Arkhip Kuindzhi: landscape philosophy of the renowned artist

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

About the work of the famous landscape painter Arkhip Kuindzhi at one time it was said that his paintings at exhibitions overshadow everything else. Thanks to the unique author's manner of execution and original performances at exhibitions, the artist has gained wide popularity and recognition of his colleagues.

Arkhip Ivanovich Kuindzhi was born in 1841 in the family of a poor Greek shoemaker in Mariupol (present-day Donetsk region). He lost his parents early and, left in the care of relatives, from early childhood was hired: grazing geese, was on parcels at the baker's. I drew whenever possible on any surface.

When Arkhip turned 14, he went to Crimea to become a student of the then famous Aivazovsky. The artist only laughed at the young man's "daubs" and trusted him only to grind paints and paint the fence. Aivazovsky's relative, who was then staying with the marine painter, gave the novice artist some practical advice.

In 1865, Arkhip Kuindzhi recovered to enter the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. He twice failed the exams until he created the painting "Tatar Saklya in the Crimea" (has not survived to this day). At first, the artist studied diligently, but when fame came to him, he abandoned his studies.

Although he did not lack zeal. Once, Arkhip Kuindzhi came to visit the artist Ivan Kramskoy and found his sons studying mathematics with a repeater, who explained to them a complex algebraic equation. Kuindzhi wanted to listen, but Kramskoy with a grin asked him to leave the lesson in which he did not understand anything. Arkhip Kuindzhi flared up: “Excuse me! I am a man, and therefore I can understand everything! The next morning, the beaming artist brought the solution to the problem.

When an artist organized exhibitions of his paintings, he always thought carefully about the angle at which to expose them so that the light would fall at the angle he needed. Exhibiting his canvas "Moonlit Night on the Dnieper" (1880), the artist made a whole performance. He directed a beam of electric light at him, from which the picture sparkled with new colors.

In general, the artist paid special attention to the "truthful" rendering of shades in his paintings. He used asphalt paints, but they darken over time. Then Arkhip Kuindzhi has been working on the creation of new paints for many years. The artist has always taken painting very seriously. He even advised novice youths to sleep with an album and a pencil in order to achieve success.

Mindful of the unsuccessful practice with Aivazovsky, Arkhip Kuindzhi did not refuse to teach anyone. Among his students can be called Nicholas Roerich, who devoted his life to preserving the country's cultural heritage.