Epic paintings by Russian artists. The most famous Russian artists

Russian portrait painters appeared in the early 14th century AD. Brush masters of that time had limited resources, so they often resorted to stylized drawings. This could not be called surrealism, but the paintings certainly suffered from insufficient detail. Later, Russian portrait artists and their works were reoriented to the design of churches. Masters of sacred painting painted the walls and ceilings of churches and cathedrals.

Early portrait art

Russian portrait artists and their paintings had their own distinctive features, they were recognizable - each painter had a own style in his work, moreover, he was revered by both priests and parishioners.

The most prominent representative of that time was Andrei Rublev (1370-1428), who left behind imperishable works: “Savior Almighty,” “Archangel Michael,” “Trinity,” and other masterpieces of icon painting.

A contemporary of Rublev was the famous icon painter Theophanes the Greek (1340-1410). They worked together for a long time. In the 90s of the 14th century, artists painted the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. Other Russian portrait artists also took part in the work. The amount of work was quite large. The main icons of the Deesis row were painted by the “prophetic” and part of the upper “forefathers” row by Andey Rublev. There is no reliable data confirming that he painted the marks of the large icons of the lower row, but the hand of a talented icon painter is recognizable in these works.

Early Masters of Portraiture

At the beginning of the 14th century, the technique of oil painting improved somewhat with the introduction of finely ground paints.

Russian portrait painters of later times:

• Dionysius (1440-1502), favorite of Tsar Ivan III. The monarch used to commission an artist to paint a temple, and then periodically visit the icon painter and observe the work.
• Alexey Zubov (1682-1750) is the greatest master of Russian engraving art of the era of Peter the Great. He worked together with his father, the outstanding icon painter Fyodor Zubov. Together they painted the Moscow Kremlin Armory.
• Nikitin Ivan (1680-1742) - Russian artist, one of the first Russian masters portrait painting, educated in Europe. He was in a special favor with Peter the Great. The most famous works of the artist are the Polish King Augustus II and the Duke of Mecklenburg.

Russian portrait painters of the 18th century

Masters of the brush of past centuries, as a rule, were engaged in church painting. However, the 18th century was the time of the birth of portrait art in its purest form, when the painter reflects the image of a specific person on canvas. Russian portrait artists of that time adhered to the classical school visual arts, suggesting accurate reproduction the smallest details. In portrait painting, this technique perfectly met the tasks assigned to the artist - to achieve such an image that it bore all the signs of an artistic style and was as reliable as possible. The work seemed quite painstaking and responsible. Nevertheless, famous Russian portrait artists coped with it superbly. There were more than enough orders; all the court nobility, as well as members of merchant guilds, vied with each other to order portraits of themselves and their loved ones.

Wealthy people preferred to invite painters to their homes, because in this case the whole family could observe the process, and this was considered good form. The Russian portrait artist usually lived poorly, so he tried to accept as many orders as possible. If, at the end of the work, the image of the head of the family was liked by all household members, then the painter received the next order in the same house. Thus, the Russian portrait artist was in demand in high society and was not left without work. The most successful craftsmen were invited to the royal chambers to carry out especially important assignments.

The rise of portraiture

When the Renaissance period began in the art of painting, many talented masters appeared in Rus'.

Russian portrait painters of the 18th century:

• Alexey Antropov (1716-1795) - famous Russian portrait painter, participated in decorative design Winter Palace in 1744 and Tsarskoye Selo in 1749. Under his leadership, artists painted St. Andrew's Church in Kyiv. Since 1761, Antropov was introduced into the Orthodox Synod as the chief overseer of icon painting. The artist entered the history of Russian art as a talented portrait painter of the Peter the Great period.
• Borovikovsky Vladimir (1757-1825) was born in Mirgorod. He became famous after meeting Catherine II, who was traveling to Crimea in 1787. The artist painted one of the palaces on the empress’s route and was noticed by her. Catherine expressed her admiration and rewarded Borovikovsky with money, with which he subsequently went to St. Petersburg.
• Alexey Venetsianov (1780-1847) - Russian artist, founder of the plot everyday genre in portraiture. His work “Portrait of a Mother,” painted in 1801, brought him fame. Studied the art of drawing from
• Kiprensky Orest (1782-1836) - an outstanding artist, made his debut in 1804 with a portrait of A. K. Valbe, which was painted in the manner of Rembrandt. The famous work “E.V. Davydov”, created in 1809, strengthened the artist’s reputation. Many of Kiprensky's paintings are kept in Tretyakov Gallery.
• Tropinin Vasily (1776-1857) - Russian artist who became famous after he painted a portrait of A.S. Pushkin, commissioned by the poet himself. The painting was intended for S. A. Sobolevsky, a friend of Alexander Sergeevich. The portrait has become a classic image of the great poet for all times.

