Forgotten Vasnetsov. Great-grandniece of Viktor Vasnetsov: “This is God’s order!” - said the great-grandfather, starting to paint the Vladimir Cathedral
Viktor Vasnetsov is famous primarily as an artist of the fairy-tale genre. His works, glorifying the poetic beauty of Russian folklore, are “The Knight at the Crossroads” (1882), “The Flying Carpet” (1880), “Alyonushka” (1881), “Ivan Tsarevich on the Gray Wolf” (1889), “Bogatyrs” "(1898) – from the very early childhood enter our lives, forming that bright imagery of a child’s worldview, which forever remains in it a certain beacon of our self-determination. Meanwhile, few people associate the name of Viktor Vasnetsov with religious painting, which in fact occupied a very important place in his work.
V. Vasnetsov. Self-portrait. 1873. Oil on canvas. 71x58. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
Viktor Vasnetsov was born in 1848 in the village of Lopyal, Vyatka province, into the family of a priest. The village of Ryabovo, where the family moved shortly after the birth of their son Victor, is the family nest of the Vasnetsovs. Here the future artist spent his childhood and youth, receiving baptism in the fabulous Vyatka forests, which he later glorified in painting. " This wonderful original Russian artist was born in the Vyatka province, the homeland of my father, - Fyodor Chaliapin wrote about Viktor Vasnetsov. – It’s amazing what kind of people the growing spruce forests of Vyatka give birth to on the dry sand! People emerge from the Vyatka forests and surprisingly pampered capitals, as if carved from this very ancient Scythian soil. Massive in spirit, strong in body, heroes...". The roots of Vasnetsov’s special artistic style, which is a unique, original phenomenon, lie precisely in these modest landscapes of the Russian outback, in the beauty and poetry of Russian folk tales, songs and epics, in the philosophical reflections of a deeply religious father, a village priest, who, according to Viktor Vasnetsov, walking with children through the fields on starry August nights, “he poured into the children’s souls a living, indestructible idea of the Living, truly Existing God.” Rejection of evil and faith in the victory of good became the main motive of the life and work of Viktor Vasnetsov. In search of an ideal, he turned to folk wisdom, to biblical and gospel stories. That is why Vasnetsov’s interest in fairy-tale and fantasy themes coexists with interest in Christian issues. His reasoning on the topic of good and evil, which he left in his diary entries, is extremely interesting.
« If in the animal world struggle is inevitable, then in the human world it had to be avoided,– writes V.M. Vasnetsov in 1909. – The spirit of goodness in man would lead to this, and there would be no need to attack and defend; but, alas, the spirit of evil triumphed in man, the spiritual commandment of God was violated, despite the terrible threat of death, and death entered the human world. The first crime against the life of his brother was committed not out of necessity, not in defense of his life, but out of envy, a spiritual sin. The commandment, the law of man’s spiritual life, has been violated, and the realm of evil has opened up before man: struggle, destruction and death. Just as physical laws are immutable for the material and animal world, so the laws of the spirit are immutable; violation will lead to distortion, destruction and death. Reason does not justify faith in God alone, but demands God and God is a fact; as for my consciousness, my personal existence and the existence of the world around me is a living, immutable fact for me.
The Christian teaching about morality is closely connected with faith in the immortality of the human soul and with faith in Christ as the son of the living God, who established this faith on earth. Christ is the appearance of the living God on earth, expected and expected by humanity and predicted by both the Jewish prophets and pagans. If Christ Jesus is only the best, smartest, most exalted person, then his moral teaching loses its binding force. The humanity of altruists does not seem strictly and reasonably justified and morally obligatory and is subject to many not unreasonable objections. Why am I obligated to help the sick, weak, and poor? Why am I obliged to protect, feed, and build hospitals for the sick, crippled, and unfortunate? Isn’t it wiser to save and protect the healthy and strong (like the ancients), and leave the weak and sick to their fate? And the sooner they bend and disappear, the better for the health and strength of humanity? - is not it? Next: why should I personally strive to do good, and if evil is more profitable for me personally? (the doctrine of egoism). What do I care if my neighbor suffers from this evil! Beware and save yourself if you can, but if you can’t, suffer and perish. But science has no unshakable grounds to strongly object to such warm morality. True, such morality can be called bestial: but man, with his own science alone, without God and Christ, irresistibly strives for the ideal of man - a cultural beast, for if a man does not bear in himself the image and likeness of God, then, of course, he is a beast - the highest beast - the image and likeness of a beast.
So the Apocalypse speaks and speaks the immutable truth, the most scientific, - the kingdom of the Antichrist is the kingdom of the beast! The entire history of mankind is a struggle between the man-beast and the spiritual man, and where the victory of man over the beast was felt, the light of Christ shone there!»
Viktor Vasnetsov studied at the Vyatka Theological School, then at the Vyatka Theological Seminary. In 1867, with the blessing of his father, he went to St. Petersburg to enter the Academy of Arts, where he successfully completed his studies in 1875.
In love with pre-Petrine Terem Rus', with the images of epics and fairy tales of the Russian people, he became one of the founders of a new national trend in fine art - the neo-Russian style. " We will only make our contribution to the treasury of world art when we direct all our strength to the development of our native Russian art, that is, when, with the perfection and completeness possible for us, we depict and express the beauty, power and meaning of our native images, our Russian nature and man , our real life, our past... our dreams, dreams, our faith, and we will be able to reflect the eternal, imperishable in our truly national"- wrote Viktor Vasnetsov.
During the period of dominance of the everyday genre with its social orientation, Vasnetsov, as noted by art critic M.V. Alpatov, “was able to discern in life itself what had acquired a fabulous character in his large canvases.” He opened up a whole area for artistic comprehension in the Russian fairy tale. Refusing to depict everyday reality, he turned, in the words of A. N. Benois, to the “wonderful world of folk fiction.”
By the end of the 19th century, calls for the revival of national traditions of religious art were heard more and more often. When the construction of the Cathedral of St. Equal to the Apostles Prince Vladimir in Kyiv was completed in 1882, dedicated to the 900th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus, the question was raised about giving its interior decoration general form and character ancient Russian temple Old Byzantine model. Art historian, archaeologist A. V. Prakhov (1846 - 1916), appointed head of the work on creating the decoration of the Vladimir Cathedral, understands that the task of reviving the traditions of ancient religious painting and the Russian original spirit in a modern monument can only be solved with the involvement of creative forces, who could break out of the framework of abstract church emasculated academicism. "The Storyteller" Vasnetsov, - as A. N. Benois wrote, - seemed in the 80s to be the only poet among the impenetrable prose of Russian art. […] Therefore, it is quite understandable that when Professor Prakhov, a very perspicacious man with a true aesthetic sense, had to choose someone to paint the Vladimir Cathedral in the ancient Russian spirit, his choice fell on Vasnetsov". In addition to Viktor Vasnetsov, Adrian Prakhov also invited M. V. Nesterov, P. A. Svedomsky and V. A. Kotarbinsky to paint the cathedral.
Interior of St. Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv
However, the main, gigantic part of the work was carried out by Vasnetsov. He worked in Kyiv for ten years, from 1885 to 1896, painting more than 2,000 square meters walls, completing fifteen large compositions and thirty individual figures. The artist independently developed almost the entire system of paintings, essentially creating his own formula of Christianity in pictorial images.
Viktor Vasnetsov preserves Byzantine traditions in the choice of subjects, in the general iconographic scheme of church painting, but at the same time he brings his own vision to each composition, often deviating from the canon, creating his own original version, interpreting Christian history through the prism of understanding it within the framework of Russian Orthodoxy and Russian history. Along with traditional subjects of Christian church painting, on the walls of the cathedral there is a whole host of Russian saints - a real gallery of amazing images of Russian saints, ascetics, princes and princesses (Prince Vladimir, Princess Olga, Princes Boris and Gleb, Andrei Bogolyubsky, Alexander Nevsky, Sergius of Radonezh, Reverend Nestor Chronicler), created on the basis of documentary descriptions, hagiographic literature, and ancient Russian icons. St. Vladimir's Cathedral in Kyiv has become a kind of anthem Orthodox Rus'. “During the celebration of the 900th anniversary of the baptism of Rus', the cathedral was supposed to appear as a monument to the spiritual history of Russia, where the religious, mystical essence of the adoption of Christianity would be combined with the idea of the historical significance of this event for Russian statehood and culture. Therefore, general Christian subjects and images coexist here with Russian characters, and historical events are surrounded by sacred ones.”
The coloring is unique, resembling the bright, rich, decorative colorful symphonies of ancient Russian religious painting and Byzantine mosaics. Not all compositions turned out to be successful - many of them, overly chaotic and overloaded with details, are very theatrical and superficial. A. N. Benois reproached Vasnetsov for the carelessness and lethargy of the drawing, for the overly improvised and fast nature of the writing. However, despite many shortcomings, flaws and omissions, one cannot help but admit that this was a grandiose ascetic work that went down in the history of art as a document of the religious consciousness of its era, as an attempt to break through church dogmatism to a “living faith.”
Having received an order to paint the Vladimir Cathedral, Vasnetsov seriously prepared for the work - he not only thoroughly studied ancient Russian icon painting, but also went to Italy to get acquainted with the greatest works of Byzantine and Western European art. Most of all, he was struck by the fabulous St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice and the mosaics of Ravenna - especially the images of Our Lady and Christ in the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo. " The impression from the Ravenna mosaics is amazing, it’s like seeing the dawn"- wrote Vasnetsov. " What I saw in Venice, Ravenna and Rome gives me enough impressions and material for my work, – the artist reported to Adrian Prakhov in June 1885. – The strongest artistic Byzantine mood was given to me by Venice - St. Mark and Ravenna - St. Apollinaris in the city and Apollinarisin Classand Saint Vitaly. This material is indispensable for me. I, of course, do not mention the powerful and broad art of the Renaissance - not to see Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto in the original... means not to know art at all - it deeply affects the soul and is instructive» .
