Nativity by contemporary artists. The theme of the Nativity of Christ in icon painting and secular painting
The State Museum of Fine Arts named after A.S. Pushkin has implemented another significant project. The halls of the Moscow museum housed an exhibition dedicated to the work of the outstanding artist Michelangelo da Caravaggio. The exhibition takes place as part of the Year of Italy in Russia.
The exhibition includes 11 works by the master from the collections of Italy and the Vatican. The exhibition is small, but rare in its content. Among the presented works are such masterpieces of European painting as “Boy with a Basket of Fruit” from the Borghese Gallery, “Entombment”, which almost never leaves the walls of the Vatican Palace, “Supper at Emmaus” from Milan’s Brera Gallery, “Conversion of Saul” from the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo and other paintings.
The selection dedicated to Christmas includes the following paintings:
4. Giorgione. Adoration of the Magi.
5. Rogier van der Weyden. Adoration of the Magi.
6. Rembrandt, Harmens van Rijn. Flight to Egypt.
7. Hugo van der Goes. Christmas.
10. Mikhail Vasilievich Nesterov. Nativity.
12. Eugene Henri Paul Gauguin. Christmas.
Giorgio Vasari(1511-1574) - Italian painter, architect and writer.
Vladimir Lukich Borovikovsky(1757-1825) - Russian artist, master of portraiture.
Giorgio Barbarelli da Castelfranco, better known as Giorgione(1476/1477 – 1510)) - Italian artist, representative of the Venetian school of painting; one of the greatest masters of the High Renaissance.
Rogier van der Weyden(1399/1400 – 1464) – van Eyck’s rival for the title of the most influential master of early Netherlandish painting.
Rembrandt Harmens van Rijn(16-6-1669) - Dutch artist, draftsman and engraver, great master of chiaroscuro, the largest representative of the golden age of Dutch painting.
Hugo van der Goes(c. 1420-25 – 1482) – Flemish artist. Albrecht Dürer considered him the largest representative of early Netherlandish painting, along with Jan van Eyck and Rogier van der Weyden.
Sandro Botticelli(1445-1510) is the nickname of the Florentine artist Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi, who brought the art of the Quattrocento to the threshold of the High Renaissance.
Michelangelo Merisi de Caravaggio(1573-1610), Italian artist, reformer of European painting of the 17th century, one of the greatest masters of the Baroque. One of the first to use the “chiaroscuro” style of painting - a sharp contrast of light and shadow.
Mikhail Vasilievich Nesterov(1862-1942) - Russian and Soviet painter. Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1942). Winner of the Stalin Prize, first degree (1941).
Shebuev, Vasily Kozmich- (* April 2 (13), 1777 in Kronstadt - † June 16 (28), 1855, St. Petersburg) - Russian painter, actual state councilor, academician, honored rector of painting and sculpture of the Imperial Academy of Arts (1832), one of leading masters of late classicism and academicism.
Eugene Henri-Paul Gauguin(1848-1903) - French painter, sculptor, ceramicist and graphic artist. Along with Cezanne and Van Gogh, he was the largest representative of post-impressionism.
Nativity in Rus' it is a great holiday, second in importance only to Easter. On the evening before Christmas - Christmas Eve - it is customary to abstain from eating: “You can’t do it until the first star.” According to tradition, on this day, with the appearance of the first star in the sky, which symbolizes Bethlehem, believers end their four-week fast. Then, closer to midnight, Orthodox Christians go to church to celebrate Christmas there.
From time immemorial, the holiday of the Nativity of Christ has been a source of inspiration for Russian artists, poets and writers.
Christmas stood at the window and painted frosty flowers on the glass, waiting for the floors in the house to be washed, the rugs to be laid, the lamps to be lit in front of the icons and to be let in... - Vasily Akimovich Nikiforov-Volgin"Silver Blizzard"
The most beautiful and fragrant word in the world, “Christmas,” flowed through my soul like a cheerful wind. It smelled of blizzards and prickly pine paws. - Vasily Akimovich Nikiforov-Volgin"Silver Blizzard"
Christmas romance
Your New Year in dark blue
A wave in the middle of the urban sea
Floating in inexplicable melancholy,
It's like life will start again
As if there will be light and glory,
Have a good day and plenty of bread,
It's like life is swinging to the right
swinging to the left.
