Paintings of Konstantin Vasilyev. Artist Biography

Konstantin Vasilyev's paintings are not known to everyone. The works of the Soviet master were not recognized in the artistic environment of that time. External tranquility, some coldness of colors, behind which lies bottomless depth, multilayeredness and symbolism - a similar description is equally suitable for both Vasiliev's paintings, and for his short life.

The beginning of time

Like all of us, Konstantin Vasiliev received a lot and managed to develop thanks to his parents. Father, Alexei Vasilyev, was from the family of workers, went through three wars, after the revolution became a member of the Bolshevik Party, held executive positions in production. Mother Constantine, Claudia Parmenovna Shishkina, from an intelligent family. Her erudition, father's honesty, his ability to work, and also the tenderness and education of his mother helped the future artist develop a special understanding of life, learn to see the great in the small and not be satisfied with only a superficial understanding of things.

Childhood

Constantine was born on September 3, 1942 in Maikop. A little later Alexei Alexeyevich and his family were transferred to Krasnodar, and after the war - to Kazan. A few years later they moved to the village of Vasilyevo, located near Kazan, on the left bank of the Volga. The nature of these places for a long time nourished and inspired the future master.

Constantine began to paint from a young age. The merit of his parents is that at such a difficult time they did not lose sight of the talent of the boy, did not give up, but decided to give him the opportunity to develop. Constantine studied at the Moscow Art School, graduated from the Kazan Art College.

Becoming

A rare artist immediately finds his own, unique and inimitable style. First, the future master sorts out the known and something close to him options. So was the artist Vasiliev Constantine. Pictures of the period of its formation reflect the search for a special voice and style. Constantine was fond of abstract art and surrealism, some of his first works contain elements of explicit imitation. He quickly moved away from these directions, not finding the desired depth in them.

Thanks to the creative search for the light, such pictures of Konstantin Vasiliev as String, Ascension, The Apostle (they belong to the style of surrealism), and also the Quartet, The Sadness of the Queen, The Memory Icon, and others - Expressionism).

Nature was the bottomless source of inspiration for the artist. Soon after a certain saturation with expressionism, Vasilyev turned to landscape sketches. Gradually, the constant inner work yielded its fruits: the master realized what kind of artist Vasilyev Konstantin should be. His paintings will bring people the beauty and power of all life.

Inspirers

The work of the artist's thought was fueled not only by classical education and the beauty of nature. Since childhood, Constantine with great pleasure read Russian epic tales, legends about the heroes' exploits. His contribution to the formation of the artist's worldview was made by works of great writers: FM Dostoyevsky, AS Pushkin, FI Tyutchev.

A great source of inspiration was music. Some paintings by Konstantin Vasilyev illustrate the works of great masters. He created a graphic cycle of works for the opera "The Ring of the Nibelungen" by Richard Wagner, portraits of great composers: Shostakovich, Rimsky-Korsak, Beethoven, Scriabin.

Rustle leaves and chime drops

For some time Constantine himself created music. He recorded various sounds in the forest: the crackling of ice, the crunch of dry leaves, the singing of birds, and sometimes echoed them in a voice. At home, he converted the record by twisting, transforming and pasting tape sections. It turned out the so-called concrete music, like the style that appeared in the middle of the last century.

Sound experiments were reflected in the pictures of Constantine. For this period of his life there is the appearance of abstract sketches, the search for "his" white, which eventually will end with the creation of a special silver shade, characteristic for the artist's works.

Style

Nothing passes in vain. The fascination with abstractionism taught Konstantin Vasilyev to build clear designs, skillfully managed with lines and color spots. Surrealism helped to find numerous shades, scales and combinations for future masterpieces. Interest in Slavic and Scandinavian mythology, a subtle understanding of music, from classics to modern trends, filled graphic images with deep meaning, inner light.

Perhaps, the top of the landscape art of the artist can be considered the paintings "Autumn" and "Forest Gothic". Everything in them, from composition to color, is subordinated to one goal: to convey the spirituality, strength and beauty of nature. "Forest Gothic" Vasiliev bears the imprint of the northern renaissance. At first glance, the usual landscape with a game of color carries the viewer behind him and allows you to see in the familiar trees a temple, the eternal struggle between good and evil and the inexorable desire of life for light.

A hidden message, subtext is in almost all the paintings of the artist. "The Northern Eagle", "Waiting", "Marshal Zhukov", "Unexpected Encounter" and many other works at a cursory examination seem to be a simple imprint of events, but they always catch something, make you come back, take a closer look and see the essence.

Unrecognized

The paintings of Konstantin Vasilyev were not recognized by the country's top officials or critics. Plots of his works were recognized as not conforming to Soviet ideology and even calling for Russian fascism. Professional artists did not see Vasiliev's usual techniques, observance of certain canons, and therefore often attributed him to the number of amateurs. However, a few exhibitions, which managed to organize during the life of the artist, aroused considerable interest among ordinary people. The admiration of the spectators inspired Vasiliev.

Artist Vasilyev Konstantin: the mystery of death

The most famous work of the author was written and the very last. The result of many years of searching and understanding was the painting "Man with Filin," written by the artist a few days before his death. The symbolic content of the canvas today is often treated precisely in connection with the death of the artist. Did he not foresee his death, and that is why he placed his name on the burning scroll? Did not you feel that the glory would come to him after death? It is unlikely to answer these questions.

If we consider the picture in the key of previous works, it is easy to see its consonance to the author's previous creations. Fire is a symbol of rebirth, creativity and inspiration, a young tree is an eternal desire for development, for light and for life. The candle is the flame of the soul, and the owl is wisdom, an impartial vision. "Man with a filigree" is the statement of life as a constant development.

A few days after the completion of the picture, Konstantin Vasilyev was killed. It happened on October 29, 1976. The official version was hit by a train. Native and many fans of the artist disagree with the fact that Constantine's death was accidental. Until then, the circumstances of the death of the master remain incomprehensible.

Pictures of Konstantin Vasilyev with names and dates are easy to find on the open spaces of the network. You can see the artist's works in museums in Moscow and in Kazan. Vasilyev's paintings are worth a lot to overcome. They say that the impression of them has little to do with what can be compared.