Landscapes as an independent genre in the paintings of great Russian artists appeared in the middle of the XVIII century. Previously, his image served only as the background of compositions, mostly iconographic. But until the middle of the 19th century, writing Russian landscapes, which were considered boring and inexpressive, was not accepted.
First half of the 19th century
The bright, juicy nature of Italy, the homeland of art and creativity, was mainly displayed on the canvases of even primordially Russian masters of painting. Therefore, the paintings of the great Russian artists S. F. Shchedrin, F. Ya. Alekseev, A. M. Matveev, who studied painting with European masters, in the image of the imperial parks, embankments and monuments of St. Petersburg are imprinted by the influence of the Italian school.
During the first steps of Russian nature painting, experts distinguish between realistic and romantic stages. They are not interconnected, but clearly distinguishable. The concept of Russian romanticism appears, the development of which in landscape painting went in the following areas: working from nature, studying Russian nature through the Italian school and individual perception of the national landscape.
Sylvester Feodosievich Shchedrin
The painting by the great Russian artist “View from the Petrovsky Island in St. Petersburg” is traditionally considered the academic work of one of the first landscape painters to show the world Russian nature. The young author of the work received a gold medal for him.
There are three descriptions of this canvas, in which historians and local historians took part. Most likely, the place from which the artist painted was the Neva Delta. In the foreground is the Zhdanovka River, which has since changed its course, and the Tuchkov Bridge on stilts, which was also oriented differently. On the bridge there was a group of people talking animatedly, a shepherd chasing cows to the other side, and on the embankment smart gentlemen stopped in front of a beggar asking for alms. Petrovsky Island itself resembles a rural rather than urban area.
Russian landscapes in domestic painting
The underestimation of Russian culture, including in painting, begins to sound in conversations and works of intelligentsia and artists from the middle of the XIX century. People appear who believe that Russia, a country with a rich culture and nature, is different from the usual European norms. That the country has its own development path and it is worthy of the attention of people of art both in literature, music, and in painting.
Of course, only Russian artists who grew up among forests and fields, loved and let through their perception of modest, discreet, but infinitely expensive corners of nature could truly capture the views of the Russian landscape on their canvases.
A huge contribution to the development of the Russian landscape was made by the Association of Traveling Exhibitions (Wanderers), led by I.N. Kramskoy. He and his like-minded people, with their sincere work, sang the beauty of rural landscapes and the vastness of Russian open spaces. We invite you to get acquainted with the world famous paintings of the great Russian artists - landscape painters.
Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin
Contemporaries called him “the king of the forest” for his love of the forest corners, for the ability to convey the slightest nuances of light and shadow to the canvas. And also because looking at his work gave the impression of being in this forest, feeling of smells and sounds. His works are simple, but to write such simplicity, he needed unlimited talent and skill.
The artist’s last work is “Ship Grove”. It is often called a testament painting. Slender pine trees soar into the blue, the sun illuminates the waters of a forest stream in unimaginable colors. There is silence, only streams of water overflow over the stones, and the bees buzz.
"Rye" - a landscape painting of the great Russian artist - also breathes peace, but here the endless expanse of the field with mature ears of bread causes joy. One can feel the wind playing in tight ears of corn, and the stems on the road fell to the ground under the weight of grain. A sunny day creates a joyful mood both from the picture seen and from the anticipation of a good harvest.
Ivan Constantinovich Aivazovski
The child's abilities were seen in childhood. The little man was lucky that his father in every possible way contributed to his education. Further on his path of life, there were also people who gave him the opportunity to learn and improve. After graduating from the Imperial Academy of Arts, the young artist studied for a long time and traveled to Europe. Having accumulated money, he settled in the homeland, in the Crimea, in Theodosia, dear to his heart. Fondled by the imperial family, showered with honors, Aivazovsky wrote his favorite topic: seascapes are the greatest paintings of the Russian artist.
