared in the early 14th century AD. Brush masters of that time had limited resources, so they often resorted to stylized drawings. This could not be called surrealism, but the paintings certainly suffered from insufficient detail. Later, Russian portrait artists and their works were reoriented to the design of churches. Masters of sacred painting painted the walls and ceilings of churches and cathedrals.

Early portrait art

Russian portrait artists and their paintings had their own distinctive features, they were recognizable - each painter had his own style in his work, moreover, he was revered by both priests and parishioners.

The most prominent representative of that time was Andrei Rublev (1370-1428), who left behind imperishable works: “Savior Almighty,” “Archangel Michael,” “Trinity,” and other masterpieces of icon painting.

A contemporary of Rublev was the famous icon painter Theophanes the Greek (1340-1410). They worked together for a long time. In the 90s of the 14th century, artists painted the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. Other Russian portrait artists also participated in the work. The amount of work was quite large. The main icons of the Deesis row were painted by the “prophetic” and part of the upper “forefathers” row by Andey Rublev. There is no reliable data confirming that he painted the marks of the large icons of the lower row, but the hand of a talented icon painter is recognizable in these works.

Early Masters of Portraiture

At the beginning of the 14th century, the technique of oil painting improved somewhat with the introduction of finely ground paints.

Russian portrait painters of later times:

• Dionysius (1440-1502), favorite of Tsar Ivan III. The monarch used to commission an artist to paint a temple, and then periodically visit the icon painter and observe the work.
• Alexey Zubov (1682-1750) is the greatest master of Russian engraving art of the era of Peter the Great. He worked together with his father, the outstanding icon painter Fyodor Zubov. Together they painted the Moscow Kremlin Armory.
• Nikitin Ivan (1680-1742) - Russian artist, one of the first Russian masters of portraiture, educated in Europe. He was in a special favor with Peter the Great. The most famous works of the artist are the Polish King Augustus II and the Duke of Mecklenburg.

Russian portrait painters of the 18th century

Masters of the brush of past centuries, as a rule, were engaged in church painting. However, the 18th century was the time of the birth of portrait art in its purest form, when the painter reflects the image of a specific person on canvas. Russian portrait artists of that time adhered to the classical school of fine art, which involved accurate reproduction of the smallest details. In portrait painting, this technique perfectly met the tasks assigned to the artist - to achieve such an image that it bore all the signs of an artistic style and was as reliable as possible. The work seemed quite painstaking and responsible. Nevertheless, famous Russian portrait artists coped with it superbly. There were more than enough orders; all the court nobility, as well as members of merchant guilds, vied with each other to order portraits of themselves and their loved ones.

Wealthy people preferred to invite painters to their homes, because in this case the whole family could observe the process, and this was considered good form. The Russian portrait artist usually lived poorly, so he tried to accept as many orders as possible. If, at the end of the work, the image of the head of the family was liked by all household members, then the painter received the next order in the same house. Thus, the Russian portrait artist was in demand in high society and was not left without work. The most successful craftsmen were invited to the royal chambers to carry out especially important assignments.

The rise of portraiture

When the Renaissance period began in the art of painting, many talented masters appeared in Rus'.

Russian portrait painters of the 18th century:

• Alexey Antropov (1716-1795) - a famous Russian portrait painter, participated in the decoration of the Winter Palace in 1744 and Tsarskoye Selo in 1749. Under his leadership, artists painted St. Andrew's Church in Kyiv. Since 1761, Antropov was introduced into the Orthodox Synod as the chief overseer of icon painting. The artist entered the history of Russian art as a talented portrait painter of the Peter the Great period.
• Borovikovsky Vladimir (1757-1825) was born in Mirgorod. He became famous after meeting Catherine II, who was traveling to Crimea in 1787. The artist painted one of the palaces on the empress’s route and was noticed by her. Catherine expressed her admiration and rewarded Borovikovsky with money, with which he subsequently went to St. Petersburg.
• Alexey Venetsianov (1780-1847) - Russian artist, founder of the genre of everyday life in portrait painting. His work “Portrait of a Mother,” painted in 1801, brought him fame. Studied the art of drawing from
• Kiprensky Orest (1782-1836) - an outstanding artist, made his debut in 1804 with a portrait of A. K. Valbe, which was painted in the manner of Rembrandt. The famous work “E.V. Davydov”, created in 1809, strengthened the artist’s reputation. Many of Kiprensky's paintings are kept in the Tretyakov Gallery.
• Tropinin Vasily (1776-1857) - Russian artist who became famous after he painted a portrait of A.S. Pushkin, commissioned by the poet himself. The painting was intended for S. A. Sobolevsky, a friend of Alexander Sergeevich. The portrait has become a classic image of the great poet for all times.

