Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy created two portraits of the great Russian poet. The works were written in difficult times, in the oppressive tragic atmosphere of the last months of Nekrasov’s life. Both of them are considered one of the best in the gallery of portrait images, which Kramskoy created for his long creative life.
The portrait of Nekrasov was originally commissioned by Pavel Tretyakov for his collection, but subsequently pushed Kramsky to write a large picture.
First portrait: creation story
In the winter of 1877, the state of Nikolai Alekseevich Nekrasov began to deteriorate rapidly. A seriously ill poet practically did not get out of bed, unable to write, he dictated his last works. Tretyakov, realizing that the days of the national singer are numbered, urgently orders Kramskoy his portrait. The artist wanted to depict Nekrasov exactly as he saw him in these sad days: lying on pillows in bed, surrounded by favorite things and objects reminiscent of his work and incurable disease.
This idea Tretyakov did not like. The philanthropist and collector considered that such an image would overshadow the heroic image of the national poet. At the insistence of the customer, Kramskoy painted a regular chest portrait, classic in composition, depicting Nekrasov sitting straight, with his head half-turned, with arms crossed on his chest.
The customer was pleased with the portrait, but not the artist himself. Communication with the poet in the days of work on the painting made an indelible impression on Kramskoy. Even then, he decided to create a second canvas, on which he displayed a completely different image of the poet.
Second portrait of Nekrasov
This work was called "N. A. Nekrasov during the “Last Songs” period. ” A fairly large canvas is literally made up of several small parts, like a mosaic.
The reason for writing the picture was the increasingly aggravating illness of the poet. Each meeting was given to him with great difficulty. For the sake of a 10-15 minute session, Kramskoy often waited all day. As a result, only Nekrasov’s head was painted from life, while the rest of the painting was completed by the artist in the studio.
The portrait of Nekrasov in bed turned out to be both large-scale and chamber. This time, Kramskoy portrayed the writer exactly as he had originally conceived, writing not just a portrait, but creating a heroic image of a poet giving his last days to creativity.
Erroneous dating or secret sign
Kramskoy himself signed the second portrait on March 3, 1877. In fact, the artist finished the painting in the studio after the death of the poet, and it dates back to 1878. However, the date displayed by Kramskoy became special for himself and for the dying Nekrasov. It was on this day that the poet dictated his famous poem “Bayushki-bayu”. Enthusiastic Kramskoy considered this work the best, and the last portrait of Nekrasov symbolically sends the audience to the day the poem was created.