Realistic landscapes of the 19th century artist Ivan Velts, who did not remain in the shadow of the great painters of that great era

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

The nineteenth century nurtured and gave the world a whole galaxy of talented and famous artists of Russian painting. Savrasov, Shishkin, Levitan, Aivazovsky in the landscape genre were unsurpassed brilliant painters, whom it was almost impossible to reach. And in that era it was very difficult to prove oneself as a talented and original artist against such a background. However, the landscape painter Ivan Avgustovich Welts, which left a very bright mark in the Russian fine arts, it was more than successful.

True, masterfully executed works are not as widely replicated as the works of other classics of Russian painting, but they are nevertheless well known to many art connoisseurs. Ivan Velts's paintings are the property of many famous Russian museums and adornment of private collections of collectors.

However, not much is known about the author himself. Firstly, after the death of the artist, not a single portrait of him, not a single photograph has survived. Secondly, art critics still cannot determine exactly where the artist was born: either in Saratov, or in the Samara province. It is only known for certain that Ivan Avgustovich was born in the summer of 1866 in the family of an Austrian merchant, a citizen of Austria.

From a young age, Vanya Veltz was fond of drawing and could not imagine himself as a painter. Therefore, in 1885 he became a student at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. During his studies, he was awarded silver medals more than once for competitive works. And by the end of his studies, gold awards were added to them. Especially the young artist succeeded in landscape painting. He skillfully approached the solution of complex compositions, skillfully used colors that were not too rich for Russian landscapes, and was also scrupulous about detailing.

It so happened historically that the time of the formation of Ivan Velts as a master coincided with the time in which already established venerable painters lived and worked. And to find his place among them, the artist required remarkable efforts, excellent talent and unbending dedication. And Ivan Avgustovich Velets had these qualities with interest.

In 1889, Ivan Avgustovich took Russian citizenship. A couple of years later, having received a gold medal at the final exams at the Academy, as a first-class artist, he was sent abroad to study the history and masterpieces of world art.

And when he returned, he wandered a lot around the outskirts of St. Petersburg, regions of central Russia, Ukraine, Crimea. From each trip he brought his unusually realistic landscapes, sketches, sketches, sketches, reflecting amazingly beautiful corners of nature.

Until his death, Welz continued to work creatively and left as a legacy to future generations his creations, saturated with picturesque lyrics and touching admiration of his native land. In 1926, the artist died. The burial place of the artist is in St. Petersburg.

Continuing the theme of artists who, by the will of circumstances, had to find themselves in the shadow of the greatest masters of Russian painting a story about Arseny Ivanovich Meshchersky, a high-class landscape painter who considered himself a "draftsman" of nature, not a painter.

-