The Russian land is rich in world famous artists. But the painter Makarov Evgeny Kirillovich is hardly familiar to the uninitiated in the history of art. This man did not leave a bright mark, but nevertheless his paintings are present in the collections of large domestic museums, such as the State Tretyakov Gallery. It is difficult to find even a portrait of the artist, although perhaps he is depicted in photographs of the Drawing School of the Society for the Promotion of Arts, but no one can confirm his identity.
Biography of Evgeny Makarov
The future artist was born in the family of the head doctor in the city of Dushet, Tiflis province, 12/12/1842. Childhood passed in the Chernihiv province. He graduated from the secondary Novgorod-Seversky gymnasium. He studied at the Imperial Academy of Arts with Ilya Repin. Over the years of study, he received several awards for the implementation of Orthodox programs “Resurrection of the daughter of Jairus”, “Job and his friends”. The most famous are his watercolors, graphic works.
Friendship with Ilya Repin
Makarov Eugene was one of the friends of Ilya Repin in college. Young artists often met in close company, among them were Viktor Vasnetsov, Ilya Repin, Arkhip Kuindzhi. At that time, Eugene lived in St. Petersburg, often visited the Chernigov province.
In 1870, together with the Repin Brothers - Ilya and Vasily (a student of the conservatory), the artist Fedor Vasilyev went on a journey along the Volga. Friends sailed on oars from Tver to Saratov in order to find the huts, those who sunk into the heart of I. Repin. The artist was shocked by the hard work of these people and at the same time conquered by one of the hacks, watching them for the first time, so at all costs decided to paint a picture, embodying the life of these people on canvas.
Friends spent most of the summer in a village near Saratov, called Shiryaevo, where the house in which they lived still remained. Then he belonged to a local merchant. Now the building is in an extremely dilapidated state, but on it is a memorial plaque that recalls those visits. By the way, the name of Evgeny Makarov is not on her. But it is documented that he took part in that journey. Local old-timers claim that the authorities had intentions to create a museum in the house, but things did not go further.
It was said that Makarov Yevgeny was a calm, balanced person, and this was the exact opposite of the temperamental jovial Fedor Vasilyev. But there was no inconvenience because of this, on the contrary, young people supplemented each other very successfully.
Imperial Family Artist
Makarov Evgeny Kirillovich often carried out orders of the imperial family, making travel drawings for the Romanovs.
Historians are well aware of his journey with Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich Sr. to Turkey, Egypt, Palestine. The journey took place in 1872. Evgeni Makarov was invited to perform travel sketches, which later became illustrations in the book of Dmitry Antonovich Skalon, historian, memoirist, adjutant of the Grand Duke. The book was called "Traveling in the East and the Holy Land." Sketches of the artist were first engraved on a tree Krzhizhanovsky, and then became illustrations of the book.
During the Russian-Turkish war in 1877, once in the retinue of Alexander the Second, the artist was in the battlefield with the famous battle painter Vasily Vereshchagin.
Secular activity of the artist
In 1883, Evgeni Makarov traveled to Paris to get acquainted with the latest methods of faience and porcelain painting. Funds for the trip were allocated by the artist promotion fund.
Evgeny Makarov taught at the Drawing School for the Promotion of Arts in the class of ceramic painting, leading the course. Society and school were created to support and develop talented artists.
Exhibitions
Makarov Evgeny Kirillovich presented his works at many art exhibitions of the second half of the nineteenth century. His works could be seen in the halls of the Imperial Academy of Art, in the society of art exhibitions, in the halls of the Society for the Promotion of Arts in St. Petersburg, at the All-Russian Industrial and Art Exhibition in Moscow.
In 1884, Makarov Evgeny Kirillovich died in St. Petersburg at the age of 42.