The paintings of the Vladimir Cathedral were Vasnetsov's first and largest work in the field of religious art. However, at first he did not accept Adrian Prakhov's offer. " I think - did I do a good thing by refusing?– he later recalled. – I was afraid of the competition of the old masters. And I think, how can one compose “The Virgin and Child” in such a way that it doesn’t look like anyone else? I remembered how once Alexandra Vladimirovna[artist's wife] for the first time, in the spring, I took Misha out into the air[son], and he, seeing clouds floating across the sky and birds flying, clasped both hands in joy at once, as if he wanted to capture with them everything he saw. It was here that it became clear that this was simply the way to do it. After all, no one has ever written so simply". Thus was born image of the Vasnetsov Mother of God, which is undoubtedly the most powerful shock for everyone entering the Vladimir Cathedral. " When I looked at his Mother of God and Child, with transparent cherubs and seraphim, I felt how spiritually transparent the author himself was, for all his creative massiveness"- wrote Fyodor Chaliapin.
Madonna and Child. Murals of the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv. 1885-1896
Viktor Vasnetsov on the scaffolding of the Vladimir Cathedral while working on the image of the Mother of God. Photograph from the late 1880s
Wrapped in dark blue, dark purple clothes, the regal, majestic, elongated, like a candle, figure of the Madonna, solemnly floating along the golden background of the apse, is extremely close to the iconographic Byzantine type. I immediately remember Saint Mary from the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta on the island of Torcello in the Venetian lagoon.
Madonna and Child. Mosaic. XI-XII centuries. Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta. Torcello Island. Venice Lagoon
However, the expression of stern sadness and determination in the wide-open eyes of Vasnetsov’s Mother of God, the unexpected gesture of the Baby’s arms thrown up, a gesture open to all the suffering of the world - rather all-encompassing than blessing - introduce into the image a bright note of passionate impulse, that shade of psychologism that was not characteristic of neither Byzantine nor ancient Russian church art and did not fit into the iconographic scheme.
Looking at the Mother of God of Vasnetsov, an association involuntarily arises with Raphael’s “Sistine Madonna”.
Raphael. Sistine Madonna. 1513-1514. Canvas, oil. Gallery of Old Masters, Dresden
But in Raphael, Madonna is an image of a woman perfect in the moral and psychological sense, captured at the moment of manifestation of the highest degree of concentration of willpower and self-control. Raphael's Madonna holds the Child, not only not pressing Him to herself, but as if barely touching Him, completely giving the Son to humanity. This is the highest artistic depiction of purity, integrity and moral greatness. " No matter how terrible the foreboding prospect of personal suffering for herself and her Son, in the broad all-encompassing soul of the mother of Christ lived those high ideals, before which a person’s personal life is an insignificant value, which a person, without hesitation, is ready to sacrifice for the implementation of ideals. This is how Raphael depicts the young mother of Christ...“- wrote the famous Russian psychiatrist, publicist, honorary member of the Kyiv Theological Academy I. A. Sikorsky (1842–1819). Vasnetsov’s main emphasis is on Madonna’s mental turmoil. Deep sadness, fear, pain and even protest can be read in the tired, mournful gaze of the mother’s huge eyes. Knowing and seeing the future, she tries to hold the Son, hugging Him tightly to her. But the straightened figure, firm and even gait, tightly compressed lips make us understand that the Mother of God is full of strength to carry out her duty to the end. This contains and brilliantly conveyed by Vasnetsov the idea of heroism - a heavy moral duty that a person bears with the consciousness of necessity, but at the same time with dignity and patience. In the image of Vasnetsov’s Mother of God there is neither the humble submission of ignorance, nor divine peace, nor ecstasy, but there is human penetration into the Divine plan, awareness of the inevitability and unearthly importance of the upcoming mission and overcoming spiritual weakness. " In all this, – as I. A. Sikorsky wrote, – A red thread runs through that obedience to moral duty and that self-denial that constitutes the national trait of the Russian character". The main advantage of the image of the Madonna created by Vasnetsov lies in the deeply human and at the same time philosophical and religious understanding of the Mother of God. " My God, what kind of face is this, and how much is expressed in it!– wrote a historian and musician fascinated by Vasnetsov’s Madonna late XIX– first half of the 20th century Sergei Bartenev. – It contains meekness, affection, grief, care, and humility; he is all alive, and now it seems that a smile is sliding over him, now a cloud of sadness runs over him. […] This is Mother, Intercessor and Refuge. It is easy to come to such a mother for help, for reassurance. She will greet you with affection, warm you up and calm you down, and for her sake you will go into suffering again with a light heart.» .
The image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, reflecting the national ideal of motherhood and intercession, sounds like the leitmotif of all religious paintings of Viktor Vasnetsov. It is no coincidence that the artist was called the creator of the “Russian Madonna.” Full of captivating charm is not the canonical, but rather the deeply personal image of the Mother of God in the iconostasis of the Vladimir Cathedral.
Madonna and Child. Fragment. Icon of Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv. 1885-1896
Saint Mary is represented as very young, sitting half-turned, with a downcast, shy gaze, tenderly hugging the Baby, who with his huge, bottomless-deep eyes looks at the world with fear and distrust. Based on Vasnetsov's cardboards, mosaics were created depicting the Madonna and Child enthroned in the altar of the Russian Orthodox Church in Darmstadt (1899–1901) and in the iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg (1897–1901)
Holy Mother of God. 1897. Oil on canvas. 209x88. Sketch of the mosaic of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg and the mosaic itself
a huge mosaic panel “O Blessed One rejoices in You” in St. George’s Cathedral in Gus-Khrustalny (1896–1904).
She rejoices in You, O Blessed One. 1904. Mosaic based on a sketch by V. Vasnetsov. St. George's Cathedral, Gus-Khrustalny
Vasnetsov was passionate to the point of oblivion about the work in the temple, considered it one of the most important affairs of his entire life, calling it “the path to the light.” " I firmly believe in the power of the ideas of my work, I believe that there is no holier and more fruitful work in Rus' for a Russian artist - like decorating a temple, – considered V.M. Vasnetsov. – Let my performance be imperfect, even bad, but I know that I applied all my strength to a fruitful task. […] In the temple, a person comes into contact with the most positive side of the human spirit - with the human ideal. It should be noted that if humanity has so far done anything high in the field of art, it is only on the basis of religious ideas» .
For ten years, the artist worked in the Vladimir Cathedral from early morning until late evening, remaining there as long as the light allowed. He suffered from frequent colds from the cold and dampness. My back ached from the tedious hard work. Several times, according to his recollections, he fell from the scaffolding. One day he was picked up unconscious. It was only by a miracle that he did not fall to his death when he fell while working under the very dome of the temple. What saved me was that my canvas jacket caught on a metal hook. Remembering this incident, Viktor Vasnetsov said: “The Lord saved me.”
He performs large-scale multi-figure compositions, combining in them a certain amount of convention, characteristic of the Byzantine canon, with a realistic, sometimes expressive interpretation of images. On the one hand, it emphasizes flatness with the frontality of the figures, gold and blue-blue decorative backgrounds, and poster-like richness of color; on the other hand, it destroys this feeling of transcendence with the volume of the figures and the multiplicity of details. Sometimes he literally quotes some fragments of Byzantine mosaics - for example, the symbolic image of Christ and the apostles in the form of twelve lambs from the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe (Ravenna).
Lamb of God. Murals of the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv. 1885-1896
Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe. Mosaics. 6th century
And at the same time, he conceives his own artistic embodiment of the idea of atoning sacrifice, as the main idea of Christianity, creating a three-part composition. The first part of which "The Only Begotten Son is the Word of God" represents Christ as a young man with a cross and a scroll in his hands, sitting on a throne in the clouds, surrounded by symbolic images of the evangelists.
Only Begotten Son. Sketch for the painting of the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv. Canvas, oil. 70x138. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
The second one depicts "God the Father"- a majestic Elder with a wide white beard, sitting on a rainbow among the stars, who in deep sadness, but with amazing divine calm, stretches out his hands, sacrificing his Son in the name of saving people.
God the Father. Cardboard for painting the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv. 1885. Oil on canvas. 135x250. State Tretyakov Gallery
And finally - "Crucifixion" depicting the Calvary drama transferred to heaven. Grief-stricken angels in despair support the cross with the dead Christ nailed to it.
Crucifixion. Sketch of the painting of the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv. 1885-1996. Canvas, oil. 134x249. State Tretkov Gallery
The author's interpretation of a scene from the Apocalypse is original in concept and boldness of compositional solution. "The threshold of heaven", representing a whole multitude of righteous people flying through the heavens to the golden Heavenly City, guarded by the archangels, wings spread wide, solemnly standing.
The threshold of heaven. Triptych. Central part. Sketch of the painting of the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv. 1885-1896. Canvas, oil. 295x482. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
The threshold of heaven. Triptych. Left side. Sketch of the painting of the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv. 1885-1896. Canvas, oil. 295x482. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
The threshold of heaven. Triptych. Right part. Sketch of the painting of the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv. 1885-1896. Canvas, oil. 295x482. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
« After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could number, from all nations and tribes and peoples and languages, stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes and with palm branches in their hands. And they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne, and worshiped God, saying: Amen! blessing and glory, and wisdom and thanksgiving, and honor and strength and strength to our God forever and ever! Amen" (Rev. 7: 9 – 12) All kinds of characters, quite recognizable by their characteristic canonical attributes, are depicted by Vasnetsov from unexpected angles, in different emotional states reflected on their faces. The thief, bent under the weight of the cross, the old Adam, Eve, immersed in prayerful ecstasy, Abel in the form of an enthusiastic young man with outstretched arms, the frightened Mary Magdalene with an alabaster vessel, Mary of Egypt with long gray flowing hair, Saint Sophia with three daughters, rushes towards the light, Touchingly clinging to her are the Great Martyrs Barbara and Catherine, supported by angels. It should be recognized that in general the composition “The Threshold of Paradise,” overloaded with details, is deliberately narrative and superficial in its illustrativeness. E. N. Trubetskoy in his work “Speculation in Colors” about the painting “The Threshold of Paradise” wrote the following: “ For Vasnetsov, the flight of the righteous to heaven has an overly natural character of physical movement: the righteous rush to heaven not only with their thoughts, but with their whole body; this, as well as the painfully hysterical expression of some faces, gives the whole image a character that is too realistic for a temple, which weakens the impression". However, one cannot deny the artist the originality of the very idea of creating a grandiose poem in colors, imbued with a special mystical mood. S.P. Bartenev spoke enthusiastically about the image of St. Catherine, whose face is full of expressions of unearthly bliss.