Portrait art in the 19th century

Russian portrait artists of the 19th century are a whole galaxy of talented painters who turned to the genre of image human face. The most famous of them:

• Neff Timofey (1805-1876) - follower of the academic style in art, historical portrait painter. Studied painting at the Dresden Art School. In 1826 he moved to St. Petersburg, where he immediately gained fame by painting a series of portraits famous people. In 1837, he went on a long trip around Russia to get acquainted with the folklore hinterland and life common people. After his return, he painted the church of the Winter Palace; these works included the famous “Last Supper”. He received a professorship for painting St. Isaac's Cathedral, and at the same time became the curator of the Hermitage painting gallery.
• Zakharov Peter (1816-1846) - Russian portrait painter with a difficult fate. A three-year-old boy was found in the abandoned Chechen village of Dadi-Yurt. Russian general Ermolov took the child into custody. Noticing his adopted son's ability to draw, he gave little Petya to study with portrait painter Lev Volkov. In 1836, Zakharov completed a course at the Academy of Arts and received the title free artist.
• (1822-1897) - Russian painter, for a long time creative life painted many paintings. The artist's works, including portraits, created by him in different time, are located in the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum, the Academy of Arts and exhibition halls throughout Russia. In 1844, Makarov moved to St. Petersburg, where he won recognition from the capital's public.

Portrait painter Tyranov

Russian portrait painter (1808-1859), engaged in icon painting. In 1824, he met the artist Venetsianov, who enrolled the young man in his painting school, and when he completed his studies, he arranged for Tyranov to become a student at the Academy of Arts. Further fate The young painter's career turned out well, he received a small gold medal from the Academy, and in 1836 he became a student of the venerable Karl Bryullov. For his work "Girl with a Tambourine" he was awarded the title of academician. While in Rome he painted his main paintings: “Girl Squeezing Water Out of Her Hair,” “Angel with an Olive Branch,” “Mother of Moses on the Banks of the Nile.” Then, upon the artist’s return to St. Petersburg, the artist suffered a series of misfortunes, and he turned into a beggar. I found shelter in my brother’s house in the city of Kashin. Tyranov died there at the age of 51.

Unsurpassed portrait technique

Sergei Zaryanko (1818-1870) is a wonderful Russian portrait painter, famous for the indescribable play of light and shadow on his canvases. The artist's technique is so pronounced that inner world the person depicted on the canvas seems to be lost in the richness of shades and halftones. In total, Zaryanko painted about a hundred portraits, most of which are dedicated to the emperor, his family and the highest court nobility.

Master's Apprentice

Zhodeiko Leonid (1827-1879) - Russian portrait painter, student of the Moscow artist Zaryanko and the St. Petersburg master Markov, teacher at the Academy of Arts. Wrote mostly female portraits. Received the title of academician for the painting “Girl Washing Up”. He was a regular participant in annual exhibitions held under the auspices of the Academy of Arts of St. Petersburg.

Dramatic artist

Kramskoy Ivan Nikolaevich (1837-1887) - an outstanding master of portrait painting, religious wall paintings, and genre drawing. The author of the paintings with the image famous writers, artists, artists, including: L. N. Tolstoy (1883), M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin (1879), I. I. Shishkin (1873), S. P. Botkin (1880), P. M. Tretyakov (1876).

All his life the artist adhered to the philosophical and dramatic subtext in his works, this is especially noticeable in the portrait paintings: “Unknown”, “N.A. Nekrasov”, “ Inconsolable grief", which were created between 1877 and 1884. These masterpieces are in the Tretyakov Gallery.

Artistic portraits in the 20th century

The twentieth century was a difficult period for Russia. Political upheavals and two bloody wars left their mark on the development of the country. And yet art was alive, in post-war years painting was revived, including portraiture. There were few artists, but they all went through a good school.

Russian portrait artists of the 20th century:

• Kozlov Engels - Soviet portrait artist, born in 1926, graduated from Yaroslavl art school, then entered the painting course at the Leningrad Repin Institute. In 1956 he presented his thesis"Will live!" Member of the Union of Artists since 1957. The main theme of Kozlov’s work is portraits of his contemporaries.
• Lomakin Oleg - portrait painter Soviet period, born in 1924. He studied at the Leningrad Art School, then at the All-Russian Academy of Arts. In 1942 he was drafted into the Red Army, fought near Kursk, where he was seriously wounded and expelled from the army. Portraits painted by the artist have been exhibited at exhibitions since 1952.
• Samuil Nevelshtein (1904-1983) - portrait painter, graduated from VKHUTEMAS. The artist has several dozen works. The main theme of Nevelshtein’s work was portraits of his contemporaries. The portrait painter held five personal exhibitions, all of them were held in Leningrad, the first show took place in 1944.
• Oreshnikov Viktor (1904-1987) - Soviet painter and portrait painter. People's Artist Soviet Union, winner of two Stalin Prizes. The works were dominated by subjects dedicated to achievements in the national economy and portraits of contemporaries.
• - Russian portrait painter, born in 1943. Creator of a unique focus. Actively participates in public life, member of the Public Council under the President of Russia.

Famous portrait artists

In the six hundred years that have passed since the advent of painting, more than one generation of artists has changed. In addition to the painters already mentioned, there were quite a lot of other masters.

Who are they - Russian portrait artists? A list of them is presented below.

• Musikiysky Grigory Semenovich, court portrait painter.
• Gsell Georg, Swiss painter, for a long time worked in Russia.
• Nikitin Ivan Nikitich, court artist.
• Vishnyakov Ivan Yakovlevich, portrait painter for the aristocracy.
• Kolokolnikov Mina Lukich, serf artist.
• Matveevich, court portrait painter.

