Morning in a pine forest in Shishkin. "Morning in a pine forest". A different look at Shishkin's masterpiece

Probably almost the most famous painting Russian artist-painter is "Morning in pine forest». This picture is known and loved by many since childhood because of its wrapping no less beloved chocolates"Teddy Bear." Only a few paintings by Russian artists can compete with the popularity of this work of art.

The idea for the painting was once suggested to the painter Shishkin by the artist Konstantin Savitsky, who acted as a co-author and depicted the figures of bears. As a result, Savitsky turned out the animals so well that he signed the painting together with Shishkin. But when Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov acquired the painting, he removed Savitsky’s signature, and the authorship remained only with Shishkin. Tretyakov believed that everything in the picture speaks about the style of painting and creative method, characteristic of Shishkin.

The canvas depicts a dense thicket of a pine forest with a fallen, broken tree on the edge of a ravine. The left side of the picture still retains the twilight of the cold night of the dense forest. Moss covers uprooted tree roots and fallen broken branches. Soft green grass creates a feeling of comfort and tranquility. But the rays rising sun They have already gilded the tops of centuries-old pines and made the morning haze glow. And although the sun is not yet able to completely dispel this night fog, hiding the entire depth of the pine forest from the viewer’s view, the cubs are already playing on the broken trunk of a fallen pine, and the mother bear is guarding them. One of the cubs, having climbed up the trunk closer to the ravine, stood on hind legs and looks curiously into the distance at the light of the haze from the rising sun.

We see not just a monumental canvas about the greatness and beauty of Russian nature. Before us is not only a deep, dense frozen forest with its deep power, but living picture nature. Sunlight breaking through the haze and columns of tall trees makes you feel the depth of the ravine behind the fallen pine tree, the power of the centuries-old trees. The light of the morning sun still looks timidly into this pine forest. But the animals—the frolicking bear cubs and their mother—are already feeling the approach of the sunny morning. The picture is filled with movement and life thanks not only to these four bears loving solitude in the forest, but also to the transitional moment of the awakening early sunny morning after a cold night accurately depicted by the painter. The peaceful smile of the forest spreads: the day will be sunny. It begins to seem to the viewer that the birds have already begun to sing their morning songs. The beginning of a new day promises light and tranquility!

“The Nun” by Ilya Repin

Ilya Repin. Nun. 1878. State Tretyakov Gallery / Portrait under an X-ray

Sofia Repina, née Shevtsova, posed for Ilya Repina for The Nun. The girl was the artist’s sister-in-law - and at one time Repin himself was seriously infatuated with her, but he married her younger sister Vera. Sophia became the wife of Repin’s brother Vasily, an orchestra member of the Mariinsky Theater.

This did not stop the artist from repeatedly painting portraits of Sophia. For one of them, the girl posed in a formal ball gown: light elegant dress, lace sleeves, high hairstyle. While working on the painting, Repin had a serious quarrel with the model. As you know, anyone can offend an artist, but few can take revenge as creatively as Repin did. The offended artist “dressed” Sophia in the portrait in monastic clothes.

The story, similar to an anecdote, was confirmed by an x-ray. The researchers were lucky: Repin did not remove the original paint layer, which allowed them to examine the heroine’s original outfit in detail.

"Park Alley" by Isaac Brodsky

Isaac Brodsky. Park alley. 1930. Private collection / Isaac Brodsky. Alley of the park in Rome. 1911

No less interesting riddle left for researchers by Repin's student, Isaac Brodsky. The Tretyakov Gallery houses his painting “Park Alley,” which at first glance is unremarkable: Brodsky had many works on “park” themes. However, the further you go into the park, the more colorful layers there are.

One of the researchers noticed that the composition of the painting was suspiciously reminiscent of another work by the artist - “Park Alley in Rome” (Brodsky was stingy with original titles). This painting was considered lost for a long time, and its reproduction was published only in a rather rare edition in 1929. With the help of x-rays, the Roman alley that had mysteriously disappeared was found - right under the Soviet one. The artist did not clean up the already finished image and simply made a number of simple changes to it: he dressed the passers-by according to the fashion of the 30s of the 20th century, “took away” the children’s clothes, removed the marble statues and slightly modified the trees. So, with a couple of light movements of the hand, the sunny Italian park turned into an exemplary Soviet one.

