The highest achievements of realistic painting of the XIX centurycentury are associated with the names of outstanding Russian artists, among which Ilya Repin has a special place. The paintings and works of this master are whole worlds, and the gallery of images is extremely diverse.
The heyday of the fine arts in Russiafell on the second half of the XIX century. The ways of its development coincided in many respects with the development of literature. Fine art did not stay away from the processes that affected the public consciousness. This is the time of the formation of the current, which was based on the ideas of critical realism. He managed to win over the official direction, which adhered to the leadership of the Academy of Arts. For the creative work of artists, mythological and biblical themes were brought to the fore, justified by the idea that art is higher than life.
In 1863, some graduates of the Academyrefused to create program pictures. The students suggested subjects reflecting the problems of modern society, and were refused. In protest, they left the school without completing the course, and formed with I. Kramskoy "Petersburg Artel of Artists". Later in Moscow in 1870 was organized by the association of the Wanderers, who arranged art exhibitions in different cities. One of the brightest figures among the Peredvizhniki was Repin Ilya Efimovich. The artist's paintings are attributed to the heights of peredvizhnicheskogo art. They reflect all the hardships of life and those turbulent changes that have affected all spheres of life that could not but lead to significant changes in art.
An outstanding draftsman, colorist and portraitist, master of genre and historical canvases, Repin IE. left a rich creative heritage.
On his sixth birthday, Ilya Repin for the first timereceived a gift of watercolor paint and began to paint. At the age of 12, a talented boy was determined to study with the local painter I. M. Bunakov in Chuguev (Kharkov province). His first serious work was a copy of the icon depicting St. Alexander Nevsky. In 15 years, Ilya could already be attributed to independent artists and icon painters for good reason. He began to work together with the artel of local artisans and artists.
Painting churches, individual orders for icons - soIlya Repin started his creative work. Paintings, engravings, portraits, known for their excellent sense of life, a spiritual beginning, a vivid depiction of nature with all its prejudices and elemental feelings, will be created later. The artist's first works are religious painting, the theme of which was destined to go through the whole work of Repin.
Until now, the first watercolor of the artist - "View of the school of military topographers in Chuguev", dating from 1857, has reached.
In 1863, Ilya entered St. Petersburg in the Academy of Arts. Graduation work of a young artist, awarded the highest award - a gold medal, was the painting "Raising the daughter of Jairus."
To religious themes Repin repeatedlyreturned, performing icon-painting works. In 1898, in order to see the places where Christ walked and preached live, Ilya Efimovich went to the Holy Land. Here were collected materials for the picture "Temptation of Christ", written "Carrying the Cross."
Even contemporaries of the artist admired masterfully created multi-figure genre compositions and as if by "living" portraits.
The highest award received at the Academy of Arts,gave Repin the right to travel to France. In the spring of 1873, he travels through Austria and Italy. In his correspondence with friends Stasov, Tretyakov, Kramskoy shares his admiration for the canvases of Titian, Veronese, Michelangelo, his fascination with the portraits of Rembrandt, Velasquez. In Paris, he writes paintings, the most famous of which are "Paris Cafe", "Sadko", "Negro".
The real flowering of Repin's works was the periodsince his return to his homeland. There are his multi-figure genre and historical compositions, magnificent portraits. The diverse phenomena of life, the wealth of folk types and characters with incredible power, was portrayed by Ilya Repin. His paintings seemed to be embodied in a kind of artistic chronicle of this era. This is both the long-suffering, embittered "Muzhik with a bad eye" and "extract of our deacons" - "Protodeacon". This is the merry, unrestrained dances of the peasants, the folk daring in the film "Vechorniki", and the social contrasts, deep contradictions depicted in the composition "The Procession in the Kursk Province." The artist manages to create a sense of action, which seems to happen in front of the viewer.
By the 90s Repin had created a whole galleryportraits. Among them there are many portraits of famous scientists, writers, composers, artists. A kind of perfection was the work "Solemn meeting of the State Council." In this composition, the artist managed to portray a considerable number of those present, many of whom were given a psychological characteristic.
In the field of portrait graphics, Ilya Repingreat skill. His portraits of VA Serov, IS Ostroukhov, Eleonora Duse and others are distinguished by a beautiful drawing. The power of typification, free, wide writing make these sketches the peak of the skill of the painter Repin.
Even during life came the period of publicrecognition of an outstanding, versatile artist, which was in fact Ilya Repin. His paintings truly depict the various historical periods of Russia, containing in itself all the greatness, strength, pain and infirmity of Russia.
The last years of his life Repin lived in the Finnishterritory in Kuokkala in the estate, nicknamed him "Penates." After the October Revolution, he refused an invitation, made at a sufficiently high official level, to return to the country. Donated to the museum his paintings, did not lose contact with his friends and students I. Brodsky, K. Chukovsky, but did not return to his homeland.
The artist lived a long and rather fruitful life, opening the way to justice and good in the masterpieces created by him.