• Ugryumov Grigory Ivanovich, peasant artist.
• noble portrait painter.
• Orlovsky Alexander Osipovich, noble artist.
• Sokolov Petr Fedorovich, portrait painter for the aristocracy.

Message quote The most famous and significant paintings of the world for the history of art. | 33 masterpieces of world painting.

Below the pictures of the artists they belong to there are links to the posts.

The immortal paintings of great artists are admired by millions of people. Art, classical and modern, is one of the most important sources of inspiration, taste and cultural education of any person, and even more so a creative one.
There are certainly more than 33 world-famous paintings. There are several hundred of them, and all of them would not fit into one review. Therefore, for ease of viewing, we have selected several paintings that are most significant for world culture and are often copied in advertising. Each work is accompanied interesting fact, explanation artistic meaning or the history of its creation.

Kept in the Old Masters Gallery in Dresden.

The painting has a little secret: the background, which from afar appears to be clouds, turns out to be the heads of angels upon closer examination. And the two angels depicted in the picture below became the motif of numerous postcards and posters.

Rembrandt "Night Watch" 1642
Kept in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

The true title of Rembrandt’s painting is “The Performance of the Rifle Company of Captain Frans Banning Cock and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburg.” Art critics who discovered the painting in the 19th century thought that the figures were standing out against a dark background, and it was called “ The night Watch" Later it was discovered that dark picture creates a layer of soot, but the action actually takes place during the day. However, the painting has already been included in the treasury of world art under the name “Night Watch”.

Leonardo da Vinci "The Last Supper" 1495-1498
Located in the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan.

Over the more than 500-year history of the work, the fresco has been destroyed more than once: a doorway was cut through the painting and then blocked, the refectory of the monastery where the image is located was used as an armory, a prison, and was bombed. The famous fresco restored at least five times, with the last restoration taking 21 years. Today, to view the art, visitors must reserve tickets in advance and can spend only 15 minutes in the refectory.

Salvador Dali "The Persistence of Memory" 1931

According to the author himself, the painting was painted as a result of the associations that Dali had with the sight of processed cheese. Returning from the cinema, where she went that evening, Gala quite correctly predicted that no one, once they saw The Persistence of Memory, would forget it.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder "Tower of Babel" 1563
Kept in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.

According to Bruegel, the failure that befell the construction Tower of Babel, it is not the language barriers that suddenly appeared, according to the biblical story, that are to blame, but the mistakes made during the construction process. At first glance, the huge structure seems quite strong, but upon closer examination it is clear that all the tiers are laid unevenly, the lower floors are either unfinished or are already collapsing, the building itself is tilting towards the city, and the prospects for the entire project are very sad.

Kazimir Malevich “Black Square” 1915

According to the artist, he painted the picture for several months. Subsequently, Malevich made several copies of “Black Square” (according to some sources, seven). According to one version, the artist was unable to complete the painting on time, so he had to cover the work with black paint. Subsequently, after public recognition, Malevich painted new “Black Squares” on blank canvases. Malevich also painted “Red Square” (in two copies) and one “White Square”.

Kuzma Sergeevich Petrov-Vodkin “Bathing the Red Horse” 1912
Located in the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.

Painted in 1912, the painting turned out to be visionary. The red horse acts as the Fate of Russia or Russia itself, which the fragile and young rider is unable to hold. Thus, the artist symbolically predicted with his painting the “red” fate of Russia in the 20th century.

Peter Paul Rubens "The Rape of the Daughters of Leucippus" 1617-1618
Kept in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich.

The painting “The Rape of the Daughters of Leucippus” is considered the personification of manly passion and physical beauty. The strong, muscular arms of young men pick up young naked women to put them on horses. The sons of Zeus and Leda steal their cousins' brides.

Paul Gauguin "Where do we come from? Who are we? Where are we going?" 1898
Kept in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

According to Gauguin himself, the painting should be read from right to left - three main groups of figures illustrate the questions posed in the title. Three women with a child represent the beginning of life; middle group symbolizes the daily existence of maturity; in the final group, according to the artist’s plan, “ old woman, approaching death, seems reconciled and given over to her thoughts”, at her feet “a strange white bird... represents the futility of words.”

Eugene Delacroix "Liberty Leading the People" 1830
Kept in the Louvre in Paris

Delacroix created a painting based on the July Revolution of 1830 in France. In a letter to his brother on October 12, 1830, Delacroix writes: “If I did not fight for my Motherland, then at least I will write for it.” The bare breasts of a woman leading the people symbolize the dedication of the French people of that time, who with “ bare chested"We were going towards the enemy.

Claude Monet "Impression. Rising Sun" 1872
Kept in the Marmottan Museum in Paris.

The title of the work is “Impression, soleil levant” with light hand journalist L. Leroy became the name of the artistic movement “impressionism”. The painting was painted from life in the old outport of Le Havre in France.

Jan Vermeer "Girl with a Pearl Earring" 1665
Kept in the Mauritshuis Gallery in The Hague.

One of the most famous paintings Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer is often called the Nordic or Dutch Mona Lisa. Very little is known about the painting: it is undated and the name of the girl depicted is unknown. In 2003, based on the novel of the same name by Tracy Chevalier, it was filmed Feature Film“Girl with a Pearl Earring”, in which the history of the creation of the painting is hypothetically restored in the context of Vermeer’s biography and family life.