- Joseph Alexandrovich Brodsky (1961)
What bliss that the snow shines,
That the cold got stronger, and it was drizzling in the morning,
That foil sparkles wildly and tenderly
On every corner and in the store window.
While serpentine, tinsel, gimmick
They rise above the boredom of other possessions,
The languor of the weeks before New Year's
to endure and endure - what a wondrous fate...
- Bella Akhmadulina, December 1974
Christmas
My calendar is half-scorched
blossomed in crimson numbers;
palms and opals on glass
the spell brought frost.
It poured out into a feathery pattern,
arched radiantly,
and tangerines and boron
the living room smells blue.
- Vladimir Nabokov, September 23, 1921, Berlin
Sergei Vasilievich Dosekin - Preparations for Christmas, 1896
It was a late and crimson evening,
The harbinger star has risen.
A new voice cried over the abyss -
The Virgin gave birth to a baby.
And there was a sign and a miracle:
In imperturbable silence
Judas appeared among the crowd
In a cold mask, on a horse.
Lords, full of care,
They sent the news to all ends,
And on the lips of Iscariot
The messengers saw the smile.
- Alexander Blok (1902)
Where the night casts anchor
In the remote constellations of the Zodiac,
Dry leaves of October
Deaf suckers of darkness,
Where are you flying to? For what
Have you fallen from the tree of life?
Bethlehem is foreign and strange to you,
And you didn’t see the manger.
There are no offspring for you - alas,
Sexless malice possesses you,
You will go childless
In their drowned coffins.
And on the threshold of silence,
Among the unconsciousness of nature,
Not for you, not for you, doomed
And the stars have eternal peoples.
- Osip Mandelstam (1920)
On this bright holiday
On this bright holiday -
Christmas holiday
We'll tell each other
Nice words.
The snow falls quietly:
It's winter outside,
A miracle will happen here
And will set hearts on fire.
Let your smiles
On this wonderful day
They will be our happiness
And a gift to everyone.
The sounds of life flow
Happiness and goodness,
Illuminating thoughts
With the light of Christmas.
- Khomyakov Alexey Stepanovich (1804-1860)
Christmas is one of the most popular subjects of European painting, which changed along with it. In medieval paintings, artists recount stories from Scripture in detail to illiterate parishioners. By the 15th century, attention shifts to Mary, the baby, and the miracle that took place. Many symbolic details help to unravel the author's intention. In 17th-century painting, the main thing is light and lighting effects: a cave or stable is depicted in twilight, while the figures gathered at the manger appear in rays of light. In later eras, artists were less interested in traditional religious subject matter. They break away from tradition and paint their own image of Christmas.
Mosaics of the Palatine Chapel in Palermo
Christmas. Mosaic of the Palatine Chapel. 1160-1170 Wikimedia CommonsWhen the Emperor of the Roman Empire, Augustus, announced a general census, its inhabitants went to the cities where they were born. Among them were Joseph and Mary. They went to Bethlehem, but there were no rooms in the hotel, so they had to spend the night in a certain room for livestock. That's where Jesus was born. Mary swaddled the baby and placed it in the manger. At this time, angels appeared to the shepherds, announcing to them the Nativity of the Son of God, and the star showed the wise men the way to the manger of the King of the Jews. This is how the evangelists Matthew and Luke briefly describe Christmas. But in early Christian and medieval depictions of the Nativity, characters appear about whom nothing is said in the Gospel. These are two midwives, Zeloma and Salome, and an ox and a donkey. They are told about by legends that are not included in Scripture - the apocrypha and medieval legends based on them.
On the mosaic of the Palatine Chapel in Palermo, an ox and a donkey look into a manger, and Zeloma and Salome bathe a newborn. When Mary went into labor, Joseph went for the midwives, but it was too late: by the time they arrived, Jesus had already been born. The cave was filled with bright light. Zeloma examined Maria and realized that she remained a virgin, but Salome did not believe her. She was punished for her doubts: the midwife’s hand withered, and only prayer and touching the diapers healed her. Already in the 4th century, this legend caused discontent in the church, and yet midwives continued to be depicted.
