Russian artists of the 18th century. The best paintings of the 18th century by Russian artists

The 18th century is a period in which tremendous changes took place in all areas: political, social, social. Europe introduces new genres into Russian painting: landscape, historical, everyday. The realistic direction of painting is becoming dominant. A living person is a hero and a bearer of aesthetic ideals of that time.

The 18th century entered the history of art as a time of pictorial portraits. Everyone wanted to have their own portrait: from the queen to the ordinary official from the province.

European trends in Russian painting

Famous Russian artists of the 18th century were forced to follow Western fashion at the behest of Peter I, who wanted to Europeanize Russia. He attached great importance to the development of fine art and even planned to build a specialized educational institution.

Russian artists of the 18th century mastered new methods of European painting and depicted on their canvases not only kings, but also various boyars, merchants, patriarchs who tried to keep up with fashion and often instructed local artists to draw a portrait. At the same time, artists of that time tried to enrich portraits with household items, elements of a national costume, nature and so on. Attention was focused on expensive furniture, large vases, luxurious clothes, interesting poses. The image of people of that time is perceived today as a poetic story by artists about their time.

Nevertheless, portraits of Russian artists of the 18th century differ from portraits of invited foreign painters in striking contrast. It is worth mentioning that artists from other countries were invited to train Russian artists.

Types of portraits

The beginning of the 18th century was marked by the appeal of portrait painters to semi-parade and chamber types of the portrait genre. Portraits of painters of the second half of the 18th century give rise to such types as ceremonial, semi-parade, chamber, intimate.

The ceremonial view of the portrait differs from others in the full-length depiction of a person. Shine of luxury - both in clothes and in household items.

A semi-parade view is an image of the model knee-deep or waist-high.

If a person is depicted on a neutral background along the chest or belt, then this type of portrait is called chamber.

The intimate look of the portrait involves an appeal to the inner world of the hero of the picture, while the background is ignored.

Portrait images

Often Russian artists of the 18th century were forced to embody the customer’s image of themselves in a portrait image, but not a real image. It was important to take into account public opinion about a particular person. Many art historians have long concluded that the main rule of that time was to depict a person not so much as he really was, or as he would like to be, but as he could be in his best reflection. That is, in the portraits of any person they tried to portray as an ideal.

First artists

Russian artists of the 18th century, the list of which is generally small, are, in particular, I. N. Nikitin, A. P. Antropov, F. S. Rokotov, I. P. Argunov, V. L. Borovikovsky, D G. Levitsky.

Among the first painters of the 18th century of the Petrine era are the names of Nikitin, Antropov, Argunov. The role of these first Russian artists of the 18th century was insignificant. It was reduced only to writing a huge number of royal images, portraits of Russian nobles. Russian artists of the 18th century are masters of portraits. Although often they simply helped foreign masters to paint the walls of a large number of palaces, to make theatrical scenery.

The name of the painter Ivan Nikitich Nikitin can be found in the correspondence of Peter I with his wife. His brush belongs to the portrait of the king himself, Chancellor G.I. Golovin. There is nothing artificial in his portrait of a floor hetman. Appearance is not changed by either a wig or court clothes. The artist showed the hetman such as in life. It is in the truth of life that the main advantage of Nikitin's portraits is laid.

Antropov’s creativity was preserved in the images of St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Kiev and portraits in the Synod. These works are distinguished by the artist’s tendency to yellow, olive colors, because he is a painter who studied with the master of icon painting. Among his famous works are portraits of Elizabeth Petrovna, Peter I, Princess Trubetskoy, ataman F. Krasnoshchekov. Antropov’s creativity combined the traditions of original 17th-century Russian painting and the canons of fine art of the Petrine era.

Ivan Petrovich Argunov is a famous serf portrait painter of Count Sheremetyev. His portraits are elegant, the poses of the people depicted by him are free and mobile, everything in his work is accurate and simple. He is the creator of the chamber portrait, which will later become intimate. Significant works of the artist: portraits of Catherine II, the four Sheremetyevs, P. B. Sheremetyev in childhood.

You should not think that at that time in Russia there were no more genres, but the great Russian artists of the 18th century created the most significant works in the portrait genre.

The pinnacle of the 18th-century portrait genre was the work of Rokotov, Levitsky and Borovikovsky. The man in the portraits of artists is worthy of admiration, attention and respect. The humanity of feelings is a hallmark of their portraits.

Fedor Stepanovich Rokotov (1735–1808)

Almost nothing is known about Fedor Stepanovich Rokotov, an 18th-century Russian artist from the serfs, Prince I. Repnin. This artist paints portraits of women softly and airily. Rokotov felt the inner beauty, and he finds the means of embodying it on canvas. Even the oval shape of the portraits only emphasizes the fragile and elegant appearance of women.

The main genre of his work is a semi-parade portrait. Among his works are portraits of Grigory Orlov and Peter III, Princess Yusupova and Prince Pavel Petrovich.

Dmitry Grigoryevich Levitsky (1735–1822)

The famous Russian artist of the 18th century - Dmitry Grigorievich Levitsky, a student of A. Antropov, was able to sensitively capture and recreate the mental states and characteristics of people in his paintings. Portraying the rich, he remains truthful and unbiased, his portraits exclude obsequiousness and lies. His brush owns a whole gallery of portraits of great people of the 18th century. It is in the ceremonial portrait that Levitsky is revealed as a master. He finds expressive poses, gestures, showing noble nobles. Russian history in persons - so often called the work of Levitsky.
Paintings by the artist: portraits of M. A. Lvov, E. I. Nelidova, N. I. Novikov, four Mitrofanovs.

Vladimir Lukich Borovikovsky (1757–1825)

Russian artists of the 18-19th century are distinguished by their appeal to the so-called sentimental portrait. The artist Vladimir Lukich Borovikovsky writes pensive girls, who are portrayed in bright colors in his portraits, they are airy and innocent. His heroines are not only Russian peasant women in traditional outfits, but also respected ladies of high society. These are portraits of Naryshkina, Lopukhina, Princess Suvorova, Arsenyeva. The paintings are somewhat similar, but it is impossible to forget them. These portraits are distinguished by the amazing subtlety of the transmitted characters, the almost elusive features of emotional experiences and the feeling of tenderness that unites all images. In his works, Borovikovsky reveals all the beauty of a woman of that time.

Borovikovsky’s legacy is very diverse and extensive. There are both ceremonial portraits and miniature and intimate canvases in his work. Among the works of Borovikovsky, the most famous were the portraits of V. A. Zhukovsky, G. R. Derzhavin, A. B. Kurakin and Paul I.

Pictures of Russian artists

The paintings of the 18th century by Russian artists were painted with love for a person, his inner world and respect for moral virtues. The style of each artist, on the one hand, is very individual, on the other hand, has several common features with others. This moment determined the very style that emphasizes the character of Russian art in the 18th century.

The most famous paintings of the 18th century by Russian artists:

1. "Young painter." The second half of the 1760s Author Ivan Firsov is the most mysterious artist of the 18th century. The picture shows a boy in a uniform who paints a portrait of a little beautiful girl.
2. “Hector's Farewell to Andromache”, 1773. Author Anton Pavlovich Losenko. The last picture of the artist. It depicts a plot from the sixth song of Homer's Iliad.
3. "Stone bridge in Gatchina near Connetable Square", 1799-1801. The author is Semyon Fedorovich Shchedrin. The picture shows a landscape view.

And still

Russian artists of the 18th century still tried to reveal the truth and the true character of people, despite the conditions of serfdom and the wishes of wealthy customers. The portrait genre in the 18th century embodied the specific features of the Russian people.

Undoubtedly, we can say that, no matter how the art of the 18th century was influenced by European culture, it nevertheless led to the development of national Russian traditions.