Which artists have paintings dedicated to winter? Famous winter paintings by great Russian artists
N.S. Krylov (1802-1831). Winter landscape (Russian winter), 1827. Russian Museum
No, after all, winter without snow is not winter. But in a big city the snow doesn’t linger for now; today it falls, but tomorrow it’s gone. All that remains is to admire the snow in the paintings of artists. Having traced this theme in painting, I discovered that the best snow landscapes, of course, come from Russian artists. Which is not surprising, Russia has always been the snowiest and frostiest country. After all, these are ours - felt boots, sheepskin coats, sleighs, and hats with earflaps! I have already presented Aivazovsky’s winter landscapes. And now 10 more best snow paintings by Russian artists of the late 19th - early 20th centuries, very famous and little known, but no less wonderful, but this is only a very small part of the Russian heritage.
A few words about the artist whose painting begins this list. This is one of the first images of winter in Russian painting, painted at a time when landscape artists painted mainly views of Italy or Switzerland with waterfalls and mountain peaks. A.G. Venetsianov (teacher, member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, founder of the so-called Venetsian school) met Krylov in the Terebensky monastery of the Tver province, where he, as an apprentice, painted the iconostasis with the artel of Kalyazin icon painters. On the advice of Venetsianov, Krylov began drawing from life and painting portraits. In 1825 he came to St. Petersburg, settled with Venetsianov as his student and at the same time began to attend drawing classes at the Academy of Arts. The history of the creation of the painting is known. In 1827, the young artist had the intention of painting a winter view from life. When Krylov chose a place on the banks of the Tosna River, near St. Petersburg, one of the wealthy merchants and patrons of the arts built him a warm workshop there and gave him a table and allowance for the entire duration of his work. The painting was completed within a month. She appeared at an exhibition at the Academy of Arts.
1. Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin (1832-1898) - great Russian artist (painter, landscape painter, engraver), academician. Shishkin studied painting at the School of Painting in Moscow, and then continued his education at the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. Having the opportunity to travel, Shishkin visited Germany, Munich, then Switzerland, Zurich. Everywhere Shishkin worked in the workshops of famous artists. In 1866 he returned to St. Petersburg. Traveling around Russia, he then presented his paintings at exhibitions.
I. Shishkin. In the wild north, 1891. Kiev Museum of Russian Art
2. Ivan Pavlovich Pokhitonov (1850-1923) - Russian artist, master of landscape. Member of the Association of Itinerants. He became famous for his miniatures, mainly landscape ones. He painted with a thin brush, using a magnifying glass, on mahogany or lemon wood boards, which he primed using a special technology. “This is some kind of sorcerer-artist, so masterfully, masterfully done; how he writes, you just can’t understand... A sorcerer!” - I.E. Repin spoke about him. He lived most of his life in France and Belgium, without losing contact with Russia. His work organically combined the poetic mood characteristic of Russian landscapes with French sophistication and strict demands on the pictorial quality of works. Unfortunately, the work of this original Russian artist is currently in the shadows, but at one time his paintings were highly appreciated by both great artists and art lovers.
I.P. Pokhitonov. Snow effect
I.P. Pokhitonov. Winter landscape, 1890. Saratov State Art Museum. A.N. Radishcheva
3. Alexey Alexandrovich Pisemsky (1859-1913) - painter, draftsman, landscape painter, was engaged in illustration. Represents Russian realistic landscape of the 1880-90s. He entered the Imperial Academy of Arts as a free student in 1878 and was awarded three small and two large silver medals for his successes. He left the academy in 1880, receiving the title of non-class artist of the 3rd degree. The following year, for the paintings presented at the academic exhibition, he was promoted to artist of the 2nd degree. He was especially successful in watercolor painting and pen drawing, and has been a regular participant in exhibitions of Russian watercolor societies since its inception.
A.A. Pisemsky. Winter landscape
A.A. Pisemsky. Winter landscape with hut
4. Apollinary Mikhailovich Vasnetsov (1856-1933) - Russian artist, master of historical painting, art critic, brother of Viktor Vasnetsov. Apollinary Vasnetsov was not his timid shadow, but had a completely original talent. He did not receive a systematic art education. His school was direct communication and joint work with major Russian artists: his brother, I.E. Repin, V.D. Polenov. The artist was interested in a special type of historical landscape, in which A. Vasnetsov tried to revive the appearance and life of pre-Petrine Moscow. At the same time, the artist continued to paint “ordinary” landscapes.
A.M. Vasnetsov. Winter's Dream (Winter), 1908-1914. Private collection
5. Nikolai Nikanorovich Dubovskoy (1859-1918) - academician of painting (1898), full member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts (1900), professor and head of the landscape workshop of the Higher Art School of Painting. Member and subsequently one of the leaders of the Association of Itinerants. Developing the traditions of Russian landscape painting, Dubovskoy creates his own type of landscape - simple and laconic. Among the many now undeservedly forgotten artists who at one time made up the glory of Russian painting, the name of N.N. Dubovsky stands apart: among Russian landscape painters of the late 19th - early 20th centuries, his name was one of the most popular.
N.N. Dubovskaya. At the monastery. Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, 1917. Rostov Museum of Fine Arts
6. Igor Emmanuilovich Grabar (1871 - 1960) - Russian Soviet artist-painter, restorer, art critic, educator, museum activist, teacher. People's Artist of the USSR (1956). Winner of the Stalin Prize, first degree (1941). After graduating from St. Petersburg University, he entered the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts in 1895, where he studied in the workshop of Ilya Repin. I.E. Grabar is one of the most famous names in the history of Russian culture of the 20th century.
I.E. Grabar. Snowdrifts, 1904. National Gallery of Art. Boris Voznitsky, Lviv
7. Nikolai Petrovich Krymov (1884-1958) - Russian painter and teacher. People's Artist of the RSFSR (1956), corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Arts (1949). N.P. Krymov was born in Moscow on April 20 (May 2), 1884 in the family of the artist P.A. Krymov, who wrote in the style of the “Itinerants”. He received his initial professional training from his father. In 1904 he entered the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, where he first studied in the architectural department, and in 1907-1911 - in the landscape workshop of A.M. Vasnetsova. Participant of the exhibition "Blue Rose" (1907), as well as exhibitions of the Union of Russian Artists. He lived in Moscow, also spending (since 1928) a significant part of the year in Tarusa.
Nikolay Krymov. Winter, 1933. State Tretyakov Gallery
Many, and perhaps all, outstanding artists were fascinated by that time of year when nature rests and gains strength under a fluffy white cover. And they, inspired, created amazing winter landscapes, several of which we will admire today.
Winter landscapes by outstanding artists. Julius Klever “Winter landscape with a hut”, 1899
Julius Klever is a Russian artist of German origin, academician and professor at the Imperial Academy of Arts. Born in 1850 in the city of Dorpat (now Tartu in Estonia). The artist was in love with fairy tales, which is clearly visible in each of his works - even if there are no fairy-tale characters in the picture, their spirit is felt in the forest, swamp and river landscapes.
Julius Klever, painting “Winter Landscape with a Hut”, 1899
Winter landscapes by outstanding artists. Igor Grabar, “Luxurious frost”, 1941
Igor Grabar is a Russian artist, art critic, restorer, teacher. Born in Budapest in 1871, he traveled a lot. In the 1930s, he “settled” in the artists’ holiday village in Abramtsevo. The local nature became an inexhaustible source of inspiration for Grabar the landscape painter. The main object of observation and work for him was frost. An example of this is the painting “Luxurious Frost”.
Igor Grabar painting “Luxurious frost”, 1941
Winter landscapes by outstanding artists. Ivan Aivazovsky, “Ice Mountains in Antarctica”, 1870
This work by the world-famous marine painter I. Aivazovsky has three plot components: amazing sea power, the stunning beauty of eternal winter and the courage of the Russian navigators Bellingshausen and Lazarev, who discovered Antarctica during an expedition in 1820. The painting “Ice Mountains in Antarctica” is based on the memoirs of Admiral Lazarev.
Ivan Aivazovsky, painting “Ice Mountains in Antarctica”, 1870
Winter landscapes by outstanding artists. Arkhip Kuindzhi, “Sun spots on frost”, 1876-1890
Arkhip Kuindzhi is a famous Russian landscape painter, a student of Aivazovsky himself. Born in 1851. In his works, using gradation in halftones, he sometimes achieved a complete optical illusion. Unfortunately, due to the change in colors over time, Kuindzhi’s paintings lose much of their former richness. Therefore, we hasten to admire what has been preserved.
Arkhip Kuindzhi, painting “Sun spots on frost”, 1876-1890
Winter landscapes by outstanding artists. Isaac Levitan, “Forest in Winter”, 1885
Levitan is a Russian artist of Jewish origin, a master of “mood landscape”. Levitan's works prove that the forest element is beautiful at any time of the year - be it lush spring, hot summer, rainy autumn or magical snowy winter. We, pampered city dwellers, have the pleasure of seeing the beauty of a winter forest extremely rarely. And you can look at her with the brilliant eyes of Levitan at any moment.
Isaac Levitan, painting “Forest in Winter”, 1885
Winter landscapes by outstanding artists. Viktor Vasnetsov “Winter Dream” (“Winter”), 1908-1914
Viktor Vasnetsov is another adept of Russian landscape, as well as a master of historical and folklore painting. Most of his work “Winter Dream” is occupied by the edge of the forest. The snow has enveloped the trees in a fluffy blanket, everything seems to have frozen, silence and peace reign all around. And only light traces of the sleigh, leading to a village barely visible in the distance, are visible on the left side of the picture. Somewhere there is the warmth of the hearth, but here, in the foreground, severe frost reigns.
Victor Vasnetsov, painting “Winter Dream”, 1908-1914
Winter landscapes by outstanding artists. Boris Kustodiev, “Skiers”, 1919
Boris Kustodiev is a Russian and Soviet painter, landscape painter, graphic artist, illustrator and theater artist. The canvas “Skiers” is an amazing example of white on white. Frost-covered trees stand out against the backdrop of an endless snow-covered plain. Plumes of dull white smoke released by the locomotive obscure the snowy road from view. And all this pastoral splendor is watched by two skiers - a girl and a boy.
Boris Kustodiev, painting “Skiers”, 1919
Winter landscapes by outstanding artists. Pieter Bruegel the Elder, "Winter Landscape with Skaters and a Bird Trap", 1565
Pieter Bruegel the Elder is a Dutch painter and graphic artist, the most famous of those who bore the surname “Bruelel”. At first glance, in his “Winter Landscape with Skaters and a Bird Trap,” you can only see how carefree people frolic on the ice. The bird trap in the heavy door on the right side of the picture is barely visible. And where is your catcher? It’s not for nothing that Bruegel the Elder is considered a joker...
Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Winter Landscape with Skaters and a Bird Trap, 1565
Winter landscapes by outstanding artists. Hendrik Averkamp, "Winter Landscape with Skaters", 1609
Another Dutch painter, Hendrik Averkamp, like Bruegel, loved to paint small, realistic winter landscapes. One of them is this “Winter Landscape”, also with an upwardly shifted horizon and a trap door (direct quote from Bruegel). By the way, try to find her.
Pieter Bruegel is considered the last Dutch Renaissance artist. He had the opportunity to travel a lot around Europe. Rome awakened a special feeling of delight in him.
Pieter Bruegel never painted to order - he was a free artist. The master of the brush loved to depict people of the lower classes in his paintings, for which he was nicknamed “The Peasant.”
One of his most famous paintings is “Hunters in the Snow” from the “Twelve Months” series. Only five paintings from this cycle have survived (it is believed that there were originally six). “Hunters in the Snow” corresponds to December and January. In this winter picture there are people with their way of life, who represent a generalized image of the whole world.
Hunters in the snow
Claude Monet "Magpie"
Before that, the winter landscape genre was introduced by Gustave Coubret. In his painting there were people, horses, dogs, and only then . Claude Monet moved away from this and depicted just one, barely noticeable magpie. The painter called it a “lonely note.” This showed the lightness and beauty of the winter landscape. Playing with light and shadow helps the artist create a special sensual atmosphere on a cold day.
Interestingly, the jury of the Paris Salon (one of the most prestigious art exhibitions in France) rejected this painting. And this is understandable, because she was very bold, the novelty of Monet’s manner made the painting different from the classic images of a winter day of that time.
Magpie
Vincent Van Gogh "Landscape with Snow"
Vincent Van Gogh decided to become a painter at the age of twenty-seven. When Vincent arrived in Paris to visit his brother Theo, he quickly became disillusioned with the capital's artistic society. He left the winter capital and moved to sunny Arles.
At this time there was frosty weather unusual for those places. Getting off the train, the painter felt like he was in the kingdom of snow; he was not accustomed to heavy snowfalls and huge snowdrifts. True, a thaw soon set in and most of the snow melted. The artist hastened to capture what was left of the snow in the fields.
Landscape with snow
Paul Gauguin "Breton Village in the Snow"
Paul Gauguin is a famous French artist. During his lifetime, his paintings were not in demand, so Gauguin was very poor. Fame came to him, like to his friend Van Gogh, only a few years after his death.
Recently, Paul Gauguin’s painting “When is the wedding?” was sold for $300 million. It is now the most expensive painting ever sold! The masterpiece was bought by the Qatar Museums organization, the seller is the famous Swiss collector Rudolf Staehelin.
When Paul Gauguin moved to northwestern France, he began painting “Breton Village in the Snow.” It was found on an easel without a signature or date in the studio of Paul Gauguin at the time of his death on May 8, 1903.
The artist created the heavy contours of snow-covered thatched roofs , church spire and trees suddenly appearing in this desert landscape. The high horizon line, the distant smoking chimneys - everything evokes a feeling of drama and frost in a barren winter.
Breton village in the snow
Hendrik Averkamp "Winter Landscape with Skaters"
Hendrik Averkamp is a Dutch painter. He was the first to work in the style of realistic landscape painting: the nature in his paintings was as it really was.
Averkamp was deaf and mute from birth. His early work consisted exclusively of urban winter landscapes. It was they who made the artist widely known.
Since Averkamp could not perceive this world with the help of hearing, his vision perfectly captured the sense of color, and his ability to notice the smallest elements in multi-figure compositions became more acute. No one could compare with him in conveying changing lighting.
The famous painting by Hendrik Averkamp is “Winter Landscape with Skaters”. Pay attention to the bird trap made of a door and a stick in the lower left corner of the picture - this is a direct allusion to Pieter Bruegel’s painting “Winter Landscape with a Bird Trap” (here it is in the lower right corner ).
Winter landscape with skaters
Winter landscape with bird trap
Winter landscapes by contemporary artists
Robert Duncan is a contemporary American artist born in Utah. There were 10 children in his family. Robert started drawing at the age of 5.
He loved to visit his grandparents at the ranch in the summer. It was his grandmother, when the boy was 11 years old, who gave him a set of paints and paid for 3 oil painting lessons.
Duncan’s winter paintings exude warmth and homeliness, despite the fact that they are still “winter”!
Kevin Walsh is an artist whose paintings we have to assemble from a thousand pieces. Why? Because his works can be found on puzzles, postcards and even on clothes as prints.
Kevin Walsh's work is noted for its attention to technical and historical detail. The highlight of his work is his special sensitivity to gamma, palette and color rendering. Here is a selection of his works on winter themes.
Richard de Wolfe is a professional Canadian artist and blogger. He is a self-taught artist. The first exhibition of Richard de Wolfe's work was presented when he was 18 years old. Here are some of his works.
Judy Gibson is a contemporary American artist. Her paintings contain spontaneity and warmth. Her winter drawings show a forest house to which she invites your imagination. You need to imagine how cozy it is there, sitting by the fireplace with a cup of hot food. .
Stuart Sherwood is a self-taught artist. He painted portraits of many famous people: Pope John Paul II, John F. Kennedy and others. He is the only person to have been awarded the prestigious Canadian Award four times. They say that he even painted paintings for the President of France.
Would you like to draw winter?
