Sergey Vasilievich Gerasimov. The collection of works by Gerasimov can tell about the artist’s versatile interest in the world around him, about the conveyance of both dramatic and harmonious sides of life

Biography

Outstanding artist, painter, graphic artist, illustrator, teacher. Representative of Russian impressionism. Wrote genre paintings, portraits, still lifes, but the artist’s favorite, undoubtedly, was the landscape. People's Artist of the USSR. Full member of the USSR Academy of Arts.

He studied at the Stroganov Central School of Art and Industry with K. A. Korovin, then with him at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. Member of the associations “Moscow Salon” (1911–1920), “World of Art” (1920), “Makovets” (1921–1922), OMH (1926–1929), AHR (1930–1932). Laureate Lenin Prize(1966) for the series of paintings “Russian Land”. Created a number of standard socialist realist paintings that were included in the golden fund of painting Soviet period: “Front-line soldier”, 1926, Tretyakov Gallery; “Oath of the Siberian Partisans”, 1933, Russian Museum; “Collective farm holiday”, 1937, Tretyakov Gallery; “Mother of a Partisan,” 1943–1950, Tretyakov Gallery.

He showed himself to be talented and experienced teacher(taught since 1912, in art school at typopolitography by I.D. Sytin, and then at Vkhutemas - Higher Art and Technical Workshops, and other institutes), as well as a skillful and sensitive administrator who established himself in the middle of the last century as a consistent and cautious, but persistent defender of free views in creativity ( for which in 1948 he was fired from his post as director of the Moscow State Art Institute named after V. I. Surikov). From his workshop came dozens of the most famous painters, making up the color Russian art. Among them are full members Russian Academy arts, People's and Honored Artists of Russia, State Prize Laureates - G. M. Korzhev, P. P. Ossovsky, A. P. Tkachev, S. P. Tkachev, M. V. Sorokin, Yu. P. Kugach and many others . He also held the posts of director of the Moscow Higher Art and Industrial School (formerly Stroganov School; 1950–1964) and First Secretary of the Board of the Union of Artists of the USSR (1958–1964). In Mozhaisk, the artist’s homeland, a children’s art school is named after him.

The artist’s personal exhibitions were repeatedly held in Moscow, Leningrad, Riga, Bucharest, Warsaw, Prague, and Bratislava. The works of S. V. Gerasimov are stored in the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum, the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Memorial Museum artist in Mozhaisk, State literary museum in Moscow, Institute of Russian realistic art(IRRI), State Museum Russian art in Kyiv and in many other museums.

A gifted painter and graphic artist, a master of book illustration, a born teacher, S. V. Gerasimov successfully realized his talent in all these areas of creativity.

He received his artistic education at the Union of Artists and Artists of the Union of Artists (1901-07), then at the Moscow School of Painting and Painting (1907-12), where he studied with K. A. Korovin and S. V. Ivanov. In his youth, Gerasimov preferred watercolors and it was in this subtle technique that he developed the exquisite color scheme characteristic of his works with silvery-pearl tints of free, light strokes.

Along with portraits and landscapes, he often turned to motifs folk life, but it was not the narrative or ethnographic details that attracted the artist here, but the very elements of rural and provincial city life (“At the Cart,” 1906; “Mozhaisk Rows,” 1908; “Weddings in a Tavern,” 1909).

In drawings, lithographs, engravings of the early 1920s. ("Men" series) the artist was looking for a more acute, dramatically intense expression of peasant characters. These searches partly continued in painting: “Front-line soldier” (1926), “Collective farm watchman” (1933). Gerasimov is a lyricist by nature, an exquisite landscape painter.

