I.N. Kramskoy. Portrait of Nekrasov

Ivan Nikolayevich Kramskoy created two portraits of the great Russian poet. The works were written at a difficult time, in the oppressive tragic situation of the last months of Nekrasov's life. Both of them are considered one of the best in the gallery of portraits, which Kramskoy created for his long creative life.

Nekrasov's portrait was originally commissioned by Pavel Tretyakov for his meeting, but later he pushed Kramsky to write a great picture.

The first portrait: the history of creation

In the winter of 1877, the state of Nikolai Alekseevich Nekrasov began to deteriorate rapidly. A seriously ill poet practically did not get out of bed, unable to write, he dictated his last works. Tretyakov, realizing that the days of the national singer is numbered, urgently orders Kramsky his portrait. Nekrasov artist wanted to portray exactly as he saw it in these sad days: lying on pillows in bed, surrounded by his favorite things and objects reminiscent of his work and incurable disease.

This idea was not liked by Tretyakov. Maecenas and the collector considered that such an image overshadows the heroic image of the national poet. At the insistence of the customer, Kramskoy wrote an ordinary breast portrait, classical in composition, depicting Nekrasov sitting directly, with a head half-turned, with arms crossed on his chest.

The customer was pleased with the portrait, but not the artist himself. Communication with the poet in the days of work on the picture made an indelible impression on Kramskoy. Even then he decided to create a second painting, in which he displayed a completely different image of the poet.

The second portrait of Nekrasov

This work was called "N. A. Nekrasov in the period of "The Last Songs". A fairly large canvas is literally composed of several small parts, like a mosaic.

The reason for writing the picture was the increasingly aggravated disease of the poet. Each meeting was given to him with great difficulty. For the sake of 10-15 minutes Kramskoy often waited a whole day. As a result, only Nekrasov's head was painted from nature, while the rest of the picture was painted by the artist in the studio.

The portrait of Nekrasov on the bed was simultaneously large-scale and chamber. Kramskoy this time portrayed the writer exactly as he intended from the beginning, writing not just a portrait, but creating a heroic image of a poet who gives his creativity to his last days.

Wrong date or secret sign

The second portrait of Kramskoy himself was signed on March 3, 1877. In fact, the artist finished painting in the studio after the poet's death, and it dates back to 1878. However, the date deduced by Kramskoy, for himself and for the dying Nekrasov became special. It was on this day that the poet dictated his famous poem "Bayushki-bai". Enthusiastic Kramskoy considered this work the best, and the last portrait of Nekrasov symbolically sends viewers to the day of creation of the poem.