Ivan Aivazovsky “The Ninth Wave” 1850
Kept in St. Petersburg in the State Russian Museum.

Ivan Aivazovsky is a world-famous Russian marine painter who devoted his life to depicting the sea. He created about six thousand works, each of which received recognition during the artist’s lifetime. The painting “The Ninth Wave” is included in the book “100 Great Paintings”.

Andrey Rublev “Trinity” 1425-1427

The Icon of the Holy Trinity, painted by Andrei Rublev in the 15th century, is one of the most famous Russian icons. The icon is a board in a vertical format. The kings (Ivan the Terrible, Boris Godunov, Mikhail Fedorovich) “covered” the icon with gold, silver and precious stones. Today the salary is kept in the Sergiev Posad State Museum-Reserve.

Mikhail Vrubel “Seated Demon” 1890
Kept in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.

The plot of the film is inspired by Lermontov’s poem “The Demon”. The demon is an image of the strength of the human spirit, internal struggle, doubts. Tragically clasping his hands, the Demon sits with sad, huge eyes directed into the distance, surrounded by unprecedented flowers.

William Blake "The Great Architect" 1794
Kept in the British Museum in London.

The title of the painting “The Ancient of Days” literally translates from English as “Ancient of Days.” This phrase was used as the name of God. Main character The paintings show God at the moment of creation, who does not establish order, but limits freedom and denotes the limits of imagination.

Edouard Manet "Bar at the Folies Bergere" 1882
Kept at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London.

The Folies Bergere is a variety show and cabaret in Paris. Manet often visited the Folies Bergere and ended up painting this painting, his last before his death in 1883. Behind the bar, in the middle of a crowd of people drinking, eating, talking and smoking, a bartender stands absorbed in her own thoughts, watching the trapeze acrobat, who can be seen in the upper left corner of the picture.

Titian “Earthly Love and Heavenly Love” 1515-1516
Kept in the Galleria Borghese in Rome.

It is noteworthy that the modern name of the painting was not given by the artist himself, but began to be used only two centuries later. Until this time, the painting had various names: “Beauty, Embellished and Unadorned” (1613), “Three Types of Love” (1650), “Divine and Secular Women” (1700), and, finally, “Earthly Love and Heavenly Love” (1792 and 1833).

Mikhail Nesterov “Vision to the youth Bartholomew” 1889-1890
Kept in the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.

The first and most significant work from the cycle dedicated to Sergius of Radonezh. Until the end of his days, the artist was convinced that “Vision to the Youth Bartholomew” was his best work. In his old age, the artist liked to repeat: “It’s not me who will live. “The Youth Bartholomew” will live. Now, if thirty, fifty years after my death he still says something to people, that means he’s alive, and that means I’m alive.”

Pieter Bruegel the Elder "Parable of the Blind" 1568
Kept in the Capodimonte Museum in Naples.

Other titles of the painting are “The Blind”, “Parabola of the Blind”, “The Blind Leading the Blind”. It is believed that the plot of the film is based on the biblical parable of the blind: “If a blind man leads a blind man, they will both fall into a pit.”

Victor Vasnetsov “Alyonushka” 1881
Kept in the State Tretyakov Gallery.

It is based on the fairy tale “About Sister Alyonushka and Brother Ivanushka.” Initially, Vasnetsov’s painting was called “Fool Alyonushka.” At that time, orphans were called “fools.” “Alyonushka,” the artist himself later said, “seemed to have lived in my head for a long time, but in reality I saw her in Akhtyrka, when I met one simple-haired girl who captured my imagination. There was so much melancholy, loneliness and purely Russian sadness in her eyes... Some special Russian spirit wafted from her.”

Vincent van Gogh "Starry Night" 1889
Kept in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Unlike most of the artist’s paintings, “Starry Night” was painted from memory. Van Gogh was at that time in the Saint-Rémy hospital, tormented by attacks of madness.

Karl Bryullov “The Last Day of Pompeii” 1830-1833
Kept in the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg.

The painting shows famous eruption Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD e. and the destruction of the city of Pompeii near Naples. The artist's image in the left corner of the painting is a self-portrait of the author.

Pablo Picasso “Girl on a Ball” 1905
Stored in the Pushkin Museum, Moscow

The painting ended up in Russia thanks to industrialist Ivan Abramovich Morozov, who purchased it in 1913 for 16,000 francs. In 1918, the personal collection of I. A. Morozov was nationalized. IN currently the painting is in the collection State Museum Fine Arts named after A.S. Pushkin.

Leonardo da Vinci "Madonna Litta" 1491

Kept in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.

The original title of the painting was “Madonna and Child.” The modern name of the painting comes from the name of its owner - Count Litta, owner of the family art gallery in Milan. There is an assumption that the figure of the baby was not painted by Leonardo da Vinci, but belongs to the brush of one of his students. This is evidenced by the baby's pose, which is unusual for the author's style.

Jean Ingres "Turkish Baths" 1862
Kept in the Louvre in Paris.

Ingres finished painting this picture when he was already over 80 years old. With this painting, the artist sums up the image of bathers, the theme of which has long been present in his work. Initially, the canvas was in the shape of a square, but a year after its completion the artist turned it into a round painting - a tondo.