Joseph took an ox and a donkey to Bethlehem: the ox was for sale, and Mary rode on the donkey. Unlike the midwives, this plot did not raise any complaints: it is difficult to imagine Christmas in a barn without animals. The animals not only reminded of the modesty and simplicity of the first days of Jesus’ life - their appearance was a confirmation of the words of the prophet Isaiah: “The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master’s manger, but Israel does not know, My people do not understand” (Is. 1:3).
Niccolo di Tommaso. "A Vision of the Nativity of Saint Brigid"
Niccolo di Tommaso. Vision of the Nativity of Saint Brigid. 1372 Pinacoteca Vaticana / Wikimedia Commons In the center of the composition are Mary and the baby, surrounded by a golden glow. The shepherds sit in the distance, Joseph's silhouette follows the outline of the cave vault, which emphasizes his isolation from the central scene. This is one of the first images of a new type of Nativity, telling not so much about the events in Bethlehem, but about the accomplishment of a miracle, about the first meeting and communication of Mary with her son. This iconography is in tune with the religiosity of the late Middle Ages - mystical, prone to emotional experiences. The source of this plot is the vision of St. Brigid of Sweden, the founder of the Order of the Brigittines, who is depicted in the lower right corner of the painting. In 1344, after the death of her husband, she retired from the world and devoted her life to prayer. Soon, various visions began to visit her, and during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, the events of Christmas night were revealed to her. She saw how Joseph, leaving a lit candle, left the cave, and Mary, taking off her cloak, began to pray. At this time, in an instant, a baby was born, from which such a bright light emanated that the candlelight ceased to be visible. Brigitte describes Mary bending tenderly over the baby lying on the cold floor. This scene - the worship of Christ - will subsequently be depicted by many artists. Among such paintings are “The Adoration of the Magi” by Stefan Lochner (1440s), “The Nativity” by Rogier van der Weyden (c. 1452), “Adoration of the Child Christ” by Filippino Lippi (c. 1480).
Petrus Christus. "Christmas"
Petrus Christus. Christmas. Around 1450 National Gallery of Art, Washington Petrus Christus divides the composition into three planes. The first shows an arch with scenes from the book of Genesis. On the pillars, Adam and Eve bite off the fruit of the tree of knowledge . In archivolts Archivolt- a decorative element located on the semicircle of the end of the arch. In the Middle Ages, archivolts were often covered with reliefs.- expulsion from paradise, the works of Adam and Eve Works of Adam and Eve- plot in religious painting: “Adam plowing the earth and Eve with a spinning wheel, working in the sweat of their brow” (Gen. 3:19). and the murder of Abel. In the last scene, the already middle-aged Adam and Eve see off one of their sons. This refers to either the expulsion of Cain to the country of Nod, or the story of their third son Seth. According to the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus, written around the 5th century, Seth went to heaven to get a branch of the tree of knowledge to heal the aging Adam. After the death of his father, he planted a branch on his grave, and thousands of years later a tree grew there: the cross on which Christ was crucified was made from it. This story is also given in the “Golden Legend” - the most famous collection of Christian legends in the Middle Ages, compiled in the 13th century. If the last relief is indeed dedicated to Seth, the image opposite the Expulsion from Paradise hints at future salvation .
The Nativity scene itself occupies the middle ground. It is important to pay attention to two seemingly inconspicuous details: the shoes lying next to Joseph, and the branch with fresh leaves sticking out of the beam. They refer to two Old Testament stories, in which in the Middle Ages they saw indications of the virgin birth and Christmas. Firstly, this is the story of the rod of the high priest Aaron, which blossomed as proof of his right to serve God, and of the burning bush - a bush engulfed in flames, but not burned, from which God spoke to Moses. The rod, which miraculously sprouted shoots, and the bush untouched by fire, anticipated the immaculate conception. The placement of the branch directly above the baby prompted the viewer to reflect on its meaning and was reminiscent of the shoots that Aaron's staff provided. This is also hinted at by the consonance of two Latin words: virgo (maiden) and virga (branch).