His highest achievements are in small full-scale sketches of Russian nature. They are remarkable for their poetry, subtle sense of life, harmony and freshness of color ("Winter", 1939; "The Ice Has Gone", 1945; " Spring morning", 1953; series "Mozhaisk Landscapes", 1950s, etc.). Meanwhile, according to the official hierarchy of genres adopted in his time, a painting with a detailed and ideologically consistent plot was considered a full-fledged work of painting. But such paintings were to a certain extent only successful for Gerasimov then when he could convey in them a lyrical state, unifying poetry natural environment: "On Volkhov. Fishermen" (1928-30), "Collective farm holiday" (1937).
Attempts to convey dramatic situations turned out to be not very convincing (“The Oath of the Siberian Partisans,” 1933; “Mother of the Partisan,” 1947). Among graphic works The artist's most famous illustrations were for N. A. Nekrasov's poem "Who Lives Well in Rus'" (1933-36) and for M. Gorky's novel "The Artamonov Case" (1939-54; for them Gerasimov was awarded a gold medal World's Fair 1958 in Brussels).

From a young age and throughout creative path Gerasimov was passionate about teaching: at the art school at the printing house of the I. D. Sytin Partnership (1912-14), in Public school printing business at the People's Commissariat for Education (1918-23), at the Vkhutemas - Vkhutein (1920-29), the Moscow Printing Institute (1930-36), MGHI (1937-50), MVHPU (1950-64). In 1956 he was awarded academic degree Doctor of Art History.

People's Artist of the USSR. Full member of the USSR Academy of Arts. Laureate State Prize THE USSR. Lenin Prize laureate.

In 1907 he graduated from the Stroganov Central Art and Industrial School, where his teacher was K.A. Korovin, and in 1911 he became a graduate of the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, where he worked with a young artist in addition to K.A. Korovin was continued by the legendary V.A. Serov and A.E. Arkhipov.

In 1914, Gerasimov was sent to the front, where he remained as an ordinary soldier until 1917. The artist’s works “The Peasant” (1918), “On the Volkhov. Fishermen" (1931), "Oath of the Partisans" (1933), "Collective Farm Holiday" (1937), "Mother of the Partisan" (1943), "Kutuzov near Borodin" (1952), which were included in the golden fund of Soviet art.

Sergei Gerasimov's personal exhibitions were held in Moscow, Leningrad, Riga, Bucharest, Warsaw, Prague and Bratislava.

The artist's works are stored in the State Tretyakov Gallery, State Russian Museum, Pushkin Museum im. A.S. Pushkin. In the homeland of Sergei Gerasimov in Mozhaisk, a museum named after him has been opened.

Gerasimov Sergey Vasilievich

A gifted painter and graphic artist, a master of book illustration, a born teacher, S. V. Gerasimov successfully realized his talent in all these areas of creativity.

Girl in a blue jacket

Winter

Kutuzov on the Borodino field.

V.I. Lenin at the Second Congress of Soviets among
peasant delegates.

In his youth, Gerasimov preferred watercolors and it was in this subtle technique that he developed the exquisite color scheme characteristic of his works with silvery-pearl tints of free, light strokes.

Cityscape.

Early spring

Along with portraits and landscapes, he often turned to motifs of folk life, but it was not the narrative or ethnographic details that attracted the artist here, but the very elements of rural and provincial city life (“At the Cart,” 1906; “Mozhaisk Rows,” 1908; “Weddings in a Tavern” ", 1909).

Golden autumn

For the power of the Soviets.

In drawings, lithographs, engravings of the early 1920s. ("Men" series) the artist was looking for a more acute, dramatically intense expression of peasant characters.

Illustration for the novel by A.M. Gorky The Artamonov Case

Collective farm holiday

These searches partly continued in painting: “Front-line soldier” (1926), “Collective farm watchman” (1933). Gerasimov is a lyricist by nature, an exquisite landscape painter.

Lilac in bloom

During elections

Cow in the meadow

Partisan's mother

But such paintings were to a certain extent successful for Gerasimov only when in them he could convey a lyrical state that unites the poetry of the natural environment: “On the Volkhov. Fishermen” (1928-30), “Collective Farm Holiday” (1937).

Winter

The beginning of spring.

Attempts to convey dramatic situations turned out to be not very convincing (“The Oath of the Siberian Partisans,” 1933; “Mother of the Partisan,” 1947). Among the artist’s graphic works, the most famous are the illustrations for N. A. Nekrasov’s poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” (1933-36) and for M. Gorky’s novel “The Artamonov Case” (1939-54; for them Gerasimov was awarded a gold medal at the World Exhibition 1958 in Brussels).

