It is unlikely that anything else will be able to expose the qualities of a true artist so much as work for a children's audience. Such illustrations require all the real things - knowledge of child psychology, talent, and mental attitude. The work for kids does not tolerate any fakes. And if the drawing was not done with a cold soul and heart, if the illustrator did not turn his calling into a craft, then such a creation will certainly become an event.
It was such a master of his craft and was Vasnetsov Yuri Alekseevich.
The wonderful world of the artist
Books illustrated by Yu. A. Vasnetsov are recognizable at first glance, millions of Soviet children have grown on them. The images in these books are of paramount importance, they inevitably attract the attention of a small reader.
The inexhaustible fantasy with which Yuri Vasnetsov designed the books allows you to plunge headlong into the world of childhood, forget about any worries and unsettledness of the adult world. Images created by the artist sparkle with optimism, full of life-affirming power. Animals and birds, the main characters in fairy tales, gain tremendous expressiveness, Yuri Vasnetsov gave them a style of behavior, movement and habits, which he subtly noticed in reality.
Why Vasnetsov's illustrations are loved by children
He always found a way to the hearts of his young readers and contemplators, who had just begun to know the world through endless sketches, continuous study of nature. Fairy-tale characters, who gave life to Yuri Vasnetsov (artist), at first glance fake, popular. But he draws exactly as their eyes see a small viewer. He does not go into a string of realistic details and details, the main goal of the artist is for the young reader to feel the fabulous nature of the characters.
Vasnetsov never dealt with issues of developmental psychology, he was not a teacher, but he managed to accurately feel his smallest reader and admirer - one who still cannot read.
Vasnetsov Yuri Alekseevich. Biography
The future artist was born 03/22/1900 in the northern city of Vyatka. Father, grandfather and uncle Vasnetsov were clergy. Yuri was brought up in severity. Abundance in the family was modest, but not in poverty. In 1917, after the revolution, the Vasnetsov family was evicted from the cathedral house and knew a considerable need. Yuri's father did not want to give up his dignity, continuing to walk in a cassock.
As a child, Yuri independently painted the walls of rooms, stoves and shutters in neighboring houses with colorful drawings, where Russian ornaments, horses, fantastic animals, unknown birds and magic flowers found their place. The art that his people are so rich in, he already appreciated and loved.
In 1919, Yuriy Alekseevich Vasnetsov graduated from the Secondary Secondary School, and in 1921 he left his home in Vyatka and moved to Petrograd. In the same year he became a student of the painting faculty of the Higher Art Technical Institute. It was here that he became acquainted with the "organic" trend in painting, which later became the closest to his work.
After graduation, Vasnetsov Yuri Alekseevich works as a teacher in the art school of Leningrad. In 1926, the artist again goes to study. This time at the State Institute of Artistic Culture. The creative director of the artist was Kazimir Malevich. The paintings of Yuri Vasnetsov, who received life in this period, are “Cubist Composition”, “Still Life. In the workshop of Malevich ”,“ Still Life with a Chessboard ”- they carry an excellent knowledge of the form and role of contrast.
The road to the children's book
Vasnetsov Yuri (illustrator) began his activities, thanks to which he acquired millions of admirers of his talent in 1928. It was then that Lebedev V.V., who at that time worked as the art editor of the Detgiz publishing house, attracted a young illustrator to collaborate. The first books were “Swamp” and “Karabash” by V.V. Bianchi. It was in these illustrations that the humor, grotesque and kind irony of Vasnetsov were realized, which would be characteristic of all his subsequent work.
Forever entered the classics of children's art and later illustrations by Vasnetsov. In 1934 they saw the light The Confusion by K. Chukovsky, in 1935 - The Three Bears by L. Tolstoy, in 1941 - The Teremok by S. Marshak. Later there will be “The Stolen Sun”, “Cat's House”, “Fifty Piglets”, “The Little Humpbacked Horse”. Books were published in millions of copies and did not linger on store shelves thanks to the writing skills of their authors and the inexhaustible imagination of the illustrator. The artist created his own unique and inherent artistic style, which we still recognize today, even by glancing briefly at the illustration.
