Painting "Unequal marriage" by Pukirev: history of creation and description

The middle of the 19th century in Russia was marked by the appearance of so-called bride-nepridannits. Families with an average prosperity from time to time felt need, money was not always enough even for the most necessary. Children at that time grew up, spending increased, and the family budget could not stand it. The hardest things were for families, where there were several daughters, as each girl wanted to dress beautifully, and it was quite expensive.

Against the backdrop of unsettledness of everyday life, family troubles arose and, in the end, parents began to look for a way out of the situation. Eighteen-year-old beauty daughter, as a rule, was surrounded by fans, ready to take care of her and even marry her. Basically, these were young dandies with good external data, but without material means. The girl's parents tried to find her bridegroom more richer, and the bride herself understood that she did not need an insolvent husband. Nevertheless, the time flew quickly, many of the virgins for marriage could not find their happiness and remained unmarried. The bridegroom was not enough, those who could make a party to a decent girl were all the same, they were followed by a real hunt.

Marriage of convenience

It was not always possible to get engaged with a handsome and well-off young man, most often disappointed in the first weeks of acquaintance. And then classical prosecuted suitors appeared on the proscenium, ready to lead a young, inexperienced virgin to the crown. Seventy-year-olds, without any embarrassment, wooed, negotiated with their parents, offered fabulous sums. Of course, the young beauty could not accept such courtship of a decrepit old man, but her parents hurried to order a wedding dress. Her mother said to her daughter: "You will marry, and the point ... It's enough for us to live in poverty." Next followed sleepless nights, girlish tears, pleas, but the parents were adamant. Often, the girls tried to commit suicide, just not to marry a hated elder.

Painting "Unequal Marriage": History

In 1863, the Moscow Academic Art Exhibition presented the work of a young artist Vasily Pukirev, who made a real sensation. The painting "Unequal Marriage" was dedicated to the theme of forced marriages in the Russian society of that time. Nevertheless, in the socio-psychological sense of the problem no one saw, only the bride herself suffered, which had to endure the harassment of the hateful bridegroom. The material interest, the desire to conduct a profitable transaction forced parents to disregard the interests of their own daughter. The author of the painting "Unequal Marriage" openly condemned the commercialism of Russian society. The elderly generals, who had already looked at a young, defenseless bride, began one by one to refuse to marry.

Wedding

The painting "Unequal Marriage", the description of which involves acquaintance with the characters in all details, reflects the wedding scene in the Orthodox Church. The semi-darkness of the altar chapel is slightly scattered by the light falling from the window. In general, the picture "Unequal marriage" leaves the impression of despair. In the center, an elderly groom, dressed in an expensive suit, with an unnatural bearing, supported by a tight corset. The head barely turns, clamped high collar, dull eyes arrogantly looking around, on the chest glittering medal, on the neck order. These awards are clearly inappropriate for church weddings. The old man tries to look at the bride from the height of his general rank, but he is pathetic, although he tries to hold on well.

It is difficult to understand the psychology of a decrepit warrior, because, most likely, he once had a daughter whom he aspired successfully to marry. Over the shoulders of a long life, which was a lot of good, like any man. Where does this callousness, soullessness in relation to the young creature?

Bride

The most significant character of the picture - a young girl - is written by the artist especially carefully. The bride - quite a child, with a drooping head, barely holding back tears, this day is the most bitter in her life. A gentle face in the frame of blond curls is sad, a candle in the child's hand leans forward, the wax drips onto the wedding dress. The hateful bridegroom is very near, the sensation of his presence tears the maiden's soul. Her right hand is stretched out to the priest, who is about to put a wedding ring on a thin finger. The bride is indifferent, she is already indifferent to her own destiny. Wearing a wedding dress, the girl sacrificed herself for the benefit of her family, who from now on can live in prosperity.

Priest

The priest in the picture is depicted hunched, lost, as if he has to perform an ungrateful task. He looks sidewise, the pose is tense, unnatural, his robe, embroidered garment, crumples. In the left hand there is an open church book, in the right is clamped an engagement ring, which the priest is ready to put the bride on his finger. Perhaps he once had a daughter who someone tried to break life. The priest is embarrassed, but he is ready to fulfill his duty to the end.

Shafer and others present

In the picture, in addition to the bride and groom, several other characters are depicted. Behind the bride's back is a best man with a boutonniere on his coat lapel, he is not happy, even concerned. The unnaturalness of the events unfolding under the church arches depresses the young man. Next to him stands a man who, apparently, is also not indifferent to what is happening. All other characters depicted in the picture are close groom's people, among whom are an officer, matchmaker and several civilians.

"Pros and cons"

A well-known art critic, art historian, Vladimir Vasilyevich Stasov, seeing the canvas of Pukirev, said: "At last a work appeared for the rage of the day, taken from the very depths of modern life."

However, his opinion was not shared by all. The artist found many enemies, who began to reproach him for not sufficiently deep study of the topic. A wave of controversy arose in the press, they argued about Pukirev's creativity. In the end, admitted that he created a picture doomed to success. The accusatory plot left no one indifferent. Virtuoso painting, composition of the picture, sharpened psychological characteristics of each character - all this raised the artistic value of the picture to an unprecedented height. In Russia there was a new talented artist - Vasily Pukirev ("Unequal marriage"). The description of the picture, its analysis, the opinion of critics allowed to draw a conclusion about the timeliness of the appearance of the masterpiece. Russian society was ready to condemn marriages for the sake of their immorality.

