Khrutsky Ivan Trofimovich is a famous Belarusian artist and painter.
Called by many art experts a master of still lifes.
Among his many works Special attention The canvas “Flowers and Fruits” attracts attention with its range of colors and saturation.
The picture itself is very complex.
It contains many large and small elements that intertwine with each other.
In the very center of the picture we see a beautiful vase with a huge bouquet of flowers.
Among them there are red and white peonies, bluish toffees, delicate daisies and many more large and small flowers.
The green clay vase is decorated with a relief design.
It fits very harmoniously into the entire composition of the picture.
Next to the vase, on the table, there are various fruits.
By right side from it there is a box of peaches, and deeper into the bush there are grapes.
In front of the box lies one peach, broken in half.
On the other side of the vase are pears, several grapes, a cut lemon and a large watermelon.
Hidden behind the watermelon is an elegant decanter of water.
Near the vase itself there is a glass half filled with water.
One peony flower bent over the glass, as if it were thirsty.
The color scheme of the painting is incredibly diverse.
Starting from dark and dull colors in the background and moving to bright and colorful ones in front.
All the fruits and flowers are executed with such vitality and love that you would think that the author of the masses grew them, picked them and put them together for his work.
All the shadows are drawn very accurately and small parts.
The largest part of the light falls on the bouquet and it seems that an incredible fragrance emanates from it.
With his still life painting “Flowers and Fruits,” Khrutsky shows us how to love and relate to nature.
For our efforts, we will always be rewarded with the graces that are depicted in the picture.
Belarusian and Russian painter Ivan Fomich Khrutsky was born on January twenty-seventh, one thousand eight hundred and ten. The future artist received secondary education at the Polotsk School and came to St. Petersburg in 1827.
Three years later, Ivan Fomich begins his studies at the famous Academy of Arts. This man went down in art history with his magnificent still lifes. And one of the most famous creations- this is Khrutsky’s painting “Flowers and Fruits”.
Magnificent still life, or Strict canons of the Academy
It would seem that what could be more innocent than the depiction of the generous gifts of the earth and, moreover, with such attention and love for the smallest details, decorativeness and at the same time naturalism. Even the ubiquitous fly that landed on a pear is written in such a way that only after unsuccessful attempt brush it off the canvas, you understand that this is just a painting technique by the author of the work.
But in those days when Khrutsky’s painting “Flowers and Fruits” was created, turning to still life was all the more strange because, according to the strict hierarchy of the genre established at the Academy, the description of flowers and fruits was considered worthy only of students. Those who have just begun to master painting. Or generally for amateur girls. Since flowers are the most pleasant decoration for the ladies.
Painting by Ivan Trofimovich Khrutsky "Flowers and Fruits". Description of the artist's work
This is precisely what the academy teacher and author of the rules on drawing flowers and fruits, artist Yakov Ivanovich Basin, saw as the meaning of still life. But the strangest thing is that it was these still lifes that brought fame to the artist Khrutsky.
Neither his portraits, where pretty women are presented in the idea of modern floras and pomonas, nor paintings telling about the quiet joys of life, but precisely these still lifes, somewhat archaic in their manner and devoid of logic in the selection of objects. How can we explain the unexpected popularity of a recently despised genre? 
The Deep Meaning of Creating Great Works
Still life appears as a kind of game or curiosity. Its main value lay in creating the illusion of reality, in deceiving the viewer. Hence its name. But it is worth remembering that in the era of Peter the Great, in addition to the decoy still life, the allegory still life also came into fashion. He revealed his hidden meaning through the language of symbols.
Every object and plant, absolutely everything that was present on the canvas, corresponded to some concept. Roses and peonies spoke to the dedicated viewer about the transience of life. The grapes reminded of the atoning blood of Christ. The extinguished candle made me think about death. As for the image of a realistically painted fly, Khrutsky’s painting “Flowers and Fruits” represents it, probably, only for purely practical purposes. Apparently, it was believed that it would scare away other insects from the work.
Viewer's attitude to the works of Ivan Fomich
Secular etiquette of the eighteenth century implied mandatory knowledge of the language of allegory. Remnants of this knowledge probably reached the beginning of the nineteenth century. And Ivan Fomich’s still lifes attracted some with their decorativeness, while others were attracted by their thought about the vanity of existence, a call for moderation and concern for their immortal soul. 
Likewise, Khrutsky’s painting “Flowers and Fruits,” the creation of which dates back to the early thirties, cannot leave any viewer indifferent. A luxurious still life with objects that the artist especially loved. An earthenware jug filled with a rich combination of various colors. Nearby is a simple bast tuesok. There is a huge variety of fruits on the table. Peaches and pears, pumpkin and lemon, grapes and apples. The abundance that Mother Nature herself gives.