Saint Catherine. The threshold of heaven. Fragment of the painting of the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv. 1885-1896
« You can't tear yourself away from this face, he wrote. – And the more you look, the more this inexplicable peace enters your heart, a premonition of such bliss, the words of which we have no words here on earth. Who heardadagioBeethoven's Ninth Symphony and has a strong sense of music, he will understand this state of soul, covering the chest with an unspeakable languor of unknown bliss. And what are earthly torments compared to what awaits us, with this endless spiritual joy» .
Traditional compositional scene "Last Judgment" with a horizontal division into the heavenly and earthly spheres, Vasnetsov transforms it into a dark, expressive phantasmagoria with contrasting combinations of bright, rich tones. The dominant blood red background color enhances the feeling of tension and mysticism. Angels blow trumpets. The terrible archangel weighs souls. The righteous rise from their graves. Sinners are cast into the fiery abyss. Christ is menacing and implacable with the opened Gospel and the cross in his hands, who came to judge the world. The Mother of God clung to her Son, silently asking Him for mercy, becoming from now on and forever the Intercessor for the entire human race. Her humbly bowed figure, filled with endless sadness, reflected that subtle, barely perceptible connection between heaven and earth, on which the world’s hopes rest that the measure of God’s wrath will not overflow.
Last Judgment. Painting of the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv. 1885-1896
Last Judgment. Cardboard for painting the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv. Canvas, oil. 290x277. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
Without a doubt, while working on the creation of his “Last Judgment”, Viktor Vasnetsov was influenced by the famous fresco by Michelangelo. " What is Michelangelo's Last Judgment?– he wrote. – What masses of people are agitated in horror, despair and fear! They are all naked, like a mother gave birth, before the eternal World Truth. Even the apostles, even the martyrs are in confusion, they don’t know, they are afraid of His judgment! […] There is so much diversity and at the same time unity in the entire composition - one could perhaps say that everything is too massive and cumbersome, but this massiveness is a sign of terrible strength. Frost breaks through when you enter into the full depth of thought of the picture. The greatest poem of forms, the greatest symphony on the theme of the Eternal Truth of God - this is what Michelangelo’s “Last Judgment” is» .
Vasnetsov would return to the theme of the Last Judgment one more time, creating in 1904 a huge painting “The Last Judgment” (oil on canvas, 700x680) almost similar in concept and execution for the St. George Cathedral in Gus-Khrustalny.
Last Judgment. 1904. Oil on canvas. 700x680. St. George's Cathedral, Gus-Khrustalny
Art historian P. P. Gnedich called this chaotic, overloaded with details, brightly colored composition “the sum of painfully passionate religious fantasies of Christian artists of all times and peoples.” " She has an element. The spontaneous struggle of good and evil, love and hate, creation and destruction is an eternal, favorite theme as long as man is alive on earth, he wrote. – The struggle of the devilish serpent sitting in every person with pure, enlightened love is the most terrible tragedy of humanity» .
Expressive Eucharist scene in the apse of the Vladimir Cathedral, depicting the royally majestic figure of Christ with bread and a cup in his hands and the apostles rushing towards him, in the expressions of their faces and in the swiftness of their poses, the awareness of the importance of the moment was reflected.
Eucharist. Painting of the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv. 1885-1896
All of Vasnetsov’s compositions, unlike the static Byzantine ones, are filled with movement, internal and external dynamics. The Baby clasps his arms in the arms of the Mother of God, the righteous fly across the sky towards the light, the apostles rush to Christ, the prophets gesticulate violently, sinners are thrown into the fiery sea, seraphim and cherubim flapping their wings in alarm. And finally, as the culmination of everything, a hand raised in blessing Christ Pantocrator in the main dome of the cathedral.
Christ Pantocrator. Painting of the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv. 1885-1896
Vasnetsov, without deviating from the traditional transfer of external appearance, violates the usual hieratic restraint and detachment characteristic of the image of Christ Pantocrator. His Christ differs from the famous images of the Savior from the Sinai monastery of St. Catherine (VI century),
Savior Almighty. Icon. VI century. Monastery of St. Catherine, Sinai
Pantocrator of Ravenna (VI century)
Christ with angels. Mosaic. Beginning of the 6th century. Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo. Ravenna
and from the Sicilian temples of Monreale and Cefalu (XII century)
Christ Pantocrator. XII century. Mosaic. Cathedral of Monreale. Sicily
Christ Pantocrator. XII century. Mosaic. Cefalu Cathedral, Sicily
not only with this impetuous wave of the hand, but also with an extremely penetrating gaze. An important characteristic feature of Vasnetsov’s style is the emphatically expressive eyes of all characters without exception. The exaggeratedly huge, traditional eyes of Byzantine iconography in Vasnetsov’s heroes are filled with an extraordinary variety of shades of conveyed feelings. Even in the glances of numerous six-winged seraphim and angels, who are mysterious witnesses of the Divine mysteries and inhabit the compositions in abundance, one can read a rich palette of emotions - from fear, horror and bewilderment to awe and prayerful ecstasy. Christ looks at people with a feeling of compassion, belonging and mercy. Vasnetsov’s Savior is not so much a Heavenly King and Judge, but rather a Savior, as it is said in Vasnetsov’s beloved Gospel of John: “ For God did not send his son into the world to judge, but that the world might be saved through him." (John 3:17)
Christ Pantocrator. Sketch of the painting of the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv. 1886. Paper, pencil. 175x174. State Tretyakov Gallery
Saved. 1885. Paper, coal. House-Museum of V. M. Vasnetsov, Moscow
In the iconostasis of the cathedral there is a completely traditional image of Jesus Christ sitting on the royal throne with the canonical blessing gesture right hand and the opened Gospel in the left. However, the Byzantine detached and stern look here is replaced by a compassionate look of all-encompassing love.
Jesus Christ. Icon of Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv. 1885-1896
Considering Christ “the light center of the tasks of art,” Vasnetsov especially highly appreciated the images of the Savior created by the Byzantines, as well as by Russian artists - Kramskoy, Polenov, Ge and, especially, Alexander Ivanov. But he tirelessly searched for an image that would reflect the highest embodiment of the Holy Spirit in human form, the most complete unity of external and internal beauty. " I am again looking for the face of Christ - no small task, the task of entire centuries!– Viktor Vasnetsov wrote to E. G. Mamontova in 1889. – Christ, of course, must inevitably be personal, but His personal representation must rise to a world representation, that is, He must appear to the whole world as one and not another, and the personal representation of an individual artist must finally coincide with this world representation.[…] The task is great and unimaginably difficult to achieve". Vasnetsov returned to the face of Christ more than once. In 1897 he made a sketch for a mosaic icon of the Savior in the iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg.
Savior. 1897. Oil on canvas. 209x88. Sketch for a mosaic for the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg and the mosaic itself
For the facade of the temple he creates the “Passion Cycle”, which includes mosaics “Carrying the Cross”, “Crucifixion”, “Descent from the Cross”.
Carrying the cross. 1901. Mosaic based on Vasnetsov’s sketches. Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, St. Petersburg
Carrying the cross. 1899. Sketch of the mosaic of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. Canvas, oil. 35x25. State Russian Museum
Crucifixion. 1901. Mosaic based on Vasnetsov’s sketches. Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, St. Petersburg
Descent from the Cross. 1901. Mosaic based on Vasnetsov’s sketches. Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, St. Petersburg
The image of Christ in the crown of thorns with an expression of deep suffering on his face, performed by Vasnetsov in 1906 for the tombstone of the commander of the Semyonovsky Life Guards Regiment G. A. Min, who was brutally killed by terrorists, is distinguished by its extraordinary poignancy.
Savior wearing a crown of thorns. 1906. Paper, pencil, charcoal. 69x53. Kirov Art Museum named after. V.M. I am. Vasnetsov, Kirov
He repeated the same face in 1910 in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior on Waters
Christ wearing a crown of thorns. Mosaic based on sketches by V. Vasnetsov. 1910. Cathedral of Christ the Savior on the Waters
built in honor of the sailors who died during the Russo-Japanese War. Viktor Vasnetsov associated the torment of Christ with the suffering of untimely dead people. In His image, he reflected deeply personal feelings about the fate of the Russian people. " May God forgive our sins and help our poor Motherland, which is suffering so hard! Send goodness to people!"- wrote the artist in 1905.
Religious painting by Viktor Vasnetsov has always caused and continues to cause mixed opinions from specialists. Many note that the artist’s works in this genre are much weaker than his easel works on fairy-tale subjects. It is believed that external exaltation, overload with narrative details, diversity and naturalism blur the internal power of images, simplifying them and making them superficial. However, the artist himself was very skeptical about his attempts to penetrate the secrets of ancient church painting, considering them mostly unsuccessful. He understood that inner world The painting of that time was much richer in a spiritual sense, he considered it impossible to reproduce the depth of the religious feeling of Ancient Rus', and said that his painting is only a weak, emasculated reflection of this spirit. One of the first researchers of Vasnetsov’s painting, his good friend, writer, art critic Vladimir Kign-Dedlov (1856-1908) explained the phenomenon of Vasnetsov’s religious painting: “ Vasnetsov is not a theologian, but an artist. He deals not with the dogmas of faith, but with a religious mood. He is the son of a priest; he grew up in and around the church, among icons, worship and worshipers; he is a seminarian, he is a man from a people whose faith is strong; he grew up among the northern Russian people, for whom religion is everything: philosophy, morality, science, and art» .
Vasnetsov’s attempt, as an artist of modern times, to restore church painting in the ancient Byzantine character was by no means a blind imitation of the ancient church style, but an expression of his own religious vision, his philosophical interpretation of the Christian worldview, the artistic embodiment of a unique way of fighting evil. It is no coincidence that the Russian philosopher Sergei Bulgakov saw a “spiritual affinity” between V.M. Vasnetsov and F.M. Dostoevsky and, in particular, argued that Vasnetsov “found expression of the religious feeling of a troubled century, which passed through the crucible of doubts”, that “artistic Vasnetsov’s specialty is “the psychology of religious feeling, living and, therefore, highly individual.”
Vasnetsov tried to express the Christian worldview in the folk-Byzantine spirit in the language of ancient icons, epics and fairy tales of the Russian people. It is worth talking about the special artistic original and distinctive Vasnetsov style of religious painting, characterized by the author’s rich imagination, bright decorative color, ornamentation, popular prints, spectacular multi-figure compositions, and a combination of the canonical understanding of images with their realistic interpretation. With a certain amount of sentimentality, the artist softened the majestic conventions of ancient hieratism. And the expressiveness of the form became a reflection of militant spirituality, a kind of Vasnetsov’s way of fighting evil. " Vasnetsov, combining a fairy-tale element with ancient forms, inspired Byzantine art new life ,” wrote art critic S. K. Makovsky . “Our people are storytellers by nature; they are imbued with the superstition of traditions and legends, and respect for the miraculous. Looking at Vasnetsov’s images, you involuntarily remember the connection between Russian fairy tales and Russian faith» .
Vasnetsov’s religious painting, which combined the fairy-tale element of the folk worldview with the church canon, is a very curious artistic phenomenon of the late 19th century, which expanded the scope of traditional temple art precisely in view of the task of reviving national-romantic ideals and the Russian original spirit. His attempt to express the Christian worldview in the language of folk art may seem controversial, since, as art historian S.S. Stepanova rightly noted, the shallow, elegant style of fairy-tale visual vocabulary is in conflict with the multifaceted meaning and seriousness of religious concepts.
However, be that as it may, we can no longer escape from the Vasnetsov Mother of God, swiftly striding towards us across the golden skies, from the image of the Baby, who opened his arms equally to everyone, from the face of the Savior, looking at each of us with compassion and mercy. " A person with a subtle, receptive artistic nature can come to this temple as an atheist, but must leave as a believer, for it is impossible not to heed what speaks to you with such power, - this is what S.P. Bartenev wrote about Vasnetsov’s paintings in the Vladimir Cathedral. – In fact, you have to agree or reject. And if you reject it, then you cannot stay here, in front of these faces. Where can you run from them? They etched themselves into the memory, entered the soul, and captured the heart.". It is no coincidence that the images created by Vasnetsov caused thousands of imitations and countless variations. The artist’s ascetic work received enormous recognition, since the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv at that time was a symbol of the revival of Ancient Rus' and the national style. The acquisition by P. M. Tretyakov of almost all the preparatory cardboards and sketches for the paintings of the Vladimir Cathedral was unprecedented. " One may not agree with the Vladimir Cathedral, but it must be taken into account as a significant work of art and an outstanding monument of modern Russian religious consciousness"- wrote the magazine "World of Art" in 1900.
Calling his work “the path to the light,” Viktor Vasnetsov believed that for the sake of this light one must forget “all the pressures of fate, all the ‘petty dreams of life,’ forget one’s personal strengths.” " What do I care whether my talent is great or small - give it your all!- he exclaimed. – The Gospel widow gave her last mite to God - give it too» . « I only lived in Russia! – he wrote in 1898 . – I completely admit that I was poorly able to express myself. As for my religious painting, I will also say that I, as an Orthodox and sincerely believing Russian, could not help but light at least a penny candle for the Lord God. This candle may be made of rough wax, but it was made from the heart.» .
Anastasia Tatarnikova
Illustrative material and virtual tour of St. Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv: http://www.vlsobor.com/
Notes:
Ryabovo is a village in the Kirov region. The house where the artist brothers Viktor and Apollinary Vasnetsov spent their childhood is now the V. M. and A. M. Vasnetsov Memorial House-Museum.
From a letter from V.M. Vasnetsov to V.V. Stasov, October 7, 1898 // Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov: Letters. Diaries. Memories. Judgments of contemporaries. – M.: Art, 1987. P. 155
Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov: Letters. Diaries. Memories. Judgments of contemporaries. – M.: Art, 1987. pp. 217–218
The Vyatka Theological School was closed in 1918 and resumed its activities in 1991. The Vyatka Theological Seminary existed until 1918. Since 1934, the city of Vyatka has been called the city of Kirov.
From a letter from V.M. Vasnetsov to A.V. Prakhov, June 8, 1885 // Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov: Letters. Diaries. Memories. Judgments of contemporaries. – M.: Art, 1987. pp. 65–66
Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov: Letters. Diaries. Memories. Judgments of contemporaries. – M.: Art, 1987. P. 309
Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov: Letters. Diaries. Memories. Judgments of contemporaries. – M.: Art, 1987. P. 306
The prototype of the Baby Jesus was the artist’s son, Mikhail Vasnetsov (1884–1972), who later became a priest.
Sikorsky I. A. Our Lady in works of art Rafael and Vasnetsov. – Kyiv: Printing house S. V. Kulzhenko, 1905. P. 5
Sikorsky I. A. The Mother of God in the works of art by Raphael and Vasnetsov. – Kyiv: Printing house S. V. Kulzhenko, 1905. P. 12
Uspensky A. I. Victor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov. – M.: University Printing House, 1906. P. 63
In a letter to E. G. Mamontova on August 20, 1889 // Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov: Letters. Diaries. Memories. Judgments of contemporaries. – M.: Art, 1987. P. 80
From a letter from V.M. Vasnetsov to V.D. Polenov, December 31, 1887 // Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov: Letters. Diaries. Memories. Judgments of contemporaries. – M.: Art, 1987. pp. 72–73
From an interview with the artist’s descendant, Mikhail Vasnetsov // Facts, 09.11.2013, Kyiv
Trubetskoy E. N. Speculation in colors. Sketches on Russian icon painting. – http://www.wco.ru/biblio/books/trub1/Main.htm
Uspensky A. I. Victor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov. – M.: University Printing House, 1906. P. 71
From a letter from V.M. Vasnetsov to E.A. Prakhova, November 12, 1891 // Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov: Letters. Diaries. Memories. Judgments of contemporaries. – M.: Art, 1987. P. 96
Gnedich P. P. Latest paintings V. M. Vasnetsova (Page from notebook writer) // Artistic treasures of Russia. T.5. St. Petersburg: Publication of the Imperial Society for the Encouragement of Arts, 1905. P.167
From a letter from V.M. Vasnetsov to E.G. Mamontova, August 20, 1889 // Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov: Letters. Diaries. Memories. Judgments of contemporaries. – M.: Art, 1987. P. 81
Only the preparatory drawing for the mosaic icon has survived.
The temple was blown up in 1932. A mosaic icon depicting the Savior wearing a crown of thorns has been preserved and is now located in the chapel of the Church of the Savior on the Waters, built in 1998.
Uspensky A. I. Victor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov. – M.: University Printing House, 1906. P. 81 – 82
World of Art, 1900. T. 3. P. 245
From a letter from V.M. Vasnetsov to E.G. Mamontova, August 20, 1889 // Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov: Letters. Diaries. Memories. Judgments of contemporaries. – M.: Art, 1987. P. 80
From a letter from V.M. Vasnetsov to V.V. Stasov on May 5, 1898 // Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov: Letters. Diaries. Memories. Judgments of contemporaries. – M.: Art, 1987. P. 148
In the Moscow Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist on Presnya, under later records, frescoes by Viktor Vasnetsov were discovered, the existence of which no one remembered. In addition, in the sacristy of the temple a picturesque sketch of a painting was found, made in unique technology, and, according to experts, also belonging to the hand of the famous artist.
Sketch by Viktor Vasnetsov
“Now you will gasp!” - restorers Vladimir Potapchuk and Vyacheslav Pankratov promised the journalists and carried them into the room large sizes a picture painted on the finest canvas. At first, Vasnetsov’s “Trinity” (another title of the work is “Fatherland”) did not make a particular impression on anyone. However, when it was brought to the lamp, so that the light source was behind, the image (even though it had darkened with time) gained volume and shone with festive gold and red tones.
“The image is made in such a way,” says Father Ambrose, rector of the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist, “that it can be viewed in the light. This was actually done before, when they placed one or another icon on a high place, and it was either illuminated by natural light from the east, sunlight, or artificial light.”
In the future, the canvas will be placed in the temple. Although, strictly speaking, this is just a sketch for a fresco painting, it is of such quality that it can safely be called an independent work. Moreover, newly found. For more than 100 years, since Vasnetsov and his students worked on decorating the temple, the forgotten canvas, stretched on the author’s stretcher, remained in the sacristy. Now the artist-restorer Vyacheslav Pankratov has to work with it - first of all, to get rid of holes and tears: “The canvas is a moving base. This is not a wall, this is not a board, the canvas is constantly in motion and alive. Therefore, numerous breakthroughs often appear on the canvas from mechanical influences. This technique of writing, so that it looks clear, in my many years of practice, because I have been working since 1973, I have come across it for the second time in my life. Several years ago I discovered the same painting in a church near Moscow, and they offered to restore it. And in order not to violate this transparency later, you have to work with it quite delicately. That is, you will not cover these breakthroughs with patches, you will not paste this picture onto a new canvas - it will lose its transparency. All these processes are done in a unique way, that is, the breakout fibers are practically glued end-to-end, that is, thread to thread, on a special synthetic glue that is now available (chemistry is indeed a serious science). Sometimes, when a breakthrough is sealed, a person does not even see that he sealed it himself - this is called aerobatics. Naturally, we will try to implement everything.”
Considerable work remains to be done in the interiors of the temple, emphasizes its rector, Father Ambrose: “This temple has never been closed, and for many centuries, divine services have been held there every day. From a cultural and historical point of view, its value lies in the fact that in the 90s of the 19th century Vasnetsov’s workshops were located in the temple. His personal works are also located in the temple. Unfortunately, the temple did not undergo major restoration throughout its existence, so, of course, all this work has become significantly dilapidated. But we are not sitting idly by. Today, very serious work has begun, in particular, unique paintings by Vasnetsov have been unveiled in the altar. Until that time, for several decades, no one even knew about their existence.”
And Vasnetsov’s frescoes were found, in general, by accident, says monumental painting restorer Vladimir Potapchuk: “When they were making holes in the altar to strengthen the walls, another layer of painting was discovered on the chips under the later layers of painting. We carried out test clearings, and earlier paintings were discovered on almost all the walls. There is no doubt that this is Vasnetsov’s hand. This is just his creative style, this mythological floral ornament, so fabulous. In Abramtsevo the church has the same fairytale motifs. In addition, there is the figure of Emmanuel on the vaults - he repeated this image here with us, it is also in the Vladimir Cathedral, and the sketch is kept in the Tretyakov Gallery. Emmanuel is made in oil technique, and around his head there is a mosaic halo, like this the hard way production: two pieces of glass - either enamel, gold or silver leaf is baked between them. The figure was almost completely rewritten, and rewritten very roughly. Apparently, this was done in 1954, when the last so-called restoration was carried out. It was rather suppression. All this wealth was buried under such a deaf blue, and nothing was visible.”
The restoration is being carried out by highly qualified specialists, but exclusively on donations from parishioners, and these funds are sorely lacking. Meanwhile, if conservation is not completed immediately, Vasnetsov’s frescoes may be lost forever.
For the holiday of Easter in the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist on
Vasnetsov's frescoes will be unveiled in Presnya. We bring to your attention
readers a photo report about how the restoration took place.
Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist on Presnya built in 1685
year. In the 1890s, Viktor Vasnetsov and his artists worked on the painting of the temple
workshop. Sketches of the painting are kept in the Tretyakov Gallery, and the painting itself
for a long time was painted over and forgotten. The entire temple is currently undergoing a major overhaul.
renovation, thanks to which, in fact, the unique
painting.
Foreman of restorers Vladimir
Potapchuk: When they were making holes in the altar to strengthen the walls, they found
Under the later layers of painting is another layer. We carried out trial clearings, and
Earlier paintings were found on almost all the walls. There is no doubt that
This is Vasnetsov's hand. This is just his creative style.
clear=all>
City of God with figures
of the Old Testament Trinity, painted in the tympanum of the western wall of the altar above the Royal
gates
Emmanuel in Powers,
written in conch (on the vault and upper parts walls) of the altar. On both sides -
symbols of the four evangelists. Vasnetsov made a similar image in the church in
Abramtsevo, and in the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv, a sketch of it is kept in the Tretyakov
gallery
Emmanuel written
oil painting, halo - from a mosaic of the most complex technology, rare both for Russia and
for Europe: plates of the thinnest gold leaf are soldered between two pieces of glass
gold; letter inscriptions are made of silver
Presumably in 1953-1954 the figure of Emmanuel was
updated, or rather, completely and very roughly rewritten. On this
fragment, it is easy for a specialist to see both the late paint layer and
original Vasnetsov work
clear=all>
The blue rectangle is a sample of the paint that was used to cover it
most of the painting
It must be said that now restorers use the most
regular paint, claiming that it is much better in quality than even paint
Vasnetsov himself
In addition to the actual figures, the walls of the altar are covered with ornaments,
similar to the ornament in the Abramtsevo church
clear=all>
Vasnetsov performed this work in
style of the so-called Fayum portrait - one of the directions of ancient painting
Egypt (I-III centuries AD). It is known that around the same time when the artist
worked on the painting of the Church of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, thanks to the success
restorers rediscovered Russian icon painting of the 15th century, the work of Andrei
Rublev, etc. And although in his choice of style for religious subjects Vasnetsov did not
was alone - suffice it to say that in a style close to the Fayum portrait
The Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God was written, but, according to contemporaries,
Viktor Mikhailovich was very sad that he was not familiar with the newly discovered icons
before and did not choose them as a model for this work.
Now restorers, except
Vasnetsov's sketches (significantly different in detail from the opening painting)
are guided by the actual examples of the Fayum portrait and the portraits of models
artist, among whom is Savva’s daughter
Mamontova
The name Vasnetsov is usually associated with paintings on the themes of Russian folk tales and epic epics: “Three Heroes”, “The Knight at the Crossroads”, “Alyonushka”, “Ivan the Tsarevich on the Gray Wolf”. However, before the revolution, his religious paintings were no less famous. He painted the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv, made sketches of mosaics for the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Darmstadt and the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ ("Savior on Spilled Blood") in St. Petersburg, for the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Warsaw. The master created many icons for European churches.
Vasnetsov's religious paintings, especially his works in the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv, dedicated to the Baptism of Rus', were extremely popular. His icons and paintings were copied, replicated, reproduced using many printing techniques, and published in the form of photo albums and postcards. Copies were used as samples for creating new icons and monumental painting for churches under construction, painting Easter eggs, and for training young icon painters.
Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov is loved by many as an artist of Russian epics and fairy tales, who managed to penetrate into their wonderful world full of mysteries. But few people remember that Vasnetsov expressed his selfless devotion to the Fatherland in religious painting, where he sang the glory of the Russian land - the guardian of Orthodoxy.
Viktor Vasnetsov was born on May 3/15, 1848 in the village of Lopyal, Vyatka province, into the family of a priest, who, according to the artist, “infused into our souls a living, indestructible idea of the Living, truly existing God!”
After studying at the Vyatka Theological Seminary (1862-1867), Vasnetsov entered the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, where he seriously thought about the place of Russian art in world culture.
In 1879, Vasnetsov joined the Mamontov circle, whose members held readings, painted and staged plays in the winter in the house of the outstanding philanthropist Savva Mamontov on Spasskaya-Sadovaya Street, and in the summer they went to his country estate Abramtsevo.
In Abramtsevo, Vasnetsov took his first steps towards a religious-national direction: he designed a church in the name of the Savior Not Made by Hands (1881-1882) and painted a number of icons for it.
The best icon was the icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh is not a canonical, but deeply felt, taken from the heart, dearly loved and revered image of the humble wise old man. Behind him stretches the endless expanses of Rus', the monastery he founded is visible, and in the heavens is the image of the Holy Trinity.
In 1885, the famous historian and artist, professor at St. Petersburg University, A.V. Prakhov suggested that Vasnetsov paint icons and paint the main nave of the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv. The artist accepted this order as an opportunity to serve God and fulfill his duty. He threw himself into the work that E.G. Mamontova, the wife of a philanthropist, called it “the path to the light.”
The author of the painting project, Prahov, believed that, interior decoration The cathedral should give it “the significance of a monument of Russian art” and embody “the ideal that animates a generation,” so Vasnetsov was entrusted with a special mission - the creation of new painting that visually expressed the religious, ethical and aesthetic ideals of the time.
The central place in Vasnetsov’s work belongs to the image of the Savior. When working on the image of the Almighty in the dome of the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv, the artist took special care in finding a worthy form to convey deep spiritual content. In a letter to E. G. Mamontova, he wrote: “... I truly believe that it is the Russian artist who is destined to find the image of the World Christ.”
Having analyzed the iconographic achievements of past times, Vasnetsov noted the obvious success of Russian artists, and also singled out the “Christ of Ravenna and Palermo,” the “personal” image created by Leonardo da Vinci and Titian, the “completely impersonal” Raphael and Michelangelo, and the image of Christ in the paintings of I. Kramskoy, N. Ge and V. Polenov called “folk”. The best example in Europe over the past centuries, combining Byzantine and folk features, Vasnetsov considered the image of Christ created by A.A. Ivanov.
Vasnetsov's work was crowned with success. The face of the Kyiv Pantocrator is comparable to mosaic images in the St. Sophia Cathedral (2nd half of the 13th century) and the Chora Church (14th century) in Constantinople. They are united by a single state - spiritual calm, but in general the compositions differ.
The figure of Christ in the dome of the Vladimir Cathedral is engulfed in vortex dynamics, which gives the image vivid expressiveness. The general movement begins in the image of ribbon-shaped clouds, then develops in a spiral in the folds of the himation and reaches its highest point in the closed fingers of Christ’s right hand. All expression comes down to this point - the blessing of the Lord - the key point of iconography. Blessing people from heaven, Christ calls them to take the true path to gain eternal life. The revealed Gospel speaks about this with the text “I am the light of the whole world. Walk on me, not to walk in darkness, but to have the light of life” (John 13-46) in the left hand of the Savior. Metropolitan Hilarion believed that the image in the dome of the Vladimir Cathedral contains the main idea of the entire painting - the spread of the gospel source to believers.
At the beginning of the twentieth century. Vasnetsov executed the mosaic “Savior Not Made by Hands” on the grave of General Min (Admiral Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich). Later, the artist repeated this icon over the gate with a belfry leading to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in St. Petersburg ("Savior on the Waters") - a temple-monument to the sailors who died in the Battle of Tsushima. In this image, Vasnetsov reflected his personal concern for the fate of Russia and its people. The tragedy of the Russo-Japanese War shocked the artist, and he considered the death of the battleship Petropavlovsk a disaster that “can barely be endured.”
The revolution of 1905 became “the main pain and wound of the soul” of the artist. “May God forgive our sins and help our poor Motherland, which is suffering so hard! Send goodness to the people! Help God to come to their senses for the lost!” - the artist wrote several days after “Bloody Sunday”.
Vasnetsov’s Christ was presented shoulder-length, wearing a crown of thorns, wearing a blood-red tunic, against the backdrop of a sunset. His face, marked by unbearable suffering, suggests that the artist depicted a fragment of the Crucifixion scene and showed the Lord at the moment of his suffering on the cross. An unquenchable lamp burned in front of the icon. The mosaic image has not survived. In 1932, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was blown up. Vasnetsov did not live to see this sad event.
Contemporaries of Viktor Vasnetsov called him “the creator of the Russian Madonna.” The image of the Queen of Heaven sounds like the leitmotif of his entire religious work. The first icon of the Mother of God carrying the Child Christ in front of her was painted by Vasnetsov for the Abramtsevo Church. Already in this small-sized work, the monumental iconography of the Blessed Virgin is outlined, to which the artist will be faithful until the end of his days, and which can be called “Vasnetsov’s”. Vasnetsov repeated it, but on a larger scale, in the altar of the Vladimir Cathedral.
