Creativity of the artist Korovin is striking in its cheerfulness, riot of colors, immensity. The creator showed his talent in painting, creating theatrical costumes and scenery, and literature.
short biography
Konstantin Korovin is an artist whose work Russia and France consider their heritage. He was born in Moscow in 1861. He comes from an Old Believer family with noble roots. After the death of his grandfather, the family goes bankrupt and moves to the village of Big Mytishchi near Moscow. Little Kostya grew up in a creative atmosphere: his mother played the harp, was fond of watercolors, was well versed in literature. Korovin absorbed all this. The artist began his career at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, where he entered after his older brother in 1875. For two years in a row, he receives silver medals for his student work, but this does not save the situation. The work of the artist Korovin was ridiculed for the originality, brightness of colors and "excessive plasticity of forms."
In 1884, Konstantin met Savva Ivanovich Mamontov and adjoined his circle. Korovin is trying to complete his education at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, but soon leaves the school, because even there academically-minded teachers do not accept his innovations in painting.
In the late 80s - early 90s, the artist visits Paris three times and is imbued with the spirit of impressionism. The beginning of the 20th century was marked by active work in the theater and teaching activities in the native school.
In post-revolutionary times, Korovin is engaged in the preservation of monuments of art, holds auctions, continues to cooperate with theaters. And in 1922 he moved to France, where, having lived 17 years, he would end his earthly journey.
Teachers
Teachers Aleksey Savrasov and Vasily Polenov, with whom fate brought Konstantin to the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, had a significant influence on the formation of a unique style. Nature revealed his lyrical hypostasis to him, life was clearly manifested in emotional painting. Favorite topics of his teacher Savrasov masterfully beat student Korovin. The artist creates paintings "Early Spring" and "Last Snow", excelling in the technique of a mentor.
Polenov was the first from whom Konstantin heard about impressionism. Under the influence of a teacher, Korovin creates one of the first paintings in Russia painted in the spirit of impressionism - “Portrait of a Chorus Girl”. The work provokes indignation and complete misunderstanding of the master Repin. Many contemporaries were outraged by the artist’s technique - careless, rude and daring strokes, bright colors and forgotten motives of Russian beauties.
Theater work
Korovin is an artist of great talent not only in creating paintings. In the 80s, he began cooperation with theaters as a decorator. His works were distinguished by airiness, harmony of colors and impressions skillfully conveyed through color and paints. Conditional scenery had unusually vital, bright, extraordinary, emotional tones.
Konstantin Korovin creates sets and costume designs for such operas as Aida, Lakme, Carmen, for the performances Faust, The Little Humpbacked Horse, Sadko, and Golden Cockerel. For whatever work the artist would not create sketches, he always clearly conveyed the national spirit. To do this, he deeply delved into the historical flavor of the country, national art.
The artist draws up the great scenes of the Bolshoi and Mariinsky theaters, the Russian private opera, as well as La Scala in Italy. He also revealed his talent as a decorator in the creation of decorative panels for the Northern Pavilion of the All-Russian Exhibition and the World Exhibition in Paris.
Famous paintings
Korovin is an artist whose photographs and reproductions of paintings have been popular for almost a century now. The mystery of extraordinary appeal lies in the originality of the style and the emotional richness of the works. Even in the earliest works, the artist skillfully works with light and nuances of shades. So, for example, the “Northern Idyll” is filled with tints of green, red and white. The beauty of the evening nature is lyrical and at the same time clear. The scene from rural life seems almost fabulous, epic.
The theme of the Russian village of Korovin continues in his work “Winter”. The picture looks simple, lyrical, sincere. The softness of colors invariably affects the strings of the soul and makes you recall your origins.
The North has always admired the artist. This is emphasized by such works of Korovin as Murmansk Coast, Norwegian Harbor, St. Tikhon Stream in Pecheneg and a series of paintings about the Northern Dvina. Leaden formidable clouds, unexpected northern greenery, expanse of water. The cold, impregnable North, so close and so far ...