Vasily Andreevich Tropinin, "The Lacemaker"

Vasily Andreevich Tropinin from birth was a serf of Count Minich. As a thing, along with the dowry of Minich's daughter, he passed to Count Carrot. It was the latter who saw the artist’s talent in the young man and sent him to St. Petersburg, where Tropinin, at the age of 21, became an “outsider student” of the Academy of Arts.

Despite the fact that training at the academy, as a rule, began from childhood, believing that drawing and painting require training from infancy, Tropinin, who entered it relatively late, studied successfully, and within a few years one of his first paintings had a large exhibition. success. But by this time the master recalled him back to the estate, where he became a serf painter. Only at the age of 47 did the artist receive a free diploma.

Together with the serf artist Tropinin in Russian art included images of people who, according to representatives of official art, could not serve as a "captivating model". These are “Servant with a damask”, “An old woman with a chicken”, “Spinner”, “Peasant, planing a crutch”.

These and many other pictures are evidence that the working man is truly a "captivating model." It was in 1823, the year when he became free, that Tropinin created one of his best paintings, The Lacemaker.

Tropinin strove for truthful canvases, devoid of official splendor, the painting “The Lacemaker” was especially successful for him. The girl "forgot" that she was posing for a portrait: she was working. Only for a second did the lacemaker look at the painter, but her hands continue their work. One hand holds a bobbin, the other sticks a pin. At the bottom of the picture we see a small part of the work - the edge of that delicate, lush, beautiful lace, which went for tens of meters on the costumes of court ladies and over which the serfs spoiled the sight.

The lacemaker herself is dressed in a modest dress, on her shoulders is her poor scarf. But this habitual clothing softly fits the body and reveals its plasticity better than ladies' dresses hard from gold embroidery and starch, and the more clearly the beauty and freshness of the girl, her elastic, healthy skin are visible.

The clear and joyful spiritual world of the girl is easily read on her face, a sly look shines with youthful enthusiasm. In great detail, the artist drew the hands of a craftswoman, the brushes of a working person since childhood. They seem to live their own lives, habitually continuing to work, although the girl looks away. The nails on the hands of the lace maker are neatly trimmed so that (God forbid!) not to touch the thread of the lace, not to spoil it. Spoiled work threatened with lordly wrath, and sometimes with physical violence.

Tropinin worked a lot to order, creating paintings of various artistic value. Among these works one can find official portraits, cold, painted by an artist with a closed soul. But the best paintings of the master stand out for their special sincerity: among them are portraits of his wife, son and a magnificent portrait of A.S. Pushkin. The portrait, painted in 1827, was commissioned by Pushkin himself for Tropinin for his friend S.A. Sobolevsky, who, according to a contemporary, "wanted to keep the image of the poet as he is, as he used to be more often." Pushkin on Tropinin's canvas is not a classic and a romantic, but rather the author of "Boris Godunov" and the village chapters of "Eugene Onegin" - sociable and witty, caustic and gentle, thinker and writer.

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The "lacemaker" by Vasily Tropinin was immediately enthusiastically received by critics. A contemporary of the artist, Russian publisher and journalist Pavel Svinin wrote: “...both connoisseurs and non-connoisseurs are delighted when looking at this picture, which truly connects all the beauties of pictorial art: the pleasantness of the brush, correct, happy lighting, clear, natural coloring. Moreover, in the portrait itself, the soul of the beauty and that sly look of curiosity that she throws at someone who entered at that moment is revealed ... ".

Vasily Andreevich Tropinin was born on March 19 (30), 1776 in the village of Karpovo, Novgorod province, into the family of a serf who belonged to Count Anton Sergeevich Minikh. The daughter of the count married the hero of the Turkish Wars, the outstanding military leader Irakli Ivanovich Morkov, holder of the St. George crosses for the capture of Ochakov and Ishmael and for the Polish campaign with Suvorov. As a dowry, the newlyweds received the village with all its "inhabitants".

Vasily's father was a headman and other serfs hated him fiercely for this. The dislike was reflected in the boy. He was especially punished for drawing the offenders, sticking out the most characteristic features of them in the portraits. But the child never complained about the beatings and bullying.

