"Rooks Have Arrived" - a picture of the famous artist Alexei Kondratievich Savrasov. Before you start talking about her, you should mention about her author.
Childhood and youth of the artist
A.K. Savrasov was born into the family of a person engaged in trade, a merchant of the third guild.
Alyosha from an early age began to be interested in painting and drawing. As a teenager, he earned money by selling his paintings. Later, he entered the Moscow School of Painting and Sculpture, deciding to become a landscape painter. But no one then could have imagined that one day the Rooks Have Arrived by Savrasov will glorify him all over the world.
Creativity, orders of famous people
In 1850, after graduation, Alexey’s life evolved perfectly. He put his whole soul into the work, often famous people ordered paintings for him. And once, Princess Maria Nikolaevna asked him to depict a picturesque area near her summer house, located near the northern capital. Savrasov’s paintings were liked by many, thanks to them the artist became famous in certain circles, many treated him as a real talent, a master of his craft. Soon Alexei married a good girl. This is how Savrasov lived and worked. The Rooks Have Arrived is a picture that will soon perpetuate his name while he was only in his thoughts.
Work and passion for travel
Four years later, Savrasov became an academician, and in 1857 he was honored to teach painting at his own educational institution. He was never strict with students and often shared his own experience with them, talked a lot about nature.
It should be noted that Korovin and Levitan were Savrasov's students, they admired their teacher and were grateful to him all their lives. In his spare time, the artist liked to travel; he was, for example, in Western Europe. The rides left a deep mark on his soul. But most of all, Savrasov liked Central Russia with its modest nature, which he loved to draw.
A new milestone in the visual arts, the creation of the painting "Countryside"
The fateful year for Alexei was 1871, it was then that the exposition of the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions was held, to the organization of which he made a feasible contribution. In particular, his canvas “The Rooks Arrived” was demonstrated, which was based on a simple and uncomplicated motif (the picture was created in the village of Molvitino, located in the Yaroslavl province). But Savrasov was able to tell with amazing love and trepidation about spring, when nature is recovering from the winter cold. The Rooks Have Arrived, as well as The Thaw, written by F. A. Vasiliev (shown at the same exposition), paving the way for the lyrical style in Russian painting, marked a new milestone in the visual arts.
Thanks to the magnificent and amazing canvas Savrasov immortalized his name. Two years later, the artist created another stunning picture called "The Country Road", but it so happened that no one knew anything about her for a long time: Alexei immediately gave it as a gift to his friend, who did not show it to anyone. The world saw her in 1893, and she immediately received praise, but she could not arouse genuine admiration - much had changed during that time.
Alcoholism and Dismissal
If you ask any person what kind of painting Savrasov knows, he will undoubtedly call “The Rooks Have Arrived”. The artist really could not write anything else that could compare with her, with the possible exception of “The Countryside,” which he most likely did not particularly like.
However, Savrasov continued to create, and the work definitely brought him pleasure. But acquaintances noted that he is often sad and gloomy: he probably thought about his strange creative fate. Most likely, it was such bitter reflections that caused the alcoholism that the artist developed. In 1870, Savrasova left her spouse with two children adored by him. This was a real tragedy for him. Then in 1882 he was fired from his job. Relatives tried to help him cope with the addiction, but to no avail.
“Rooks have arrived”: description of the painting
Let's look at the famous canvas that glorified Savrasov. It depicts the Russian spring: at this time the air is already becoming warm, and the sky is bright and unusually attractive. The snow turns black and then completely disappears. And rooks come. Soon they are assimilated and begin to twist nests.
Savrasov was a tall and dense man, but a baby soul was enclosed in this body. Only a child could so vividly feel the approach of spring after prolonged frosts and blizzards. That is how Savrasov felt it. “Rooks have arrived” - a picture that amazingly accurately conveys his worldview.
Take a closer look at the canvas. The skies are covered with clouds, the horizon is dark, and only at the top is a bright blue patch visible. And below, the snowdrifts that have already melted and turned gray shine under bright rays, and in the snow you can see uneven shadows from the trees.
In a pond that has already got rid of ice, blue-gray skies are reflected. Still bare trees are also visible in it. Savrasov added a slightly pale green color to the area where a juniper bush is visible in the water. Everything is amazingly harmonious. The picture amazingly accurately conveys the feeling of spring, perhaps a little naive, but sincere.
In the painting "Rooks Have Arrived" the heavens are cut by branches of birches, even without leaves. Also, bird nests are noticeable on them. Rooks fly near them, busy with some of their troubles. Very soon, when the sun warms even more, their chicks will hatch. It is necessary to thoroughly prepare for this. In the foreground, you can see two large females, who busily sat on the eggs and warm them with the warmth of their body. They protect their future chicks from the spring wind, albeit warm, but harsh. The picture is written with feeling and love, and you probably understand this by reading the description. Rooks Have Arrived is a canvas that reveals the artist’s soul to us.
But in the spring, sometimes it pours fine snow.
It will cloud the sky, the wind will blow ... After that, you can expect a snowball. Then the birds will be alert, calm down, sit down on a tree near the nests. They do not know that spring weather can not be afraid - it does not last long. The wind will soon
disperse the clouds, the sun will come out, and the birds will rejoice at its appearance. Then they will start screaming loudly and someone will fly away. Only females will not budge: they will protect their nests, from time to time turning their heads to the right, then to the left. All this can be vividly imagined by looking at the canvas "Rooks have arrived."
The description of the picture therefore includes not only obvious details, but also what the observer can think of.
Foreground
If we talk about composition, the canvas has several plans. Pay attention to the front: here are snowdrifts, through which light spills and gray shadows are scattered. There are trees right there. Some of them are far from ideal, especially those that are bent under the influence of weather and wind. But there are also smooth and elegant birches. But the most important thing here is the birds. A whole flock of screaming, seated and flying rooks.
Background
We continue to inspect the picture. In the background you can see the skies, which are depicted in a characteristic style for the artist. No one else could write them so beautifully. They are motionless, but it seems to the observer that the clouds are floating in the sky, driven by the wind. What sensations appear when you look at them? It is impossible to answer unequivocally. There is something mixed here: both peace and anxiety at the same time. Added to this is a sense of childhood happiness and excitement. In the middle ground we see a gray spot. The only bright detail here is a beautiful bell tower and a low structure under the shining dome of one of the capital's temples. There is no doubt that “Rooks Have Arrived” by Savrasov is a true masterpiece for all time.