Hobbies of the monarchs of the Russian state: Artistic talents of representatives of the Romanov family

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

Most people devote part of their lives to various activities and hobbies that are not related to the main activity. The Russian rulers, the autocrats of the Romanov family, were also no exception. Therefore, after their lives, there was a considerable legacy dedicated to artistic creativity, including painting.

Peter I is the tsar of the Russian state. (1672-1725)

To list all the hobbies of the greatest reformer of Russia, Peter I, is a thankless task, since he was fond of building ships, shoemaking, and dentistry (sometimes the sovereign had to tear the courtiers' teeth). And once he undertook to weave a bast shoe, but with annoyance he abandoned this business and said: "there is no wiser craft."

But in 1709, the sovereign independently carved a wooden goblet of walnut on a grinder. The evidence of his authorship is the inscription in Latin and in Russian: "This is the handicraft of the great Russian Emperor Peter Alekseevich." This cup was presented to Prince Matvey Gagarin to commemorate the victory of the Battle of Poltava. In turn, Matvey Gagarin trimmed the expensive gift with gold and adorned with precious stones. Today the tsar's present is kept in the St. Petersburg Historical Museum.

Maria Feodorovna (wife of Emperor Paul I). (1759-1828)

Sophia Maria Dorothea Augusta Louise of Württemberg - a German princess, the second wife of Tsar Paul I, daughter-in-law of Catherine II and mother of the future tsars Alexander I and Nicholas I, was superbly educated, had skills in various arts and crafts.

For many years she had to live at the court of Catherine in the role of a princess. Gifted with many talents, Maria Feodorovna, without suffering from boredom, was fond of singing and playing the clavichord, satin stitch embroidery and painting, modeling and carving figurines from amber and ivory, sharp cameos made of stone and glass. She also mastered the technique of casting from metal using wax molds. She could rightfully be called one of the first artists of the Russian state.

For the sixtieth anniversary of the Empress Maria Feodorovna made a cameo with her profile, personifying the goddess Minerva. The idea of depicting the sphinx on the helmet belongs to the princess herself. Today the cameo is kept in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.

Nikolai Pavlovich (Emperor Nicholas I). (1796-1855)

All the children of Maria Feodorovna were taught art from childhood, both girls and boys, who could not only use the technique of drawing and watercolors, but also more serious genres: engraving and reliefs.

So, in his youth, the future Emperor Nicholas I loved to create engravings on copper, and then paint them with watercolors. And while already in power, he developed sketches of uniforms for the Russian army. The emperor's passion was so great that he could work on them day and night, refining and improving.

After him, graphic drawings remained, which were performed quite skillfully, with knowledge of perspective, composition and gradation of light and shadow.

Alexander Alexandrovich (Emperor Alexander III) (1845-1894)

Alexander III was the son of Emperor Alexander II, the grandson of Nicholas I and the great-grandson of Maria Feodorovna, from the time of which the Romanov family became interested in various arts. The State Archives of the Russian Federation contains drawings of the future emperor. One of them is signed: “1856, September 20. Pavlik from Sasha , painted by him at the age of 11. The seascape was depicted at a very decent level, since the boy studied painting technique with Professor N. Tikhobrazov.

Later, the future emperor, while traveling across Russia, will take lessons from the marine painter A. Bogolyubov and create a number of travel sketches, which are currently kept in Pavlovsk. And already being the father of the family, Alexander, being carried away by sea views, will again take painting lessons from his teacher.

Princess Dagmar (Maria Feodorovna, wife of Alexander III). (1847-1928)

Princess from Denmark - Maria Sophia Frederica Dagmar, who became the wife of Emperor Alexander III, was passionate about art from childhood. Dagmar received all her painting skills from her mother, the Queen of Denmark. HER was very fascinated by watercolor, but there are several works made in oils.

Having become empress, Maria Feodorovna was a diligent student of A. P. Bogolyubova, who recalls in his notes: Later, the painter Nikolai Losev was her mentor. In her works, as a rule, she depicted only separate corners of nature in the form of small sketches. It was difficult for her to cope with a broader outlook, but the individual objects of the landscapes were executed impeccably and with delicate taste.

Nikolai Alexandrovich. (Emperor Nicholas II)

Empress Maria Feodorovna (Dagmar) also tried to instill an artistic taste and skills for creativity in all children. Therefore, in the curricula of the education of the royal offspring, a drawing lesson was mandatory.

The entire educational program for the royal children was designed for eight years, with a load of up to forty-eight teaching hours a week. The two hours of drawing were consistent and mandatory on their schedule.

By the age of sixteen, the future Emperor Nicholas II was fluent in watercolor technique. Wonderful landscapes are a clear confirmation of this. It is interesting that later these skills will serve the tsar in life situations: his book of notes is kept in the Kremlin Museum, where on forty-one pages he made three hundred and five sketches of his jewelry, which were presented to him. He kept this jewelry book for twenty-five years.

By the way, all the offspring of Nicholas II also received an art education, like the previous generation. All of his daughters painted exquisite watercolor still lifes and landscapes.

Olga Alexandrovna (1882 - 1960)

Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna - the sister of Nicholas II, the youngest daughter of Emperor Alexander III and Maria Feodorovna, possessing an extraordinary talent for painting, became an artist.

All the offspring were taught art in the family of the emperor, but only Olga took up painting professionally. Her teachers were the famous artists Makovsky and Vinogradov.

The princess's works today adorn private collections, and are also kept in the palaces of the royal people of Europe. Throughout her life, the Grand Duchess created more than two thousand paintings, thanks to which she supported her family. So, in the 20-40s, her paintings were the only means of subsistence.

Russia first learned about Olga Alexandrovna's creative heritage only in the early 2000s, when her heiress Olga Nikolaevna Kulikovskaya - Romanova organized an exhibition of paintings by the August artist.

You can read about the amazing fate of the artist from the royal family of Princess Olga Alexandrovna, who lived most of her life in exile and earns her living with her talent. here.