In the Tretyakov Gallery, which was founded in 1898 by a very famous merchant, there is Chekhov's only lifetime painting portrait. The young Petersburg artist Joseph Braz painted this painting on the order of Pavel Tretyakov in 1888 - the year of the death of this famous philanthropist and collector of Russian art. The entire collection includes more than one thousand famous paintings, about five hundred drawings and ten sculptures of Russian artists, as well as about a hundred paintings by foreign artists.
The latest work of the famous collection of the merchant Tretyakov
Thus, the portrait of Chekhov completed the brilliant collection, which Pavel Mikhailovich tirelessly collected for many years. Portraits of Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky, Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, Anton Pavlovich Chekhov made up the only and unique pictorial annals of Russian culture.
To date, a portrait of Chekhov in the Tretyakov Gallery is constantly kept in its archival vaults. And exhibited in its magnificent halls only on special holidays. These are either the dates of the anniversaries of Anton Pavlovich, or the days of special celebrations.
Such a unique collection of works is the greatest treasure for any museum. And the desire of Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov to have a portrait of A.P. Chekhov in his collection is natural and understandable. It is difficult to explain another thing: why did Repin's student, who had barely announced himself, received such a responsible and honorable order?
Literary image created by Ilya Efimovich
At that time, Ilya Efimovich Repin dreamed of writing the image of Anton Pavlovich for many years. And once, having learned about this, Chekhov in his usual manner - half-seriously-half-jokingly - noticed that he was ready to give up everything and pose for the great artist around the clock.
Subsequently, Ilya Efimovich will write a literary portrait of Chekhov, and we must admit that this description will be much more accurate and expressive than the picture of Joseph Braz. "A subtle, purely Russian analysis prevailed in his eyes over the whole expression. He gladly felt the chain mail of courage on himself."
Dissatisfaction of the writer with his own image and his statements
It was precisely this “chain of courage” that was not on the canvas created by Joseph Braz. The portrait of Chekhov did not impress the writer himself. He was not enthusiastic about this masterpiece. And even spoke peculiarly about this: "I have such an expression here, as if I had sniffed a horseradish ...".
And a few years later he expressed himself even more sharply: "After all, this is a terrible portrait. And if I began to write gloomy stories, then my portrait is to blame." The simplicity and tolerance of the greatest writer of many was misleading. Even among those who personally knew him, there were many who tried to imagine the writer as inactive and dull. A weak man.
What the artist Joseph Braz could not convey
Chekhov was a very active and responsive nature. After all, it was to him that men from the village next to Melikhov came with a request to build a school. Anton Pavlovich built three schools, which were considered exemplary. All this and much more was done by this great writer, who lived in literary work - at that time not very profitable and profitable. No wonder lack of money is a constant theme of Chekhov's jokes.
In the fall of eighteen hundred and eighty-eight, a year when the portrait of Chekhov was created by the artist Joseph Braz , the writer informed his sister of his decision: the fee from the "Seagull" will go to school. And this is all Anton Pavlovich.
This is a creator who was able in his personality to combine the most important qualities. This is compassion, prosaic work and a sense of beauty. He had a unique worldview, subtle and sensitive movements of the soul.
Famous portrait of Chekhov. Photo writer to compare the image
None of these qualities could be conveyed in his work by a still very young, novice painter. Joseph Braz worked on the canvas for several years. The first portrait, created in 1881, was not liked not only by the artist himself, he was rejected by Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov himself, the owner of the museum.
But the second work sold to the customer did not impress Anton Pavlovich. The portrait seemed uninteresting to him. According to Chekhov, there was something superfluous in this image, but something on the contrary was missing. Even the usual photo conveyed the image of Anton Pavlovich much more lively than the canvas of Joseph Braz.
How did the young painter of the great writer see and portray?
The portrait of Anton Pavlovich turned out to be too elegant and mannered. The artist depicted him as an ordinary person who belonged to a typical Russian intelligentsia of the late nineteenth century.
Joseph Braz created an elegant image of Chekhov, who is buried in an old elegant armchair with a velvet back. The writer’s face is very thin. It is bent on a pale bloodless hand, and the eyes behind the pince-nez glasses are infinitely sad and dry. The whole picture is painted in very cold and dark colors, which give the appearance of Anton Pavlovich not only a serious, but even some kind of painful expression.
Comparative images of images of Anton Pavlovich
If we compare the description of the portrait of Chekhov and the photograph depicting the great writer, you can see a noticeable difference. A copy of the image made by the photographer shows a person who is full of vitality and young enthusiasm.
The open face of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov shines with a special guile. It feels simplicity and fearlessness. And the writer’s radiant eyes express a deep thought and at the same time a kind of childish immediacy. Nevertheless, there is undoubted intelligence in the whole image, which adds a special charm to the sealed image of Anton Pavlovich.
And looking at the portrait of Chekhov, written by Joseph Braz, it is impossible not to notice that here the writer looks much stricter and at the same time sadder. In his image, there is no longer the immediacy that is present in the photographs. All facial features seemed to be stricter and tougher, and the look is filled with deep thoughtfulness. There is a certain coldness of the intelligentsia in it.
Nevertheless, the described portrait of Chekhov in the Tretyakov Gallery remains the only work of art that was created during the life of the greatest writer. Nobody ever dared to take up the brush and write Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. This portrait was reproduced in countless copies, but the true student of Ilya Efimovich Repin's young master, the artist Braz, is considered to be the true creator of the unique masterpiece.