When it comes to the artists who worked onThe “revival” of epics, tales and legends, one of the first to be remembered was Vasnetsov. Biography for children will traditionally begin from the moment of birth of a talented master and his childhood.
And Victor Mikhailovich was born on May 15, 1848.in a village called Lopial, near Vyatka. His father, Mikhail Vasilyevich, was a local priest. After the birth of his son, he was forced to move to another place - the village of Ryabovo. Mom of the future artist, Apollinaria Ivanovna, raised six sons (Victor himself was the second).
The life of the Vasnetsov family could not be called particularlyrich. In their house at the same time there were customs and ways characteristic of both rural and urban life. After the death of his wife, the father of the family, Mikhail Vasnetsov, remained in charge. Biography for children, telling about the main points of life of the future artist, continues. Mikhail Vasilyevich was an intelligent and well-educated man, so he tried to instill in all his sons inquisitiveness, observation, to give them knowledge in various areas. But grandmother taught to draw children. Despite the poverty, adults have always found the means to buy interesting scientific journals, paints, brushes and other supplies for creativity and study. Already in childhood, Viktor Vasnetsov showed an extraordinary penchant for drawing: in his first sketches there are picturesque village landscapes, as well as scenes of rural life.
Other villagers Viktor Vasnetsovperceived as his good friends and listened with pleasure to fairy tales and songs that they told during gatherings in the muffled light and the crackle of the splinter.
Vasnetsov, Viktor Mikhailovich, whose biographyToday is the topic of our conversation, began to draw very early. But in those days it was accepted that the son walked in the footsteps of his father, so he first went to study at a religious school, and then - at the seminary in Vyatka. As a seminarian, Vasnetsov constantly studied chronicles, the lives of saints, chronographs, and various documents. And the special attention was attracted by Old Russian literature - it further strengthened the love for Russian antiquity, which Vasnetsov was already notable for. A biography for children dedicated to this amazing artist should also mention that it was at the seminary that Vasnetsov received in-depth knowledge in the field of Orthodox symbolism, which later came in handy when working on painting temples.
Training in the seminary did not prevent ViktorMikhailovich diligently engage in the study of painting. In the years 1866-1867 75 wonderful drawings came out from under his hand, which eventually served as illustrations for N. Trapitsin's “The Assembly of Russian Proverbs”.
Сильное впечатление на Васнецова произвело acquaintance with E. Andrioli - a Polish artist who was in exile. Andrioli tells his young friend about the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. Vasnetsov immediately fired up the desire to go there. The artist's father did not mind, but immediately warned that he would not be able to help financially.
However, Vasnetsov did not remain without support.Andrioli and his acquaintance, Bishop Adam Krasinsky, talked with Governor Kampayshchikov, and he helped them sell the paintings “Thrush” and “Reaper”, which Vasnetsov painted. Biography for children should include some more interesting points related to this. For sold paintings Vasnetsov received 60 rubles, and with this amount went to St. Petersburg. The modesty and uncertainty of the young man did not allow him to even look at the list of those enrolled in the academy after passing the exams. Victor through acquaintances could get a job as a draftsman in order to earn his living. Later, Vasnetsov finds something for himself and begins to draw illustrations for magazines and books. Then he enters the school of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists, where he meets I. Kramsky, who still has an important role to play in the life of the young artist.
In 1868 Vasnetsov again makes an attempt to enter the Academy of St. Petersburg. And he learns that the last time he still managed to pass the exams successfully.
The time of training in the Academy gave VictorMikhailovich many interesting new acquaintances. Here he approaches and begins to make friends with Repin, Polenov, Kuindzhi, Surikov, Maksimov, the Prahov brothers, Antokolsky, Chistyakov.
Already during the first year of study Vasnetsovreceives a silver medal, and then - two more small medals for the sketch from nature and the drawing “Two nude models”. Two years later, the teachers rewarded him for drawing “Christ and Pilate before the people,” this time with a large silver medal.
This period has become very difficult for Vasnetsov.In 1870, the artist's father died, and he began to take care of his maternal uncle, who also dreams of the glory of a talented artist and is looking for an opportunity to earn. Since 1871 Vasnetsov appears less and less in the academy, mainly due to lack of time and deteriorating health. However, he continued to work fruitfully: during this time he completed more than 200 illustrations for Soldatskaya Alphabet, Narodnaya Alphabet, Russian Alphabet for Children (Vodovozov). The artist is engaged in illustrating fairy tales "The Firebird", "The Little Humpbacked Horse" and some others. Vasnetsov also manages to draw for himself - as a rule, these were drawings on household subjects.
