Vereshchagin paintings with titles and descriptions. Literary and historical notes of a young technician

Vasily Vasilyevich Vereshchagin is a great Russian artist. Known as battle painter, travel artist. The future painter was born in 1842 in the city of Cherepovets. Together with his brothers, he was assigned to a military educational institution. But unlike his brothers, who made a career in the military field, Vasily Vasilyevich, after a short period of service, left military affairs and entered the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. After he left the Academy, he went to the Caucasus, where he continued to paint his paintings, and then to Paris, where he continued his studies. In Paris, a well-known French painter was his teacher.

During his life, Vereshchagin traveled to almost all countries of the world. He was in many European countries, in China, Turkey, India, Kyrgyzstan, Palestine, Syria, Cuba, Japan, the Philippine Islands, the USA and many others. And wherever he was, he painted his wonderful canvases. If you look at his paintings in accordance with the date of writing, you can trace the entire chain of his life and travels. For his descendants, he left a very rich layer of cultural heritage and is remembered as the greatest painter of our country. His paintings are interesting not only from the point of view of the high skill of painting, but also from the point of view of a person who is interested in the history and culture of different parts of the world. In addition, as a battle painter, he painted a large number of canvases on military subjects, but one day he exclaimed that he would no longer paint such scenes, as he felt too deeply everything that he wrote. He really witnessed many wars, participated in the Russian-Turkish war, took part in the colonial campaigns of Russian troops and saw all the horrors and sorrows of military operations with his own eyes.

The most famous painting by Vasily Vereshchagin is considered " Apotheosis of war". Here he depicted the very spirit of war, which brings nothing but grief, suffering, death, pain and desolation. Vereshchagin himself called this painting a still life, since, apart from crows, it depicts dead nature.

The great Russian artist Vasily Vasilyevich Vereshchagin died truly heroically. During the Russo-Japanese War, he went to the front, where on March 31, 1904, he died in an explosion on a mine of the battleship Petropavlovsk.

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Apotheosis of war

Arab on a camel

Rich Kyrgyz hunter with a falcon

Brahmin Temple at Adelnur

Burlak with a hat in his hand

Bukhara soldier

In conquered Moscow

Camel in the courtyard of the caravanserai

Rider in Jaipur

Warrior rider in Jaipur

Doors of Timur (Tamerlane)

Children of the Solon tribe

Inhabitants of Western Tibet

Asily Vereshchagin during his lifetime became known as an artist of battle scenes. However, his “unpatriotic”, as they were called, works showed the audience not the triumph of victories, but the underside of the battles - with dead, wounded, exhausted soldiers. The artist not only went on military campaigns, but also traveled around the world, bringing sketches for future paintings - expressive, colorful and detailed. Collector Pavel Tretyakov bought up Vereshchagin's works in whole series, along with carved author's frames, which were created according to the painter's sketches.

“I recognize the journey as a great school”: Vereshchagin’s first trips

Ivan Kramskoy. Portrait of Vasily Vereshchagin (detail). 1883. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Vasily Vereshchagin was born in the family of a wealthy landowner. At the age of 9, his parents assigned him to the cadet naval corps. "The Corps could not stand, - the artist recalled, - he only endured companionship as a necessary evil, but never sincerely loved it. Temper, spirit, etc. repugnant to this day, as indiscriminate, harsh, false".

Even during his studies, his ability to paint was manifested - he attended a drawing school, got acquainted with artists. After graduating from the cadet corps, Vereshchagin did not go to sea service. In 1860, against the wishes of his parents, he entered the Academy of Arts. At the same time, he tried his hand at literary work: he offered his "The Tale of an Old Hunter" to the St. Petersburg newspaper "Voice". After the editorial review: "Excuse me, this is so disgusting..."- Vereshchagin left his writing activity for a while.

Vereshchagin made his first big trip in 1863 - to the Caucasus. Here he stayed in the city of Shushi in Nagorno-Karabakh, observed the life of local peoples, studied their rituals and traditions, and wrote sketches.

I traveled a lot, I realized early that railways and steamships were created for that, in order to use them ... I recognize travel as a great school - I saw and heard a lot and I have a lot to say. He spoke, drew and wrote with a sincere intention to tell others what he himself had learned.