Joseph's shoes remind the viewer of Moses, who took off his shoes as he approached the bush. In popular illustrated Bibles, the Nativity, Aaron's rod, and Moses before the burning bush were often depicted side by side. Christus's symbolism is somewhat more complex: most likely, he is counting on an educated and pious viewer.
The background is dedicated to the future - the death and resurrection of Christ. Behind the stable you can see the city of Bruges; among the buildings, the Jerusalem Church, built in Bruges in 1428, stands out. There were quite a few such churches in Europe, their plan and dedication were reminiscent of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. Christus completes his narrative with the image of the tomb.
Gentile da Fabriano. "Adoration of the Magi"
Gentile da Fabriano. Adoration of the Magi. 1423
Gentile da Fabriano. Adoration of the Magi. Fragment. 1423Galleria degli Uffizi / Wikimedia Commons
The wise men who came to worship Christ are often depicted together with the shepherds. But their journey was longer: they came from a distant country, and along the way they visited King Herod in Jerusalem. It was believed that some time passed between Christmas and the arrival of the Magi and they no longer brought their gifts to the manger. Matthew writes that they went into a certain house, into which Joseph and Mary apparently moved.
The Magi were associated with the East, where they came from. In early depictions, the Magi often arrive on camels and wear Phrygian caps, which signify strangers. Later, tradition attributed to them names - Caspar, Balthazar and Melchior - and royal origin, and the luxury and unusualness of their outfits began to indicate their connection with the East.
This plot was especially popular in Florence in the 14th century. - XV centuries, where in the 1370s an organization called Compagnia dei magi (“Society of the Magi”) arose. Similar brotherhoods, organized by laymen, existed back in the Middle Ages and were engaged in charity. In Renaissance Italy, their role in city life was great; they managed quite large financial resources, spent on hospitals, assistance to less successful members of the brotherhood, and the construction of new buildings. The Society of the Magi became one of the most influential Florentine brotherhoods, and members of the Medici family were among the participants. The brotherhood's meetings were held in the monastery of San Marco. The main task of the society was to organize processions on the feast of Epiphany (on this day the Catholic Church celebrates the Adoration of the Magi). At first, the processions resembled medieval mysteries, but by the 15th century they began to look more and more like ceremonial parades.
The richest Florentine families commissioned scenes of the adoration of the Magi from such artists as Fra Filippo Lippi, Fra Angelico, Botticelli and others. Such orders demonstrated to others the well-being of the family, and at the same time justified it: murals and paintings were presented to churches or placed in family chapels. Like the Magi, the customers were rich and also gave part of their fortune to God. Gentile da Fabriano is the author of one of the most expensive “Adoration of the Magi,” which was written by order of the banker Palla Strozzi, the richest man in Florence. Strozzi himself can be seen in the painting wearing a red turban, holding a falcon in his hands, behind the back of one of the Magi.
The decorative nature of this picture, the many small details, flowers and animals, the procession of horsemen moving from castle to castle, the graceful poses of the ladies standing behind Mary, in whom it is difficult to recognize midwives, are reminiscent of the courtly knightly culture of the late Middle Ages, which is gradually fading into the past. .
Georges de Latour. "Adoration of the Shepherds"
Georges de Latour. Worship of the shepherds. Around 1644 Franck Raux / Musée du Louvre / RMN-Grand Palais The shepherds were the first to come to worship Jesus. To depict commoners, artists did not need to turn to images of the past: the viewer immediately understood who they meant. We see the most ordinary peasants in Georges de Latour. The everyday life familiar to him is reflected not only in the appearance of the shepherds, but also in the plot. The shepherds bring their gifts to the baby - a flute, a shepherd's crook, a pie. De La Tour most likely knew about these offerings, which were strikingly different from the luxurious gifts of the Magi, from French Christmas songs. There it is sung about how the shepherds, going to Jesus, list the gifts that they will bring him: a lamb, a flute, a glass of milk, and so on. This simple subject is matched by the focused, solemn and yet tender mood that de Latour creates using a restrained, austere composition, illuminating the scene with the quiet but bright light of a single candle.
