As a self-taught artist without arms and legs, he painted images of saints for the Russian Tsar

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Icon painter Grigory Zhuravlev, a talented self-taught, created magnificent temple frescoes and miniature images, painted icons for two Russian emperors, served as an example for students of the Academy of Arts. His icons were called "not made by hands" - after all, Grigory Zhuravlev, who was born without arms and legs, painted them with his teeth …

In 1858, a boy was born in the village of Utevka near Samara, who seemed destined to die soon. The baby was born without legs and arms - "smooth as an egg." The well-wishers advised the grief-stricken mother to stop feeding him, still not a tenant. But her suffering was so great that, having decided to kill the child, she herself was preparing to say goodbye to life. The boy's grandfather saved them, promising to take the newborn Gregory into his care.

So Grigory Zhuravlev grew up with his grandfather, and led a life full of dangers and adventures. He moved freely around the house and around the yard. Local guys wore it for a walk on the river, where the future artist was once nearly carried away by an eagle. Often, holding a twig in his mouth, he drew figures on the ground. People, houses, cows, dogs … Seeing this, the zemstvo teacher decided - out of kindness or just for fun - to teach the boy to read and write. And Zhuravlev turned out to be a capable student! He studied at school for only two years, could not be longer because of the death of his grandfather. But from his short training he took everything he could. And now, under dictation, he writes letters for all neighbors, exam reports, takes notes, draws portraits of friends. Zhuravlev fell in love with reading, later an extensive library was gathered at his home. His fellow villagers loved him, no fishing, no wedding, no festivities could do without the lively and sociable Grisha Zhuravlev, but … in his heart he cherished a great dream - to become an artist.

From childhood he loved to be in church, but not so much because he was especially devout, as out of love for icons. He could spend hours looking at the pacified faces of the saints, and once announced that he intended to become an icon painter. Zhuravlev was so confident in his calling - "The Lord gave me a gift!" - that the family could only support him on this path. In 1873, fifteen-year-old Grigory Zhuravlev entered the apprenticeship of the artist-icon painter Travkin, albeit only for a few days, and then studied anatomy, perspective and canons on his own for five years. There is information that Zhuravlev graduated from the Samara men's gymnasium, but they have not been confirmed.

Relatives helped him as much as they could - diluted paints, cleaned brushes … Brother and sister accompanied Grigory throughout his life, despite the fact that Zhuravlev had his own apprentices, and all the auxiliary work fell on their shoulders. When the artist started selling his icons, he was only twenty-two years old. He worked with enthusiasm and fruitfulness. He presented several icons to Samara officials, and soon orders from the local wealthy fell on him. However, Zhuravlev also worked for the common people, in every hut of Utevka his icons hung, signed on the back side "This icon was painted with his teeth by the peasant Grigory Zhuravlev of the village of Utevka, Samara province, armless and legless."

In 1884, Grigory Zhuravlev, through the governor of Samara, handed over to Tsarevich Nicholas - the future last Russian emperor Nicholas II - the icon, "written with his teeth at the admonition of God." For this icon from the royal family, the icon painter was granted a hundred rubles - a lot of money for those times. They say that Alexander III personally invited Grigory Zhuravlev to the imperial palace, but it is not known for certain whether their meeting took place.

Another incredible event happened a year later. The artist without arms and legs was invited to paint the Trinity Church. Zhuravlev had to repeat the creative feat of Michelangelo - but it is not easy for a healthy person too …

Every morning the icon painter was tied to a cradle and raised twenty-five meters. Clutching a brush in his teeth, he worked on the images of the saints, and in the evening he could not open his mouth from pain. The sister, sobbing, warmed her clenched jaws with hot towels, and the next morning Zhuravlev went to church again. The work went on for several years, the rumor about the temple, painted by the artist without limbs, thundered all over Russia. The artist was besieged by reporters, students of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts came to see his work. It is believed that Zhuravlev also took part in the creation of the architectural appearance of the temple.

Another meeting with the Romanovs took place. Emperor Nicholas II ordered several icons to Zhuravlev (according to another version - a group portrait of the royal family). The icon painter worked for the emperor for a year, and after that the emperor assigned him a lifelong maintenance and ordered him to give the artist a horse-pacer.

Art critics believe that Zhuravlev was indeed an outstanding icon painter. From sketchbooks, it becomes clear how the strict church canon oppressed his creative freedom, how he tried to stay within the framework of tradition, but inevitably added something of his own, new.

In 1916, his health deteriorated greatly. The artist's life was carried away by fleeting consumption. And after the revolution, his masterpiece, the Trinity Church, became a granary.

However, the ending of this story is not sad. In 1963, the Serbian art critic Zdravko Kaymanovic discovered an icon with a Russian-language inscription on the back, which contained a mention of an armless and legless painter. Thus, a wave of interest arose in the mysterious Russian artist, who created "miraculous" icons. In Utevka today there is a museum dedicated to Grigory Zhuravlev, stories are written about him, other artists dedicate their own works to him, the villagers offer to canonize their unusual countryman. The icons painted by Zhuravlev are found throughout Russia and abroad, and are kept in the Hermitage and the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius. In the 90s, the Trinity Church in Utevka was returned to the church and restored. The grave of the artist himself was discovered on its territory. He wished to be buried near his main creation.