Vasily Vereshchagin

In 1864, Vereshchagin left for Paris and studied and worked for a year with Jean Leon Gerome, an authoritative academic painter. Then he went to the Caucasus again. Vereshchagin returned to the Academy in the spring of 1866 and officially completed his studies.

Paintings of the Turkestan series

Vasily Vereshchagin. Wealthy Kyrgyz hunter with a falcon (detail). 1871. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Vasily Vereshchagin. Looking out (detail). 1873. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Vasily Vereshchagin. Doors of Tamerlane (detail). 1872. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

In 1867, Vereshchagin entered the service of the Turkestan Governor-General Konstantin von Kaufman as a staff artist. The painter arrived in Samarkand in May 1868. Soon the fortress with Russian troops was under siege: the locals rebelled. Vereshchagin participated in the battle with the Bukharians and even received the Order of St. George 4th class - for courage.

Painting and graphics brought from Turkestan, the artist presented in 1869 in the capital. Most of the works were done in a sketchy manner. Thanks to Vereshchagin's paintings, visitors saw Central Asia unknown to them: a slave market, impoverished opium eaters and women covered from head to toe with robes.

After the exhibition, Vereshchagin again went to Turkestan. This time his path ran through Siberia, the Kyrgyz lands and Western China. In Kyrgyzstan, the artist was visiting his friend Baitik Kanaev, whom he met back in St. Petersburg at one of the official receptions. The artist painted some of the paintings in his rich yurt: he depicted its interior, accurately conveyed the weaving of the vault, the complex curls on the carpets. Vereshchagin created portraits of ordinary people, depicted scenes from their lives. He collected many local ornaments, sketched patterns that adorned the weapons of local warriors. In search of colorful landscapes, he went to the mountains near Issyk-Kul, in the Boom Gorge and on the passes of the Alatau mountain range. In his works, the artist used a thin brushstroke and bright, saturated shades that better conveyed the heat of Asian landscapes.

In Western China, at that time, the emperor's troops pacified the uprisings of the Dungans and Uighurs. Almost all the cities of this region were burned. According to one version, it was after visiting the Dungan lands that Vereshchagin decided to paint the painting “The Apotheosis of War” with a pyramid of skulls and crows flying above it.

In 1871 Vasily Vereshchagin moved to Munich. Here he met Elizabeth Fisher-Reid, who became his wife. In the workshop of his friend Theodore Gorsheld, the artist painted his oriental paintings - “The Rich Kyrgyz Hunter with a Falcon”, “The Doors of Tamerlane”, a series of battle scenes “Barbarians” and other works. In total, the Turkestan series included 13 canvases, 81 studies and 133 drawings. In 1873, Vereshchagin exhibited the entire cycle at the Crystal Palace in London.

The artist wanted to bring the entire series to Russia, so he warned English collectors that the paintings were not for sale. In the catalog for the exhibition, he placed an explanation for each canvas, and about his trip to Turkestan, about Asian culture and traditions, he wrote an essay “Trip to Central Asia”. It was published by the French magazine Le Tour du Monde, later the work appeared on the pages of the English press.

First solo exhibition

Vasily Vereshchagin. Apotheosis of war (fragment). 1871. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

The first large-scale exhibition of Vereshchagin was held in St. Petersburg in 1874. Then there was no end to those who wanted to see the paintings - the halls of the Ministry of the Interior could hardly accommodate all the visitors. The entire circulation of the exhibition catalogs - 30,000 copies - was sold out.

But the highest government officials did not approve of Vereshchagin's work: shortly before the exhibition, the emperor signed a decree on universal military service, and triumphal paintings with victorious attacks, portraits of military leaders with orders were expected from the artist. And Vereshchagin portrayed the reverse side of the battle scenes: inhuman labor, tired, wounded, dead people. The artist was accused of anti-patriotism and sympathy for the enemy.

In my observations of life during my various wanderings around the wide world, I was especially struck by the fact that even in our time people are killing each other everywhere under all sorts of pretexts and in all sorts of ways. The killing of a group is still called war, and the killing of individuals is called the death penalty. Everywhere the same worship of brute force and the same inconsistency ... and this is done even in Christian countries in the name of one whose teaching was based on peace and love.