Ivan Shishkin, Konstantin Savitsky “Morning in a pine forest” 1889
Stored in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow

"Morning in pine forest"- painting by Russian artists Ivan Shishkin and Konstantin Savitsky. Savitsky painted the bears, but the collector Pavel Tretyakov, when he acquired the painting, erased his signature, so now Shishkin alone is indicated as the author of the painting.

Mikhail Vrubel “The Swan Princess” 1900
Stored in the State Tretyakov Gallery

The painting is based on the stage image of the heroine of N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” based on the plot of the fairy tale of the same name by A. S. Pushkin. Vrubel created sketches for the scenery and costumes for the 1900 premiere of the opera, and his wife sang the role of the Swan Princess.

Giuseppe Arcimboldo “Portrait of Emperor Rudolf II as Vertumnus” 1590
Located in Skokloster Castle in Stockholm.

One of the few surviving works of the artist, who composed portraits from fruits, vegetables, flowers, crustaceans, fish, pearls, musical and other instruments, books, and so on. "Vertumnus" is a portrait of the emperor, represented as the ancient Roman god of seasons, vegetation and transformation. In the picture, Rudolph consists entirely of fruits, flowers and vegetables.

Edgar Degas "Blue Dancers" 1897
Located in the Museum of Art. A. S. Pushkin in Moscow.

Sandro Botticelli "Birth of Venus" 1486
Kept in Florence in the Uffizi Gallery

The painting illustrates the myth of the birth of Aphrodite. A naked goddess swims to the shore in an open shell, driven by the wind. On the left side of the painting, Zephyr (the west wind), in the arms of his wife Chloris, blows on a shell, creating a wind filled with flowers. On the shore, the goddess is met by one of the graces. The Birth of Venus is well preserved due to the fact that Botticelli applied a protective layer of egg yolk to the painting.

“Every portrait painted with feeling is, in essence, a portrait of the artist, and not of the person who posed for him.” Oscar Wilde

What does it take to be an artist? A simple imitation of a work cannot be considered art. Art is something that comes from within. The author's idea, passion, search, desires and sorrows, which are embodied on the artist's canvas. Throughout the history of mankind, hundreds of thousands, and perhaps millions of paintings have been painted. Some of them are truly masterpieces, known all over the world, even people who have nothing to do with art know them. Is it possible to identify the 25 most outstanding among such paintings? The task is very difficult, but we tried...

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"The Persistence of Memory", Salvador Dali

Thanks to this painting, Dali became famous at a fairly young age, he was 28 years old. The painting has several other names - “ Soft watch", "Memory hardness". This masterpiece has attracted the attention of many art critics. Basically, they were interested in the interpretation of the painting. It is said that the idea behind Dali's painting is related to Einstein's theory of relativity.

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"Dance", Henri Matisse

Henri Matisse was not always an artist. He discovered his love for painting after receiving a law degree in Paris. He studied art so zealously that he became one of the greatest artists in the world. This painting has very little negative criticism from art critics. It reflects a combination of pagan rituals, dance and music. People dance in a trance. Three colors - green, blue and red, symbolize Earth, Sky and Humanity.

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"The Kiss", Gustav Klimt

Gustav Klimt was often criticized for the nudity in his paintings. "The Kiss" was noticed by critics as it merged all forms of art. The painting could be a depiction of the artist himself and his lover, Emilia. Klimt painted this painting under the influence of Byzantine mosaics. The Byzantines used gold in their paintings. Likewise, Gustav Klimt mixed gold in his paints to create his own style of painting.

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"Sleeping Gypsy", Henri Rousseau

No one except Rousseau himself could describe this picture better. Here is his description - “a nomadic gypsy who sings her songs to the accompaniment of a mandolin, sleeps on the ground from fatigue, her jug ​​of drinking water lies nearby. A lion passing by came up to sniff her, but did not touch her. Everything is bathed in moonlight, a very poetic atmosphere.” It is noteworthy that Henri Rousseau is self-taught.

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"The Last Judgment", Hieronymus Bosch

Without unnecessary words- the picture is simply magnificent. This triptych is the largest surviving painting by Bosch. The left wing shows the story of Adam and Eve. The central part is " doomsday"from Jesus' side - who should go to heaven and who should go to hell. The earth we see here is burning. The right wing depicts a disgusting image of hell.

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Everyone knows Narcissus from Greek mythology- a man who was obsessed with his appearance. Dali wrote his own interpretation of Narcissus.

This is the story. The beautiful young man Narcissus easily broke the hearts of many girls. The gods intervened and, to punish him, showed him his reflection in the water. The narcissist fell in love with himself and eventually died because he was never able to embrace himself. Then the Gods regretted doing this to him and decided to immortalize him in the form of a narcissus flower.

On the left side of the picture is Narcissus looking at his reflection. After which he fell in love with himself. The right panel shows the events that unfolded after, including the resulting flower, the daffodil.

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The plot of the film is based on the biblical massacre of the infants in Bethlehem. After the birth of Christ became known from the wise men, King Herod ordered the killing of all small male children and infants in Bethlehem. In the picture, the massacre is at its peak, the last few children, who were taken from their mothers, await their merciless death. Also visible are the corpses of children, for whom everything is already behind them.

