Nikolai Nikolaevich Ge
(1831-1894)

The largest Russian painter Nikolai Ge was born February 15, 1831 in Voronezh, in a noble family. Family Gay (Gay) hails from France. At the end of the XVIII century. great-grandfather of the artist emigrated to Russia and settled in Moscow. Gay father was a landlord and childhood Nicholas Roerich was held in the village. Then he was brought up in the Kiev school, after which he entered the University of Kiev, and from where moved to St. Petersburg. After studying for two years, he left the University and in 1850 he entered the Academy of Fine Arts where he studied for 7 years. The Academy of the young artist studied under P.Basina .

While studying Ge were in the last dark years of the reign of Nicholas I - era of "stagnation" when the oppression of human dignity has become the norm in all areas of life in Russia. Education at the Academy at the time was conducted with the active participation of the king and his daughter, who was president of the Academy. Young artists were brought up in the traditions of classicism, but the leadership of the leading professors and teachers was not very demanding, the learning process itself was somehow uncertain, the students were mostly on their own, getting the basic knowledge and skills to communicate with each other. The reason for this so-called semi-freedom, which brought artists, was that the classicism here get along with the aesthetics of romanticism, which were committed professors teachers.

His real teacher Ge believed K.Brullov , whose work is very much loved, and his famous "Pompey" considered ideal. He had never met the master, but studied his paintings, his advice has always had heard from the sitters, who worked with the master. The story of his first film, "Haji Abrek" written under the influence of the poem by Lermontov, is close to the subject of the picture Briullov. His love for Brullov Ge retained until his death, although it became estranged from his mannerisms.

The academy Kye spent seven years and received for the program "Achilles mourning Patroclus" in 1855 a small gold medal. For the painting "Sorceress Andorran causes the shadow of Samuel to King Saul," in writing that the Director has used many of the techniques Bryullova, he was awarded a large gold medal and sent abroad, where he stayed from 1857-63 gg.

The artist and his young wife went abroad without waiting issuing medals and owed him money. He visited Switzerland, Munich and Paris, visited the Salon of 1857, and the posthumous exhibition P.Delarosha, which has had an enormous influence on the content of his paintings and their technical performance. (On the advice of the Director Delaroche painted his paintings with wax figures). The exhibition made by Nikolai Nikolaevich huge impression.

Then the artist arrived in Italy, where he has come to understand the principles of creativity Bryullova, striving to master the truth in the image of man and nature. In the works of the late 1850s, the artist has reflected his impressions of this beautiful country. At this time, the Director is working on the sketches of their future historical paintings, which he, as a pensioner of the Academy of Fine Arts, she had to give. Gay studying flavor of the old masters, and at the same time interested in open air, which was the most pressing problem in the art at the time. In Italy, the artist realized the necessity of seeking a new direction of his art: "In my life revived ancient in its present, the living and the amount of sense, and that, perhaps, the beginning of what is called the sense of" a real art! ""

In Rome he met A.Ivanov and saw his picture, "The Appearance of Christ to the people," which did not make him a particularly strong impression, but thanks to which the artist then turned to the subject of the last days of the life and death of Christ. At the same time, he was fascinated by the works of Michelangelo, portraits and sketches: "Death of Virginia" (1857), "Love Vestals" (1858) and "The destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem" (1858).

Of great importance in the work of the Director had landscape, which he carried away in Italy. Nature of Italy had an enormous influence on the work of the artist and his feelings for her, he reflected in the sketches: "Mountains. Vico "," Vico near Bay of Naples "," Vineyard in Vico ", created in 1858 during his time with his family, near Naples.

In the landscapes of the 1860s, which were written by the artist in Florence: "Sunset on the sea in Tuscany", "The view from San Terenzo at Lerici night", "Livorno. Marine given (road to the sea in Antiniano near Livorno) "felt passion of the artist lighting elements. Gay writes sketch "Death Lambertatsii" (1860), but he understands frustration. The artist was in such a state that even decides to give up art. Gay childhood was a religious man, and this hard moment for him, he turned to religion, to the Gospel, which found the answers to his questions torment. As the artist once again awakened thirst for creativity.