When asked why Brodsky decided to hide his Roman alley, they did not find an answer. But we can assume that the image " modest charm bourgeoisie" in 1930, from an ideological point of view, was already inappropriate. Nevertheless, of all Brodsky’s post-revolutionary landscape works, “Park Alley” is the most interesting: despite the changes, the picture retained the charming grace of Art Nouveau, which, alas, no longer existed in Soviet realism.

“Morning in a Pine Forest” by Ivan Shishkin

Ivan Shishkin and Konstantin Savitsky. Morning in a pine forest. 1889. State Tretyakov Gallery

A forest landscape with bear cubs playing on a fallen tree is perhaps the most famous work artist. But the idea for the landscape was suggested to Ivan Shishkin by another artist, Konstantin Savitsky. He also painted a bear with three cubs: the forest expert Shishkin had no luck with the bears.

Shishkin had an impeccable understanding of forest flora; he noticed the slightest mistakes in the drawings of his students - either the birch bark was depicted incorrectly, or the pine looked like a fake one. However, people and animals have always been rare in his works. This is where Savitsky came to the rescue. By the way, he left several preparatory drawings and sketches with bear cubs - he was looking for suitable poses. “Morning in a Pine Forest” was not originally “Morning”: the painting was called “Bear Family in the Forest,” and there were only two bears in it. As a co-author, Savitsky also put his signature on the canvas.

When the canvas was delivered to the merchant Pavel Tretyakov, he was indignant: he paid for Shishkin (ordered an original work), but received Shishkin and Savitsky. Shishkin, how fair man, did not attribute authorship to himself. But Tretyakov followed the principle and blasphemously erased Savitsky’s signature from the painting with turpentine. Savitsky later nobly renounced copyright, and the bears were attributed to Shishkin for a long time.

“Portrait of a Chorus Girl” by Konstantin Korovin

Konstantin Korovin. Portrait of a chorus girl. 1887. State Tretyakov Gallery / Reverse side of the portrait

On the back of the canvas, researchers found a message from Konstantin Korovin on cardboard, which turned out to be almost more interesting than the painting itself:

“In 1883 in Kharkov, a portrait of a chorus girl. Written on a balcony in a commercial public garden. Repin said when S.I. Mamontov showed him this sketch that he, Korovin, was writing and looking for something else, but what is it for - this is painting for painting’s sake only. Serov had not yet painted portraits at this time. And the painting of this sketch was found incomprehensible??!! So Polenov asked me to remove this sketch from the exhibition, since neither the artists nor the members - Mr. Mosolov and some others - liked it. The model was not a beautiful woman, even somewhat ugly.”

Konstantin Korovin

The harmonious theory “Korovin is the forerunner of Russian impressionism” was mercilessly destroyed by objective technical and technological research. On the front side of the portrait they found the artist’s signature in paint, and just below in ink: “1883, Kharkov.” The artist worked in Kharkov in May - June 1887: he painted scenery for performances of the Russian private opera Mamontova. In addition, art historians have found that the “Portrait of a Chorus Girl” was painted in a certain artistic manner - a la prima. This technique oil painting allowed me to paint a picture in one session. Korovin began to use this technique only in the late 1880s.

After analyzing these two inconsistencies, employees Tretyakov Gallery came to the conclusion that the portrait was painted only in 1887, and Korovin added an earlier date to emphasize his own innovation.

“The Man and the Cradle” by Ivan Yakimov

Ivan Yakimov. Man and cradle.1770. State Tretyakov Gallery / Full version work

“Clarified” the situation - in literally- X-ray. She showed that the canvas was cut on the right and top.

The Tretyakov Gallery received the painting after the sale of the collection of Pavel Petrovich Tugoy-Svinin. He owned the so-called “Russian Museum” - a collection of paintings, sculptures and antiques. But in 1834, due to financial problems, the collection had to be sold - and the painting “Man and Cradle” ended up in the Tretyakov Gallery: not all of it, but only its left half. The right one, unfortunately, was lost, but you can still see the work in its entirety, thanks to another unique exhibit of the Tretyakov Gallery. The full version of Yakimov’s work was found in the album “Collection of Excellent Works Russian artists and curious domestic antiquities”, which contains drawings from most of the paintings that were part of Svinin’s collection.