Paul Gauguin. "Te tamari no atua" ("Christmas")
Paul Gauguin. Te tamari no atua. 1896 Neue Pinakothek / Wikimedia Commons In the second half of the 19th century, religious subjects appeared in art relatively rarely. The artists of that time were more interested in the reality around them. Only academic artists, who revived classical ideals, and the Pre-Raphaelites, who, on the contrary, sought to return to pre-Renaissance painting, turned to historical scenes, images of myths, legends and images from Scripture. Impressionists and post-impressionists were of little interest in such subjects. In this sense, Paul Gauguin is an exception. In an unprepossessing hut, tired Maria is resting on the bed, half-turned towards the baby lying in the arms of the midwives. Barely noticeable halos and the title of the painting are the only indication of the plot, separating it from the ordinary life of the village. But Christmas remains Christmas, regardless of the location, be it Bethlehem, Tahiti or a village in Brittany (Gauguin began painting this Christmas in 1894 and finished it in Tahiti).
Notes in the History of Art. Vol. 17, No. 2. Chicago, 1998.
There are much fewer bright and joyful subjects in religious painting than tragic ones. Fine art affects the viewer more acutely and powerfully through tragedy and pain. For a modern person, accustomed to superficial perception, such a dialogue is understandable and close. It’s a completely different story with plots that require quiet contemplation, participation in joy and deep awareness. The Nativity of Christ is one of these subtle, bright themes, imbued with hope and love.
For the first time, Christmas was celebrated in Rome in the second quarter of the 4th century. Scientists date the oldest service of the Nativity of Christ that has reached us to the 5th century. The essence of the holiday is perceived as a statement of the truth of the incarnation of God the Word, who came to Earth in the flesh to save humanity from the slavery of sin.
The paucity of written sources did not influence the formation of a strong artistic tradition of this subject. Evangelists cover this solemn event without detail. The Apostle Matthew says: “Rising from sleep, Joseph did as the Angel of the Lord commanded him, and took his wife. And he did not know Her, but at last She gave birth to Her firstborn Son, and he called His name Jesus” (Matthew 1:24-25). Among the evangelists, only the Apostle Luke mentions a number of important historical circumstances of the appearance of the Holy Family in Jerusalem. Apocrypha and revelation also served as additional sources for artists.
The origins of the iconography of the Nativity of Christ go back to images in the catacombs and sarcophagi. They use the types of images already established in ancient art of a woman in labor, shepherds, an ox and a donkey, and a manger. Quite early, the nativity scene began to be combined with the composition of the worship of the Magi or shepherds. A remarkable example is the painting of the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua by the artist Giotto di Bondone, 1305-1313.
Giotto was recognized as the greatest phenomenon in the field of art during his lifetime. He managed to create a completely new and modern style based on the Greek and Latin art schools. Giotto wrote compositions in which tangible pictorial space, volume, depth and emotional experiences appeared for the first time. In this fresco, the artist focuses on the contemplation of Mary's maternal love. The monumentality and integrity of the figures creates the impression of peace, strength and spiritual support. Although Giotto, as usual, does not depict the feelings of his heroes on their faces, there is so much warmth in Mary’s movement that it is easy for the viewer to understand and imagine the emotions that gripped Her. Mary gives the baby into the hands of Salome for Christ to be washed. The scene of ablution, unknown in early Christian art, is associated with the story of the apocrypha - the Proto-Gospel of James about the midwife Salome, who did not believe in the virgin birth, was punished for this with a withered hand and was healed by touching the Infant God. The image of Salome bathing the infant Christ and the maid (or another midwife, sometimes called Zelomia) helping her, usually pouring water into the font, once again emphasizes the truth of the coming of God in the flesh and testifies to the actual Incarnation. In the bathing of the Baby one can see a prototype of the sacrament of the Baptism of the Lord.
One of the most amazing works in terms of conveying Mary’s contemplative love is Correggio’s painting “Holy Night” (1528-1530, art gallery, Dresden), in which Mary rocks the Baby in her arms, not noticing everything that is happening around Her - flying angels, Joseph . Artists who depict Mary in this way seem to break through into a great mystery about which the evangelists are reverently silent - into the intimate dialogue of Mother and Son, behind which lies the mystery of God’s love for each of us.