Portrait art in the 19th century

Russian portrait artists of the 19th century are a whole galaxy of talented painters who turned to the genre of depicting the human face. The most famous of them:

• Neff Timofey (1805-1876) - follower of the academic style in art, historical portrait painter. Studied painting at the Dresden Art School. In 1826 he moved to St. Petersburg, where he immediately gained fame by painting a series of portraits of famous people. In 1837, he went on a long trip around Russia to get acquainted with the folklore hinterland and the life of the common people. After his return, he painted the church of the Winter Palace; these works included the famous “Last Supper”. He received a professorship for painting St. Isaac's Cathedral, and at the same time became the curator of the Hermitage painting gallery.
• Zakharov Peter (1816-1846) - Russian portrait painter with a difficult fate. A three-year-old boy was found in the abandoned Chechen village of Dadi-Yurt. Russian general Ermolov took the child into custody. Noticing his adopted son's ability to draw, he sent little Petya to study with portrait painter Lev Volkov. In 1836, Zakharov completed a course at the Academy of Arts and received the title of free artist.
• (1822-1897) - Russian painter, painted many paintings during his long creative life. The artist’s works, including portraits created by him at different times, are in the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum, the Academy of Arts and exhibition halls throughout Russia. In 1844, Makarov moved to St. Petersburg, where he won recognition from the capital's public.

Portrait painter Tyranov

Russian portrait painter (1808-1859), engaged in icon painting. In 1824, he met the artist Venetsianov, who enrolled the young man in his painting school, and when he completed his studies, he arranged for Tyranov to become a student at the Academy of Arts. The further fate of the young painter was successful: he received a small gold medal from the Academy, and in 1836 he became a student of the venerable Karl Bryullov. For his work "Girl with a Tambourine" he was awarded the title of academician. While in Rome he painted his main paintings: “Girl Squeezing Water Out of Her Hair,” “Angel with an Olive Branch,” “Mother of Moses on the Banks of the Nile.” Then, upon the artist’s return to St. Petersburg, the artist suffered a series of misfortunes, and he turned into a beggar. I found shelter in my brother’s house in the city of Kashin. Tyranov died there at the age of 51.

Unsurpassed portrait technique

Sergei Zaryanko (1818-1870) is a wonderful Russian portrait painter, famous for the indescribable play of light and shadow on his canvases. The artist’s technique is so pronounced that the inner world of the person depicted on the canvas seems to be lost in the richness of shades and halftones. In total, Zaryanko painted about a hundred portraits, most of which were dedicated to the emperor, his family and the highest court nobility.

Master's Apprentice

Zhodeiko Leonid (1827-1879) - Russian portrait painter, student of the Moscow artist Zaryanko and the St. Petersburg master Markov, teacher at the Academy of Arts. He painted mainly female portraits. Received the title of academician for the painting "Girl Washing" He was a regular participant in annual exhibitions held under the auspices of the Academy of Arts of St. Petersburg.

Dramatic artist

Kramskoy Ivan Nikolaevich (1837-1887) - an outstanding master of portrait painting, religious wall paintings, and genre drawing. The author of canvases depicting famous writers, artists, artists, including: L. N. Tolstoy (1883), M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin (1879), I. I. Shishkin (1873) -th), S.P. Botkin (year 1880), P.M. Tretyakov (year 1876).