1875It was a year of cardinal changes in the life of Viktor Mikhailovich. He leaves the academy because the need to earn money becomes his first priority, and also because he wants to develop his talent on his own. At the exhibition of the Wanderers appears his painting "Tea in the tavern", also ends work on "Beggars singers." In 1876, he presented the paintings "Book Shop" and "From apartment to apartment."
In the same year, Vasnetsov appearsopportunity to visit paris. The visit to France amazes the artist's imagination, and under the impression of him he writes the famous "Balagan in the vicinity of Paris" (1877).
A year later, the artist returns to his homeland, is crowned with Alexandra Ryazantseva, and moves with his new wife to Moscow.
In 1885, A.Prakhov invites Vasnetsov to participate in the painting of the recently erected Vladimirsky Cathedral (Kiev). Thinking, the artist agrees. He had already gained minimal experience working on the Abramtsevo Church of the Savior and epic canvases. Being a man of deep faith, it is in the painting of churches that Vasnetsov begins to see his real vocation.
Above the painting in the Vladimir Cathedral Vasnetsovhe worked for more than ten (!) years. After all, he was instructed to paint both the main nave and the apse. The artist skillfully depicted important scenes from the New and Old Testaments, Russian saints, ennobled the vaults with the help of amazing ornaments. In the history of art of the entire XIX century, the scale of the work carried out have no equal. After all, during this time, Victor Mikhailovich created over four hundred sketches, and the total area of the painting is more than 2 thousand square meters. m!
The work was interesting, but also very difficult.After all, V. M. Vasnetsov, whose biography is the topic of our conversation, carefully studied the topic with which he was to work. To this end, he became acquainted with the monuments of early Christianity, preserved in Italy, frescoes and mosaics that existed in the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev, and the paintings of the Mikhailovsky and St. Cyril monasteries. Vasnetsov paid close attention to the study of related areas of art: folk art, Old Russian book miniatures. In many respects, during his work, he was guided by Moscow Old Believers' icons. And besides, Vasnetsov always checked whether his works are consistent enough with the spirit of the Church. The artist was forced to reject many sketches due to the fact that he himself considered his works insufficiently ecclesiastical, or because the church council did not give consent to them.
Сам Васнецов считал, что его работа в соборе – it is his personal “path to the light”, to the comprehension of great values. Sometimes it was very difficult for him because it was impossible to portray one or another plot exactly as he saw it in his thoughts.
One of the most beloved images was the Mother of God.Vasnetsov, first depicted "with warmth, courage and sincerity." In many Russian houses of the late XIX-early XX centuries. it was possible to meet her reproductions.
The works were completed in 1896.and in the presence of the king's family the cathedral was solemnly consecrated. The painting by Vasnetsov was a huge success, and already in the same year, from all sides, a lot of proposals for the design of St. Petersburg, Warsaw, Darmstadt and other temples fell down on the artist. The pinnacle of Vasnetsov's works as a muralist-decorator was his painting The Last Judgment.
Painting Kiev Cathedral, Vasnetsov in his spare time does not stop working in other genres. In particular, at this time he created a whole cycle of historical and epic paintings.
Viktor Mikhailovich dedicated some time to creating theatrical scenery.
In the years 1875-1883 Vasnetsov is entrusted with drawing a picture of the Stone Age, which is not typical for him, which was supposed to decorate the Historical Museum of Moscow soon to open.
But over one of his most famous paintings -“The Bogatyrs” - the artist worked for several decades, and finished his work in 1898. Vasnetsov himself called this picture his “commitment to his native people”. And in April of the same year, Pavel Tretyakov gladly took this picture so that it would forever become one of the brightest exhibits in his gallery.
Pictures Vasnetsov never left peopleindifferent, although violent disputes often developed around them. Someone admired and admired them, someone criticized. But the amazing, "live" and having a soul of work could not go unnoticed.
Vasnetsov died on July 23, 1926 at the age of 79 due to heart problems. However, the traditions with which he started, continued and continue to live in the works of artists of the next generations.