The iconography of the Most Holy Theotokos, carrying the Child Christ in her arms and giving Him into the world, was the result of Vasnetsov’s creative search for the ideal image of the Mother of God. The preliminary sketch “The Mother of God Walks on the Clouds Surrounded by Seraphim and Cherubs” was signed by the artist as follows: “Quasi una fantasia” (“Like one fantasy”).
The artist depicted the Queen of Heaven on a golden background, walking on the clouds to meet everyone who entered the temple. With both hands She hugs, as if wanting to protect from the coming evil, her Son, in whom the features of the artist’s son Misha can be discerned. The waving of his hands is a natural gesture of small children, open to a new world for them, taken from life: one morning the wife took her son out of the house, and the child joyfully reached out with his hands to the surrounding nature. But the face of the Infant Christ is not childishly serious and concentrated.
The entire figure of the Mother of God is engulfed in the same movement as the Pantocrator in the dome. The correspondent of the Moskovskie Vedomosti newspaper S. Flerov drew attention to this: “If you raise your eyes to this image (of the Almighty - V.G.) and then lower them to the image of the Mother of God located right in front of you, you will experience an amazing feeling: you suddenly you will see that the Mother of God is quietly rushing upward, there, to the Savior..."
The Virgin Mary is surrounded by nine cherubs. Their number corresponds to the hour at which Christ was executed. They anxiously look at the Most Pure Virgin and the Child in Her arms, as if foreseeing His fate.
In the image of the Mother of God, Vasnetsov showed the national ideal of motherhood and intercession, “the essence of moral duty and the idea of feat ... self-denial, which constitutes the national trait of the Russian character with its ideal simplicity in the implementation of what is necessary and proper.”
The altar image of the Vladimir Cathedral became Vasnetsov’s best church work, “a symbol of his faith in Orthodoxy, in Russia, in its revival.” The Mother of God knows that Her Son will become an atoning sacrifice for the salvation of people. Depicted above the altar of the Vladimir Cathedral, She humbly and obediently brings the Child to this altar. Having endured heartache at the Crucifixion, mourning the death of Christ, but believing in His resurrection, She became an intercessor for people. At the Last Judgment, the Most Pure Virgin grieves and asks Christ to have mercy on sinners. This is how the Mother of God is represented in the composition “The Last Judgment” on the western wall of the Vladimir Cathedral. Her eyes are filled with tears, She clasped her head with one hand, and with the other lightly touches the Son’s shoulder, trying to soften His anger. The image of the Mother of God, overwhelmed by great sadness for people, introduces a bright note into the overall dramatic and intense structure of the iconography of the “Last Judgment” - hope for the mercy of the Lord and His forgiveness.
Vasnetsov performed three more altar images of the Mother of God for the Russian Church of the Holy Mary Equal to the Apostles Magdalene in Darmstadt (1901), St. George's Church in Gus-Khrustalny (1895-1904) and the Cathedral of the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky in Warsaw (1904-1912).
On the Darmstadt mosaic the artist presented Holy Mother of God on a throne in the clouds with two angels standing before Her, hovering over a swampy landscape, and in the other two he developed his own compositions of the plot “He rejoices in You...”.
One of them, in the Warsaw Cathedral, reflects Vasnetsov’s desire to glorify the centuries-old history of Orthodox Russia. The composition of the sketch is elongated horizontally and is divided into the earthly and celestial spheres by extended ribbons of clouds. In the center is the Mother of God on the throne, with the Child on her lap. On either side of Her, in the heavenly sphere, angels are symmetrically represented, and above Her is a three-domed temple. Orthodox saints are shown below according to their hierarchical position. To the right of the Mother of God are representatives of the Universal Church: Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine with the cross and Helen, John of Damascus with the text of the hymn, kneeling Roman the Sweet Singer, Nicholas the Wonderworker, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom, Athanasius the Great, etc. Behind them are the Old Testament prophets. To the left of the Virgin Mary are depicted representatives of the Russian Church: Equal-to-the-Apostles Vladimir with the cross and Olga, Anthony and Theodosius of Pechersk, Sergius of Radonezh, Moscow saints Peter, Jonah and Alexy, Cyril and Methodius, Nestor the Chronicler, etc. Behind them are the apostles.
About the creation of the image of the Mother of God with the Child, Vasnetsov wrote: “...I do not risk competing with the holy icon painters, but I consider it obligatory to seek inspiration from them. “Rejoices in You” - the Mother of God with the Child will be seated this time, and based on her image I take "Tenderness" that touches me to the depths of my soul."
In stories from Holy Scripture the artist developed his own iconographic line, based on the rich experience of his predecessors. Vasnetsov created his own “passion cycle”, which included: mosaics “Crucifixion”, “Carrying the Cross”, “Descent from the Cross” and “Descent into Hell” on the facade of the Church of the Resurrection and the now lost frescoes “Praying for the Cup” and “Carrying the Cross” "from the Church of the Savior on the Waters in St. Petersburg; painting "Calvary" for St. George's Church in Gus-Khrustalny.
In these compositions by Vasnetsov, iconographic motifs merged with the techniques of monumental paintings or panels. Striving for maximum authenticity in showing events, the artist often overloaded the plot with narrative details, elements of costume and landscape. But, even taking into account all the shortcomings, Vasnetsov’s works attract people with their emotional mood and the master’s ability to convey spiritual meaning the event shown to them. The works of Vasnetsov's "Passion Cycle" are polyphonic. In them one can hear the sound of the footsteps of the tortured Christ and the ringing of Roman spears (“Carrying the Cross”), the quiet cry of the Mother of God and the uncontrollable sobbing of Mary Magdalene (“Crucifixion”), the rejoicing of the righteous and the singing of angels (“The Descent of Christ into Hell”).
The iconography of "Golgotha" has no prototypes in ancient Russian painting. The basis of the composition was a creative reworking of the famous “Crucifixion” plot. The composition of "Calvary" is filled with characters, each of whom is marked by a special mood from hatred and anger to silent grief and despair. All shades of the mental state of the people present during the execution of the Lord are conveyed exclusively by plastic means. The hands of the depicted characters express more emotions than their faces. In the center are the outstretched hands of Christ, reminiscent of the wings of a wounded bird; next to it, a crucified thief is depicted in a broken line; the hands of Mary Magdalene are limply lowered to the foot of the cross, raised in an angry exclamation and fists clenched in powerless agony in the crowd.
The pinnacle of Vasnetsov’s religious creativity and Russian church art of the late 19th century. can be considered the iconography of the "Last Judgment".
The artist addressed the theme of Doomsday twice - in the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv and in the St. George Church in Gus-Khrustalny. In terms of artistic expressiveness, the Kiev painting surpasses the painting for the Gusev church, for which it received high praise from contemporaries. This once again confirms the idea that Russian society at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. needed a new interpretation of the plots of the Holy Scriptures, which Vasnetsov’s paintings provided.
The composition of the “Last Judgment” on the western wall of the Vladimir Cathedral is balanced by a clear relationship of masses and color spots and has a clearly defined center - a semantic node in which an angel is depicted with scales and a scroll. Vasnetsov uses here his favorite technique of horizontally dividing the composition into the celestial and terrestrial spheres.
In the heavenly sphere on the clouds are represented the Lord with the cross and the Gospel, filled with a menacing impulse towards sinners, the Mother of God grieving on His shoulder and the kneeling prophet John the Baptist. They are surrounded by symbols of evangelists, apostles and angels.
Below, to the right of Christ are the righteous, looking up to heaven in prayer, to the left are sinners, thrown by a disorderly stream into the fiery abyss, from which the Serpent bursts out. Trumpeting angels - the messengers of the Apocalypse - are the connecting links of the upper and lower parts compositions.
The righteous rising from their graves follow St. in clear groups. Macarius of Egypt, the founder of monasticism, and rush to Christ. Vasnetsov specially lengthened the proportions of their bodies, likening them to burning candles.
The figures of sinners are swirled in a whirlwind of tossing and passions. Among them there are characters in royal and ecclesiastical garb. By this, Vasnetsov showed the equality of everyone before the Court of God. At the doorway of the temple, the artist placed the figure of a righteous woman looking upward, contrasting her with the general chaos of sinners. Here Vasnetsov depicted the moment of separation of souls, one of which goes to the righteous, and the other drowns in a sinful whirlpool. Hands reaching out to each other, grieving faces bring universal human experiences into this grandiose theme.
The contrasting combination of colors: blue at the top, white in the center and blood red at the bottom creates a mystical mood. Fear, horror, immeasurable sadness and holiness merged here.
Vasnetsov's "Last Judgment" has a strong emotional impact on those in the temple. This is not just a reminder of the coming end of the world. The scene seems to pull the viewer inside and make them feel what is happening.
The painting was enthusiastically received in society, but Vasnetsov was not satisfied with what had been achieved. He thought through the composition of the next painting for the western wall of St. George's Church for many years, constantly studying ancient Russian examples of the "Apocalypse".
In 1895, having begun work on the canvas, he wrote: “The composition is very complex, it must be developed according to the images of the “Court” in ancient Orthodox iconography.” Vasnetsov refused the offer of the customer Yu. S. Nechaev-Maltsev to visit Rome again to be inspired by the paintings of Michelangelo and Raphael. He wondered: “Shouldn’t one rather avoid seeing them, so as not to succumb to the spell of these great sorcerers in the world of images?” He completed 21 preparatory sketches, choosing watercolor for the work, with which the coloristic effects of a fresco can be achieved on paper. Vasnetsov painted the final work in oil on canvas. In it, he tried to most accurately reproduce ancient iconography, but the choice of oil painting technique did not allow him to achieve a successful result.
This painting was less expressive than the painting in the Vladimir Cathedral, but it also had a “stunning impression” on the public. “This is not a composition by Vasnetsov, this is the sum of the painfully passionate religious fantasies of Christian artists of all times and peoples. Here are the great Italians, and decadents, and Byzantium, and most importantly, our old Moscow icons. Everything is brought into harmony with the requirements of our church painting. ..” - this is how the writer and historian P. P. Gnedich described Vasnetsov’s work.
