II Levitan. Pictures of Russian nature

II Levitan, whose paintings are all well-known since childhood, created over a thousand lives in his life, more than a thousand paintings, drawings and sketches. He gave all his gift to people, leaving to himself the incomparable happiness of the creator.

Childhood and youth of the future artist

The future singer of Russian nature was born on August 30, 1860 in a small place near the railway station of Kybarta, which was in the territory of present-day Lithuania. The father of the future artist was an intelligent man and tried to help his children, Isaac and his brother Abel, get knowledge. Initial education brothers got home under his leadership. Life in the distance from the cultural centers of the country did not promise any prospects, and the Levitan family moved to Moscow. Isaak Ilyich showed a talent for drawing from the earliest years, and, despite extreme poverty, he managed to enter the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture.

Years of study were unusually difficult for a young student. One by one the parents died, and Isaac had to take care of a piece of bread. But there was a lot of joyous. Talent, multiplied by perseverance, helped him immediately enter the number of the best students of the school. His work took first place at contests and brought awards. Fate sent him wonderful teachers, VG Perov, AK Savrasov and VI Surikov. It was these people who helped to fully reveal the talent of the young painter. But most importantly, they introduced him into the circle of the famous Society of Peredvizhniki artists.

First real success

In March 1877, Moscow met the fifth mobile art exhibition. For the first time, Leitan demonstrated his works in some halls with recognized masters of the brush. The success was unexpected and noisy. Especially his painting "Autumn" was noted. Levitan was filled with happiness. In those years, the highest evaluation of each artist's work was the purchase of his canvas by Tretyakov for his famous gallery. Very soon Levitan's paintings appeared in his halls.

After a while, another important event occurred in Levitan's life. A famous patron and creator of a private opera troupe, Savva Morozov, recruited a group of artists to design their productions. I. Levitan was also invited. His paintings were well known to Morozov. Working in the theater not only helped in the development of the artist's talent, but strengthened materially. He goes on a trip to the Volga.

Trip to the Volga and abroad

The great Russian river was known to him, mainly, according to Nekrasov's poems and Repin's paintings. From the trip, Levitan brought a whole series of paintings. Widely known of them are such as "Evening on the Volga", "Golden Pole", and many others. And again his paintings in the Tretyakov Gallery. This is not just success, it's a triumph.

II Levitan, whose paintings are so popular in Russia, goes abroad. In Paris, Berlin and Rome, he visits the world's largest museums and studies the works of old masters. Of course, this benefits, but it can not stay away from Russia for a long time. In his letters to friends, the artist tells how he pulls him home, to his native Russian landscapes.

Creation of the painting "Evening ringing"

Ahead was one of his most famous works. Levitan's painting "Evening Bells" can not leave anyone indifferent. This is so familiar to all the canvas is filled with unusual lyricism and warmth. The idea of the picture appeared in Levitan in Slobodka near Zvenigorod. There he happened to observe the Savvino-Storozhevsky monastery in the rays of the setting sun.

The artist was struck by the beauty of what he saw. But he began work on the painting in Yurevets, where the Krivozersky Monastery is located on the shore of the lake. Thus, Levitan's painting "Evening Bells" was inspired by two ancient Russian monasteries. Many researchers of the artist's work believe that Savrasov taught him to feel the poetry of the old temples.

The last years of the artist's life

In 1897, one more canvas was presented to the general public, which became a masterpiece of Russian landscape painting. This is Levitan's painting "Spring, Big Water". Relatively modest in size, it is large in content. The spring revival of life, the awakening of new forces and hopes are its main motivations. II Levitan, whose paintings were included in the gold fund of Russian culture, lived a short life. He died on August 4, 1900, as if summing up the development of painting of the 19th century.