It just so happened that for the packaging of the “Teddy Bear” sweets and their analogues a century ago, designers chose a painting by Shishkin and Savitsky. And if Shishkin is known for his forest landscapes, then Savitsky is remembered by the general public exclusively for his bears.

With rare exceptions, the subject of Shishkin's paintings (if you look at this issue broadly) is one - nature. Ivan Ivanovich is an enthusiastic, loving contemplator. And the viewer becomes an eyewitness to the painter’s meeting with his native expanses.

Shishkin was an extraordinary expert on the forest. He knew everything about trees of different species and noticed errors in the drawing. During plein airs, the artist’s students were ready to literally hide in the bushes, just so as not to hear criticism in the spirit of “Such a birch cannot exist” or “these pine trees are fake.”

As for people and animals, they occasionally appeared in Ivan Ivanovich’s paintings, but they were more of a background than an object of attention. “Morning in a Pine Forest” is perhaps the only painting where bears compete with the forest. For this, thanks to one of Shishkin’s best friends - the artist Konstantin Savitsky.

The idea for the painting was suggested to Shishkin by Savitsky, who later acted as a co-author and depicted the figures of the bear cubs. These bears, with some differences in poses and numbers (at first there were two of them), appear in preparatory drawings and sketches. Savitsky turned out the animals so well that he even signed the painting together with Shishkin. Savitsky himself told his family: “The painting was sold for 4 thousand, and I am a participant in the 4th share.”

“Morning in a Pine Forest” is a painting by Russian artists Ivan Shishkin and Konstantin Savitsky. Savitsky painted the bears, but the collector Pavel Tretyakov erased his signature, so that Shishkin alone is often indicated as the author of the painting.

The painting conveys in detail the state of nature seen by the artist on Gorodomlya Island. Shown not deaf dense forest, A sunlight, breaking through the columns of tall trees. You can feel the depth of the ravines, the power of centuries-old trees, the sunlight seems to timidly peek into this dense forest. The frolicking cubs feel the approach of morning.

Portrait of Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin (1832-1898) by I. N. Kramskoy. 1880

Konstantin Apollonovich Savitsky
(1844 - 1905)
Photo.

Wikipedia

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Everyone knows this painting, and they also know its author, the great Russian landscape painter Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin. The title of the painting “Morning in a Pine Forest” is less remembered; more often they say “Three Bears”, although there are actually four of them (however, the painting was originally called “Bear Family in the Forest”). The fact that the bears in the picture were painted by Shishkin’s friend, the artist Konstantin Apollonovich Savitsky, is known to an even narrower circle of art lovers, but is also not a secret. But how the co-authors divided the fee, and why Savitsky’s signature on the picture is almost indistinguishable, history is bashfully silent about this.
It went something like this...

They say that Savitsky first saw Shishkin in the Artel of Artists. This Artel was both a workshop and a canteen, and something like a club where problems of creativity were discussed. And then one day young Savitsky was having dinner at the Artel, and next to him some artist of a heroic physique kept joking, and between jokes he completed a drawing. Savitsky found this approach to the matter frivolous. When the artist began to erase the drawing with his rough fingers, Savitsky had no doubt that this a strange man Now all your work will be ruined.

But the drawing turned out very good. Savitsky, in his excitement, forgot about dinner, and the hero came up to him and rumbled in a friendly bass voice that it was bad to eat, and that only those with an excellent appetite and a cheerful disposition could cope with any work.

That’s how they became friends: the young Savitsky and the already famous, respected Artel Shishkin. Since then, they met more than once and went to sketches together. Both were in love with the Russian forest and once started talking about how it would be nice to paint a large-scale canvas with bears. Savitsky allegedly said that he had painted bears more than once for his son and had already figured out how to depict them on a large canvas. And Shishkin seemed to smile slyly:

Why don't you come to me? I waved one thing away...