Another grandiose in scale and design painting in the Vladimir Cathedral deserves attention - “The Only Begotten Son, the Word of God” on the vault. The main idea of the plot is the atonement of human sins by Jesus Christ and the victory of the Lord over death, which is what Vasnetsov focused his attention on.
The central element of his composition was the “Crucifixion”. Vasnetsov presented Christ at the moment of death, surrounded by angels covering His body with wings. Two angels support the cross, trying in vain to alleviate the suffering of the Lord. The background is the blood-red glow in the sky after the eclipse.
The scene following the "Crucifixion" above the cathedral choir depicts "God the Word" in the image of Emmanuel, sitting on the clouds with a cross and a scroll in his hands, surrounded by a tetramorph. On the scroll are written the words of the prayer “The Only Begotten Son is the Word of God...”. Instead of a mandorla around Christ, Vasnetsov depicted a disk of the rising sun from which light emanates. This gives the feeling that the painting is illuminated from within by Favorian, divine light.
On the other side of the “Crucifixion,” Vasnetsov unfolded the iconography “God of Hosts.” He addressed her twice - in the Vladimir Cathedral and in the Alexander Nevsky Church in Warsaw.
On the vault of the Vladimir Cathedral, Vasnetsov presented God the Father sitting on a rainbow in the Universal Cosmos, surrounded by fiery seraphim and angels. The Holy Spirit is depicted in a golden ball on His chest. Vasnetsov's host is wise, stern and sad. Seraphim reverently fall to Him, angels bow before Him. He is the Creator of the world, who gave His creation to people and sees its desecration. In order to save people who have sinned before Him, He sends His Son with boundless love as an atoning sacrifice and grieves for Him. This is how God the Father is shown on the vault of the Kyiv temple.
This image, with minor changes, was repeated in the plot “The Trinity Lord Himself in Persons” in Warsaw Cathedral. The painting has been lost, but the preparatory cardboard has been preserved. The image is inscribed in a circle formed by the intertwined wings of seraphim, to the left and right of which the fiery and black seraphim fall. The gray-haired Host in flowing white robes sits on a rainbow and blesses in the hierarchical manner - with both hands. Around His head is an octagonal halo, characteristic of the first hypostasis of the Trinity. On the left knee of God the Father sits the youth Christ in a golden tunic and himation with an open Gospel in his hands. He, as before, is endowed with the portrait features of the artist’s son. Next to Him, the Holy Spirit is depicted in the form of a dove in a ball.
Unlike the image of God the Father in the Vladimir Cathedral, the Warsaw image is endowed with severity and asceticism, which brings it closer to ancient depictions.
A special place in Vasnetsov’s religious works is occupied by images of saints. The artist developed many iconographies, but the ones he painted best were Russian saints.
“These images contain all of ancient Rus', all the religious symbolism of its history: a bishop, a holy princess, a lonely monk-chronicler and a prince, the heir of the Varangians...” - his contemporary, art critic S. Makovsky wrote about Vasnetsov’s works.
The host of ascetics, noble princes, saints and saints created in the interior of the Vladimir Cathedral became a kind of hymn to the entire Christian world and its center - Orthodox Rus'. If the decoration of a medieval temple was called by researchers a “bible for the illiterate,” then Vasnetsov’s church paintings can rightly be called an “encyclopedia of asceticism,” and the artist himself can be called the creator of a gallery of Russian holiness.
Vasnetsov's works show the saint and the era in which he lived. Unlike canonical hagiographies, in the hallmarks of which individual episodes are recorded, Vasnetsov’s icons convey the spirit of the times. The artist deliberately focused on conveying the time and place of action, because he wanted his painting to glorify the feat “For Faith, Tsar and Fatherland” accomplished in Holy Rus'. The images of saints reflected the religious and patriotic attitude of the majority of Russian society. Here the religious-national direction proposed by Vasnetsov was fully embodied.
In painting icons, Vasnetsov was guided by hagiographic literature and documentary descriptions. The image of St. executed by him on the pillar of the Vladimir Cathedral. Alipiya, the Kiev-Pechersk icon painter, is fully consistent with the iconographic original of the 18th century, but for better recognition Vasnetsov introduced additional narrative details into the iconography. He depicted the saint in an icon-painting workshop, and placed jars of paints at his feet.
These techniques, also characteristic of other subjects, became decisive in recognizing saints. Nestor the Chronicler is shown writing in his cell at the open window, beyond which stretches a landscape with city towers and churches. Procopius for Christ's sake, the holy fool, is presented against the background of a terrible cloud hanging over Veliky Ustyug, and the enlightener of the Vyatichi Kuksha is depicted with a cross and an open Gospel in his hands, indicating his preaching activities in Vasnetsov’s homeland in Vyatka.
Vasnetsov endowed some saints with portrait features of his contemporaries (for example, Prince Vladimir in “The Baptism of Rus'” and “The Baptism of Vladimir” resembles Vladimir Solovyov, a famous philosopher and poet at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries). This trend was typical at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries, when a portrait became a kind of icon of a specific person, and an icon, on the contrary, a portrait of a saint. But the images of saints executed by Vasnetsov still cannot be classified as such icons. Rather, the artist followed the concept of a “sacred ideal type” to which “the Russian people expressed their concepts of human dignity” and to which “together with prayer, he turned as models and leaders in his life.”
In Vasnetsov's icons, warmth of the heart ("Procopius of Ustyug", "Sergius of Radonezh"), spiritual wisdom ("Nestor the Chronicler", "Alipius the Iconographer"), courage and perseverance ("Andrei Bogolyubsky", "Princess Olga"), qualities, characteristic specifically of Russian saints. To enhance the monumentality of the composition, the artist practically abandoned the main and half-length images and presented full-length figures with an extremely low horizon line.
Vasnetsov's works are replete with numerous narrative details (books with bookmarks at the feet of Nestor the chronicler, small crutches of Procopius of Ustyug, a rosary and a candle in the hands of St. Eudokia, all kinds of ornaments). National decorative motifs are present even in those works where they are not at all appropriate. For example, in the central iconostasis of the Vladimir Cathedral, Mary Magdalene is shown against the backdrop of epic architecture. It is obvious that Vasnetsov’s passion for folk art was reflected here. Brought up in native Russian traditions, the artist was deeply imbued with folk art. It was this that inspired him to depict epic images of saints, real pillars Orthodox faith.
Vasnetsov's religious painting was highly appreciated by his contemporaries. The artist himself was modest and did not talk about his merits. Today, few people know that in 1896 he was awarded the Order of Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, 4th degree, for painting the Vladimir Cathedral.
On June 13, 1912, for his work in the Warsaw Cathedral, Vasnetsov was elevated to hereditary nobility, and on December 31, 1913, Emperor Nicholas II granted the artist the rank of full state councilor outside the order of service.
The beginning of the First World War was perceived by the artist with great excitement. He felt personally responsible for the fate of Russia and decided to donate the annual rent of 1,500 rubles assigned to him by the emperor to the needs of wounded soldiers. “No matter what you talk about, no matter what you think about, there is always a great unforgettable heavy thought in your soul - war!” - Vasnetsov wrote.
In 1914, he took part in an exhibition organized by the “Artist to Fellow Soldiers” Committee, headed by his brother Apollinary Vasnetsov. He presented the drawing “The Knight,” which he executed for the evening of the All-Russian Zemstvo Union for Helping the Wounded, and the poster painting “The Battle of Ivan Tsarevich with the Sea Serpent,” written for the city bazaar for helping the wounded. The image of the glorious knight Ivan Tsarevich, bravely fighting a hated villain, had a strong impact on the people who stood up to defend the Motherland, because it gave a vivid example of epic history, an example of courage, perseverance and righteousness.
The October Revolution of 1917 brought great changes to the artist’s life. Vasnetsov did not accept the new political system and called it “social-Pugachevism.”
In the post-revolutionary years, he lived in Moscow in his house on Troitsky (now Vasnetsovsky) Lane, which he personally designed in 1893-1894. According to the apt remark of F.I. Chaliapin, Vasnetsov’s house was “something between a modern peasant hut and the ancient princely mansion."
Here, leading a quiet lifestyle, the artist continued to paint fairy tales. The magical world of Russian fairy tales brightened up last years Vasnetsov, and he completely devoted himself to his beloved art.
Throughout his career, the artist turned to the legendary and heroic images of Russian legends, be it paintings, illustrations, costumes or scenery. The theme of fairy-tale-epic Rus' sounds like the leitmotif of Vasnetsov’s work, while work in churches became “the work of his whole life.”
On July 23, 1926, Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov died suddenly. Shortly before his death, the artist painted a cross with a crucifix for the Church of Adrian and Natalia, of which he was a parishioner.
Throughout his life, Vasnetsov the artist burned with one desire - to embody the “Russian original spirit” in his works, regardless of their genre. For this purpose, he often deliberately deviated from the rules and canons.
Vasnetsov dreamed of a reunification of the intelligentsia and people who did not understand each other under the arches of a temple built and decorated in honor of the Orthodox faith and Russian history. This dream led him to the creation of a unique religious-national direction, which visually reflected the aesthetic, ethical and theological aspirations of Russian society of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Eclectic in nature, the new direction was based on the national heritage, but was expressed exclusively in a new form, the main feature of which was beauty.
Vasnetsov's church works have become examples of pictorial decoration Orthodox churches the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, because they reflected not only the teaching of the Orthodox Church about the Lord, but also the ideas of the believing people about Russia with its heroic history and unique culture, imbued with the light of the true faith.
90 years ago the heart of the famous artist stopped beating
Millions of connoisseurs of beauty are familiar with Viktor Vasnetsov’s paintings “Bogatyrs”, “Alyonushka”, “Ivan Tsarevich on the Gray Wolf”. These works are today kept in Moscow at the Tretyakov Gallery.
Masterpieces of Vasnetsov’s icon painting can be seen in the St. Petersburg Church of the Savior on Blood, in the Kiev Vladimir Cathedral, churches in Germany, Poland and Bulgaria. Viktor Mikhailovich worked in Kyiv for more than ten years - from 1885 to 1896. While painting the Vladimir Cathedral, erected in honor of the 900th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus', the consecration of which, by the way, was attended by Nicholas II and his wife, he created 15 compositions and 30 full-length figures of saints. Among them are “Christ the Pantocrator”, “The Virgin and Child”, “Saints”, “Prophets”, images of Prince Vladimir, Princess Olga, Alexander Nevsky, Nestor the Chronicler...
