Konstantin Korovin (1861-1939)

In the copy of the book Metric Sergius Church for 1861, in part, under the number 102, it is written: "the twenty-third day of November in Yeisky merchant's son Alexei Mikhailov Korovin and his legal wife Apollonia Ivanova, both the Orthodox faith, was born the son of Constantine, baptized 24 th of the month at the baptism were the recipients of Rogozhskaya settlement coachman Nikititch Alexey Ershov and Yeisky merchant Mikhail Emelyanov Korovin wife Vassa Mikhailov. Sacrament of Baptism is the parish priest Simeon Pospelov with the clergy.

August 15, 1875. "

Konstantin Korovin was born November 23, 1861 to a wealthy merchant family. In 1875, Korovin arrives at the architectural department of the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, where he studied painting and his older brother, Sergei, later known realist painter. By that time, their family went bankrupt. "I had much need - recalled Konstantin Korovin about years of study - for fifteen years, I gave drawing lessons and earned his bread."

In 1877, submitting written during the holidays landscapes, Korovin goes to the department of painting in class A. Savrasov who paid great attention to sketches from life and taught his students to see the beauty of Russian nature. Korovin later recalled Savrasova instructions: "Go write, write sketches, study, most importantly - feel ...".

Under the influence of gravity has affected Savrasova early Konstantin Korovin to the landscape. Even in college he said, trying to keep the freshness of the experience ends his work directly on location. In the paintings of "The Village" (1878), "Early Spring" (1870), "The Bridge" (1880) close observation of nature combined with the direct perception.

Since 1882 teacher Konstantin Korovin becomes B. Polenov , who attached great importance to the art form.

The fame of the young artist brought the "Portrait of a chorus girl" (1883), written in the open air. The woman's face, her dress, hat filled soft diffused light, reflections on them slide, falling from the green of the trees. Broad, free painting, radiant colors - all this made a great achievement Russian portrait painting. Beloved Disciple Polenova Korovin not find favor with the official leadership of the school, his "Portrait of a chorus girl" was removed from the exhibition of the Moscow Society of Art Lovers, but in 1888 there his landscape works have been awarded the prize. In 1886, Konstantin Korovin graduated from the school with the title of class artist.

In the summer of 1887 and 1888 Korovin worked in the country Polenovs in Zhukovka, near Mytishch, where he created a series of bright-poluportretov poluzhanrov depicting family members Polenov ("For the tea table", "in the boat").

Polenov introduced Korovin with Abramtsevskaya circle that united a number of figures of Russian culture around the famous Moscow art patron Savva Mamontov. In the circle were the brothers A. M . and B. Vasnetsov , MI Repin , VD and ED Polenovs , MM Antokolsky I. Ostroukhov and others. Characteristic Abramtsevsky mug craze Russian themes presented in the works of Korovin's painting "Northern Idyll" (1886).

In 1885, Savva Mamontov creates a private opera house, and Konstantin Korovin style "Aida" by Verdi, and next season - "Lakme" by L. Delibes and "Carmen" by Bizet, "Maid of Pskov" by Rimsky -Korsakov, where he did the costumes and sets specifically "under Chaliapin." V. Mamontov recalled a production of "Aida": "Korovin painted scenery is superb, especially good were the" moonlit night on the banks of the Nile "and" the threshold of the temple, "which happened trial of Radames."

With the money earned in the theater, Korovin made a trip to France and Spain. The Spanish experience are reflected in the best of the early genre paintings Korovin "The balcony. Spanish women Leonora and Ampara "(1889) ...

In the best portrait work Korovin shown fusion of man and nature, man and when the appeal of natural beauty complement each other. In a remarkable portrait of TS Lyubatovich (c. 1886) pictorial means reveals a poetic nature of the famous singer. The artist here has decided to complex pictorial task. A woman with a book in hand, in a white dress, sitting with his back to the window from the green. She kept simple and natural. Moving purple and pink glare of sunlight on the dress give a figure unusual lightness.

See also: http://kkorovin.ru - site of the artist K.Korovin.