Аннотация: Vereshchagin, Lvov, Gagarin, Wrangel, Durnovo ... A note on chapters 1-8 of the book (author A.I. Kudrya) "Vereshchagin."
Vereshchagin, Lvov, Gagarin, Wrangel, Durnovo ... A note on chapters 1-8 of the book (author A.I. Kudrya) "Vereshchagin."
Vasily Vasilyevich Vereshchagin (1842 - 1904) was born into a family that, by its interests, was far from the world of art.
He studied for a year in the Alexander Cadet Corps in Tsarskoe Selo, then 6-7 years in the Sea Cadet Corps in St. Petersburg. Within the walls of these educational institutions, an art was not on the first place.
But his parents were a reasonable humans. The relatives of Vasily Vereshchagin were located at different hierarchical levels.
The abilities of the future artist were met with approval. He was praised at home, the director of the cadet corps stroked his head, the teacher of painting at the Sea Cadet Corps invites to his apartment for talks about an art. And here Vasily Vereshchagin - in parallel with his studies at the Sea Cadet Corps - is already studying at a drawing school (where F.F. Lvov works as a head).
Among the fellow students of Vasily Vereshchagin in the Sea Cadet Corps - Ferdinand Wrangel (in the future - the famous scientist hydrograph) and Peter Durnovo (in the future - the Minister of the Interior, author of the famous prophetic "Note" by Durnovo).
Vasily Vereshchagin understood himself and the own prospects. He does not want to make a generally accepted military career. He wants to become an artist.
(In an important period of life, Vereshchagin's thinking and actions are somewhat reminiscent of the thoughts and actions of young Nikolay Przhevalsky (1839 -1888) - with the exception that Przhevalsky or didn't have any influential relatives in the capitals, or he had an order of magnitude less such a relatives, and Przhevalsky had to win money during a card games, but both Vereshchagin and Przhevalsky had a desire to follow the chosen path, which differs from the generally accepted one).
Vereshchagin resigned from military service. He enters the Academy of Arts.
F.F. Lvov organized the meeting, the acquaintance of Vasily Vereshchagin with Vice-President of the Academy of Arts, Prince G. G. Gagarin.
A some intuition leads a young talent along the path of life. He gains an independent look at the world and at his own destiny, at his creative role.
He takes an unusual far-sighted strategic decision - the time of the young artist is distributed in a reasonable proportion between the city of Paris (and Jean-Léon Gérôme's atelier at the École des Beaux-Arts) and independent fine art creativity on the outskirts of the Russian Empire.
But this, nevertheless, is not enough for moving forward. In Paris there is a lack of artists?
Warrant Officer Vereshchagin heroically manifests himself in battles on the outskirts of the Russian Empire. His courage and heroism focus the attention of the military authorities on him. But even this is not enough.
A living in conditions of absolute monarchy requires a kind of diplomatic talent. A thin fabric ...
Vasily Vereshchagin gives his paintings to a high-level dignitaries, and these paintings reach the collection of the Sovereign.
He is known to the Emperor.
Vasily Vereshchagin is one of the many Parisian artists. He is familiar with the elusive, difficult to formulate, but intuitively felt rules of Parisian, European success.
He has an advantage over all European artists, having exclusive material for his paintings - material that none of the European artists possess.
He participates in battles, he leads a soldiers during attacks, he risks his life.
He constantly carries a revolver with him in everyday life and often uses it because of necessity - he has to live in a constant risk.
The annual salary of a navy officer was approximately 400 rubles.
'In St. Petersburg, military officials gave to the artist's plans, supported by Kaufmann, a 'green light'. To their implementation, Vereshchagin was granted three-year leave [a period of creative work without tough submission] and assigned maintenance - three thousand rubles a year. The additional funds were allocated for the publication of the "Album of paintings of the Turkestan Territory." The conditions for the execution of plans were almost perfect. It only remained to roll up our sleeves to start a project'. (A.I. Kudrya 'Vereshchagin').
A young European artist Vasily Vereshchagin enters a high creative orbit.
May 19, 2020 21:36
Translation from Russian into English: May 19, 2020 22:30.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Верещагин, Львов, Гагарин, Врангель, Дурново... Заметка о главах 1-8 книги (автор А.И. Кудря) 'Верещагин''.