The student of Repin, an outstanding artist and tireless cultural figure Igor Emmanuilovich Grabar during his long career created many masterpieces of painting. The main genres in which the artist worked are portrait and landscape. Almost all the landscapes painted by Grabar sing the beauty of the Russian land. One of his most famous works is the painting “February Blue” painted in 1904.
Author Biography
Before studying at the Imperial Academy of Arts I.E. Grabar successfully received a legal and philological education at the University of St. Petersburg. In 1894, Grabar began to study painting at a higher school at the Academy of Arts, where I.E. Repin himself was his direct mentor. Grabar continued to study painting until 1901. He spent several years abroad, in Munich and Paris.
Over his long 90 years of life, Igor Emmanuilovich Grabar influenced the development of Russian painting and culture, not only creating many works of art, but also being an active figure in various art associations, as well as the creator of restoration workshops, trustee and director of the Tretyakov Gallery.
Famous works
The most widely known works of the artist are exhibited at the Tretyakov Gallery, among them the painting “February Azure”, as well as paintings “March Snow”, “Unselected Table” and “Chrysanthemums”. All of the above works were written in the 1900s. - The period recognized as the most inspirational and productive in the artistic career of I.E. Grabar.
Many of the artist’s early works are characterized by the realism inherent in the Academic school, however, during his studies and further career, Grabar chose the most suitable artistic method for himself - divisionism. All the completed works of the artist are written in this style.
Divisionism in painting
Divisionism is an offshoot of the painting method called pointillism, the basis of which is the manner of writing or drawing with dots. Points can be isolated from each other and uninsulated.
Divisionism has become a separate style thanks to a complex, almost mathematical approach to image creation. A special characteristic of the style is almost one hundred percent refusal to mix paints. Divisionism is based on dividing a complex color or shade into a series of “pure colors” and applying them to the canvas with brushstrokes of the correct form (not necessarily dots). Smears are applied with the exact expectation that as a result, the viewer will see exactly the shade that was originally broken into the spectrum of its constituent colors.
The history of the creation of "February blue"
Igor Emanuilovich Grabar is one of those artists who are not afraid to leave the beaten path and seek to paint the usual with new colors.
During his studies, Grabar showed interest in winter landscapes, especially those that open the viewer to the simple charm of Russian winter. Snow allows the most successful use of the visual advantage of the technique of divisionism.
The painting (Grabar) “February Azure” was inspired by the moment. Walking through the winter suburbs, Grabar looked at a beautiful, tall birch, with incredibly slender, almost symmetrical branches. The author raised his head and saw a cascade of flowers and shades above him - the magic of nature created by birch branches, celestial azure and many incredible, some kind of non-winter shades. This spectacle impressed the artist so much that under the influence of a moment his most famous painting was painted.
The painting "February Azure": description and analysis
According to the author, the picture depicts the first notes of spring in the air, in shades and in mood. The artist was always fascinated by the change in the landscapes surrounding him; the change of seasons is a frequent plot of his paintings.
Both the author of the picture, and many critics, see in the simple, unpretentious image something fantastic and fabulous. Birch, like a magic bird, spread its rich wings in the vast blue sky. Bright blots of green, brown and orange create a feeling of approaching spring - it is not here yet, but as if about to come around the corner.
Why the painting “February Blue” is called, and not somehow otherwise, is explained by the technique of execution. In divisionism, artists try not to mix paints, and the necessary shades are created in the process of strategically calculated combination of strokes made with "pure" colors. In “February blue” heavenly blue, against the background of which rainbow birches shine, is the same azure.
A distinctive feature of the artist I.E. Grabar was the ability to turn ordinary landscapes, familiar things and images to Russian people into magical paintings and fabulous paintings filled with color, air and a deep reverent love for his native land. The picture (Grabar) “February Azure” is a vivid confirmation of this.