As a self-taught artist Pavel Fedotov became an academician and because of what ended his life in a psychiatric hospital

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

An unprecedented case was when an artist Pavel Fedotov, without a special education, he was awarded the title of academician of painting and for centuries entered the history of Russian art with his genre satirical paintings, which made a splash in the middle of the 19th century. And the self-taught artist painted as God will put on his soul. Popularity, recognition, fame, title, it seemed, here it is - happiness. But at the peak of fame, something happened that broke and ruined the painter.

Pavel Fedotov comes from the family of a titular civil servant advisor during the reign of Catherine II. Unlike many talented children, whose abilities were developed by their parents from early childhood, no one studied little Pavel. He was left to his own devices and spent time in fun games and fights, running through the senniki and attics, and in winter rushing down the slides on a sled.

At the age of 11, the teenager was sent to study at the First Moscow Cadet Corps, where he was immediately loved for his cheerful, sociable disposition, kindness and wit. And besides, possessing an outstanding visual memory, which makes it easy to memorize any material, Paul became one of the best students.

And what was completely surprising was that in drawing lessons the boy was known as a hopeless lazy person. He had no time for geometric models that needed to be depicted. He was much more attracted by the history of geography. For the rich imagination of Paul itself painted him breathtaking pictures of historical events or travels around the world to distant countries and continents. However, he was best at caricatures, which he drew of teachers and his comrades in the margins of his notebooks. His humor was very subtle and accurate, so no one was offended by him. In addition, the young man sang superbly and accompanied himself on the guitar, composed romances, wrote poetry and was always the soul of the company.

At the age of 19, having received the rank of ensign, Fedotov was sent to St. Petersburg to serve in the Finland regiment. Life in the capital has radically turned fate and helped to reveal an amazing original talent - on the one hand. On the other hand, according to some biographers, she killed Fedotova in her prime. However, then, in 1834, life was just beginning.

He sent half of his officer's salary to Moscow to his elderly father and sister, so the young man no longer had enough money for a social life. And out of nothing to do, he began to paint. Their regiment was stationed not far from the Academy of Arts and Fedotov managed to get a ticket to attend evening drawing courses at an educational institution where he mastered academic drawing.

Pavel devoted his free time to cartoons and sketches, drawing funny scenes of the regimental life. Once in 1837, their regiment was visited by the emperor's younger brother, Prince Mikhail Pavlovich. Impressed by Pavel Fedotov, he creates a watercolor work on cardboard "Meeting of the Grand Duke", after seeing which the prince presented the officer-artist with a diamond ring. And the emperor, who was reported about a talented military man, gave him permission to leave the service and become a painter with a monthly salary of 100 rubles.

However, the unexpected mercy of the tsar embarrassed Fedotov, he could not make up his mind and asked for advice from Karl Bryullov, whose opinion he respected. To which he sharply replied: hinting that at the age of Fedotov it is too late to dream of a career as a painter. And Pavel Andreevich himself was not confident in his abilities.

Only 7 years later, having gained invaluable experience, Fedotov decided to retire with the rank of staff captain. A significant role in this decision was played by the fabulist Ivan Krylov, who, seeing Fedotov's cartoons, was indescribable delight. Krylov wrote a letter to the captain stating that in this way Krylov blessed the future artist for the role of "people's moralist". These lines prompted Fedotov to leave the service. He resigned, taking with him his orderly Arkady Korshunov, who was both his friend and brother, and most importantly, he firmly believed in the outstanding talent of Pavel Andreevich.

In 1844, having become a "free artist", by the beginning of the 1850s he was already a real "man of art". - the painter recalled.

At the age of 28, a retired captain and aspiring artist settled on Vasilievsky Island, where he rented a small apartment for two. And he began working days on end on his canvases. At first, battle painting captivated the artist, and paid well for it. But over time, he realized that he was attracted by a completely different side of life, a different contingent, namely: artisans, petty officials, street organ-grinders and beggars, emancipated ladies and young boarding school students, petty merchants and officials and, of course, single officers. Representatives of all walks of life and became the objects of his good-natured satire. Genre painting is what truly became his strong point.

From 1846 to 48, the artist painted famous canvases that brought him everything except wealth: recognition of colleagues, the title of academician, immense popularity among viewers. The first was “The Fresh Cavalier”, a little later - “The Major's Matchmaking”, “The Choosy Bride” and “Breakfast of an Aristocrat” - paintings called masterpieces of world art. It was difficult even to approach these canvases at exhibitions.

Crowds of spectators surrounded his creations from morning to evening. Well, still, in the middle of the 19th century there was

Despite the fame and honor, the artist still lived very poorly, he was oppressed by the lack of money, so he had to work at the limit of human capabilities. He got up very early, doused himself with cold water and, having sipped tea, went to "hustle between people." For hours I walked around the city in search of "living types", which was akin to hunting. So once he unnoticed for several kilometers followed a peasant "in a green cap" in order to "spy" and remember all his movements and the smallest details of his face. Choosing a suitable type, he sometimes got acquainted with representatives of the "city bottom" - port girls and beggars.

Friends of Pavel Fedotov, who watched how he worked, noted that he was so fanatically immersed in work that it was even scary to look at him. The tension in the work has led to the fact that over time, the artist began to notice strange behavior:

Not long before that, Pavel Andreevich suddenly began to "freak out". Once, having received a fee for the painting, he began to buy jewelry for some imaginary wedding and gifts to a non-existent bride, mysteriously informing everyone about some kind of "happiness". Then, unexpectedly, he wooed several ladies known to him at once. In every house where he wooed, he received some money and disappeared. Someone saw how the artist ordered a coffin. Others saw Fedotov wandering the streets and handing out banknotes. Although, in his right mind, the artist always said that he could not divide his life between two - painting and a woman.

For those who knew Fedotov, his mental illness turned out to be a bolt from the blue. During one of the attacks of violent insanity, the artist was placed in a psychiatric hospital. According to the testimony of doctors, a man who did not differ in physical strength in ordinary life, during an illness could pull nails out of the walls with his fingers, and when he was tied, he did this trick with his teeth.

In the fall of 1852, Fedotov, at the age of 37, died of pleurisy. According to witnesses a few days before his death, the artist came to his senses. At that moment, next to him was his faithful orderly Korshunov, who was with the owner even during terrible attacks of mental illness. Fedotov asked him to tell his friends to come to say goodbye. The orderly, fearing to leave Pavel Andreyevich alone, entrusted the case to someone else, the messenger ran into the tavern on the way, got drunk and fell asleep almost into the ditch.

And when the news of Fedotov's request reached the addressees, there was no one to say goodbye to, although his friends mentally buried him long ago. At the funeral, only the faithful orderly Korshunov sobbed inconsolably. Mixed with the main grief was a feeling of guilt that he had not fulfilled the owner's request.

Fedotov's works can be seen in Moscow in the Tretyakov Gallery and in the St. Petersburg Russian Museum, which also contains drawings he made in a psychiatric hospital. He is rightfully considered the ancestor of such a trend in Russian fine art as critical realism. The artist also created a series of characteristic portraits of his contemporaries.

Now many historians suggest that if he had been born in strict and ambitious Petersburg, and not in simple-minded "merchant Moscow", Fedotov would not have emerged from either a "founder" or a "progenitor" of that very critical realism.

Pavel Fedotov in each of his work gave a special place to even the smallest details that could reveal and complement the images of his heroes. "Breakfast of an aristocrat"- an amazing creation of the author, the details of which can be viewed for hours, however, like all other paintings by the author.