All his life the artist adhered to the philosophical and dramatic subtext in his works, this is especially noticeable in the portrait paintings: “Unknown”, “N.A. Nekrasov”, “Inconsolable Grief”, which were created in the period from 1877 to 1884. These masterpieces are in the Tretyakov Gallery.

Artistic portraits in the 20th century

The twentieth century was a difficult period for Russia. Political upheavals and two bloody wars left their mark on the development of the country. And yet art was alive; in the post-war years, painting, including portraiture, was revived. There were few artists, but they all went through a good school.

Russian portrait artists of the 20th century:

• Kozlov Engels is a Soviet portrait artist, born in 1926, graduated from the Yaroslavl Art School, then entered the painting course at the Leningrad Repin Institute. In 1956, he presented his thesis “He will live!” to the graduation committee. Member of the Union of Artists since 1957. The main theme of Kozlov’s work is portraits of his contemporaries.
• Lomakin Oleg - portrait painter of the Soviet period, born in 1924. He studied at the Leningrad Art School, then at the All-Russian Academy of Arts. In 1942 he was drafted into the Red Army, fought near Kursk, where he was seriously wounded and expelled from the army. Portraits painted by the artist have been exhibited at exhibitions since 1952.
• Samuil Nevelshtein (1904-1983) - portrait painter, graduated from VKHUTEMAS. The artist has several dozen works to his name. The main theme of Nevelshtein’s work was portraits of his contemporaries. The portrait painter held five personal exhibitions, all of them were held in Leningrad, the first show took place in 1944.
• Oreshnikov Viktor (1904-1987) - Soviet painter and portrait painter. People's Artist of the Soviet Union, laureate of two Stalin Prizes. The works were dominated by subjects dedicated to achievements in the national economy and portraits of contemporaries.
• - Russian portrait painter, born in 1943. Creator of a unique focus. Actively participates in public life, member of the Public Council under the President of Russia.

Famous portrait artists

In the six hundred years that have passed since the advent of painting, more than one generation of artists has changed. In addition to the painters already mentioned, there were quite a lot of other masters.

Who are they - Russian portrait artists? A list of them is presented below.

• Musikiysky Grigory Semenovich, court portrait painter.
• Gsell Georg, a Swiss painter, worked in Russia for a long time.
• Nikitin Ivan Nikitich, court artist.
• Vishnyakov Ivan Yakovlevich, portrait painter for the aristocracy.
• Kolokolnikov Mina Lukich, serf artist.
• Matveevich, court portrait painter.

• Ugryumov Grigory Ivanovich, peasant artist.
• noble portrait painter.
• Orlovsky Alexander Osipovich, noble artist.
• Sokolov Petr Fedorovich, portrait painter for the aristocracy.

We are glad to welcome you to the blog about contemporary art. Today I want to talk about painting, so this post is entirely dedicated to landscapes by Russian artists. In it you will find the most complete information about the work of Alexander Afonin, Alexey Savchenko and Viktor Bykov. All of them are not just talented, but divinely gifted individuals. Their creativity is multifaceted, original and skillful. They attract the attention of not only citizens of the Russian land, but also representatives and collectors from far abroad countries. Writing about them briefly is quite a difficult task, but we will try to summarize the information in order to present to your eyes only the most interesting and important from the lives of artists and their work. Well, let's move on to the landscapes of Russian artists?

Landscapes of the true Russian artist Alexander Afonin

The period from 1982 to 1986 became a turning point for the artist for the rest of his life. In addition to the fact that during this time period Afonin received his education at the Zheleznogorsk Art School, it was then that he learned professionalism. Today Alexander considers this school one of the best in Russia.

Nature landscapes of different seasons from Alexey Savchenko

Landscapes by Russian artist Alexey Savchenko They take it not by color, but by some capricious northern mood. , maximum color realism - perhaps this is what is very clearly visible on the author’s canvases.

“Forest as if alive” by Russian artist Viktor Bykov

To complete the post, watch a wonderful video about classical landscapes by Russian artists: