Pozhalostin Ivan Petrovich (1837-1909)

IP Pozhalostin entered the history of Russian art as one of the last significant artists of the classical copperplate engravings. The artist has lived hard, life is full of hardship.

Pozhalostin came from a family of state peasants. He soon left without parents and family, not being able to feed the boy, first sent him to beg, and then was sent to guide dogs for the blind.

When Pozhalostina was thirteen years old, he was lucky: the set of orphans from all over the county, but he let another teenager were taken in Ryazan orphan school. The school appeared in Pozhalostina talent for drawing, but that the artistic education, he did not dare to dream.

After graduating from college, the young man decided to rural clerk. But soon there was a happy event that changed his life. Ryazan school director, praised the talent Pozhalostina contributed to its definition in the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. Within the walls of this school the future artist spent eleven years (1857-68). His teacher was the eminent engraver F. I. Jordan . He took over from Pozhalostin classical technique copperplate engravings, which were based on an immaculately precise drawing from nature. Under the leadership of Jordan, who believed Pozhalostina his best pupil, the latter was not only a virtuoso engraver, but also a superb draftsman.

Engravings Pozhalostina feature richness, a special soft touch, is achieved in that from the outset the artist learned to keep the original style of knife like a pencil. Since the beginning of 1860. Pozhalostin started to use in their work, along with a dry needle cutter. And subsequently mastered the technique of etching. Thus, gradually, in the works of classical Pozhalostina copperplate print replaces the combined technique.

In 1871, after an engraving of a painting by the Italian artist L. Carracci's "Christ Carrying the Cross" Pozhalostin received the title of Academician. Adyunt professor and teacher of engraving class AH, he was only in 1883, when the famous master, the author of four dozen beautiful engravings. Among them are such masterpieces as "Portrait of K. Briullov" (1870) with original self-portrait, "Portrait of Nikolai Nekrasov" (1878) with original INKramskoy. In addition, Pozhalostin performed remarkable images Derzhavin: in 1866 - the original VL Borovykovs'kogo in 1880. - A portrait of the artist Wasilewski, who presented the great poet in his dressing gown and nightcap.

Ably filled with portraits of VA Zhukovsky, Batyushkov, AN Venison, General AP Ermolova. Pozhalostin loved his work printed on colored Chinese paper warm shade that reported them great vitality and attractiveness. It is on such paper printed a small, full of grace "Self-Portrait". He first appeared as a remark in the margin portrait AP Ermolova in 1875 Pozhalostin Such remarks are usually placed on the first copies of his engravings.

Using known among his contemporaries primarily as an excellent portraitist, Pozhalostin brilliantly coped with reproducing complex pictorial compositions. Such, for example, his engraving "Test of Strength Jan Usmarya" (1872-78) with a picture of GI Ugryumova executed as a program for the title of professor.

His best prints he created in the late 1870s - early 1880s. Since 1883, when Pozhalostin began teaching, his work is almost unknown. All the time and effort he gave to his disciples. However, this situation did not last long. The dramatic nature of the situation was that the copperplate print quality of reproduction in the art to which she was reduced, could not compete with the crowd out of its engraving on wood and stone. In 1894, during the reorganization of Arts Class copperplate engraving was closed. Pozhalostin was dismissed from service. Only after the humiliating trouble he was granted a pension as a special favor for a lot of services to the domestic arts.

Sick old artist left St. Petersburg in his native city of Ryazan. He was very upset by the uselessness and the almost total oblivion. One of the last letters of this wonderful artist signed as "Professor of the men I. Pozhalostin."