It's spring again

Spring morning.

From a young age and throughout his entire career, Gerasimov was passionate about teaching: at the art school at the printing house of the I. D. Sytin Partnership (1912-14), at the State School of Printing at the People's Commissariat for Education (1918-23), at the Vkhutemas - Vkhutein (1920 -29), Moscow Printing Institute (1930-36), MGHI (1937-50), MVHPU (1950-64). In 1956 he was awarded the academic degree of Doctor of Art History.

Oath of the Siberian partisans.

Church of the Intercession on the Nerl.

Landscape with a tower. The beginning of spring.

He was not a private artist, living only in the world of his images, and actively participated in the life of his country. S. V. Gerasimov for a long time led the Union of Artists of the USSR, which means he participated in the leadership role communist party in the field of fine arts. He is remembered as an able administrator with a reputation as a moderate liberal, and was a careful and able teacher, leaving behind many students. But his main legacy is paintings, watercolors and graphics, marked with the stamp of enormous talent and a sensitive soul.

Small Motherland

In 1885, in Mozhaisk near Moscow, Sergei Vasilyevich Gerasimov was born into a poor family. The artist’s biography says that his life was connected with these places for a very long time. Subsequently, already occupying responsible positions in Moscow, he came to his Mozhaisk house, where there was a small workshop, and took every opportunity to paint, trying to express the dim beauty of the surroundings in landscapes.

The son of an artisan tanner, he managed to get an excellent education, graduating from two leading metropolitan art schools: Stroganov Art and Industry and School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. He was also lucky with his teachers, among whom were Sergei Ivanov. In addition to the virtuoso painting technique of work oil paints, Sergei Vasilyevich mastered watercolors, lithography, etching and other types of graphics, which expanded his creative capabilities.

Search for style

He greeted the October Revolution as an accomplished master. S. V. Gerasimov was known for the works created in different materials and in various genres: “At the Cart” (1906), “Weddings in a Tavern” (1909), “Portrait of I. D. Sytin” (1912), “In the North” (1913). Genre scenes, portraits and especially landscapes of that time are filled with a subtle poetic feeling, expressed in a free pictorial manner close to impressionism.

The search for new forms in painting, which marked the beginning of the 20th century, could not pass by the young but very educated Gerasimov. Subsequently, the artist went through a period of fascination with Cezanne and the early Cubists (“Front Soldier” (1926)). There was a time when the primitivists seemed close to him. But opinion large number critics who classify Gerasimov as one of the outstanding masters of Russian impressionism seems most justified. Even the mechanical attribution of him to the founders of painting is more connected with his high position in the official hierarchy.

New times

After a long break caused by the First World War and the difficulties of the revolutionary times, S. V. Gerasimov joined the active artistic life of the young country. He participates in the work of such creative associations, like “Makovets”, “Society of Moscow Artists” and the Association of Artists of Revolutionary Russia (AHRR), which became the forerunner of the Union of Artists of the USSR.

He is trying to master the revolutionary propaganda genre: “The Oath of the Siberian Partisans” (1933), “V. I. Lenin at the Second Congress of Soviets among the peasant delegates" (1931), "Collective Farm Holiday" (1937). S. V. Gerasimov successfully worked in the genre of illustration, creating graphic sheets for the “Artamonov Case”, “ The captain's daughter", to Nekrasov, Tolstoy, Ostrovsky's dramas, to other classical and contemporary books. His watercolors, which reflected the techniques of working with impasto and oil paints, were recognized as innovative by many domestic and foreign connoisseurs. But my favorite genre remained landscape.

Middle band singer

The artist traveled a lot. Sergei Vasilievich Gerasimov, whose biography contains information about the tour European countries, left a series of virtuosic sketches from nature made in Italy, France, and the Caucasus. During the Great Patriotic War he was evacuated to Central Asia. There, in his paintings, a hot one “settled” oriental flavor, With bright colors and blinding light. But there was a region where he was always drawn, where he always returned - the Moscow region, his native Mozhaisk.