Unequal marriage! Grief and suffering, death for a fragile girlish soul. How many folk songs are composed about the fate of the lackeys, about the bitter share of ordinary Russian women. The tragedy of the theme was embodied in other works of painting and literature, such as A. Ostrovsky's play "The Poor Bride", F. Zhuravlev's painting "Before the Crown", V. Makovsky's painting "To the Crown". "Unequal marriage," the picture of Pukirev, dominated this list. Thus, the motif of the marriage according to the calculation went into the visual and the theatrical arts.

Confession

The painting "Unequal marriage" was recognized as a masterpiece of painting, for her Vasily Pukirev was awarded the title of professor of painting. The Academy makes a professor of the person who wrote the big picture, but which one? A picture where there is no fire, no battle, no ancient, no new history ... Everyone was excited about the new, modern topic of money power and author's position, clearly expressed by the figure of a young man standing behind the bride. However, more on this later. After that, Pukirev's fame became all-Russian. The artist engaged in teaching, successfully created groups of gifted young men, tried to develop in them natural talent, passed on his knowledge and experience.

Many were interested in whom the artist portrayed in his painting, rumors spread across Moscow. Some believed that the plot was based on the tragedy of the painter's life - his bride supposedly was given out for a rich old man. There were no grounds for such assumptions, but everyone liked this version. And because the rumors are tenacious, the story of the artist's unhappy love, invented by someone for a long time, occupied the minds of Muscovites.

How the plot appeared

Actually The picture "Unequal marriage" did not have such a romantic origin. The fact that Vasily Pukirev had a close friend, the artist Peter Shmelkov, a teacher of drawing. He lived in need and therefore constantly was in search of work and plots for his paintings. Sometimes he managed to get tutoring in some kind of rich house. Rotating in high society, Shmelkov often observed the marriage alliances of the elderly with young brides. He even made a series of sketches on this topic, hoping in the future to use them when writing a picture.

Church decree

In 1861, in February, the Holy Synod issued a decree condemning the great difference in age at the time of marriage, since at that time every second marriage was made on the basis of material interest. Perhaps then Shmelkov and prompted his friend the topic for the picture. Pukirev was carried away by the idea and started work. As a token of gratitude, he drew Shmelkow near the best man. And in the role of the best man he portrayed himself.

In addition to Vasily Pukirev and his friend Shmelkov, there is another well-known character in the picture. This Grebensky, master frame. When he saw the picture, he immediately set out to make for her frame "what else was not." It turned out to be a truly artistic work, decorated with fine fine carvings. Thus, "Unequal marriage" (picture of Pukirev) received a worthy frame. Since then, the Tretyakov Gallery has ordered frames for collection paintings only from Grebensky.

Activity of the artist

At one time Vasily Pukirev successfully worked for the interior decoration of the Church of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity, in Gryazi. Nine icons were created by him. In addition to sacred creativity, the artist was engaged in portraiture, created a series of images of famous people. Among other things, thirty-year-old Pukirev taught at the Moscow School of Painting and Sculpture.

The collapse and death of the creator

The talented artist never got a family, although according to some information he made a proposal to Praskovie Matveyevna, the woman of the beautiful soul, the one who posed for him as a bride while working on the painting "Unequal Marriage." A declaration of love was unrequited, and the artist spent his whole life alone. This played a role: business gradually declined, new paintings were not in demand. Pukirev began to drink, he had to leave the school. Further - more: the artist lost an apartment, sold all his belongings and began to live on charity handouts. Friends than they could have helped, but this could not continue for so long. And on June 1, 1890 Vasily Pukirev died all alone, at the age of 58. The artist was buried at the Vagankovskoye cemetery, in Moscow.

"Unequal marriage," a painting by the artist Pukirev, is currently in the Tretyakov Gallery, located at: Moscow, Lavrushinsky Lane, 10. The museum is open daily from 10 to 18 hours.

"Unequal marriage", picture, price

On the Internet you can find reproductions of any art paintings. The situation is different with the author's copies of masterpieces executed at a sufficiently high professional level, such works of the unit. On specialized sites are placed both reproductions and artistic copies. Visitors often ask who wrote the picture "Unequal Marriage"? Of course, everyone wants to know more about the legendary canvas.

In the online stores are offered copyright copies of the masterpiece. The painting "Unequal Marriage", a photo of which is posted on almost all portals, websites and forums related to painting, is sold for 28 000-42 000 rubles.

Similar paintings

In addition to Vasily Pukirev's masterpiece, there are a number of paintings on unequal marriages. The artist Firs Zhuravlev wrote in 1874 a picture that continued the theme of the decline of morality in Russian society. In the room on the floor, a weeping bride, already dressed in a wedding dress, is beset by an inexorable father. The girl's fate is sealed, in a few minutes she will be taken to church and married to an ugly rich old man. The painting is called "Before the Wedding", it is in the Tretyakov Gallery.

In 1894 the St. Petersburg artist Vladimir Makovsky painted the painting "To the crown", also reflecting the theme of the moral degradation of society in Russia in the mid-19th century. The canvas depicts a virgin Russian beauty, killed by grief, devoid of any hope for a happy life. The painting is in the Samara Art Museum.