Thanks to the use of rich color range, Rubens' painting has become a world-famous masterpiece.

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Pollock's work is very different from other artists. He placed his canvas on the ground and moved around and around the canvas, dripping paint from above onto the canvas using sticks, brushes and syringes. Thanks to this unique technology in artistic circles he was nicknamed "Jack the Sprinkler". For some time, this painting held the title of the most expensive painting in the world.

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Also known as "Dancing at Le Moulin de la Galette". This painting is considered one of Renoir's most joyful paintings. The idea behind the film is to show the fun side to the audience. Parisian life. Upon closer examination of the painting, you can see that Renoir placed several of his friends on the canvas. Because the painting appears slightly blurred, it was initially criticized by Renoir's contemporaries.

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The plot is taken from the Bible. In the picture " last supper"depicts Christ's last supper before his arrest. He had just spoken to his apostles and told them that one of them would betray him. All the apostles are saddened and tell him that it is, of course, not them. It was this moment that Da Vinci beautifully depicted through his vivid depiction. The great Leonardo took four years to complete this painting.

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Monet's "Water Lilies" can be found everywhere. You've probably seen them on wallpaper, posters and art magazine covers. The fact is that Monet was obsessed with lilies. Before he started painting them, he grew countless numbers of these flowers. Monet built a Japanese-style bridge in his garden over a lily pond. He was so pleased with what he had achieved that he drew this plot seventeen times in one year.

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There is something sinister and mysterious in this picture; there is an aura of fear around it. Only such a master as Munch was able to depict fear on paper. Munch made four versions of The Scream in oil and pastel. According to the entries in Munch's diary, it is quite clear that he himself believed in death and spirits. In the painting “The Scream,” he depicted himself at the moment when one day, while walking with friends, he felt fear and excitement, which he wanted to paint.

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The painting, which is usually mentioned as a symbol of motherhood, was not supposed to become one. It is said that Whistler's model, who was supposed to sit for the painting, did not show up, and he decided to paint his mother instead. We can say that the sad life of the artist’s mother is depicted here. This mood is due to the dark colors that are used in this painting.

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Picasso met Dora Maar in Paris. They say that she was intellectually closer to Picasso than all his previous mistresses. Using Cubism, Picasso was able to convey movement in his work. It seems that Maar's face turns to the right, towards Picasso's face. The artist made the woman's presence almost real. Maybe he wanted to feel like she was there, always.

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Van Gogh wrote Starry Night while undergoing treatment, where he was only allowed to paint while his condition improved. Earlier in the same year, he cut off his left earlobe. Many considered the artist crazy. Of Van Gogh's entire collection of works, Starry Night is the most famous, perhaps due to the unusual spherical light around the stars.

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In this painting, Manet recreated Titian's Venus of Urbino. The artist had a bad reputation for depicting prostitutes. Although gentlemen at that time visited courtesans quite often, they did not think that anyone would take it into their heads to paint them. Back then, it was preferable for artists to paint pictures on historical, mythical or biblical themes. However, Manet, going against the criticism, showed the audience their contemporary.

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This painting is a historical canvas that depicts Napoleon's conquest of Spain.

Having received an order for paintings depicting the struggle of the people of Spain against Napoleon, the artist did not paint heroic and pathetic canvases. He chose the moment when the Spanish rebels were shot by French soldiers. Each of the Spaniards experiences this moment in their own way, some have already resigned themselves, but for others the main battle has just arrived. War, blood and death, that's what Goya actually depicted.

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The girl depicted is believed to be Vermeer's eldest daughter, Mary. Its features are present in many of his works, but they are difficult to compare. A book with the same title was written by Tracy Chevalier. But Tracy has a completely different version of who is depicted in this picture. She claims that she took this topic because there is very little information about Vermeer and his paintings, and this particular painting exudes a mysterious atmosphere. Later, a film was made based on her novel.

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The exact title of the painting is “Performance of the Rifle Company of Captain Frans Banning Cock and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburg.” The Rifle Society was a civilian militia that was called upon to defend the city. In addition to the militias, Rembrandt added several extra people. Considering that he bought an expensive house while painting this picture, it may well be true that he received a huge fee for The Night's Watch.

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Although the painting contains an image of Velázquez himself, it is not a self-portrait. main character paintings - Infanta Margaret, daughter of King Philip IV. This depicts the moment when Velazquez, working on a portrait of the king and queen, is forced to stop and look at the Infanta Margarita, who has just entered the room with her retinue. The painting looks almost alive, arousing curiosity in the audience.

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This is the only painting by Bruegel that was painted in oil rather than tempera. There are still doubts about the authenticity of the painting, mainly for two reasons. Firstly, he did not paint in oils, and secondly, recent studies have shown that under the layer of painting there is a schematic drawing Bad quality, which does not belong to Bruegel.

The painting depicts the story of Icarus and the moment of his fall. According to myth, Icarus' feathers were attached with wax, and because Icarus rose very close to the sun, the wax melted and he fell into the water. This landscape inspired W. Hugh Auden to write his most famous poem on the same topic.

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"The School of Athens" is perhaps the most famous fresco Italian artist Renaissance, Raphael.