The artist’s great-grandniece Olga Vasnetsova, Doctor of Chemical Sciences, professor, honorary chairman of the Vasnetsov Foundation (pictured), spoke about the fate of the famous great-grandfather, living in Moscow.
— Olga Alekseevna, at the Vvedenskoye Cemetery in Moscow, a very unusual monument was erected to Viktor Vasnetsov...
- Yes it is. There are three large stones on the grave, each of them repeats the stone in Viktor Vasnetsov’s painting “The Knight at the Crossroads.” Under the largest stone lie the ashes of Viktor Mikhailovich, under the other two - members of his family: his wife and children. The author of this monument is the grandson of Viktor Mikhailovich Andrei Vasnetsov. By the way, Andrei Vladimirovich was the last chairman of the Union of Artists of the USSR.
Viktor Vasnetsov painted the painting “The Knight at the Crossroads” in his native Vyatka in 1870, when his father died. Six brothers (Nikolai, Victor, Peter, Apollinaris, Arkady and Alexander) were left orphans, because four years earlier their mother had died. At the time of painting, Victor was 22 years old. He thought about how to live further. I was not mistaken in choosing the path of an artist.
— As for the monument, I think Viktor Vasnetsov created it for himself during his lifetime - with his works. One of them is the painting of the Vladimir Cathedral.
— You know, every time I’m in Kyiv, I always go to this temple. When I entered the Vladimir Cathedral for the first time in 1970, tears came to my eyes. It’s an indescribable feeling when the saints in Vasnetsov’s works look at you through the eyes of your family. There are thirteen generations of priests in our family.
Art historian and archaeologist Professor Adrian Prakhov, who led the interior decoration temple. Viktor Mikhailovich had known him for a long time. But he did not immediately agree to the proposal, because he considered the matter extremely responsible and was not sure that he was ready to take on it. I thought it was difficult to say something of my own in this area - there is too much competition, and “as soon as critics will immediately point out the similarities with Rafael or Murillo.”
The first time, Prahov failed to persuade his great-grandfather. The conversation took place in Abramtsevo near Moscow, where the Vasnetsov family lived in the summer. But, on reflection, Viktor Mikhailovich sent a telegram to Prahov. He wrote: if Surikov, to whom Prakhov made the same offer, refuses, let Adrian leave the job to him, to Vasnetsov. The answer came immediately: “Come.” As a result, the great-grandfather goes to Kyiv, where he had never been before, together with Prakhov he examines the building of the Vladimir Cathedral and gets acquainted with the frescoes St. Sophia Cathedral and St. Cyril Church.
And then I went to Italy for a month. Visited Venice, Ravenna, Florence, Rome, Naples and Palermo. I went on a trip abroad by train from Moscow to Warsaw. I got there through Vienna... I wrote to my family about my adventures: how I suffered along the way due to ignorance foreign languages— once I even got on the wrong train. In a letter to his wife he said that the impression of Venice was incomparable. The Church of St. Mark alone is worth it! In Ravenna he was shocked by the huge mosaics in the Basilica of St. Apollinaris, in Florence by the masterpieces of Michelangelo, and in the Vatican by Raphael. Returning from a trip, he begins to write sketches for the painting of the Vladimir Cathedral.
— There is a legend that the prototype of the Mother of God and Child was Viktor Mikhailovich’s wife Alexandra Vladimirovna and son Mikhail...
— Viktor Mikhailovich wrote the first sketch of the Mother of God and Child back in 1870, when he was not married. Most often, the Mother of God is depicted on icons in such a way that she is hugging a baby to her. Viktor Mikhailovich depicted little Jesus holding out his little hands to the world. No one had written like that before. And when Vasnetsov was working on a sketch for the Vladimir Cathedral, his wife came out onto the porch with their newborn son Mikhail (who, by the way, later became a priest), and Viktor Mikhailovich again saw this movement of his hands, captured it and the expression on his wife’s face. Although there is no portrait resemblance in the work.
*Vasnetsovskaya Mother of God and Child has an amazing creation story
— Your second cousin Mikhail Vasnetsov, who lives in Kyiv, told me about the miracle. In 1885, Adrian Prakhov and Vice-Governor Baumgarten, who headed the commission for the construction of St. Vladimir Cathedral, visited the temple together. Suddenly, on the newly plastered wall, they saw the miraculous face of the Virgin Mary appearing with a baby in her arms. Subsequently, Prahov even made a sketch of the vision. When Vasnetsov showed him his sketches of the image of the Mother of God, Adrian Viktorovich handed over his sketch. Vasnetsov was struck by the similarity of the images.
- “This is God’s order!” - said the great-grandfather, starting to paint the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv. This is how Prakhov recalled. By the way, Viktor Mikhailovich came from the family of a rural priest and, before entering the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, graduated from the theological class of a theological seminary. The Lord protected him when one day, while painting the Vladimir Cathedral, Viktor Vasnetsov almost crashed, falling from the scaffolding. Carried away by his work, he stumbled, but miraculously caught the metal hook with the canvas jacket he was wearing. “The Lord has preserved me!” - he said then.
— One of the most amazing works in the temple is “Christ the Pantocrator.” It seems like you can look at her for an eternity.
— It’s amazing how Vasnetsov’s Christ the Pantocrator resembles my brother Misha in his younger years. He became a professor, doctor of physical and mathematical sciences. When my great-grandfather painted the image of Christ, of course, Misha was not yet in the “project”...
— I read that Vasnetsov called his work on painting the Vladimir Cathedral “the path to the light”...
— Viktor Mikhailovich was a deeply religious man. As his daughter Tatyana Viktorovna told me, he church holidays I never wrote on secular topics. Only for religious ones.
*Viktor Vasnetsov was a deeply religious man
— How did the Vasnetsovs celebrate Christmas and Easter?
— At Christmas, the children (there were five of them: Tatyana, Boris, Alexey, Mikhail and Vladimir) staged plays. They often wrote plays themselves. Viktor Vasnetsov’s son Vladimir, who was born in Kyiv during the period of painting of the Vladimir Cathedral, especially liked to do this. Girls and boys sewed costumes and painted scenery. It was all interesting. And on Easter they painted eggs with a brush and baked Easter cakes. We prepared according to the famous book by Elena Molokhovets. Our family still bakes “Vasnetsov” pies with cabbage.
And you know what's interesting: these pies with a crispy crust were cut into large pieces and served hot. And definitely with butter and red caviar!
"Vasnetsovsky" pie with cabbage
To prepare it you will need: a kilogram of flour, 50 grams of yeast, half a liter of milk and the same amount of water, four eggs, five tablespoons of vegetable oil, 100 grams of melted butter, four and a half teaspoons of salt and three teaspoons of sugar. And for the filling - a small head of cabbage, 6 boiled eggs, 150 grams of butter, salt and pepper to taste.
Knead the yeast dough. When it starts to come away from your hands, roll out the cake and divide it into two parts - one larger, the second smaller. Place the larger one on the greased vegetable oil baking tray Place the filling of cabbage and finely chopped boiled eggs on the crust (first chop the cabbage not very finely, boil until half cooked, squeeze out the moisture, add chopped eggs, butter, salt and pepper to taste), cover with the second part, pinching on all sides. On top layer cut the dough with scissors to make “tick marks”. Brush the pie with egg. Bake in the oven at 200 degrees until done.
- At the present time, it is very expensive.
— And at the time when Viktor Mikhailovich lived, red caviar was not so expensive. In the recipe book of Elena Molokhovets it was written that black pressed(pressed. - Ed.) caviar... for the servants.
In general, Viktor Vasnetsov was a very modest, ascetic person in everyday life. Loved the house. He was not drawn to travel. Apart from a trip to Italy on the eve of the painting of the St. Vladimir Cathedral, he visited only Paris - he studied there for six months after graduating from the Academy of Arts.
— Viktor Mikhailovich lived with his wife all his life. How did they meet?
— Alexandra Vladimirovna was the first woman in Vyatka to receive a higher medical education. They met when they were sailing on a ship from St. Petersburg, where they studied, to their hometown.
— Is it true that the royal family really liked Viktor Mikhailovich’s paintings?
- This is true. Nicholas II and his family members bought Vasnetsov’s paintings more than once. True, the famous philanthropist and collector Tretyakov always tried to get ahead royal family, purchasing canvases for exhibitions. By the way, the facade of the Tretyakov Gallery was created according to the sketches of Viktor Mikhailovich.
— I read that Viktor Vasnetsov was invited to the celebrations associated with the coronation of Nicholas II...
- Yes, it was so. Vasnetsov painted icons for royal family. But he never created ceremonial portraits of its members. By the way, the tsar was going to visit Viktor Vasnetsov’s house in Moscow, where the artist’s museum is now located. The house is special. According to the design of Viktor Vasnetsov, it is made in the form of a tower. And all the furniture in it was created according to his sketches. She's like a fairy tale. In this house there is also a sketch of the painting “The Virgin and Child” of the Vladimir Cathedral. Viktor Mikhailovich built the tower in Moscow with money received for painting the Vladimir Cathedral - the work was paid very well.
Moreover, in a completely unexpected way, Vasnetsov received money for the sketches themselves. Leaving Kyiv for Moscow, he rolled them up and was going to throw them away. But the loaders who were putting things on the sleigh took the bundles with them to Moscow, where Viktor Vasnetsov showed the works to Tretyakov, with whom he was friends, and he purchased them. With the proceeds, the artist bought the Vankovo estate near Moscow.
— Which of Viktor Mikhailovich’s paintings is your favorite?
— My great-grandfather was a multifaceted artist. I really like the portraits of his children. And of the famous paintings, my favorite is perhaps “The Knight at the Crossroads.”
— Why did Viktor Vasnetsov die?
— On July 23, 1926, there were guests in the house, drinking tea. When Viktor Mikhailovich went to see them off, he suddenly felt bad with his heart. He fell and died. He was 78 years old.