Tropinin really wanted to become an artist, but who cares about the wishes of a serf? Let him rejoice that the master decided to teach him at least some trade. Therefore, the boy resigned himself to the desire of the landowner to send him to study with a confectioner in St. Petersburg. This, of course, is not painting, the young talent reassures himself, but it is also a kind of art. After all, the art of a draftsman in confectionery, especially when creating figures of people and animals, is also necessary. Fortunately, the cousin of Count Morkov immediately drew attention to the talented serf and convinced his relative to send the young man as a volunteer to the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. The famous Russian painter and portrait master Stepan Shchukin becomes his teacher.

In his memoirs, Tropinin thanked the owner

As expected, Tropinin's talent is immediately recognized. He manages to win first place twice in the Academy competitions. In 1804, at an academic exhibition, the young artist presented for the first time his work "A Boy with a Dead Bird". She was noticed by the adjunct rector of the Academy Ivan Akimovich Akimov and Empress Maria Feodorovna, who visited the exhibition. And the president of the Academy, Count Alexander Sergeevich Stroganov, having learned from his friend Orest Kiprensky that one of the best students continues to be a serf, promised to get a free man. But, alas, the master thought otherwise.

The enlightened Count Irakly Morkov does not want to part with Vasily. Moreover, having learned about the interest of such high-ranking gentlemen in him, he recalls him to Ukraine to his new estate Podolia. The gentleman does not need a highly educated portrait painter. He needed a serf estate artist who would paint icons and altarpieces for the new church under construction and decorate carriages. In addition, the forced Tropinin was instructed to carry out portraits of the owners.

Interestingly, Tropinin himself perceives life in Ukraine as an opportunity to continue his studies. “I studied little at the Academy, but I learned in Little Russia: I painted there without rest from nature, and these works of mine seem to be the best of all that I have written so far,” he later recalled.

As a result, Vasily Andreevich simultaneously becomes the manager of the estate, which his father used to be, a servant, a shepherd, an architect and a personal artist of the count. A striking fact - Tropinin was so kind person that in his memoirs he even thanked the owner for the years he lived in Ukraine. According to him, it was Little Russia that made him a great artist...

The nobles revived old traditions

In the village of Kukavka, Vasily Andreevich met his love. There are several versions about the origin of his wife. Most often it is mentioned that the chosen one was the sister of the artist Katin, with whom Tropinin became friends during his years of study at the Academy. It is only known for certain that Anna Ivanovna Katina was a free villager, but she was not afraid to marry a serf and that she would also become a serf. The children destined to be born in this marriage were also to become eternal serfs of Morkov and his heirs...

The Patriotic War of 1812 found the Tropinin family in Little Russia. Count Morkov was elected to the leadership of the Moscow militia, where he showed himself quite well. After the defeat of Napoleon, Tropinin was ordered to go to the capital with a convoy of the master's property. In the count's house rebuilt after the fire, he was allowed to open a workshop where he paints portraits of the owners, their relatives and acquaintances of the nobles. At that time, it became fashionable to revive portrait galleries in their homes instead of canvases burned in the Moscow fire.

In 1818, Tropinin painted a portrait of the historian Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin, which was engraved and opened the collection of the writer's works. Orders also appeared from representatives of the merchant class.

The long-awaited freestyle

I must say that art exhibitions were not held in Moscow at that time. Saint Petersburg was considered the cultural capital. However, the master quickly gained fame as a good portrait painter. Of particular interest to his personality were the flattering lines in " Domestic notes”: “Tropinin, a serf of Count Carrot. He also studied at the Academy of Arts and has a happy gift and a penchant for painting. Its coloration is similar to the Titian's.

Many enlightened and noble people, having learned that the painter Tropinin was a serf, they did not hide their indignation. They considered it their duty to publicly demand that Morkov grant freedom to a talented artist.