On this fresco in Athens school All the great mathematicians, philosophers and scientists have gathered under one roof, they share their theories and learn from each other. All the heroes lived at different times, but Raphael placed them all in one room. Some of the figures are Aristotle, Plato, Pythagoras and Ptolemy. A closer look reveals that this painting also contains a self-portrait of Raphael himself. Every artist would like to leave their mark, the only difference is the form. Although maybe he considered himself one of these great figures?

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Michelangelo never considered himself an artist, he always thought of himself more as a sculptor. But he managed to create an amazing, exquisite fresco that the whole world reveres. This masterpiece is on the ceiling Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. Michelangelo was commissioned to paint several biblical stories, one of which was the creation of Adam. In this picture the sculptor in Michelangelo is clearly visible. Adam's human body is rendered with incredible precision using vibrant colors and precise muscle forms. So, we can agree with the author, after all, he is more of a sculptor.

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"Mona Lisa", Leonardo da Vinci

Although it is the most studied painting, the Mona Lisa still remains the most mysterious. Leonardo said that he never stopped working on it. Only his death, as they say, completed work on the canvas. "Mona Lisa" is the first Italian portrait in which the model is depicted from the waist up. Mona Lisa's skin appears to glow due to the use of several layers of transparent oils. As a scientist, Leonardo da Vinci used all his knowledge to make the image of Mona Lisa realistic. As for who exactly is depicted in the painting, it still remains a mystery.

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The painting shows Venus, the goddess of love, floating on a shell in the wind, which is blown by Zephyr, the god of the west wind. She is met on the shore by Ora, the goddess of the seasons, who is ready to dress the newborn deity. The model for Venus is considered to be Simonetta Cattaneo de Vespucci. Simonetta Cattaneo died at 22, and Botticelli wished to be buried next to her. He was bound by unrequited love with her. This picture is the most exquisite piece art ever created.

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Conclusion

This was an article TOP 25 most famous paintings in the world. Thank you for your attention!

). However, for the purposes of this article we will only consider object art.

Historically, all genres were divided into high and low. TO high genre or historical painting included works of a monumental nature, carrying some kind of morality, a significant idea, demonstrating historical, military events associated with religion, mythology or artistic fiction.

TO low genre included everything connected with everyday life. These are still lifes, portraits, household painting, landscapes, animalism, images of naked people, etc.

Animalism (lat. animal - animal)

The animalistic genre arose in ancient times, when the first people painted predatory animals on the rocks. Gradually, this direction grew into an independent genre, implying an expressive depiction of any animals. Animalists usually have a great interest in the animal world, for example, they can be excellent equestrians, keep pets, or simply study their habits for a long time. As a result of the artist's intentions, animals can appear realistic or in the form of artistic images.

Among Russian artists, many were well versed in horses, for example, and. Yes, on famous painting Vasnetsov's “Bogatyrs”, heroic horses are depicted with the greatest skill: the colors, behavior of the animals, bridles and their connection with the riders are carefully thought out. Serov did not like people and considered horses in many ways better than man, which is why he often portrayed her in a variety of scenes. although he painted animals, he did not consider himself an animalist, so bears were his famous painting“Morning in a Pine Forest” was created by animal artist K. Savitsky.

In tsarist times, portraits with pets, which were dear to man, became especially popular. For example, in the painting, Empress Catherine II appeared with her beloved dog. Animals were also present in the portraits of other Russian artists.

Examples of paintings by famous Russian artists in the everyday genre

History painting

This genre involves monumental paintings that are designed to convey to society a grandiose plan, some truth, morality, or demonstrate significant events. It includes works on historical, mythological, religious themes, folklore, as well as military scenes.

In ancient states, myths and legends were long considered events of the past, so they were often depicted on frescoes or vases. Later artists began to separate the events that took place from fiction, which was expressed primarily in the depiction of battle scenes. In Ancient Rome, Egypt and Greece, scenes of heroic battles were often depicted on the shields of victorious warriors in order to demonstrate their triumph over the enemy.

In the Middle Ages, due to the dominance of church dogmas, religious themes prevailed; in the Renaissance, society turned to the past mainly for the purpose of glorifying its states and rulers, and since the 18th century, this genre has often been turned to for the purpose of educating youth. In Russia, the genre became widespread in the 19th century, when artists often tried to analyze the life of Russian society.

In the works of Russian artists, battle painting was presented, for example, and. He touched on mythological and religious subjects in his paintings. History painting dominated by , folklore - by .

Examples of paintings by famous Russian artists in the genre of historical painting

Still life (French nature - nature and morte - dead)

This genre of painting is associated with the depiction of inanimate objects. They can be flowers, fruits, dishes, game, kitchen utensils and other objects, from which the artist often creates a composition according to his plan.

The first still lifes appeared in ancient countries. IN Ancient Egypt It was customary to depict offerings to the gods in the form of various dishes. At the same time, the recognition of the object came first, so ancient artists did not particularly care about chiaroscuro or the texture of still life objects. IN Ancient Greece and in Rome, flowers and fruits were found in paintings and in houses for interior decoration, so that they were depicted more authentically and picturesquely. The formation and flourishing of this genre occurred in the 16th and 17th centuries, when still lifes began to contain hidden religious and other meanings. At the same time, many varieties appeared depending on the subject of the image (floral, fruit, scientist, etc.).

