The artistâs life cannot be cloudless, even if outwardly everything is safe. A true master is always in search of both means of artistic expression, and plots that will affect a person who turns his eyes to his picture.
Adolescence and youth
Alexander Gerasimov was born in the small town of Kozlov in the Tambov province in 1881. He will return to him, to his small homeland, again and again, taking a break from the busy life in the capital and gaining new strength and impressions. In the meantime, the growing talented young man is studying painting in Moscow. His teachers were K. A. Korovin, A. E. Arkhipov, V. A. Serov, real masters whose works our country is proud of. A wide sketchy manner of writing, juicy coloring become inherent in the beginning master. So grows Gerasimov, an artist mastering the classical and modern technology.
When the First World War began, Gerasimov was mobilized, and he spent two years on the fronts. He knew the brunt of the trench warfare when, according to Sholokhov, a louse eats up a man to the bone.
Return and departure to the capital
In 1918, Gerasimov returned to his native Kozlov and worked in it as a decorator for several years. In 1925 he again came to the capital. Gerasimov finds himself in the AHRR association as a painter. The artist now combines Soviet political themes with the traditional manner of painting. Conceived and written a great work "Lenin on the podium."
She cannot but find a response in the souls of people who have lost their leader recently, four years ago, whose sorrow is still alive. But here they see Vladimir Ilyich against the backdrop of scarlet banners, for which they shed blood on the fronts of the civil war, energetic, calling forth ... The picture is filled with the pathos of revolutionary energy and written in an understandable, intelligible, pictorial language.
Portraitist
At the same time, he is a teacher at the School of Remembrance of 1905. Gerasimov had the ability to grasp portrait similarities. Therefore, he perceived himself and positioned himself primarily as a portrait painter. It was in the 30s that portraiture became the main thing in the artistâs work. He has individual and group portraits. He works on portraits of famous favorite actors, polar explorers. The group portrait âHorse Armyâ receives the Grand Prix at an exhibition in Paris.
Public life
The artist âopened the doorâ to his workshop, and everyday life of people has poured into it in a wide stream. A painter does not miss a single social event that affects the country - everything resonates with him. At the same time, administrative work is being added: Gerasimov became one of the leaders in the secretariat of the board of the Union of Soviet Artists. Despite the lack of time, the first persons of the state begin to appear more and more often in his portraits. Voluntarily or involuntarily, but his work is considered an example of how to write. Gerasimov-artist becomes a favorite portrait painter of Stalin.
This is a portrait of Stalin at the 17th Congress of the CPSU (B.) In 1934. Still full of energy, JV Stalin reads a report that evokes the support of the entire audience. Different shades of brown, playing with golden reflections, do not merge, but give rigor and seriousness to the moment. This is the official "ceremonial" portrait. A more chamber, "home" portrait of I. V. Stalin and A. M. Gorky in Gorki, he will paint in 1939.
A cozy atmosphere on the veranda, bathed in morning light, breaking through the greenery of the surrounding trees. Its mother-of-pearl reflections are on the carved railing, on the tablecloth, on the clothes of two calmly talking people. Everything is filled with simplicity and tranquility. Peace and peace are emphasized by a dog sleeping calmly on the floor. Masterfully beat this benevolent atmosphere Gerasimov. The artist did not spare light colors, which created such a wonderful harmonious corner.
Rush of inspiration
The painting by Gerasimov, âAfter the Rainâ, is simple, light and poetic.
This is just a corner of the veranda with a garden behind it: a bench with railing, a curly-shaped table with carved legs. A voluminous bouquet in a glass jug, an overturned glass - everything plays and shimmers with joyful colors, reflections of the sun that came out after a shower. Juicy and varied greenery washed by the rain of the garden. Used all shades of green. Each leaf flickers, lit along the contour and highlighted from the back. The branches leaned heavily, very close to the veranda, about to look into it. In the puddles on the floor the blueness of the sky is reflected. Everywhere, on every subject, raindrops sparkle with mother-of-pearl. The artist achieved a special state of freshness and purity using the reflections that leave behind the foliage greens and a white-pink bouquet on the dark wet surface of the table. Light and shadow intertwined, but the shadow is made in many shades, and therefore also shines and shimmers, pleasing to the eye. The viewer does not see the light source. The scattered light of the sun - somewhere behind trees and bushes. It is not bright, but the warmth of the sunset summer sun is felt everywhere. According to eyewitnesses, after the summer downpour Gerasimov (âAfter the rainâ - one of his most famous paintings), admiring what he saw, immediately took up paints and palette and in one breath, without stopping, captured the marvelous landscape. But in order to be able to work so quickly and efficiently, you have to go a long and difficult path in painting. This is only why the artist managed to express the sincerity of his feeling, which leaves no one indifferent, to convey the energy of freshness to the viewer. Later, the master recalled his delight, his impatience, when he worked on the landscape. Therefore, the work has become true and poetic in every detail. It was exhibited in Paris, and the painter received the Grand Prize (Grand Prix). This is not an accidental luck, but the result of a lot of long work due to all life. It adjoins a family portrait, created a year earlier.
In the same fatherâs house in Kozlov, the whole family of Gerasimov gathered on a hot summer day. It is here, not moving to the capital, that the artistâs relatives live constantly. The painter rests serenely after strenuous activities with his family. He is preparing for the upcoming difficult and big work. The canvas is filled with light, peace and harmony.
The exhibition is a major event in the life of the artist
In those same years, more precisely, in 1936, the artist summed up his work, which has been going on for a quarter of a century: his exhibition was held in Moscow, where about a hundred works were presented. These were pictorial and graphic works.
Another portrait
âPortrait of a ballerina O. V. Lepeshinskayaâ, in 1939, will be written a little later.
The artist finds the leading dancer after a warm-up, she is no longer at the machine. In a traditional ballet tutu, standing on pointe shoes, she is ready to fly up and continue the dance. The proud landing of the head, the turn of the shoulders, a slight smile - everything speaks of the temperamental sparkling character of the dancer, of her liveliness and dynamism, which she carried to the stage. The inspiration and love of work experienced by the prima ballerina is also captured by the artist in this portrait. Olga Vasilievna was one of the most beloved dancers of I.V. Stalin, he called her "dragonfly."
War
In the difficult years of the war, the master continues to work and transfers his personal savings to the Defense Fund. The historical genre now occupies the artist more and more. He creates portraits of the heroes of World War II. In the same period, he writes âA Group Portrait of the Oldest Soviet Artists Pavlova I.N., Baksheeva V.N., Bialyanitsky-Biruli V.K., Meshkov V.N.â, for which he received the Stalin Prize in 1946.
Given the great influence on the development of art, A.M. Gerasimov, he was awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR. He is also working on an epic film dedicated to the conference of the leaders of the three great powers in Tehran.
So once again the historical genre manifested itself in the artist's work. The canvas captures both the appearance and the characters of the persons who took part in it.
Academician
After the war, in 1947, he was elected the first president of the USSR Academy of Arts. A significant role in this election was played by his close friend Voroshilov. For ten years, while fulfilling this position, Gerasimov energetically fought against those artists who were seen in innovation or even just in impressionism. He considered the degenerate art of the West alien to Soviet man. During these years, he creates a canvas full of solemnity and pomposity called "There is a subway!"
In the center on the podium - I.V. Stalin. But for some reason all attention was attracted not by the leader, not by the delegates in the hall, but by five huge chandeliers. Everything else seems smaller and insignificant.
In a small homeland
The artist disposes of great creative potential and high efficiency when he arrives in his native city. Here he writes still lifes, landscapes reflecting his state of mind. The memory of the years of work and study with Konstantin Korovin is reflected in these canvases.
âStarling's Songâ is a pure work without any pathos, lyrically telling about the beauty of the awakening nature. Still life âNoon. Warm rain âshows how the master of this work yearned.
In it, he can use all the available techniques, change the boring brown-red color to a thin lilac-blue, show raindrops flowing down the glass, breathe clean, moist air. This is life in its personal manifestations. This is Gerasimov, an artist whose paintings are far from officialdom, but are full of dreams and lyrics, admiration and pleasure.
Personality traits
Here is the other side of his personality. Indeed, in everyday life, Gerasimov was a gentle, friendly person. He recommended to young artists not to chase titles, money and fame. They will come to the person who deserves them after long work on the pattern and color. He believed that the artist in himself should not be lost.
Opal
After the death of I.V. Stalin, the influence of Gerasimov began to decrease. Yes, and he himself has changed outwardly. He became, as it were, shorter, lost weight. Smart eyes were sad. But he was already over seventy. The disgraced artist during the Khrushchev "thaw" was perceived as something outdated.
Life goes on
However, Gerasimov himself did not consider himself a retrograde. He knew that he was an artist endowed with great talent by God himself. And that was really so. Just what did he exchange his talent for? In order to survive, he had to compromise and serve those who were in power. Here is a thin line between serving the Talent and the Rulers. How not to slip off her? How not to cross the invisible line? These are eternal questions for every artist, in whatever field he works. Before the musician Orpheus, the question was who to serve - light, clear, harmonious Phoebe or dark, stormy, ecstatic Dionysus. So since ancient times, this issue is solved for everyone. Gerasimov Alexander Mikhailovich (artist) gave himself the answer, even though to the end hesitated.
Ambiguity of the artist
Future art historians, comparing the two paintings by Gerasimov, which are in the State Tretyakov Gallery, can see in them timeless talent and will not blame the artist for the splendid portraits of Soviet leaders. As we look today at the ceremonial works of Franz Xavier Winterhalter or D. G. Levitsky and V. L. Borovikovsky carefully written out in every detail, and we treat them calmly - simply as works of art.
What gave the artist homeland
For services to the Fatherland, starting in 1941, A. M. Gerasimov was kindly treated by the authorities. Rewards and bonuses just poured on him. He is a people's artist of the USSR, he has four Stalin Prizes, the Order of Lenin, the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.
So, in tireless work, the life of the creator with a simple surname passed Gerasimov. The artist, whose biography is ambivalent and ambiguous and, undoubtedly, noted by Talent, died when he was 82 years old.