In the mid-thirties Vasnetsov creates several paintings ("Still Life with a Hat and a Bottle", "A Lady with a Mouse"), in which he finally manifests himself as a large-scale artist, brilliantly combining the refined art culture of his time with the traditions of Russian folk art, which he loved so much . But the birth of these paintings coincided with the moment of the beginning of the struggle with formalism, in which the artist was accused.
War and post-war years
Before the war, Vasnetsov worked for the Bolshoi Drama Theater, developing costumes and sets. During the war years, Yuri Vasnetsov issues a series of greeting cards. The ideology of those times has a great influence on his work during this period. At the very beginning of the war, the artist becomes a member of the “Battle Pencil” - a team of artists and poets who, through their creativity, helped defeat the enemy. In 1941, the Vasnetsov family was evacuated to the rear in Perm, and in 1943 - in the city of Zagorsk. Toy Research Institute has become his place of work. Yuri Vasnetsov works there as the main artist. He returned to Leningrad only at the end of 1945.
Post-war years the artist devotes to landscapes. The most famous were the landscapes of Sosnovo, Estonian and Crimean, and the sketches of Mill Stream.
Personal life
Illustrator Yuri Vasnetsov did not advertise his personal life, and therefore not much is known about her.
In the life of the artist was the one and only beloved woman. Yuri Vasnetsov was married at the age of thirty-four years to the artist Pinaeva. In 1934, he brought his wife to his native Vyatka, and Vasnetsov's father married them in the Church of St. John the Baptist. Galina Mikhailovna gave Vasnetsov two beautiful daughters. Elizabeth was born in 1937, and Natalia - in 1939. Later children became a real outlet for Yuri Alekseevich. He perceived any separation from them as a tragedy and was always in a hurry to return home to be near his girls.
Yuri Alekseevich was fond of breeding pigeons and was an avid fisherman.
The artist’s daughters grew up in an atmosphere of love and beauty, Elizabeth often looked up at her father’s work. Later, she followed in his footsteps and also found herself in the visual arts. Since 1973, she is a member of the Union of Artists of the USSR.
Famous relationship
The surname Vasnetsova is heard by any resident of the country thanks not only to Yuri. His distant relatives were the famous Russian artists brothers Victor and Apollinarius Vasnetsov, as well as Russian folklorist Alexander Vasnetsov. However, Yuri never boasted famous relatives.
Awards and prizes
After the war, the artist received the title of Honored Artist of the RSFSR. In 1966, Yuri Vasnetsov received the title of People's Artist of the RSFSR.
In the early seventies, the artist illustrates two collections of Russian folk tales. They are called "Rainbow Arc" and "Ladushki". In the same year, according to his illustrations, the animated film "Terem-Teremok" was shot, which can be safely attributed to the masterpieces of Soviet animation. For these works, the artist was awarded the State Prize of the Soviet Union.
Little-known Vasnetsov
The artist devoted his whole life to painting. However, his paintings of the sixties and seventies did not bring him popularity during his lifetime. The most famous works of that period - “Flowering Meadow”, “Still Life with Willow” - were released only after the artist’s death. The fact is that because of accusations of formalism, Yuri Vasnetsov preferred not to exhibit these his works anywhere. He actually did creative work with his secret hobby, and could show these creations to the most trusted and dear people. After his paintings were presented to a wide audience at the exhibition in 1979, it became clear that the artist went far beyond the scope of a book illustrator. He is an outstanding Russian painter of the 20th century.
The artist died on 05/03/1973 in Leningrad. Yuri Vasnetsov was buried at the Theological Cemetery in St. Petersburg, which over the years of his life became the artist's hometown.