The thing turned out to be “Morning in a Pine Forest.” Just no bears. Savitsky was delighted. And Shishkin said that now all that remains is to work on the bears: there is a place for them on the canvas, they say. And then Savitsky asked: “Excuse me!” - and soon a bear family settled in the place indicated by Shishkin.

P.M. Tretyakov purchased this painting from I.I. Shishkin for 4 thousand rubles, when the signatures of K.A. Savitsky was not there yet. Having learned about such an impressive sum, Konstantin Apollonovich, who had seven shops, came to Ivan Ivanovich for his share. Shishkin suggested that he first register his co-authorship by signing the painting, which was done. However, Tretyakov did not like this trick. After the transaction was completed, he rightfully considered the paintings his property and did not allow any of the authors to touch them.

I bought a painting from Shishkin. Why else Savitsky? Give me some turpentine,” said Pavel Mikhailovich and erased Savitsky’s signature with his own hand. He also paid money to Shishkin alone.

Now Ivan Ivanovich was offended, since he justifiably considered the picture to be a completely independent work even without the bears. Indeed, the landscape is charming. This is not just a dense pine forest, but a morning in the forest with its fog that has not yet dissipated, with the lightly pinked tops of huge pines, and cold shadows in the thickets. In addition, Shishkin drew sketches of the bear family himself.

How the matter ended and how the artists divided the money is not known for certain, but since then Shishkin and Savitsky have not painted pictures together.

And “Morning in a Pine Forest” gained wild popularity among the people thanks to the figures of a bear and three cheerful cubs, so vividly painted by Savitsky.

Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin’s painting “Morning in a Pine Forest” is perhaps the most famous painting, belonging to the brush of this Russian landscape artist. The canvas depicts a mother bear with three little cubs playing on a fallen pine tree. The painting is made in Shishkin’s characteristic style: warm shades, skillfully drawn details, soft sunlight breaking through the branches. But the main highlight of the canvas is the mischievous bear cubs. They are depicted so cheerful, carefree, so “alive” that it immediately becomes clear that the artist treated the forest and its inhabitants with respect. great love and awe. Or, more precisely, artists.

How “Morning in a Pine Forest” was created

The history of the creation of the painting “Morning in a Pine Forest” is quite interesting - for example, not everyone knows that Shishkin is not the only author of the painting. The idea for the painting was suggested to him by Konstantin Savitsky, who became a co-author of the painting and personally painted all the bears. But his name was erased from the canvas by the philanthropist Tretyakov, who bought the masterpiece.

He noted that in the picture “everything speaks about the manner of painting, about the creative method that is characteristic of Shishkin.” Of course, such a description of Shishkin’s painting “Morning in a Pine Forest” probably flattered the great painter, but after the incident Shishkin and Savitsky managed not to quarrel, but to remain friends for a long time. long years. Konstantin Savitsky even became godfather for Shishkin's son. They were brought together by many things, so the erased signature could not affect their strong friendship and positive relationships.

Although Savitsky and Shishkin’s painting “Morning in a Pine Forest” owes much of its popularity to Tretyakov, a significant contribution to its fame was made by the German confectioner Ferdinand von Einem, who placed the plot from this painting on the wrapper of his “Teddy Bear” chocolates. Of course, the image on the wrapper was very simplified, but people quickly fell in love with the bear cubs. And soon not a single holiday was complete without the famous chocolates with wafer inside. Among the people, the painting was secretly called “Three Bears” (which, however, is not entirely true, because there are four bears on it). But, apparently, the consonance with folk tale“Masha and the Bears”, where there were really three bears. Sometimes the canvas is also called “Morning in pine forest", but this is a misnomer.

These candies with a wafer inside continued to be produced after October revolution- however, it was no longer von Einem’s confectionery that was doing this, but the Red October enterprise. But that didn’t make me love sweets any less.

This painting remains popular to this day - its reproductions can be seen in many apartments. After all, its warm, soulful atmosphere can bring warmth, tranquility, and comfort into the house. The original today has become a decoration of the St. Petersburg Tretyakov Gallery. Many art connoisseurs come to admire this great work of Russian visual arts.