Tropinin Vasily Andreyevich (1776-1857)

Vasily Tropinin was born March 30, 1776 in the village of Karpivka Novgorod province serf of Count A. Minich. He subsequently became the property of Count II carrots part of the dowry for his daughter Minich, Natalia. His father, the manager of the count for his loyal service given his freedom, but with no children. Tropinin a boy attended public school in Novgorod, and then when the talent for drawing became apparent, it was given to a student in the house of Count confectioner Zavadovskiy in St. Petersburg.

In the nine years Tropinin was identified pupils of the Imperial Academy of Arts. In the Imperial Academy of Arts allowed to attend academic classes of serfs as "outsiders", volnoprihodyaschego students. After drawing classes Tropinin entered the studio portraiture, which was headed by SS Shchukin. In 1810-ies in the portrait class Shchukin students and seniors were asked the following themes: "The Return of the Warrior to his family," "Russian peasant wedding", "Russian Peasant Dance" and "Divination on the cards." Thus, Shchukin oriented their students to transfer truthful scenes of people's life. In the workshop Shchukin was laid stylistic and technical foundations of painting Tropinina. Being a serf, Tropinin lived in the teacher's home, rubbed his paint, pulled and primed canvas. Hence - a similarity palettes artists. A favorite Tropinin comparison reddish-ocher tones with deep olive green and light blue-gray reminds one of the best works of Russian art abroad XVIII and XIX centuries - "Self-Portrait" Shchukin.

According to Nicholas Ramazanov Tropinin "gentleness of his character, and constant love for art soon acquired a friendly disposition and respect for the former while in full view of the top students of the Academy: Kiprenskyy, Varnek, Skotnikova." On the academic exhibition in 1804, his painting "Boy, pining for his dead bird" written on a picture of Dreams, was spotted by the Empress. About TROPININ talked about as a "Russian Dreams". This painter Tropinin copied and quoted a lifetime.

Being a student of the Academy, Tropinin had the opportunity to join the world culture. The Academy of Fine Arts had a significant collection of paintings by Western European artists. Students of the Academy is also copied from the paintings that were in the Imperial Hermitage. Collate Tropinina can judge his interest in the Dutch and Flemish masters - Rembrandt , Jordaens, Teniers. If Grez Tropinina cozies sentimental and educational ideology inherent to both of them, the Dutch and Flemish works, he found support for his realistic orientation, in quest of the genre.

He studied Vasily A. brilliantly and won a silver and a gold medal. As a student of the Academy, Tropinin was at the center of artistic life in St. Petersburg. Besides Shchukin , he spoke with Yegorov , Shebuev , Andrei Ivanov , Ugryumov and the Dean.

In 1804, studies were suddenly interrupted - Earl Carrot ordered his serf to follow him to the estate in Ukraine. There was Tropinin and pastry chef and butler, and an architect, he built a church in the village Kukavka where the graph supposed to settle. Knowledge, which Tropinin out of the Academy, were different from the usual academic programs. In his early drawings can be concluded that he had not studied anatomy, little attended classes drawing from nature, poorly mastered the art of perspective and composition. Lack of academic education Tropinin overcame many years. Early Work Tropinina very unevenly.

Gentle and kind by nature, Vasily Tropinin humbly endured the vicissitudes of life, not hardened, not depressed from the consciousness of his own talent and inconsistency of the position which he held, on the contrary, took residence in Ukraine as a continuation of learning, a kind of internship. "I'm a little studied at the Academy, but learned in Little Russia, I wrote it with no rest from life, and those of my work seems to be the best of all hitherto written by me" - he recalled later.

Little Russian beauty of the national type Tropinin captured in pictures "Ukrainian girl with skirts" (1800s), "The Boy with pitier" (1810s), "Ukrainian with a stick", "Spinner" (both 1820), and others Aspiring create a lively, laid-back images, the artist says the purity and integrity of the national character. The coloring of these works is soft, subdued - is dominated by grayish, ocher and green tones.

Traces of active work on the Ukrainian-themed shows Tropinina schedule. His watercolors and drawings 1810s - early 1820s, the images of women in the Ukrainian costume, humpback violinist, teens, shepherds, Ukrainian peasants. Best genre sketches of the artist - "Reapers" and "At the magistrate" - also linked with Ukraine.

Preserved picturesque sketch scenes of the harvest, and two preparatory pencil sketch to it. The artist managed to convey the significance of peasant labor. The idea immediately preceding picture Venetsianov "At harvest. Summer ", imbued with the same spirit epic.

In 1807, under the direction of Vasily was completed Kukavskoy church. In her dedication Tropinin been married to Anna Ivanovna Katina free poselyankoy that is not afraid to get married to a serf artist.

In 1812, the family returned to Moscow Morkov. Tropinin had to decorate the interior of their home, destroyed in a fire. During this time he completed portraits of family members of carrots, the best of which was a sketch depicting the brothers NI and I.I.Morkovyh (1813). "Portrait of Arseny Tropinina" (1818) written by hand is already a mature artist. Portrait of a captivating sincerity and purity of emotion, it was written and easily generalized. Exquisite flavor is built on a combination of golden-brownish tones. Through a layer of paint and glaze translucent pinkish tone of the soil and underpainting.

Portrait of Natalia Carrots - one of the most inspired works of the artist. Face of a young countess, with its irregular features inherent in the extraordinary charm. Spirituality model is transmitted to all systems work. The surface of the canvas remains quivering motion of the brush. This study, a masterpiece Tropinina stands alone in his work. It has an amazing picturesque freshness and demonstrates the spiritual and artistic maturity of the master.

In the spirit of elegiac poetry written Zhukovsky "Boy with a pipe. Portrait Irakli Morkov "(1810s). In the portrait dominates the mood of melancholy reflection. Landscape, as is often the case in romantic poetry, says the internal state of the protagonist. In the picturesque style and portrait concept Tropinina in 1810s retained many features of the art of the XVIII century - rocaille gamma relaxed complementary colors, with a predominance of gold-tone, soft brush moving, transparent, shimmering texture. Children's images are particularly attractive for Tropinina. Most of the children's portraits is a genre eyeballs. It depicts children with animals, birds, toys and musical instruments. Positive association with children's portraits Tropinina traditions XVIII century, with the sentimental and educational direction in philosophy. Enlightenment thinkers believed the child's mind tabula raza ("blank slate"), explaining the many evils of society lack a reasonable system of education.

The years from 1813 to 1818-th were very productive for the artist. Moscow was recovering from the Napoleonic invasion. In the mid 1810s he posed P.P.Beketov publisher who wanted a series of engraved portraits of famous Russian actors. Then book your portrait Tropinin most famous poet in Moscow I.I.Dmitriev. These early portraits, the waist on a neutral background, and go back to the tradition of Russian chamber portrait of the XVIII century. Gradually the number of customers Tropinina expanding. He painted portraits of heroes of the war - the generals I. I.Alekseeva, A.P.Urusova, F.I.Talyzina, Bagration.