Vasily Vereshchagin

Many fellow artists reproached Vereshchagin for his style: he generously used bright colors, and this was not typical for academic painting of those years. However, Ivan Kramskoy called the series a success of the Russian school, and Pavel Tretyakov bought the entire Turkestan cycle for a lot of money - 97,000 rubles.

Vereshchagin ordered special frames for the paintings: massive, richly decorated. They became part of the work and emphasized the mood of each picture. Vereshchagin originally planned to apply Arabic script to the frames of the Turkestan series, but he did not know Arabic. He prepared sketches with a pattern that echoed the oriental ornaments on the doors of mosques and palaces. Baguettes were made of wood, applied glossy or matte gilding. Sometimes the frames were so voluminous that they were larger than the canvas itself.

The artist applied an inscription on some baguettes. For example, the painting "The Apotheosis of War" was accompanied by the phrase: "Dedicated to all the great conquerors: past, present and future". The picture "Attacked by surprise" corresponded to a quote from the annals of Nestor: "Let's lie down with bones, we will not disgrace the Russian land, the dead have no shame".

In the same frames, the artist demanded that the canvases be transported during exhibitions. The weight of valuable cargo increased, transportation costs increased significantly, Tretyakov hired entire railway platforms.

Vasily Vereshchagin. Mausoleum Taj Mahal near Agra (detail). 1874. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Vasily Vereshchagin. Northern India. Glacier on the road from Kashmir to Ladakh (detail). 1877. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Vasily Vereshchagin. Three main deities in the Buddhist monastery of Chingacheling in Sikkim (detail). 1875. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Without waiting for the closing of the exhibition, Vereshchagin went to India with his wife. The couple visited Bombay and Jaipur, Delhi and Agra, the regions of Ladakh and Kashmir, traveled for three months in the Eastern Himalayas and Sikkim. The journey was not easy: they were attacked by wild animals, had to wade icy rivers and wait out snow storms. The artist suffered from malaria, and Elizabeth Fisher-Reid's eyesight fell during high-mountain crossings. Nevertheless, they continued to work. Vereshchagin painted Buddhist temples and ancient mosques, stone tombs and rock monasteries. In addition to them, the canvases of the Indian series included scenes of religious ceremonies, portraits of fakirs, Buddhist monks and followers of the ancient religion - Zoroastrianism. Fisher-Reid kept a travel diary, and later published the collection Essays on a Journey to the Himalayas by Mr. and Mrs. Vereshchagin.

In India, the artist learned that the Imperial Academy of Arts had awarded him the title of professor. Vereshchagin did not accept awards: “... considering all ranks and distinctions in art to be certainly harmful, I completely refuse this title”.

In 1876, Vasily Vereshchagin returned to Paris, but after a few months he set off on a new campaign in the Balkans. The Indian series saw the light only four years later - at an exhibition in St. Petersburg. The artist presented 139 paintings and sketches, 75 of which were bought by Tretyakov. The entrance fee to the exhibition was not taken, and for 40 days the exposition was visited by about 200 thousand people. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, people tried to get into the exhibition halls even through the windows. Critics called Vereshchagin one of the best Orientalist artists.

Balkan campaign and new battle canvases

The news of the war with the Turks found Vereshchagin in Maisons-Laffite, a suburb of Paris, where his workshop was located. He left work on Indian canvases and voluntarily went to the Balkans - as part of an active unit of the Russian army.

It is impossible to give society a picture of a real, genuine war, looking at the battle through binoculars from a beautiful distance, but you need to feel and do everything yourself - participate in attacks, assaults, victories, defeats, experience hunger, cold, illness, wounds ... you need not to be afraid to sacrifice one's blood... otherwise my pictures will be "wrong".

Vasily Vereshchagin

In June 1877, Vereshchagin was seriously wounded. The destroyer "Joke", on which the artist was, attacked a Turkish ship. An enemy bullet pierced the side and injured Vereshchagin's thigh. The artist was sent to Bucharest, where he spent three months. But when the wound healed, he returned to duty. For courage, they wanted to give Vereshchagin a golden award weapon, but he refused.