El Greco in the Nativity scene (1603-1605, private collection) leaves only the Child, Mary and Joseph. The center of the composition is Emmanuel, who is swaddled by Mary. The manger is also a prototype of the deathbed for the body of the deceased Lord, and baby swaddling clothes are the burial shrouds. John Chrysostom says that the manger represents the throne of heaven, and the cattle represent the presence of the angels. The animals closest to Christ are the ox and the donkey. They are not mentioned in the Gospel, but interpreters of this plot agree that the ox is a symbol of those born in the law, Israel, and the donkey is a symbol of the pagans. And between them is depicted the divine Child, freeing them from under the yoke: some from the yoke of the law, others from the worship of idols. Some are the chosen “remnant” of the Old Testament Church, which will enter the Church of the New Testament; others are those to whom the possibility of true knowledge of God is just opening up.
On Russian soil, due to the loss of understanding of the original meaning of this image, the ox and donkey are often replaced by the cow and horse that are common in rural use. El Greco depicts an ox in the foreground in a manner and perspective characteristic of Menierism, with the head of a donkey peeking out behind Mary. Here the theme of salvation and the joy of Christmas is filled with the consciousness of the redemptive purpose of the Incarnation.
Western European art of the 20th century departed from the canons in everything: color, composition, plane, space and interpretation of the plot. The search for truth in painting led artists to archaic, simple forms close to the embodiment of subjects on sarcophagi, that is, to the origins.
Paul Gauguin devoted himself to thinking about the true nature of humanity. He explored primitive nature, freed from civilization. The result of his search turned out to be very interesting, original and expressive. However, in the predominance of the decorative side of painting, its subtle psychological interpretation is lost. In the film “Child. The Birth of the Tahitian Christ" (1896, Hermitage) an unusual point of view is chosen, the viewer becomes an outside observer, the color and images create the impression that the plot is, on the one hand, mystical, and on the other, too realistic and everyday. In the stable, the artist depicts livestock, rather than the symbolic ox and donkey. We do not see the Baby's face, but his pose is reminiscent of sacrifice. Gauguin attached great importance to the artist's creative imagination.
In Russia at the same time, artists were also looking for new artistic and expressive means. However, the heritage of Byzantine art, classical education and deep traditions did not allow such daring incarnations. The painting of the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv caused a resonance in society at the end of the 19th century. The images created by the artists departed from the canonical ones, but remained deeply spiritual and sublime. In the painting of the altar wall of the southern chapel in the choir of the Vladimir Cathedral, M.V. Nesterov combines the scene of the Nativity of Christ (1890-1891) with the Adoration of the Shepherds. The Mother of God and Joseph are standing in a cave. The cave is mentioned in some apocrypha. The mountain in which we usually see the cave is traditionally associated with Mary, and the cave, in this case, can be interpreted as Her womb. The cave also symbolizes the fallen world, in which the “Sun of Truth” Christ shone.
The shepherds, the first of all people to learn about the Nativity of the Savior, are simple, unsophisticated souls, “the worthless things of this world.” But the Lord, upon His Coming, exalted the image of the shepherd, saying about Himself “I am the Good Shepherd.” The shepherds in the images of Christmas express that amazing childish delight, the intoxication of a miracle, of which only the “pure in heart” and “poor in spirit” are capable. At the top we see in a segment of the sky the image of a star from which the ray emanates. Often the attention of several groups of characters turns out to be focused on the star: the wise men point to it as their guide to Christ, the shepherds marvel at it, and the angels praise it around it. The star, thus, determines the axis of the composition, and the ray falling on the manger of the Infant indicates the main miracle of this moment - the Birth of “He who existed before the ages,” the position in the manger of the Immense, the wrapping of the swaddling clothes of the One who covers the sky with clouds. Subtle color shades, the beauty of the surrounding nature: fragile blades of grass, pearlescent sky, graceful young trees, the purity of flowers growing near the cave; the fragile and loving image of the Virgin Mary, the emotional worship of the shepherds - all this allows the viewer to empathize and be involved in the mystery of Christmas.
