Acquaintance with the paintings of the State Tretyakov Gallery begins from childhood. Illustrations in books, school textbooks, the names of paintings in sayings allow you to join the gallery's unique collection long before its first visit. And then, while walking through the halls, a magical feeling of recognition arises, as if old acquaintances are looking at you from the walls and are happy to meet you.
Picture from the wrapper
Of course, there are paintings that come to mind first of all when the Tretyakov Gallery is mentioned. The painting "Morning in a Pine Forest" painted in 1889 by Ivan Shishkin and Konstantin Savitsky became such a peculiar symbol of the museum. Pavel Tretyakov, having bought the painting, left only Shishkin's signature out of two signatures on the painting. However, the famous bear cubs on the fallen tree belong to the brush of K. Savitsky.
The popularity of this picture can be explained quite simply - its reproduction, though with three bears, not four, served as a wrapper for the famous Mishka Clubfoot chocolates. Even though not everyone was in the Tretyakov Gallery, everyone ate sweets.
Russian tales
Another image familiar to us from childhood is three heroes on mighty horses in the middle of a wide field. The painting by Viktor Vasnetsov is called "Bogatyrs" and revives Russian folk tales and epics. On the wall next to the heroes, the no less famous "Alyonushka" was saddened over the dark water.
In the room with portraits, it is as if you find yourself in a literature lesson - there is Pushkin by Orest Kiprensky, here is Gogol, slyly squinting, and here is Leo Tolstoy with a gray beard.
The Appearance of Christ to the People
To demonstrate the grandiose canvas of A. A. Ivanov's "The Appearance of Christ to the People" a whole building of the museum was built, where the painting occupies the entire second floor. The "phenomenon" is striking in size (five by seven meters) and a 20-year history of creation. In this room, visitors stay for a long time to sit on the couch and carefully examine the huge picture.
Pages of history
The painting by Ilya Repin, known as "Ivan the Terrible kills his son", is actually called "Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan on November 16, 1581". The history of her stay in the museum is also marked by ominous events. During the reign of Alexander III, the painting was forbidden to be exhibited. After the ban was lifted on January 16, 1913, a vandal cut the face of Ivan the Terrible with a knife, and the curator of the Tretyakov Gallery E. M. Khruslov, having learned about this, threw himself under the train. Artists-restorers had to recreate the face of the tsar anew.
The most famous Russian icon - "Trinity" by Andrei Rublev - is also in the State Tretyakov Gallery.
Rebellious spirit
The hero of the work of M. Yu. Lermontov was captured by the painter M. Vrubel in 1890 in the painting "Demon Sitting". The very texture of the picture, where the paints were applied not with a brush, but with a knife, speaks of the restless soul of a demon sadly looking into the sunset.