There is information that once in the English club a certain Dmitriev, having won against the count in cards a large sum, publicly invited him to exchange debt for freedom for Tropinin. But Morkov did not want to lose his personal artist in any way ... However, in May 1823, the master, apparently under public pressure, still presents Tropinin with a free letter, so to speak, as an Easter gift. Together with him, the wife also receives freedom. But the son Arseny will become free only in five years ...

Designated artist title

Morkov invites Vasily Andreevich to stay in his count's house and promises to petition for a place in the military department. However, the artist, who had dreamed of complete independence for so long, decided to live independently. He settles in an apartment with a workshop in a house on the corner of Lenivka and Volkhonka streets, where he worked most of his life. It was here in the winter of 1826–27 that Alexander Pushkin came to pose for a portrait.

In September 1823, Vasily Tropinin presents the paintings "The Lacemaker", "The Beggar Old Man" and "Portrait of the Artist E. O. Skotnikov" to the Council of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. For these works, he receives the title of appointed artist, which gives the right to receive a class rank in the table of ranks. Just a year later, in 1824, for the "Portrait of K. A. Leberecht" he was awarded the title of academician.

They started talking about Tropinin. Merchant Moscow, imitating the noble fashion for portraits, buzzed and rushed to the newfangled artist with orders. The former serf became one of the most sought-after Russian painters. His work was appreciated and bought. Karl Bryullov, refusing to paint portraits of Muscovites, said: "You have your own excellent artist."

Beauty soul

"Lacemaker", "Guitarist" and other similar works by Vasily Tropinin, which depict a specific person and his typical environment, are classified by art critics as a "portrait-type". This portrait-type has become the hallmark of the artist. And the "Lacemaker" - a significant phenomenon in the pictorial art of that time, brought him fame as a master of female images.

In addition to this canvas in the 1820-1830s. Tropinin wrote several more works dedicated to city workers and their painstaking work (“Spinning”, “For firmware”, “Gold embroidery”).

All these "Seamstresses", "Lacemakers", "Golden Seamstresses" are not at all noble young ladies who, out of boredom, took up needlework. Most likely, they were courtyard girls or Moscow needlewomen. However, Tropinin endowed all young women with a general external resemblance. They are united by a gentle oval face, dark almond-shaped eyes, a friendly smile, a flirtatious look.

A pretty girl weaving lace is depicted at the moment when she briefly looked up from her work and turned her gaze to the viewer. Her appearance suggests that her work is not at all difficult, that this is just a game. Laces, bobbins, a box for needlework are written out in detail - this is how Tropinin creates such an important feeling of peace and comfort for himself.

“... In the portrait itself, the soul of the beauty is revealed and that sly look of curiosity that she throws at someone who entered at that moment. Her arms, bared at the elbow, stopped with her gaze, the work stopped, a sigh escaped from her virgin chest, covered with a muslin scarf - and all this is depicted with such truth and simplicity, ”wrote critic Pavel Svinin.

The prose of life remained behind the canvas

Tropinin's "Lacemaker", as well as his other needlewomen, were often called sisters " poor Lisa"- the heroines of the story by Nikolai Karamzin. Published for the first time in 1792 in the Moscow Journal, the story soon became widely known. Karamzin writes about her heroine that she, "not sparing her rare beauty, worked day and night." Like Liza, who lives in a hut, but bears little resemblance to a peasant woman, Tropinin's The Lacemaker is also idealized. But “such a tendency for young ladies to transform into peasant women (or the discovery of a noble nature in peasant women,” writes art critic Elena Petinova, “is only one of the characteristic signs of that time, captured by V. Tropinin.”

The “Lacemaker” depicted at work smiles coquettishly, and this “idealization” was noted by many art critics. For example, art historian Natalya Kovalenskaya writes in her study that “the hands of the Lacemaker are raised with grace, perhaps somewhat deliberate.” The graceful turn of the figure, the unhurried gesture of gentle hands involuntarily suggest that her work is a pleasant game. But if this is a game, then Tropinin makes the viewer believe in the naturalness of this game, in the simplicity and modesty of his "Lacemaker".

