Life: 1837g. - 1887.
Portraitist, historical painter, draftsman. Born in the city of Voronezh Ostrogozhsk family petty official. From childhood fascinated art and literature. At the end of the district school (1850) served as a clerk, then as a retoucher at the photographer, with whom wandered in Russia. In 1857, appeared in St. Petersburg, he worked in a glasshouse. I. Denier. That fall he entered the Academy of Arts, was a student of A. T. Markov. For now, Moses exudes water from the rock "(1863, whereabouts unknown; sketch - in Tallinn museum) received a small gold medal. During exercises rallied the best academic youth. Academy graduates are leading the protests, refused to paint ( "Program") to the specified by the Council, far from the life story. Left out of the Academy of artists united in the Petersburg Artel. Prevailing atmosphere is of mutual aid, cooperation and the deep spiritual interests are largely due to
Kramskoy. At this time, it was defined and calling Kramskogo-portrait. He often resorted to his favorite graphic technique (using the sauce, white, Italian pencil). It performed well-known portraits of artists AI. Morozova (1868), I.I. Shishkin (1869), D. G. Myasoedova (1861), PP. Chistyakov (1861), N.A. Koshelev (1866), all - in the Timing. Some of these works are reproduced in this edition. The character portraits - devoid ado careful on drawing and cut-off modeling, but restrained by the color spectrum - also composed by Kramskogo in these years. The artistic language of the image of the plebeian democrat, who was the hero's frequent portraits mastera.Takovy Self-Portrait of the artist (1867, TG) and "Portrait of the Agronomist Vyunnikova" (1868, Museum of the BSSR). In 1863-1868 Kramskoi taught at the Drawing School of the Society for the Promotion hudozhnikov.V end of the decade gang overtaken unity and social significance.
Kramskoy out of its composition (1870) and became one of the founders of the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions. At the first exhibition of the Association were exhibited "Portrait of the FA. Vasilyeva (TG) and "Portrait of MM. Antokolsky "(Museum of the BSSR). A year later, was shown a picture Vasily Perov, "Christ in the Desert, a plan hatched years. According
Kramskoy, "and a former art Bible, the Gospel and mythology served only as a pretext to express their passions quite modern and thoughts". He himself, like Ge and Polenov, in the image of Christ expressed the ideal of man, full of high spiritual thoughts, which trains himself to sacrifice. The theme of Christ the artist repeatedly returned. Thereunder, a large canvas "Laughter" (SRM), however, remains unfinished. Gathering material for him, Kramskoi went to Italy (1876). He traveled to Europe and beyond gody.Preobladayuschey field of artistic achievement remained for Kramskogo portrait. In 1870 - early 1880's met many of his best work, including the series of portraits of prominent people age: Leo Tolstoy (1873, TG), N.A. Nekrasov (1877 and 1877-1878, TG), rm. Tretyakov (1876, TG), I.I. Shishkin (1880, RM) and other. Were established as collective portraits of peasants: "forester" (1874, TG), Mina Moiseyev "(1882, RM)," Peasant with bridle "(1883, KMRI).
Kramskoy repeatedly turned to this form of paintings, in which like touching two genres - portrait and household. These "Unknown" ( "The Stranger", 1883), "Inconsolable Grief" (1884, GTG; options - Timing and museum of Latvia. SSR). Throughout the life of the artist had to perform well as numerous church and portrait orders, serves as its source zarabotka.
Kramskoy - an outstanding figure in the cultural life of Russia 1860-1880-ies. Organizer Petersburg Artel, one of the founders of association Wanderers, fine art critic, passionately interested in the fate of Russian art, he was the ideologist of a whole generation of artists-realists.
Biographies
Portfolio
- 5 works and. N. Kramskogo can be found in the section "Russian Art" on a private page, George Mitrevski (Auburn University, USA).