In Russia, still life painting flourished only in the 20th century, since before that it was used mainly for educational purposes. But this development was rapid and captured, including abstract art with all its directions. For example, he created beautiful compositions of flowers in, preferred, worked in, and often “revitalized” his still lifes, giving the viewer the impression that the dishes were about to fall off the table or that all the objects were about to start rotating.

The objects depicted by artists were certainly influenced by their theoretical views or worldview, state of mind. Thus, these were objects depicted according to the principle of spherical perspective discovered by him, and expressionist still lifes amazed with their drama.

Many Russian artists used still life mainly for educational purposes. Thus, he not only honed his artistic skills, but also conducted many experiments, arranging objects in different ways, working with light and color. experimented with the shape and color of the line, sometimes moving away from realism into pure primitivism, sometimes mixing both styles.

Other artists combined in still lifes what they had previously depicted with their favorite things. For example, in the paintings you can find his favorite vase, sheet music and a portrait of his wife that he had previously created, and he depicted his favorite flowers from childhood.

Many other Russian artists worked in the same genre, for example, and others.

Examples of paintings by famous Russian artists in the still life genre

Nude (French nudite - nudity, abbreviated as nu)

This genre is intended to depict the beauty of the naked body and appeared before our era. IN ancient world paid great attention physical development, since the survival of the entire human race depended on it. Thus, in Ancient Greece, athletes traditionally competed naked so that boys and young men could see their well-developed bodies and strive for the same physical perfection. Around the 7th-6th centuries. BC e. Nude male statues also appeared, personifying the physical power of a man. Female figures, on the contrary, always appeared before the audience in robes, since to expose female body was not accepted.

In subsequent eras, attitudes towards nudity changed. Thus, during Hellenism (from the end of the 6th century BC), endurance faded into the background, giving way to admiration of the male figure. At the same time, the first female nude figures began to appear. In the Baroque era, women with curvaceous, during the Rococo, sensuality became paramount, and in the 19th and 20th centuries, paintings or sculptures with naked bodies (especially male ones) were often banned.

Russian artists have repeatedly turned to the nude genre in their works. So, these are dancers with theatrical attributes, these are posing girls or women in the center of monumental scenes. This has a lot of sensual women, including in couples, this has a whole series of paintings depicting naked women in various activities, and this has girls full of innocence. Some, for example, depicted completely naked men, although such paintings were not welcomed by the society of their time.

Examples of paintings by famous Russian artists in the nude genre

Landscape (French Paysage, from pays - terrain)

In this genre, the priority is the depiction of natural or man-made environment: natural areas, views of cities, villages, monuments, etc. Depending on the chosen object, natural, industrial, marine, rural, lyrical and other landscapes are distinguished.

The first landscapes by ancient artists were discovered in rock art Neolithic era and were images of trees, rivers or lakes. Later, the natural motif was used to decorate the home. In the Middle Ages, the landscape was almost completely replaced by religious themes, and in the Renaissance, on the contrary, the harmonious relationship between man and nature came to the fore.

In Russia, landscape painting developed from the 18th century and was initially limited (landscapes, for example, were created in this style), but later a whole galaxy of talented Russian artists enriched this genre with techniques from different styles and movements. created the so-called low-key landscape, that is, instead of chasing spectacular views, he depicted the most intimate moments in Russian nature. and came to a lyrical landscape that amazed the audience with its subtly conveyed mood.

And this is an epic landscape, when the viewer is shown all the grandeur of the surrounding world. endlessly turned to antiquity, E. Volkov knew how to turn any discreet landscape into a poetic picture, amazed the viewer with his marvelous light in the landscapes, and could endlessly admire forest corners, parks, sunsets and convey this love to the viewer.

Each of the landscape painters concentrated his attention on the landscape that fascinated him especially strongly. Many artists could not ignore large-scale construction projects and painted many industrial and urban landscapes. Among them are works,

We are glad to welcome you to the blog about contemporary art. Today I want to talk about painting, so this post is entirely dedicated to landscapes by Russian artists. In it you will find the most full information about the work of Alexander Afonin, Alexey Savchenko and Viktor Bykov. All of them are not just talented, but divinely gifted individuals. Their creativity is multifaceted, original and skillful. They attract the attention of not only citizens of the Russian land, but also representatives and collectors from far abroad countries. Writing about them briefly is quite a difficult task, but we will try to summarize the information in order to present to your eyes only the most interesting and important things from the lives of artists and their work. Well, let's move on to the landscapes of Russian artists?

Landscapes of the true Russian artist Alexander Afonin

The period from 1982 to 1986 became a turning point for the artist. later life. In addition to the fact that during this time period Afonin received his education at the Zheleznogorsk Art School, it was then that he learned professionalism. Today Alexander considers this school one of the best in Russia.

Nature landscapes of different seasons from Alexey Savchenko

Landscapes by Russian artist Alexey Savchenko They take it not by color, but by some capricious northern mood. , maximum color realism - perhaps this is what is very clearly visible in the author’s paintings.

“Forest as if alive” by Russian artist Viktor Bykov

To complete the post, watch a wonderful video about classical landscapes Russian artists: