Apollinarius Vasnetsov. Artist, researcher, historian.

Such amazing artists as Apollinarius Vasnetsov, will be typed a little among all painters of the late XIX - early XX century. He found a topic that is dear and close to the heart of many Russian people - the theme of the historical transformations of medieval Moscow.

Childhood

Vasnetsov Apollinary Mikhailovich (1856 - 1933) was born in a small village near Vyatka. He early orphaned, his brother went to study in Moscow. Already by this time it was clear that the teenager is very talented and he needs to study painting. But he was engaged in a spiritual school and simply took drawing lessons from a Polish artist who was in exile.

Years of study

In 1872 (at age 16), Apollinarius Vasnetsov moved to Petersburg and began to really study painting. His first teachers were brother Victor and outstanding artists, the Wanderers. He is interested in literature, mineralogy, astronomy, but most of all Apollinarius Vasnetsov at the age of 19 is fond of the ideas of the Narodniks, He leaves the painting. Vasnetsov goes to teach in Orel province, in the heart of the earth. But the ideas of the Narodniks disappointed him, and the grown-up Apollinarius Vasnetsov returned to Moscow at age 21. Now he is serious about painting, as a vocation.

As an artist Vasnetsov formed under the influence of I. Shishkin and A. Kuindzhi. But he did not become a mere imitator of great masters. He worked out his manner of writing.

First Luck

Since 1882 the young artist lives for a long time at his dacha with his brother, is a member of the SI circle. Mamontov, and since 1883 he began to exhibit his paintings at the exhibitions of the Wanderers. And here's the first success: P. Tretyakov at the exhibition gets his picture "Gray Day". Through the meadow, the path between the two trees alone is twisting, inviting to follow it into the distance.

Learning History

Gradually (this is facilitated by historical knowledge), the artist begins to draw dramatic, epic motifs. The first such picture was "Motherland" (1886), and the next "Twilight" (1889). It is lonely here and there are some widely spaced oaks standing in the field. A blue night is gathering in the distance. In the foreground everything is covered with haze, and the grayish shadows have already laid down on the grass. Ancient oaks invite the viewer to think about the past tense. Thus, through the landscape, epic motifs appear in A. Vasnetsov's works, the eternity of nature is affirmed.

Ural

Later, in the 90's, he will travel to the Urals. Inspired by the seen Apollinarius Vasnetsov paintings wrote majestic, showing the nature of the Urals, the courageous and harsh characters of people who grew up here. Childhood seemed to come to life in front of him. Everything reminded him of his native Vyatka. In 1891 he wrote the picture "Taiga in the Urals. The Blue Mountain. " A heap of standing and fallen trees, a mysterious lake are fascinating and frightening with their might. And in the distance the mountain grows blue in the haze. In this landscape reflects the nature of the people living in these parts of the country.

The artist manages to visit France, Italy, Germany in 1898. Under the influence of the Impressionists, changes occurred in his palette. His work brightened.

Singer of the ancient capital

A new theme appeared in the work of such an artist as Apollinarius Vasnetsov. The paintings now depict medieval Moscow, its bridges, as they were in antiquity, the Kremlin that is changing over time, and, of course, the Moscow people.

In the 1900s he became so interested in the life of old Moscow that he took part in excavations. All this affected his work. The historical and everyday genre attracted Vasnetsov's attention for a long time. First he writes the picture "Street in China Town. The beginning of the XII century ". In its narrow, narrow winding streets, the townspeople, the archers, are restlessly rushing about. These emotions immerse the viewer during the Time of Troubles. Shumit Moscow ("At dawn at the All-Svyatsky bridge, the end of the XII century"). On a clear winter day the buffoons are having fun. And a spectacular picture of the Kremlin and the bridge was created. The coloring of the picture is rich and bright, as required by the depicted holiday or simply fun.

In the painting "The Moscow prison. The end of the 16th century "depicts a torture chamber attached to the Kremlin tower, which was used both in the times of Ivan IV and in the reign of Tsar Boris Godunov. The corpses of those tortured in the dungeons were thrown out onto the street, relatives followed them to pick them up and bury them.

Again, a picture of the Troubles appears in front of the spectator ("Gontsy: Early in the morning in the Kremlin, the beginning of the XVII century"). Pretenders, the diversity of kings, Semiboyarschina, on the whole a very gloomy and disturbing atmosphere of that time was transmitted through the rapid jump of two horsemen: a monk and a retinue. But in spite of everything, the heart of Moscow, its Kremlin, where the messengers rush in the winter at dawn, stands firm.

In these years (1901 - 1918) Vasnetsov Apollinar Mikhailovich, already an academician, directs the class of sculpture and painting in Moscow.

According to the works of the artist you can learn how Moscow has changed from century to century. He works in oil, writes watercolors, sketches sketches, deeply studies the works of the historian of Moscow I. Zabelin. He delves into the scientific works of VO Klyuchevsky. Having such deep knowledge and creative imagination, the artist achieves more and more complete authenticity in his paintings.

In 1925, "Red Square in the second half of the XVII century" was created. The painting shows a bright and festive day.

A lot (about one hundred and twenty paintings) was dedicated by Apollinarius Vasnetsov to Moscow. And almost all his works there is the Kremlin at different times and in different forms. Everywhere you can see the dynamics of its changes.

Vasnetsov Apollinarius, an artist, was a manly man. At 75, in 1931, writing a letter to the newspaper Izvestia, he became the only person who spoke against the demolition of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

That's how Apollinarius Vasnetsov lived his life . His biography is all in the pictures he left behind. The artist died in Moscow at the age of 76 years.