In the same 1890, the master of psychological portraiture I.E. Repin painted his version of Christmas (State Tretyakov Gallery). The central figures were the Child Christ and Mary hugging him. I.E. Repin fills the picture with eschatological consciousness. The central position in the compositions of the Nativity of the Mother of God emphasizes her place and role in the arrangement of human salvation. In pre-iconoclast art she is depicted either sitting by a manger or lying on a bed. Mary sitting at the manger is an image of the painless birth of Christ, the incomprehensible virgin birth of the One who is “Virgin before the Nativity, and a Virgin at the Nativity, and a Virgin after the Nativity.”
Nativity. The Patriarch greets the sovereign in the Golden Chamber.
Buchholz Fedor (Theodor Alexander Ferdinand) Fedorovich (Gustavovich) (1857-1942).
Illustration for the magazine "Niva". Engraved by Schubler
Christmas tree trade.
Genrikh Matveevich Manizer. Canvas, oil.
Omsk Regional Museum of Fine Arts named after. M. A. Vrubel
Christmas market.
Buchkuri Alexander Alekseevich (1870 -1942). 1906
Preparatory drawing for the painting "Christmas Tree Sale". 1918
Kustodiev Boris Mikhailovich
Christmas tree trade.
Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev. 1918 Oil on canvas. 98x98.
Krasnodar Regional Art Museum named after. F. Kovalenko, Krasnodar
Canvases on the themes of festive provincial life are distinguished by a special, only for Kustodiev, characteristic brightness, multicolor and life-like authenticity of the smallest details. National holidays and celebrations are reflected in many of the artist’s works over the years. While still a student at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, Kustodiev chose a painting with a similar plot as the topic of his diploma work. He traveled to villages, wrote sketches - portraits of peasants, landscape sketches, genre scenes. “Christmas Tree Trading,” a work created by the artist in 1918, also relates to the same theme.
Glorifying the life and customs of the Russian province, Kustodiev amazingly combined painting with verbal and musical folklore - with songs and fairy tales. An attentive, thoughtful viewer not only sees, but also “hears” the artist’s work. Most likely painted from memory, the picture does not have an exact geographical address - this is Rus' in general, and not the Astrakhan or Kostroma Christmas tree market. The action on the canvas seems to take place “in a certain kingdom, in a certain state.” The spacious sky and the gilded domes of the church above the bustling human anthill - who is not among this motley crowd! The real is surprisingly combined with the fantastic: a colorful fairy tale, full of living details, appears before us. And the artist, like a real storyteller, emphasized everything funny and playful that is in this simple narrative, hiding everything serious that might be hidden in it. The Christmas tree market is depicted by the artist as a festive spectacle. The space of the picture resembles a stage. The arrangement of the figures, at first glance, is chaotic: the image can be continued both to the right and to the left. The openness of the composition and its peculiar fluidity further enhance this general impression.
A large place is devoted to the landscape in this genre scene - the church domes seem fabulous against the backdrop of the snowy sky, spruce trees are dressed in elegant winter clothes - the main item of bargaining at the fair. The artist made a brush stroke on the canvas easily, smoothly, even somehow delicately. Kustodiev attached great importance to line, drawing, and the play of color spots. Chiaroscuro in this case does not matter much; the light becomes very conditional. Local color spots form a harmonious decorative whole. The cloud-covered sky has no depth, the domes of the church are intense in color, due to which the difference in plans is reduced to almost nothing.
On the one hand, Kustodiev noted and transferred to the canvas genuine types of the Russian province, conveyed the real atmosphere of the New Year's bustle, and on the other hand, a festive performance, a costume performance with beautiful scenery, is performed in front of us by the artist himself. A joyful, incomparable feeling of fullness with life and movement permeates the canvas. Life in this work is visible everywhere: people are busy, rejoicing and fussing, snowy winter draws its intricate patterns in the sky, and all this action is enveloped in the fresh coniferous aroma of the beautiful spruce.
