Picturesque battle scenes, portraits of the military, historical paintings characterize the work of the Russian artist and traveler Vasily Vereshchagin.
Vereshchagin Vasily Vasilyevich was born on October 26 (14), 1842 in the estate of a nobleman in Cherepovets. In his hometown, there is a museum of the great realist artist to this day.
Biography and creativity
Upon reaching the age of 9, Vasily began training in the naval cadet corps. The guy's talent as a painter manifested itself during his studies, when he was actively involved in drawing school. Therefore, after graduation, having worked for a short time as a midshipman, in 1860 he was enrolled in the Art Academy in St. Petersburg. There, with a short break, he studied until 1866. During this period, the artist spent some time in the Caucasus, then in France, where he studied with the painter Jerome and attended the Academy of Arts in Paris.
In 1867 Vereshchagin accepted an invitation to be an artist under General KP Kaufman and went to Samarkand. Arriving at the place, Vasily Vasilyevich was besieged by local residents, but he showed valor and earned a reward - the Order of St. George of the fourth degree.
In 1869, a Turkestan exhibition was held in St. Petersburg, at which the battle artist showed the public his first paintings. Then Vereshchagin again visited the Turkestan region, as well as Siberia and Munich, continuing his creative work. In 1873 the Turkestan series, which consisted of 81 studies, 13 paintings and 133 drawings, was presented in London, and a year later in St. Petersburg and Moscow.
Battlefield career
Since 1874 the artist went to India for two years, where about 150 sketches were created. Later, while in the ranks of the army during the war between Russia and Turkey, the great realist artist was badly wounded (1877-1878). Later returning to France, he worked on the Balkan series, consisting of 30 paintings devoted to episodes of the war.
The Indian and Balkan series were exhibited in 1879 in the capitals of England and France, and then in America, Russia and Europe.
In 1885-1888, exhibitions were held in Vienna, Leipzig, Berlin and New York, where 50 sketches of the battle-painter, written by him during his residence in Palestine, were presented. All paintings were dedicated to the biblical theme and local life scenes.
From 1887 to 1900 Vereshchagin created the famous series "1812". 17 paintings stand out in a block called "Napoleon I in Russia", and 3 paintings about the partisan war are called - "The Old Partisan".
Another 50 picturesque sketches appeared as a result of a trip in the summer of 1894 along the White Sea and the Northern Dvina. And the last series of paintings Vereshchagin dedicated to the war of 1898-1899 between Spain and America.
Literary talent
Vasily also showed himself as a writer. Such memories are known as: "A trip to the Himalayas", "Notes, sketches and memoirs".
Vasily Vereshchagin from 1874 was a professor at the Academy of Arts.
Personal life of the artist
He was married twice and had five children in the marriages. In 1871, the artist married Elizabeth Maria Fischer. After the divorce in 1890, Lydia Andreevskaya became the artist's wife.
Vereshchagin died on April 13 (March 31), 1904, when, participating in the Russian-Japanese war, he exploded on the battleship called "Petropavlovsk" in Port Arthur.