In small sketches depicting the environs of his hometown, and in more elaborate canvases, the master’s talent is especially harmonious. Sergei Gerasimov is a Russian artist who continued the traditions of Levitan, Vasiliev, Kuindzhi. The main thing in it landscape paintings- “Winter” (1939), “Dam” (1929), “Spring Flood” (1935), a series of views of Mozhaisk (1940-1950) and many others - amazing emotional content, harmony and freshness of color, virtuoso pictorial skill.

1943, “Mother of the Partisan”

His work is truly multifaceted. A master of subtle poetic nuances, the artist Sergei Gerasimov during the war years created a canvas that became a symbol of the people’s fortitude shown in confronting a formidable and cruel enemy.

The image of an elderly peasant woman, whose son is taken away for execution, tells the story of spiritual strength that has become an insurmountable barrier for the invaders. This picture spoke more to foreign viewers about the Russian character than volumes of ideologically consistent literature. She explained a lot, telling about the reasons for the invincibility of our people. What prompted Gerasimov to paint this picture? To see here only a desire to meet ideological criteria is wrong. “Mother of the Partisan” is a work by a truly Russian artist, whose soul is inseparable from the people, from the land and nature that raised him.

Sergey Brief biography

Time and place of birth - September 14, 1885, Mozhaisk.
1901-1907 - studied in Stroganovka.
1907-1912 - studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture.
1912-1914 - participation in exhibitions, teaching at the art school at the printing house of I. D. Sytin.
In 1914 he was called up to military service.
1917 - return to Moscow, participation in creative artistic associations.
Teaching activities: State School of Printing at the People's Commissariat for Education (1918-1923), Higher Art and Technical Workshops (1920-1929), Moscow Printing Institute (1930-1936), Institute named after. Surikov (1937-1950), Moscow State Academy of Arts and Industry named after S. G. Stroganov (1950-1954).
1958-1964 - First Secretary of the Board of the Union of Artists of the USSR.
Died on April 20, 1964.

Gerasimov Sergey Vasilievich

Sergei Gerasimov

(1885 - 1964)

A gifted painter and graphic artist, a master of book illustration, a born teacher, S. V. Gerasimov successfully realized his talent in all these areas of creativity.

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Sitting in the center: S.V. Gerasimov and V.A. Favorsky. 1930s

Famous Soviet artist Sergei Vasilyevich Gerasimov was born on September 26, 1885 in Mozhaisk. His father was a leather craftsman, but he was interested in art and encouraged children to paint.

Having already become a venerable artist, Gerasimov wrote about his childhood years: “Strange as it may seem, I remember that among the needs, worries, troubles in the family there was some kind of atmosphere of interest in art; Apparently, it came from his father, a well-read man, although he studied with the sexton for only three or four months. Niva was registered in the family; she did not leave the table in the autumn and winter evenings. Everyone was sitting behind a large lamp, some were working, some were preparing lessons, some were drawing. We all, there were four brothers, drew. Blue pencil and some watercolors in wooden boxes were almost never translated.”

Even as a child, Sergei Gerasimov decided that he would definitely become an artist. The path to realizing his dream began for him in the fifteenth year of his life, when he came to Moscow and entered the Stroganov School in the decorative department. He studied diligently and already in 1905 he began to exhibit his still student-naive works at local exhibitions. Having graduated from Stroganov in 1907, he immediately entered Moscow school painting, sculpture and architecture.

The future artist was lucky to have teachers and mentors. He studied with the wonderful painters K.A. Korovina, S.V. Ivanova, V.A. Serov and A.E. Arkhipova. In 1911, having received the title of artist of the first degree upon graduation from college, Sergei Gerasimov enthusiastically devoted himself to his favorite pastime. In addition to painting, he also tries his hand at teaching, teaching classes at the art school at the printing house I.D. Sytin.

