It is very difficult to fit into a concise text the 86 years that Ilya Efimovich Repin worked hard. A short biography can outline only the dotted line the main milestones of his complex life, full of creative ups and failures. There were a lot of masterpieces that reflected genuine life. Two attempts to create family life, one unrequited love, friendship with prominent people of his time and tireless work - this is all that has befallen a man like Repin. A short biography (a photo 30 years before his death shows a friendly person with funny eyes) will be outlined below.
Childhood and youth
Ilya Repin was born in Ukraine in 1844 and all his life he loved his native land. In the soldier’s family, the most educated was a mother who taught children reading to them A. Pushkin, M. Lermontov, V. Zhukovsky. A cousin in front of little Ilyusha painted a picture from the alphabet in watercolor, and she came to life. Since that time, the child did not know peace. And when he grew up, he nailed to the icon painters' artel, then he heard that there is an Academy in St. Petersburg where they teach artists. And, collecting all the money that he earned by writing icons, he went to the capital. So childhood ended when he left Repin's homeland . A short biography says that a full hopeful youth began.
In Petersburg
Nelaskovo was received by the capital in 1863. At the Academy, since he was not familiar with the technique of drawing, he was not accepted. But Repin went to the School of drawing, having switched to a half-starved existence, and soon his dream came true - he was already studying at the Academy. The first who noticed him was V. Polenov, as well as a severe critic V. Stasov, with whom Ilya Repin will subsequently be friends all his life. After 8 years, he graduated from the Academy with a gold medal, even got married, had children and, together with his family, went to Europe as a pensioner of the Academy. For the work "Sadko", written in Paris, received the title of Academician Repin. A brief biography tells that there he became interested in the painting of E. Manet.
Historical paintings
The first upon returning to their homeland was written not too successful "Princess Sophia."
Much later he will write the work "Ivan the Terrible and his son," Ilya Repin. The artist’s biography shows that interest in this topic about love, power and revenge arose under the influence of Rimsky-Korsakov’s music and with a deep study of history.
“Didn't wait”
The canvas depicts the unexpected return of the revolutionary from exile. Very carefully, Ilya Efimovich tried to convey facial expressions. He often copied them. And the confusion of the exile, and the confusion of the mother, who had never expected to see her son, and the delight of his wife and children. Against a light, cozy, homely and native background, stands the dark figure of a convict, crushed by life. But he waits and hopes that he will be accepted and forgiven.
In other words - in a modern spirit, I read the gospel parable of Repin. Artist biography should emphasize that this work was lengthy and persistent, but the painter achieved the effect he was striving for.
Repin teacher
Since 1894, Repin taught at the Academy. As contemporaries who studied with him wrote, he was a bad teacher, but a great teacher. Materially, he tried to help those in need and find orders for them. In his workshop at different times F. Malyavin, B. Kustodiev, I. Bilibin, V. Serov studied with him. During the years of the first revolution, Repin filed a petition for leaving the Academy, but he finally stopped his pedagogical activity in 1907. The reason was the dissatisfaction of some students with the fact that teachers live in huge public apartments, and their wards are in poverty. Repin, having handed over the apartment, left the Academy and left for Yasnaya Polyana.
Portraits of Repin
Not all of them are equally successful, but the Portrait of M. P. Mussorgsky, written on the eve of the composer's death, is distinguished by great psychologism. It means a lot to lovers of painting “Portrait of Pavel Tretyakov,” who practically did not pose for anyone.
The female images of Eleanor Duse, Elizaveta Zvantseva, her daughters and the second wife of the writer N. Nordman-Severskaya are magnificent. It was she who, dying of tuberculosis, left the artist the Penates estate, in which Repin spent the last thirty years of his life. The portraits of Leo Tolstoy, whom he met in the 1870s, stand apart. Repin painted four very famous portraits of the great writer, and a lot of sketches and sketches remained.
Repin: biography and creativity briefly
Dry and lean Ilya Repin in the last years of his life did a lot of literary work. He wrote the book "Far Close." In it, he expressed his thoughts and creative principles. As a painter, he was primarily concerned not with aesthetic research, but with writing with the blood of his heart, the veracity of the image without any falsehood. The great artist died in 1930 and is buried in his “Penates” in Finland. The biography, given extremely briefly, does not give a complete picture of the lively, cheerful and good-natured character of the master, despite the fact that his life was always accompanied by personal problems.