Perhaps the modern viewer will find in the canvas features of a certain sentimentality or peaceful idealization of reality. The fact is that Tropinin was never a fighter. His sensitive and pure soul, perhaps, put up with a lot. He honored the beauty of a working man, which is why he sings in his "Lacemaker" the feeling of inner dignity that the girl managed to preserve. The difficult prose of life remained behind the canvas. If it can be considered, then with great difficulty in the elusive movement of the heroine's shoulders.

The founder of a new trend in Russian art

It was Tropinin who became the originator of a completely new direction in Russian art, associated with careful, serious analysis folk character. In principle, peasants were depicted before him. However, this was the exception rather than the rule. And he managed to approve such images in Russian painting XIX century. Wandering artists picked up this initiative and developed it.

Contemporaries said that Tropinin rewrote all of Moscow: officials, nobles, merchants, actors, writers, artists ... Vasily Andreevich always tried to portray his customers in a good mood.

“Who in life likes to look at angry, cloudy faces? Why, then, convey to the canvas something unpleasant that will remain unchanged, why make a painful impression, arouse painful memories in those who love this person? Let them see him and remember him in a happy era of life,” he liked to say.

It must be said that the artist has never been abroad and he developed his talent by studying nature. However, his talent and artistic skill were so great that many connoisseurs of painting took the portraits painted by him for the works of Rembrandt, they had so much amazing color and lighting power.

Long way "Lacemakers"

Contemporaries called him the "Russian Dream" because he never corrected the nature of the model and did not embellish it with artificial effects. He always drew his model very carefully and conveyed the almost elusive features of the face of the depicted person. The poses of people in his works are natural and varied, and the execution is simply impeccable.

For my long life Vasily Tropinin created more than three thousand paintings. In many of them, especially in later works, you recognize the familiar face of Moscow nobles, highlighted by the genius of Griboyedov, Gogol, Turgenev...

Since 1833, Tropinin has been working on a voluntary basis with students of a public art class that opened in Moscow (later the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture). In 1843 he was elected an honorary member of the Moscow Art Society.

Vasily Andreevich Tropinin died in 1857. He was buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery. In 1969, the Museum of V.A. Tropinin and Moscow artists of his time.

Initially, the painting "The Lacemaker" fell into the collection of Svinin, a collection of paintings in which there were 82 paintings. Unfortunately, by 1834 Svinyin went bankrupt and decided to sell his collection. Part was sold to Baron Gumbalt, the rest went to private collections in Russia.

The "lacemaker" came to the famous Russian collector, merchant Pryanishnikov, and stayed with him until 1867. Then she ended up in the Moscow Rumyantsev Museum. And only in 1925 she entered the State Tretyakov Gallery, where it is kept to this day, decorating its exposition.

The mysterious gaze of Tropinin's "Lacemaker"

The painting "The Lacemaker" by Vasily Andreevich Tropinin can be called one of the favorite masterpieces of Russian painting. It was created in 1847 and belongs to genre portraits, that is, it is not just an image of a person, but a small scene from life. The girl weaves lace, for a moment she was distracted from her work and looked up at the artist. This moment is captured on the canvas. It seems to the viewer that the cheerful lacemaker is smilingly looking at him.

The portrait is beautiful, but its history is also interesting. The fact is that Vasily Tropinin was a serf. And only when he was 47 years old, his owner decided to give him freedom. The talented painter became free, but he still had to prove that he was an artist in order to receive this title from the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. He submitted three paintings for consideration by the commission, one of them was "The Lacemaker" - a portrait of an unknown craftswoman, a young, beautiful, modest girl.

Russian lace has always been valued literally for its weight in gold, lace weaving is a difficult craft that requires care, skill, and perseverance. The girl performs this complex daily work with ease and love, it is familiar and pleasant to her.

The working part of the machine is raised and turned towards the craftswoman, so the viewer practically does not see the results of her work, but you can clearly see the tool that she holds in her hand. This bobbin. The lace maker should have a lot of them, the more bobbins, the wider and more refined the lace. We see that there is a whole bunch of bobbins on the machine, which indicates a high level of craftsmanship.

If you look carefully, then in the lower part of the picture you can see a fragment of a lace ribbon, thin, almost transparent - this is the lace that a skillful craftswoman creates literally before our eyes. In the foreground, scissors are neatly written on the table. All the details emphasize that the workplace is in a meticulous order.