Having saved some money, he set off to travel around the country, trying to better understand and feel life. common people to make him the hero of his paintings. He later recalled about this period of his life: “For more wide familiarization with the life of a Russian peasant, I traveled several times to Novgorod, Pskov, Rostov, Suzdal, Vladimir, and to the villages of the Vologda and Arkhangelsk provinces.” The results of the trips were the paintings “Three Peasants”, “Lunch”, “Tanners”, a lot of studies and sketches, on the basis of which the artist planned to paint several more canvases. But creative plans had to be postponed indefinitely, the First World War began.

In 1914, Sergei Gerasimov was drafted into the army and sent to the front. The ordinary soldier had no time for albums and sketchbooks; a difficult war was going on, when fierce attacks were followed by difficult retreats. In 1917, when the fronts began to fall apart, the artist returned to Moscow and immediately plunged into artistic life. Now only worries about his daily bread tore him away from his brushes and paints, since at that time it was almost impossible to feed himself by painting. Gerasimov wrote slogans and posters, designed rallies and public events. And “for the soul” he painted small paintings, landscapes and portraits.

Gerasimov's works begin to appear at exhibitions. Together with his creative colleagues, he is looking for new paths in art, participates in the art associations “Moscow Salon”, “World of Art”, “Makovets”, but is in no hurry to give up realistic painting. For the audience, he presents paintings and portraits that are simple in plot and reflect life. ordinary people, with their heavy everyday work and rare holidays: “Peasant”, “At the Table”, “Peasant Woman with a Rooster”, “Front Soldier”, “Village Council”, “On the Volkhov. Fishermen."

The artist is interested not only in painting, he tries his hand at drawing, engraving, and lithography. As in the pre-war period, he continues to teach and conducts classes at the State School of Printing at the First Model Printing House and Vkhutemas. In 1931 he received the title of professor. His large canvases, ideologically consistent with the spirit of the times, appear at exhibitions: “The Oath of the Siberian Partisans”, “V.I. Lenin at the Second Congress of Soviets among the peasant delegates", "Collective Farm Holiday". Event in artistic life these works did not, it was felt that they were created without inspiration. But he probably couldn’t help but paint such canvases, since already in the early 30s he firmly entered the circle of masters favored by the authorities, from whom precisely such socialist realist works were expected.

Perhaps the only work that truly shocked viewers was the painting “Mother of the Partisan,” painted during the war. On canvas close-up Only two figures are depicted: a Russian peasant woman, whose son is being led to execution, and an SS man who is unable to break the spirit of a simple Russian woman. In 1958, the painting, along with several other works by Gerasimov, was exhibited at the International Exhibition in Brussels, where the artist was awarded a gold medal.

It so happened that Gerasimov’s epic canvases somehow obscured his landscapes, relegating them to the background. But he was a recognized landscape painter, a subtle lyricist, who understood and knew how to reflect discreet beauty on canvas native land. But what was expected from the academician of painting, Honored Artist of the RSFSR, and then People’s Artist of the USSR was precisely pompous works glorifying the successes of socialist construction; it was these that critics wrote about with due enthusiasm, and it was their reproductions that were published in various publications.

Time has put everything in its place. From large canvases, if they remember, and quite deservedly, only “Mother of the Partisan”, but Gerasimov’s landscapes enjoy constant popularity. By the way, it was the poetry of the master’s landscapes that was always noted by his creative colleagues. So, artist P.D. Korin wrote about Gerasimov: “Sergei Vasilyevich was a very national, very Russian artist. He grew up among the fields and forests of Mozhaisk, ancient city, where the proud and bright field of Borodino lies nearby. Since childhood, native nature - the first greenery in the meadows, spring floods, black leafless oaks, a stream making its way among the rhizomes - enchanted his soul. Do not forget what a bright, joyful, life-affirming hymn of beauty native nature there was Sergei Gerasimov's willow tree, blooming on a gray day under the spring sky. Only an artist-poet could see and feel the poetry of the awakening earth.”

About what exactly landscape painting his soul lies, the master himself admitted: “I really love landscapes and paint them at every opportunity.” By the way, the authorities were forced to recognize Gerasimov as a master of landscape. In 1966 (posthumously) he was awarded the Lenin Prize for the series of paintings “Russian Land,” which included 8 canvases. Among them there is only one, “For the Power of the Soviets”, of a heroic-epic nature, the rest are all landscapes: “Early Spring”, “Last Snow”, “Summer Day”, “Flood”, “Mozhaisk. Evening”, “Landscape with a river”, “The snow has melted”.

It is especially worth noting in the master’s work book graphics. Sergei Vasilievich Gerasimov created illustrations for many works domestic writers, including A.S. Pushkina (The Captain's Daughter) N.A. Nekrasova (Who Lives Well in Rus'), A.N. Ostrovsky (The Thunderstorm), M. Gorky (The Artamonov Case). The artist in his watercolors subtly conveys the spirit of a bygone time, as if he himself witnessed those events. His works are rightfully considered masterpieces of book illustration.

Sergei Vasilievich Gerasimov passed away on April 20, 1964. But his students and his paintings remained. Interest in the master’s work does not decrease; albums with reproductions of his paintings continue to be published, and personal exhibitions are held. His canvases adorn largest museums And art galleries Russia. In his homeland in Mozhaisk, a museum of the artist has been created, which is always full of visitors.

Vladimir Rogoza
Online magazine of questions and answers "ShkolaZhizni.ru"

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Sergey Vasilievich Gerasimov(from A. BEREZIN’s book “Voronovo. Art Gallery" 1978)

Full member of the USSR Academy of Arts, People's Artist of the USSR, Lenin Prize laureate S.V. Gerasimov (1885-1964) was born in Mozhaisk, Moscow Region.

“I studied,” the artist wrote in his autobiographical essay, “in a rural school and a city school. At the age of fifteen he came to Moscow and entered the Stroganov School. Here, in connection with the course of Russian literature, reading Russian epics, I felt that most of all I loved Russian art and Russian history. I was interested in Vasnetsov and Nesterov. I remember the Stroganov School very well. S.V.Ivanov, K.A.Koovi, A.M.Korin and others taught there.”

In 1907, Gerasimov graduated from the decorative department of the Stroganov Central Art and Industrial School and entered the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, where he studied until 1911.

At first, Gerasimov performed with works painted in watercolors. “At first and for quite a long time afterwards,” the artist further recalled, “I worked mainly in microcolors. Portrait of a man at the exhibition of 1911-1912 it was also executed in this technique. Oil painting It wasn’t given to me right away, but as a result of great effort.” However, Rerasimov’s cavarel paintings also stand out for their richness of color, precision of drawing, and contrasting pictorial relationships. His early watercolors contained a lot genre scenes, in which a whole gallery of human characters is displayed. Saturated with sonorous colors, unexpected coloristic finds, these early works Gerasimov captivates with his high skill.

Gerasimov's creativity is marked by breadth and diversity. A great master of thematic painting and portrait, he was an outstanding Soviet landscape painter. Gerasimov's landscapes are invariably distinguished by their high artistic merit, richness of color and great lyrical sincerity. Another wonderful Soviet artist P.D. Korin spoke beautifully about the art of Sergei Vasilyevich: “Sergei Vasilyevich was a very national, very Russian artist. He grew up among the fields and forests of Mozhaisk, an ancient city, where the proud and bright region of Borodino lies nearby.

Since childhood, native nature - the first greenery in the meadows, spring floods, black leafless oaks, a stream making its way among the rhizomes - enchanted his soul. Don’t forget what a bright, joyful, life-affirming hymn to the charms of native nature was Sergei Gerasimov’s willow tree, blooming on a gray day over the spring sky. Only a walker-poet could see and feel the poetry of the awakening earth.” S.V. Gerasimov painted all seasons, but most of all he loved early spring, here his gift as an excellent colorist was demonstrated with particular brilliance. S.V. Gerasimov was an excellent book illustrator. His drawings for Pushkin’s “The Captain’s Daughter”, for Nekrasov’s poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'”, for Gorky’s “The Artamonov Case” and for Ostrovsky’s “The Thunderstorm” were included in the golden fund of Soviet graphic art.