“The Ninth Wave” is a picture that shocked the artist’s contemporaries so much that in a very short time it became a famous masterpiece. That is why she fell into the collection of Emperor Nicholas I, and the famous collector P. M. Tretyakov, amazed at the work of the young marine painter, began to closely monitor his activities. On the canvas, the author depicted the plot of a legend that he had known since childhood. Growing up on the Black Sea, being familiar with many sailors, listening to their stories, he was imbued with their superstitious fear of death from a huge ninth wave in a row during a terrible storm. The storm that destroyed the ship is preparing to deliver another, ninth blow to several surviving people. Helping each other stay on the debris of the mast, they are waiting for their fate. But looking at the breaking rays of the sun, their timid reflection on the waves, there is confidence in a successful outcome.
The painting "Rainbow" was made by Aivazovsky in the same style, and the plot is also typical of this artist. But experts note that the technique of working with color is completely different. No familiar saturated colors, restrained shades, the event is close to reality. The painting of the great Russian artist depicts a raging sea and a sinking ship. Sailors on boats try to determine the direction in which to sail. Their position is bleak, but suddenly a barely noticeable rainbow appears in the sky. And that promises salvation.
Isaac Ilyich Levitan
The future artist was born in a Jewish family, grew up in a Jewish environment, but earned the title of singer of Russian nature with his works. Not a single master of landscapes could bring so many personal, innermost loneliness of man alone with nature into his canvases.
The painting "March" is considered one of the most famous, "textbook" works of the artist. Written in 1895, it was immediately presented at the exhibition and acquired by P. Tretyakov. Now she is in the Tretyakov Gallery. The life-affirming mood that the picture creates, the expectation of the arrival of spring, the author managed to achieve a dull color image of the plot. Many shades of snow, blue sky, tree trunks illuminated by the sun - a plot that was subsequently repeated by many great Russian artists in their paintings.
Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov
The name of this master is known to all. A distinctive feature of his work is the semi-urban, semi-rural landscapes, which he found everywhere.
His first work is Moscow Courtyard. Morning in old Moscow. The courtyard only wakes up: here the woman goes to the well, the horse is waiting for the owner, the children are playing on the grass. In the background is a white stone church. A lot of peace and peace.
The Overgrown Pond is also Moscow, but its outskirts. The abandoned estate is slowly decreasing. Zaros Park, dragged by a muddy pond. It is not crowded and mysterious. The picture is made with a predominance of green, which is "broken" into many shades.
Alexey Kondratievich Savrasov
“Savrasov created the Russian landscape ...”, said Levitan about the skill of the artist. Experts say that he brought landscape painting from secondary to basic.
His work “Rooks Have Arrived” made a strong impression on the very first exhibition of the Wanderers. Now it is stored in the Tretyakov Gallery. Isaac Levitan considered the Rooks to be one of the artist’s best paintings. A very simple plot, but looking at this canvas, the viewer feels the update not only in nature, it happens in the soul. The critic Asafiev wrote that Savrasov discovered "a new sensation of spring and spring."
The paintings of the Russian great artist about winter are very expressive. "Winter Landscape" was written in 1873. Winter, it would seem the most ordinary, suddenly raises the mood and delights with frosty air, crisp snow, silvery branches of trees.
Fedor Yakovlevich Alekseev
The paintings of the great Russian artist on nature occupy a special place in Russian painting. At first he studied still life, but then the young man was transferred to a landscape class. A few years later Alekseev was an innovator, depicting on the canvas "architecture in the landscape", that is, an urban fragment, but transformed by artistic methods.
For example, his work “View of the Moscow Kremlin from the side of the Stone Bridge”. First, he earned the sincere gratitude of his descendants, leaving us evidence of how Moscow looked before the fire of 1812. Secondly, his series about Moscow and St. Petersburg won the recognition and love of contemporaries. Some of his canvases were acquired by the imperial family.