The life of Russia in the 19th century in the living paintings of the forgotten artist Alexei Korzukhin, who is adored at Western auctions

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

Name Alexey Ivanovich Korzukhin rarely mentioned among the eminent artists of Russia of the XIX century. But this does not make his creative legacy less significant in the history of art. Korzukhin is a great artist, one of the best Russian painters of the genre, whose name has been forgotten. While his paintings are real documentary evidence of the life and life of the Russian people in the century before last.

The gifted young guy was noticed by the manager of the mining plant S. F. Glinka and helped in entering the mining school. Alexei needed to get at least some kind of education and profession so that he could further study painting. And only in 1857, Korzukhin entered the Academy of Arts, where he was immediately noted by teachers. And the talented young artist soon received a Small Gold Medal for the painting "The Drunken Father of the Family."

The requirements of the Academy for students were high, and all the achievements of Korzukhin were not easy, but with painstaking work and diligence he was close to receiving a gold medal and traveling abroad to improve his skills. Alas, by the will of fate, he was among those students, headed by Ivan Kramskoy, who left the Academy in protest against the imposed topic of graduation work. This riot was called the "riot of the 14th". A few years later, Aleksey Korzukhin returned to the Academy and received the title of academician.

Alexey Ivanovich devoted all his skill and skill to the genre of everyday life, reflecting scenes from the everyday life of the people. But unlike the artists who wrote in this genre and denounced the unjust existing order, Korzukhin was not inclined to rebellion and indignation - in his canvases we do not see the accusatory pathos of the Itinerants.

In 1865, Korzukhin was awarded the title of artist of the first degree for the painting "Wake at the Village Cemetery", and in 1868 the Academy awarded him the title of Academician for the painting "The Return of the Father of the Family from the Fair".

"The return of the father of the family from the village fair." (1868)

And this picture is saturated with lyricism and perky mood. She colorfully conveys the bright sides of the human soul, the artist's sincere sympathy for the common people. The unpretentious plot of the picture tells how the father of the family is tipsy with friends to the sound of a balalaika, returning home from the fair, rejoicing, dancing and enjoying a successful auction.

Sunday afternoon

All skill of the painter is clearly visible on the canvas "Sunday". The composition of this particular painting is amazing. Its center is the boiling samovar, around which the whole plot is tied. The whole family is assembled and is about to start eating. In the meantime, they are having fun, dancing and playing.

From such a lively and cheerful plot, there is a family warmth, a delicious smell of lunch. The viewer has a desire to get to this cheerful meadow himself, to dance, play along with the accordion player and just breathe in the air of this amazing spring day.

"Return from the city". (1870)

The canvas recreates a poor peasant life: a dark room in an old village hut, with smoky gray walls and a crevice floor, sparsely furnished. The plot develops around the father of the family, who came from the city bazaar, where he bought household goods and gifts for his household.

Here is the eldest teenage daughter unfurled the blue ribbon with interest; For a daughter of five or six years old, her father brought small bagels strung on a thread. And she happily prepared the hem of her dress for gifts. On the dusty floor, a small child crawls in one shirt. On the left, an old mother pours water into a samovar for tea with sweets, which his father usually brings from the market. This canvas is full of optimism, it testifies that even in the midst of a difficult, hopeless life, a person finds his little joys.

"Bird enemies". (1887)

In the early morning three peasant barefoot boys bravely walk on the "hunt". Catching birds for sale gives them a good income, so the guys approach this activity responsibly. This is indicated by cages for future prey and a long pole for fishing. The older boy, apparently, saw a flock of birds and drags them along, showing others where they should move.

"At the edge of bread." (1890)

Tragedy and gloomy hopelessness emanates from this canvas. Peasant children, standing at the table, share a crust of bread. The eyes of a 3-year-old boy are filled with pleading, who has already eaten his bite and is staring hungrily at the ration left for later. And the sister carefully presses the bread to her and does not know what to do. To give bread to a brother now means to stay hungry in the evening: there is nothing more to eat.

A sick mother, lying on a couch, seeing confusion in her daughter's eyes, asks not to worry about her and eat her crumbs that remained on the table. But the 5-year-old daughter is already old enough to understand that this cannot be done, otherwise the mother will never recover. In the whole appearance of a little girl there is a dumb question: "What should I do?" And the viewer's heart squeezes painfully.

"Collection of arrears". (1868)

Tragedy and hopelessness shines through from this canvas. Collectors of arrears came to a poor peasant family. The chief tax collector does not want to listen to the tearful pleas of a woman kneeling and holding a baby in her arms. She desperately asks to pity them, not to take away the cow - their only breadwinner.

Nearby stands the owner of the house, barefoot, dressed in white trousers and a shabby caftan. He scratches the back of his head in confusion, not knowing how to continue to live. In the background, standing neighbors, supposedly sympathize with the unfortunate, but quietly rejoicing in their souls that this time trouble has bypassed their yard.

"Parting". (1872)

For a long time, the painter Alexei Korzukhin was considered a minor artist, but despite this, his canvases are successfully exhibited in many galleries and museums in Russia and are in great demand at the world auction.

A famous Russian artist, a contemporary of A. Korzukhin, also wrote pictures about the difficult life and life of the common people, about their deprivations, sufferings and little joys. Vladimir Makovsky.