Gury Nikitin (Kineshemtsev) (1620/25-1691)

A master of ancient art XVII B, Kostroma, Kostroma foreman painters, hudozhnek, muralist, a representative of the progressive trend in provincial art. The names of his teachers are unknown, however, no doubt, a good school for the young master was a collaboration with renowned artists such as Joseph Vladimirov , on the paintings of the Trinity Church in Nikitniki in Moscow (1653).

The rise of Russian monumental and decorative art falls by 60 - 70 years of the XVII century. At this time, renewed the Archangel Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin (1666), among which several soldiers martyred on the pillars and parts of the song "Doomsday" belong hand H, G.
In 1668, four icons were painted large size hard and symbolic iconography for Moscow Church of Gregory Neokessariyskogo. NG performed here some stigma 'Creed. " In this work, there are elements of the Baroque style.

Already in the 1660s, NG was the acknowledged master of the "wall of letters." On the walls of the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Danilov Monastery in Pereslavl (1662 - 1668) presented "The Trinity" Christological and apocalyptic cycles. NG belong painting vaults ("Annunciation", "descent into hell", "Resurrection", "The Nativity of the Virgin"), and the altar ("sacrificial lamb", "washing of the feet", etc.). They appeared inherent in his manner of receiving "non-mirrored" the symmetry of the composition, a sense of rhythm, the internal dynamics of the images, energetic plastic molding forms, contrasts of light and shade. NG bold approach to the solution of the non-canonical scenes (in "Apocalypse"), showing remarkable creative imagination and the gift of a born decorator. The Cathedral of the Epiphany Monastery in Kostroma (1667 - 1672) on the walls of the scale played "iconic" images "on the throne of the Almighty," "Nicholas", "Smolensk", "Cyprus", "Vladimir." "Theodore" Mother of God. (The trend towards the substitution of paintings typical of the iconostasis of the XVII century.) The vaults and partly on the walls of the cathedral are located compositions illustrating the "Symbol of Faith", including on the west wall - "The Last Judgement". Two tiers of murals dedicated to the Christological themes (with the exception of land occupied by "icons"), NG and Silas were Savin ponovleny and partially overwritten already existing mural XVI century. They are treated very carefully to the remains of the original ensemble, and even re-created compositions take into account the stylistic features of the manner of his predecessors: the figures have their large size, the movement of characters restrained, but issued a strong inner urge. Painting skillfully reveals the extent and forms of materiality, it is full of genuine monumentality, which corresponds to the pathos of images.
assumption on the participation of NG in the painting of the church of the Resurrection of the Rostov Kremlin (about 1675) on the topic of holidays Holy Week and Easter is based on the use of characteristic methods of a number of artists : the movement of forms from the bottom up in four tiers (and the figures for the upper tiers of perspective reduction neutralization increased in height), the growth in the same direction of their dynamics. Frescoes of the upper tiers of saturated air, which, as it were floating figures, expressing the architectural idea of the church as the "House of God". In attributed NG scenes of "Doubting Thomas", "Descent of the Holy Spirit" and "Ascension", "synthetic" understanding of the relationship of architecture and painting, characteristic of the master, was reflected in the composition ratios of figures, landscapes, architectural motifs, completely subordinate to the wall plane. A wide tonal range of colors - white lead, ocher, cabbage rolls. Cinnabar - provides a bright, decorative sound painting. Are highlighted the most significant pieces of songs.

For jobs NG always characterized the organic combination decorativism and monumentality. Last for it is the quality of not only the shape but also the internal contents of the image in the paintings of the image of Our Lady of the Resurrection, the apostles (from the scenes of "Doubting Thomas") executed a large inner significance.