The lace-maker's hands, beautiful fingers, short-cut nails attract attention. The usual work gestures are graceful, even flirtatious, so the girl could hold a piece of chocolate (if she knew about its existence), and not a work tool. Nude to the shoulder left hand well lit, which emphasizes its beauty. A soft beam of light illuminates the lacemaker's face, revealing its noble features. A girl from the people can be even more beautiful than a representative of a rich family, the artist wants to say.

Connoisseurs and experts highly appreciate the light in the picture. The light flows in a soft stream, highlights the center of the canvas, gives a special charm to the color. Color is a color scheme, we see that the artist chose soft colors close to gray, but in the picture they look beautiful, juicy, even solemn.

In terms of daylight transmission, Tropinin can be compared with the Dutch artist Vermeer. Vermeer became famous precisely for his ability to convey a beam of daylight falling on the faces of people who are busy with everyday activities. We see that the Russian painter brilliantly copes with this task.

A slightly mischievous and mysterious look of the lacemaker, illuminated by a beam, gives the picture a joyful, romantic mood. These virtues make the portrait of an unknown girl one of the most beloved paintings of Russian fine art.

Artist Vasily Tropinin at the stage of his creative way created a new style painting, the highlight of which is the joy of everyday life. The Lacemaker is the first painting published by the author as a freelance artist.

In the yard in 1823. As a gift for Easter, the 47-year-old artist receives a long-awaited freedom. The joy of liberation is overshadowed by only one fact: his son is forced to remain a serf. In this way, Count Carrot hopes to keep the artist at his court, but he still chooses freedom. Tropinin moved to St. Petersburg, wanting to get an artist's diploma at the academy where he had previously received his education. To prove his skill, he must present to the commission several of his own canvases, among which the artist presented The Lacemaker.

The commission gives the artist the highest rating. Despite the presence of errors in other paintings, The Lacemaker leaves an indelible impression on the members of the commission. Tropinin is honorably awarded a diploma, conferring on him the title of academician of painting. Many contemporaries and connoisseurs of painting also spoke positively about his work, even the critic Svinin did not find any flaws in Tropinia's work, he said this canvas causes genuine admiration. He praises the color scheme, the lighting, and the character that comes through easily in the painting. In addition, contrary to the established fashion, Tropinin does not change any of the girl's facial features, showing her as she is in reality. “The Lacemaker” is a painting by Tropinin, in which the artist managed to perfectly combine a soft brush, the right lighting, and most importantly, the soul, the character of the heroine.

Of course, there were those who were dissatisfied. In particular, the artist is reproached, saying that he idealizes a simple worker. There are statements that the heroine is completely different from a peasant woman: her hands are too gentle, her movements are too graceful, and her work is too easy for her, and seems to bring pleasure. But, this criticism is lost in the general mass of boasting, and looks more like an envious attempt to denigrate the creator.

What does an ordinary viewer actually see on the canvas? And he sees a girl bending over her work. Her gaze is directed towards the viewer, who, it seems, has just entered her room. The girl's hands, almost completely naked, froze for a second, it seems that she is about to continue her work. She does not pose for the artist, but continues to weave lace. But the work not only does not spoil the craftswoman, but also makes her even more beautiful. With this picture, Tropinin wants to show that even a simple peasant woman can look a hundred times better than a noblewoman.

The beauty really does not at all look like either a noblewoman or a princess. She doesn't have fancy dresses and expensive jewelry. It's just ordinary girl, but there is some attractiveness in her image, which makes the look stop. A peasant woman is not constrained by secular manners and norms - she simply remains herself, and this is ... beautiful. You just want to talk to the lace maker, you can guess from the look that she will not lie and dissemble. She is honest and open, that is, character traits are reflected that are rare in real life

"The Lacemaker" is a painting by Tropinin, which rightfully occupies a place in the history of Russian art. Now you can see this masterpiece of portraiture in the Tretyakov Gallery, the size of the picture is 75 by 59 centimeters.