The world in Kustodiev’s painting is like a magic lantern with constantly changing pictures - you can endlessly watch its varied, so simple, simple and at the same time full of deep meaning life. The blue and soft white colors of the painting pacify, delight, as if they lull, creating a gentle and poetic atmosphere of anticipation of a miracle on the eve of the holiday - timeless, always modern. They remind us, always busy and rushing somewhere, that everything in this world is beautiful, that life is amazing simply because it is life.
From the book: T. Kondratenko, Y. Solodovnikov "Krasnodar Regional Art Museum named after F.A. Kovalenko." White City, 2003.
Behind the Christmas trees
Returning from the Christmas market.
MM. Germashev (Bubello). Postcard
Preparing for Christmas.
Sergei Vasilyevich Dosekin (1869-1916). 1896
Christmas tree.
Korin Alexey Mikhailovich. 1910
Christmas tree.
Nikolai Ivanovich Feshin (1881-1955). 1917
Christmas tree.
Alexander Moravov. 1921
New Year's treat.
Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna Romanova (sister of Emperor Nicholas II). 1935
Christmas Day. In the monastery.
Ivan Silych Goryushkin-Sorokopudov. Illustration in the magazine "Niva"
City smelters.
Solomatkin Leonid Ivanovich. 1867 Oil on canvas
Slavers.
Solomatkin Leonid Ivanovich. 1868 Oil on canvas.
State Russian Museum
Slavers.
Solomatkin Leonid Ivanovich. Canvas, oil.
State Vladimir-Suzdal Historical-Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve
Slavers.
Solomatkin Leonid Ivanovich. Canvas, oil.
Odessa Art Museum
Slavers.
Solomatkin Leonid Ivanovich. 1872 Oil on canvas. 40.3?51.5.
Ulyanovsk Art Museum
Christoslav policemen.
Solomatkin Leonid Ivanovich (1837-1883). 1872 Oil on canvas.
Perm State Art Gallery
Leonid Ivanovich Solomatkin (1837 - 1883) attended classes at the Imperial Academy of Arts and received a small silver medal for the paintings “Secretary’s Name Day” (1862) and “City Slavers” (1864), which V. V. Stasov welcomed as “a wonderful fresh offspring of Fedotov’s schools." The last plot was subsequently repeated several times; at least 18 author’s replicas are known, although the first version has not survived. Art catalog
In the cellar during the holy week.
Solomatkin Leonid Ivanovich (1837–1883). 1878 Oil on canvas. 26.5x21.5.
Art Gallery of the Generations Fund of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug of Ugra
Admission: 2003
In the film “In the Cellar during Christmas Week” Solomatkin portrays his favorite characters - wandering musicians. Is talent a burden or a gift, a blessing or a curse? Talent is destiny. Talent did not make the artist and his heroes happy, but they fulfill their purpose with dignity. The musicians depicted in the painting have seen better days. The cello played by the old man is a professional instrument, allowing the musician to claim a certain privilege, testifying to a certain level of life left in the past. The old man is accompanied by a boy who plays along with him on the pipe. Apparently, for the sake of this little boy, carefully covered with a warm scarf, the old man has to wander with a heavy tool from zucchini to zucchini, earning his bread. There is a Christmas tree in the room, decorated with toys, and masks and masquerade costumes hang on a hanger, giving the whole event a phantasmagoric touch. Art Gallery of the Generations Fund of Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug of Ugra
Waits. (Children of the old village).
Fedot Vasilyevich Sychkov (1870 - 1958). 1935. Oil on canvas. 63x83 cm
Mordovian Republican Museum of Fine Arts named after S. D. Erzya
With a star.
Reproduction from a painting by M. Germashev, published by the Richard company, printed in the printing house of the partnership “R. Golicke and A. Wilborg”. Petrograd, 1916
Christmas card based on a drawing by Boris Zvorykin
Carols in Little Russia.
Trutovsky Konstantin Alexandrovich (1826-1893). No later than 1864
Russian painting
Carols.
Nikolai Kornilovich Pimenko. Deut. floor. 1880s Canvas, oil. 170x130.
Donetsk Regional Art Museum
museum-painting.dp.ua
Riding on Christmastide.
Buchkuri Alexander Alekseevich (1870 -1942). Canvas, oil.