The delight of people of different generations caused by the masterpiece
Many people, whose eyes see the painting “Flowers and Fruits” by Ivan Trofimovich Khrutsky, cannot for a long time forget the impression received from this work. Moreover, this delight is completely present among the public of different ages. Some people seriously consider this still life, trying to comprehend all its secrets, while others are simply moved by the combination of unusual colors. 
The attention of schoolchildren, which is aroused by Khrutsky’s painting “Flowers and Fruits,” is especially dear. The essay of a child who comes to the museum to admire this work incredibly vividly describes this masterpiece with all its earthly gifts from unknown countries and collected even from their own garden beds. And sometimes it is precisely this opinion that is much more valuable to any author than criticism of famous cultural figures.
The significance of Ivan Fomich’s still lifes for Russia
Khrutsky's painting "Flowers and Fruits" has acquired enormous significance for art. In one thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight, the author was even awarded a gold medal for his creations. With the help of such masterpieces, the artist introduced still life into the circle of recognized genres, which opened for Russia the language of things and allegories. Ivan Trofimovich expressed the idea of the need for moral guidelines. About the refinement of the soul and care in personal world high ideals. 
But in one thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, the work of the amazing artist Ivan Khrutsky came to an abrupt end. The man who left a huge creative heritage in all famous genres, being at the very zenith of glory, suddenly disappears. Dissolves into complete obscurity.
Having settled on the estate, he turns into a real landowner who is actively involved in farming and mainly draws portraits of his loved ones. And, perhaps, he did not even know that Tretyakov himself acquired his famous still life for his gallery. But this meant recognition of the indisputable artistic merit of the creation.
If you see in the picture
Cup of coffee on the table
Or fruit drink in a large decanter,
Or a rose in crystal,
Or a bronze vase,
Or a pear or a cake,
Or all items at once -
Know that this is a still life
(Gladkov)
Before us is a still life by I.T. Khrutsky “Flowers and Fruits”.
Still life is one of the most famous painting subjects, to which almost all artists paid tribute. The Dutch, English, and French enthusiastically painted flowers and fruits.
Lush peonies and purple irises stand in a chased vase, pleasing the eye. A little further away there was a decanter with a transparent liquid, which can barely be seen in the depths of the picture.
On the table, grapes and pumpkins lie in picturesque disorder, and there is a basket of peaches. Everything that autumn, with its bountiful harvest, has to offer is presented here. The artist perfectly balanced the composition of the drawing and even introduced a small sprig of field oats into the drawing. The oats have already dried and with their golden sprig draws attention to the left edge of the picture.
All flowers and fruits are carefully painted by the artist. You can see the transparent grapes filled with juice, the velvety skin of peaches, and how beautifully a glass of water is written, you just want to take it and drink the water, acidified with a slice of lemon. The lemon itself with a cut slice lies right there.
The picture mixes autumn, spring and summer, because the flowers and fruits depicted here grow in different time, but in the picture this does not cause the viewer’s rejection and overall it is a very beautiful work.
Ivan Khrutsky was born on January 27, 1810 in the family of the Greek Catholic priest Thomas Ivanovich Khrutsky. Belarusian.
Average art education Ivan Khrutsky graduated from the Polotsk Higher PR School. In 1827 he came to St. Petersburg. Here, until 1829, he took lessons from the English painter J. Doe and at the same time studied at the Imperial Academy of Arts as a visiting student. Copied in the Hermitage. In 1830, Khrutsky entered the Academy of Arts. There he studied with such masters as A. G. Varnek, M. N. Vorobyov, K. P. Bryullov, F. A. Bruni.
In 1839, after the death of his father, Ivan Fomich left St. Petersburg. In 1844, he acquired the Zaharnichi estate in Polotsk district (20 km from Polotsk), where he built a house and laid out a garden according to his own design. Since 1845, I. Khrutsky lived there permanently.
Ivan Fomich died on January 13, 1885; was buried in the family crypt on the Zakharnici estate.
Flowers and fruits. 1838
Ivan Fomich Khrutsky is known as an artist who worked in line with the Russian academic school. He entered the history of art with his still lifes.
Flowers and fruits. 1839
The artist’s first dated sketches, “Still Life with a Vase” and “Still Life with a Bird,” date back to 1832. The main direction of Khrutsky’s creativity during this period was work on still life, referred to in official documents as “painting of flowers and fruits.” At this time, he created a group of works similar in style - “Fruits and a Bird” (1833); "Fruit" (1834); “Grapes and Fruits”, “Still Life with Apples, Grapes and Lemon”, which were distinguished by their simplicity of composition.