Fluffy white flakes. A cozy creaking sound underfoot. Sparkling snow reflects the sun's ray. A perfect winter is the grace of nature. And if he doesn’t become generous, art won’t let you down. Russian artists have been painting winter for centuries. Without knowing it - for future use. Looking at winter landscapes with Natalia Letnikova.
The winter mood is a little childish. While in the village of Ladeiki near Krasnoyarsk, Vasily Surikov decided to convey all the Siberian daring that comes through even in winter fun. “I wrote what I myself have seen many times.” The painter looked for images every market day. The organization of nature - a snowy town and a mounted Cossack on an “assault” - is the merit of the artist’s brother. Alexander Surikov himself took a place in the painting in the “auditorium” - on a sleigh covered with a bright carpet.
Taking the snowy town. 1891. State Russian Museum
Landscapes by a marine painter. A real rarity. Aivazovsky painted about six thousand paintings during his creative life. And almost every job involves the sea. But the painter of the Main Naval Staff also used silver in his palette, painting not wave crests... but a snow-covered forest. The source of inspiration is not only southern Feodosia, but also northern St. Petersburg, where the gifted young man Hovhannes Ayvazyan grew into the artist Ivan Aivazovsky.
Winter landscape. 1876. Private collection
“In the wild north...” Poetic lines by Mikhail Lermontov and the title of the painting by Ivan Shishkin. Half a century since the death of the poet... Russian artists painted pictures based on his poems. Shishkin chose the theme of loneliness and saw his pine tree in the town of Kemi in distant Finland, where the painter’s daughter had moved. Night, twilight, silence, solitude - not a sentence, but a wonderful winter dream. “...In that region where the sun rises, / Alone and sad on a burning cliff / A beautiful palm tree grows.”
“In the wild north...” 1891. Kyiv Museum of Russian Art
Fairy tale, opera, painting. And it's all about her. The Snow Maiden was invented by playwright Alexander Ostrovsky, endowed with a coloratura soprano by composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and brought to the edge of the forest by artist Viktor Vasnetsov. A touching girl, whose prototype was Sashenka, the daughter of Savva Mamontov, takes a step into the big world. Snow-white edge and gray haze in the distance. Anxiety in the girls' eyes and... the feeling of a fairy tale, even with a sad ending.
Desn is about accepting with your entire being what is happening around you at the moment. The irrational aspect of admiring nature - without realizing oneself in it - is the Zen of a child. It’s very strange to see Plastov’s “First Snow” being taught to children at school. Or not strange, but true?
The art of drawing and painting itself are nothing more than tools that promote literature and, consequently, the enlightenment of the people.
Alexey Gavrilovich Venetsianov
A winter painting by a modern master on a classic theme about frost and sun delights with birch trees and snow. Nikolai Anokhin depicts Russian woods and a village house standing on the outskirts. This canvas will take its rightful place in our collection of winter reproductions.
The painting by the famous artist Konstantin Yuon is integral to its name - “ March sun". Otherwise, we might not understand that this is exactly March, the end of winter. Thank you, the author explains. Let's look at the canvas, bright and solid? Not quite. The composition “right through” reflects movement, turning, towards the light and towards summer.
The famous painting by Viktor Grigorievich Tsyplakov “Frost and Sun” depicts not the sun itself, but the effects of lighting. The painting contrasts strong houses and sleighs with horses moving along a snowy road towards us, the spectators.
The painting by Alexey Savrasov depicts the corner of a snow-filled courtyard, fenced with a strong fence. Savrasov painted rickety huts, courtyards like these, and wide deserted winter landscapes of the Middle Zone.
An artless picture at first glance Alexey Savrasov It doesn’t even depict winter, but space. And not the road - the distance. The coloring, practically reduced to white and dark, is interesting for analysis.
Interesting winter landscape Gustav Courbet depicts the deserted outskirts of a village in disgusting, dank, cold and damp weather. Where are the horses and people? In stalls and taverns, perhaps.
Surprisingly modern artist Nikolai Krymov. His “Winter Evening” would look great in the artists’ gallery on Vernissage or Krymsky Val. It’s just that now everyone writes like this, well, or through one, but Krymov- first. And very different.