There are picturesque canvases that are immediately remembered and sink into the soul with some special quiet beauty and spirituality. Such is the painting "Lace Maker" by the famous Russian artist Vasily Andreevich Tropinin.

We will tell you about the history of the creation of this work of art, about who is depicted in this portrait, and also give a number of interesting facts from the biography of the painter.

Facts from the biography of V. A. Tropinin

Tropinin's painting "The Lacemaker" is such a perfect and beautiful creation that the audience would never doubt the talent and skill of the artist. Meanwhile, Vasily Andreevich Tropinin was born a serf, and there were many obstacles on his way to creativity and freedom. Just think: if the stars were less favorable to this gifted person, then his artistic talent might not have been developed.

So, V. A. Tropinin was born in 1776. When the future painter grew up, Count Morkov, who was then his master, sent the boy to St. Petersburg to study confectionery. But the teenager's talent for drawing manifested itself so clearly that, by the will of fate, he was still able to attend classes at the Academy of Arts. At that happy time, Tropinin met Orest Kiprensky, Alexander Ivanov. Eminent people were found who began to intercede with Count Carrot so that he would give the young man freedom. But he, on the contrary, ordered Tropinin to return to take up a lackey position.

Vasily Andreevich received freedom only in 1823, at that time he was already 44 years old.

How and when the painting "The Lacemaker" was painted

Immediately after gaining the long-awaited freedom, the artist goes to the city dear to his heart - St. Petersburg. He passionately dreams of getting a degree in painting at the Academy of Fine Arts, where he once studied the fine art of drawing. In order to demonstrate his skill in front of a strict academic commission, he had to submit several paintings to the court. The painting "The Lacemaker" was among them.

Members of the commission gave the canvas the highest rating. And the diploma of the academician was solemnly presented to Tropinin. "The Lacemaker" was warmly received by critics. They admired the color scheme, lighting, the artist's ability to convey the character of the model. True, there were also those who were dissatisfied, accusing Vasily Andreevich of trying to idealize simple labor, that the heroine of the picture is completely different from a peasant girl: her movements are too graceful, and her hands are gentle. But these single critical exclamations were lost against the background of general delight.

Description of the canvas

The painting "The Lacemaker" depicts a sweet young girl bending over her work. She seemed to be distracted for a moment and met the eyes of a viewer who unexpectedly entered the room. The young lady's hands, almost completely naked, froze for only a second. It seems that in a moment she will again plunge into work and begin to weave ornate openwork patterns. The lacemaker does not pose - she lives.

"Lacemaker" is impossible without a story about an amazing appearance main character. On the one hand, she is a simple girl. She is wearing the usual peasant outfit and no jewelry. But her face glows, and not only with beauty and friendliness, but also with intelligence. And the whole pose of the lace maker is very graceful. In a word, any noblewoman of those times could envy such a sweet, refined, and at the same time simple appearance.

The general coloring of the picture, painted in soft, restrained and natural silver-greenish-olive tones, is very beautiful. All the attention of the viewer is immediately riveted to the face of the heroine, which, as it were, glows from the inside, to her eyes and a barely noticeable smile. Tropinin skillfully wrote out all the small items: bobbins, part of the lace needlework, scissors on the work table, unpretentious items of clothing for the worker. In this work, the painter poeticizes the work and harmony of a simple and honest everyday life.

This is the picture "Lacemaker". The artist, seeing how much love and popularity his creation enjoys among his contemporaries, repeated several times in different versions the plot that he and the public loved. Needless to say, after the success of the canvas, Tropinin was literally inundated with numerous orders for portraits.

Where can you see "The Lacemaker"

Tropinin's painting "The Lacemaker" today occupies a worthy place among the paintings of the Moscow Tretyakov Gallery in Lavrushensky lane, in the house number 10, in the hall under the thirteenth number. There are also many other Tropinin portraits and landscapes. The museum receives visitors six days a week, except Mondays (day off).

Conclusion

They say that the Russian portrait painting famous all over the world for its special poetry and spirituality. Tropinin's portrait of a lace maker is one of the clearest examples of this.