Still life with mushrooms
Soon, I. F. Khrutsky moved from early productions, consisting of only a few objects, to significant still life paintings with a complex composition, combining many different vegetables, fruits and flowers: “Flowers and Fruits” (1836, 1839); “Still Life with a Candle”, “Flowers and Fruits”, “Fruits, Fruits, Killed Game” (all 1830s).
Killed game, vegetables and mushrooms. 1854
Fruits. 1840s
In 1836, for the painting “Flowers and Fruits” I. Khrutsky was awarded a large silver medal by the Academic Council. In the same year he was awarded the title free artist"in consideration of good information in landscape painting."
To the holy place. Late 1840s.
Landscape painting Ivan Khrutsky was engaged throughout his subsequent work (“View on Elagin Island in St. Petersburg”, 1839; “View on the Estate”, 1847).
Portrait of a wife with flowers and fruits. 1838
Often the landscape served as a background in the artist’s portraits and genre half-figures. Thus, in his most significant work of the 1830s, “Portrait of a Wife with Flowers and Fruit” (1838), a young woman is depicted at a table laden with baskets of fruit, a decanter of water and a bouquet in a ceramic vase. The background for the entire scene is autumn landscape, decided in crimson tones. A similar composition, which is a kind of synthesis of genre portrait, still life and landscape, appeared in Khrutsky as a tribute to romanticism.
An old woman knitting a stocking. 1838
If I. Khrutsky’s work “Portrait of a Wife” is closer to the academic movement represented by such artists as K. P. Bryullov and F. A. Bruni, then another painting “An Old Woman Knitting a Stocking” (1838) brings him closer to artists who are not those who had an academic education, for example, with A.G. Venetsianov and especially V.A. Tropipin. In 1838, for this work, as well as for the still life “Flowers and Fruits,” Ivan Khrutsky was awarded a small gold medal.
On September 24, 1839, I. F. Khrutsky “for excellent work in portraiture, landscape painting, and especially in the painting of fruits and vegetables” was awarded the title of academician of painting. From this time on, Khrutsky stopped painting spectacular still lifes.
The portrait depicts Vikenty Lisovsky, hieromonk, confessor of Archbishop Joseph Semashko. 1847
After moving to the Polotsk province, Khrutsky did not give up painting, but now a different orientation and other directions predominate in his work. From 1845 to 1855, the artist completed a large number of works commissioned by his patron, the Lithuanian Metropolitan Joseph Semashko. He painted icons for the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Kovno (1847), for the Church of St. Joseph the Betrothed in Trinopol (1849), the cave church of the Three Martyrs in Vilna (1850-1851); for the bishop's house in Vilna - 32 portraits of clergy (including copies from lithographs and original paintings). For the city and country residences of the Metropolitan, Ivan Fomich painted views of Vilna and its environs, still lifes and interiors, copies of paintings by European masters. During this period, Khrutsky took part in the publication of the so-called “Vilna Album” by J. K. Vilchinsky - a series of lithographed city views released in Paris.
In the rooms of the estate of the artist I.F. Khrutsky "Zakharnichi". 1855
Another line of the artist’s creativity at this time is represented by the depiction of interiors - a unique genre of “in rooms”: “The Artist’s Workshop” (without a year), “Metropolitan Joseph Semashko listens to the secretary’s report in his office” (1854), “In the room” (1854) , “In the rooms of the estate of the artist I. F. Khrutsky Zakharnich” (1855).
Portrait of a boy in a straw hat
Also during this period, the artist often painted portraits, which, as a rule, were introduced into his “interiors”. In his own portraiture, Khrutsky reveals himself to be a somewhat dry and naturalistic master, a student of the Western rather than the Russian school. These are the portraits of Joseph Semashko, Potiralovskaya, unknown young man(all 1842). Portrait of Mikołaj Malinowski (1855) - perhaps the best he created in portrait genre. Here, as in “Self-Portrait” (1884), written a year before his death, Khrutsky enhances expressiveness with the successful use of contrasting lighting - a technique that the artist resorted to quite often.
Family portrait. 1854
In addition to single, personal images, Khrutsky also paints group portraits. An example of works of this kind can be “Family Portrait” (1854), with its dry thoroughness in drawing details and strict objectivity in conveying the similarities of those depicted. Family group(mother and three children) is presented against the backdrop of a park landscape. In terms of color, this is a well-harmonized work, done in restrained, muted tones.
Portrait of an unknown woman. 1830
Portrait of a boy. 1834
Portrait of an unknown woman. 1843
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