The diversity of Gerasimov’s creative interests becomes especially clear when you get acquainted with his thematic compositions. This outstanding artist lived in the interests of his country, he strove to keep up with the times, wanted his art to serve the people. This desire manifested itself in him from the very first days after the victory of the Great October Revolution. Gerasimov accepted with an open soul Soviet power and immediately set about the work necessary for the new time. In the first months after October, he took an active part in the work of the department fine arts People's Commissariat for Education, in the organization art education and in the design of revolutionary festivities.

The great holiday - November 7, 1918 - was held in an unusually solemn atmosphere. “The October days of the first anniversary were one of unhappiest days in Ilyich’s life,” recalled N.K. Krupskaya. IN festive decoration streets, squares and houses the best took part artistic forces countries: B. Kustodiev, S. Gerasimov, N. Kasatkin, E. Cheptsov, I. Brodsky and many others. S.V. Gerasimov painted a huge panel “Master of the Land,” depicting a peasant with a red banner in his hands. The panel was placed on the facade of the former city council building (now it houses central museum them. Lenin).

In the first post-revolutionary decade, Gerasimov created a series of compositions in which he shows his contemporary, images in tune with the heroic spirit of the time. “At the Table”, “Three Peasants”, “Peasant in a Hat”, “Peasant Woman with a Rooster”, “Front Soldier”, “Fishermen on the Volkhov” and other works of the same nature captured a keen interest in the beginnings of a new life in the village, a new understanding of them image of a peasant.

In 1933, Gerasimov exhibited the painting “Oath of the Siberian Partisans” and the portrait “Collective Farm Watchman”. Both of these works brought the artist to the forefront the best masters Soviet painting. "Oath of the Siberian Raptisans" - outstanding work embodying the heroic spirit Soviet people, which appeared in the years civil war. With what conviction and majestic solemnity he pronounces his farewell speech detachment commander at the grave of a dead soldier! How excited and stern are the partisans at this tragic moment, who decided to fight to the last drop of blood for the establishment of new, communist ideals!

“The Oath of the Siberian Partisans” is rightly considered the best historical and revolutionary painting by Gerasimov. The artist himself has said more than once that his main creative task he sees it as creating paintings with a complex compositional and figurative structure. Significant works were also the paintings “V.I. Lenin at the Second Congress of Soviets among the peasant delegates” (1935-1936), “Collective Farm Holiday” (1937), and “For the Power of the Soviets” (1957)…

S.V. Gerasimov is a brilliant master of light, sunny painting. In his “Collective Farm Festival” there is so much light, airy space, a feeling of great joy, truly national holiday"It is noteworthy that everything thematic paintings Gerasimov, like most of his portraits, depict peasants. The icon of the Russian village dedicated his art to the beauty of a man of peasant labor. IN difficult years During the Patriotic War, S.V. Gerasimov created his significant painting “Mother of the Partisan” (1943).

On the canvas there are two opposing figures, two opposing ideological forces: an elderly Russian peasant woman and an SS man. A woman-mother is the personification of a courageous and freedom-loving people. Great expressiveness in opening psychological state image puts this picture on a par with the best creatures modern painting.

The artist works intensively and in post-war years. A series of landscapes, subtle in painting and lyrical in mood, appeared: “The Last Snow” (1954), “The First Greens” (1954), “Lilacs in Bloom” (1955), “Landscape with a River” (1959) and many other paintings. S.V. Gerasimov led a large public and pedagogical work, he was in different time professor of higher arts educational institutions Moscow, Chairman of the Board of the Moscow Organization of Artists, First Secretary of the Board of the Union of Artists of the USSR. In 1963, he was a deputy of the Supreme Council of the RSFSR. “Sergei Vasilyevich Gerasimov,” People’s Artist of the USSR E.F. Belashova said about him, “this is the crown of our art, this is our creative life, our energy, our responsibility to the people and to ourselves.”

In 1966 (posthumously) S.V. Gerasimov was awarded honorary title laureate of the Lenin Prize for the series of paintings “Russian Land”, which included the following works: “Early Spring” (1952), “Last Snow” (1954), “For Soviet Power” (1957), “Letnits Day” (1957), “Flood” (1957), “Mozhaisk.Evening” (1959), “Landscape with a River” (1959), “The Snow Has Gone” (1963).

From the manuscript:

Nuremberg, Amshey Markovich (1887-1979). Odessa-Paris-Moscow. Memoirs of an artist.
Gerasimov
Once, in a conversation with Konchalovsky, when he was on a roll and spoke brightly and sharply about artists, I asked him:
— Pyotr Petrovich, how do you feel about Sergei Gerasimov?
He said:
- Good. The artist is talented. But, in my opinion, he often falls under the influence of others.
- Who hasn’t been influenced by others? Remember Poussin’s phrase: “I have never neglected anyone or anything...” Remember Edouard Manet and Claude Monet, Surikov.
“You see,” Konchalovsky answered, “there is influence that has a teaching significance, and there is influence that leads to eclecticism, to epigonism.”
— What do you think is the influence in Sergei Gerasimov’s work?
After thinking, Konchalovsky answered firmly:
- Teacher's.

Like Konchalovsky, Sergei Gerasimov in his youth was greatly influenced by his teacher Korovin and dreamed of freeing himself from this influence. In the tenth years of our century, Korovin’s fame was very great. He was the first artist to introduce the Russian audience to the technique of impressionism. Bright, thick and sonorous paints, temperamentally thrown onto the canvas, seemed like an unprecedented phenomenon. Naturally, many aspiring artists, including Konchalovsky and Gerasimov, were fond of Korovin’s paintings.

However, the path of following the teacher turned out to be slow. Not all students were close to the decorative and bravura style that distinguished Korovin. Sergei Gerasimov dreamed of a strict easel painting and new means of expression.

Introducing him to the Shchukin collection, where the paintings were located famous impressionists, affected him strong impression. He especially liked Sisley with his lyrical landscapes. In this French-born Englishman, Sergei Gerasimov felt a lot of closeness and kinship. The same penchant for poetry and soft, harmonious color relationships can be observed in his own works.

The watercolor coloring in Sisley’s paintings especially attracted Sergei Gerasimov. He himself worked in watercolors all his life. He loved her and, like no one else among us, knew how to control her. Having studied the impressionist technique, Sergei Gerasimov worked hard to master it and create his own style.

In his works of the 30s, features of mature mastery appear. Korovin's deft brushstrokes and simplified color relationships disappear, and taste increases. And the most valuable thing is that in these things we already see his personal, born poetry.

Sergei Gerasimov at this time creates a number of interesting compositional paintings and large series magnificent landscapes.

After Levitan, many talented landscape painters painted Russian nature: Krymov, Perepletchikov, Yuon, Zhukovsky, Rylov. But none of them was able to convey it so inspiredly, expressively and so poetically. Their work did not always have a sense of modernity. Underestimating innovative, impressionistic techniques, they seemed to lag behind modern times.

Sergei Gerasimov was not afraid of the influence of impressionism and studied the works of Monet and Sisley without prejudice.

Gerasimov is an impressionist, “but only with a Russian soul.”

Sergei Gerasimov loved the northern Russian landscape with quiet rivers, distant blue forests and a bit cold blue sky. He knew this landscape well and could paint it, without using nature, from memory. At Gerasimov’s house there hung a wonderful portrait of Professor Yezersky, painted by Surikov. Showing it to me, Sergei Vasilyevich said:

- Look how the portrait is painted. I treasure it as a relic. I always learn from Surikov how to write! This is my constant teacher and advisor. Pay attention - what strength is felt in everything! A man's hand!

Carefully examining Gerasimov’s paintings and portraits at exhibitions, I always remembered this brilliant Surikov portrait of rare expressiveness and beauty, which so often and happily inspired the artist.