At this time, Russian troops were preparing an assault on Plevna, a city in northern Bulgaria. They planned to take Plevna on August 30, for the name day of Emperor Alexander II. However, the assault turned into a major defeat. Vereshchagin depicted a battlefield with hundreds of dead on a canvas with the provocative title "Royal Name Day".

Another work of the painter turned out to be no less sharp - the triptych “Everything is calm on Shipka”. The artist borrowed the name from the reports of the Russian infantry general Fyodor Radetsky. He commanded the troops, which, exhausted and in thin overcoats, froze on the Shipka Pass in the Balkans. The hero of the triptych is a sentry who dies from the cold at his post. In the first picture, he stands knee-deep in the snow, in the second - almost chest-deep and bent from the wind, and in the third - in his place is a snowdrift, from which the corner of the overcoat and the bayonet peeps out.

In December 1879, an exhibition of Balkan works by Vereshchagin was held in Paris. There were no ceremonial triumphal scenes on the canvases. In a dispute with Pavel Tretyakov, who adhered to traditional patriotic views on battle painting, the artist said: “... you and I differ a little in assessing my work and very much in their direction. Before me, as an artist, is a war, and I beat it as much as I have the strength; whether my blows are strong, whether they are real, is another question, a question of my talent, but I strike on a grand scale and without mercy. You, obviously, are not so much interested in the world idea of ​​war in general, but in its particulars.. Vereshchagin wanted the series to remain inseparable, but the collector acquired only a part of the paintings. And after the exhibition, Vereshchagin painted three more paintings - “Turkish Hospital in Plevna”, “After the Attack. Dressing station near Plevna" and "Before the attack".

Journey to Palestine and the gospel cycle

Vasily Vereshchagin. Wall of Solomon (detail). 1883. Private collection

Vasily Vereshchagin. Holy Family (detail). 1884. Private collection

Vasily Vereshchagin. In Jerusalem. Royal tombs (detail). 1884. State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg

In 1882, Vasily Vereshchagin wrote a criticism of Vladimir Stasov: “I won’t write more battle pictures - that’s enough! I take what I write too close to my heart; I cry out (literally) the grief of every wounded and killed ".

Soon he and his wife left for the Middle East - traveled to Palestine and Syria.

Here he painted canvases on biblical subjects. Based on Palestinian sketches in Maisons-Laffite, the artist created the paintings “Solomon's Wall”, “In Jerusalem. Tombs of the Kings”, “Holy Family” and others. The heroes of his gospel paintings live an ordinary life - they eat, wash things, make utensils. In Europe, Catholic priests demanded the destruction of paintings in which the Holy Family is depicted not according to church canons, and Vereshchagin did not bring them to Russia at all, not wanting an even more severe reaction. In 1885, the European Exhibition opened. One of the visitors doused the paintings with sulfuric acid - ruined several frames, and completely destroyed one small painting. Several major works were also damaged, but Vereshchagin soon restored them. The artist took most of the Palestinian cycle to the United States and, after several exhibitions, sold it at auction. Vasily Vereshchagin. Napoleon. Bad news from France (detail). 1887-1895. State Historical Museum, Moscow

A few years later, Vereshchagin began to paint pictures dedicated to the Patriotic War of 1812. In total, he created 20 paintings - scenes of battles, landscapes of battlefields.

In 1893, Vereshchagin again went on a trip, this time to the cities of Russia. He visited Rostov the Great, Kostroma, Yaroslavl, cities of the Russian North. Here Vereshchagin painted the interiors of village huts, the decoration of churches. The artist captured the smallest architectural details - carvings on wooden columns, iconostases. The series of paintings also included portraits of “unremarkable”, ordinary people, and the artist published their life stories in the collection “Illustrated Autobiographies of Several Unremarkable Russian People”.

Vasily Vereshchagin. Temple in Nikko (detail). 1897. State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg

In Russia, Vereshchagin's travels did not end. In 1901 he traveled to the Philippines where he created the Hospital Series with scenes from the local hospital. Then the artist visited Cuba twice, then - America and even painted a portrait of its president.

In 1903 Vereshchagin arrived in Japan. He spent four months in Tokyo, Nikko and Kyoto. From the trip, the artist brought several picturesque sketches in a new manner for himself, close to impressionism - "Japanese Woman", "Boat Trip", "Temple in Nikko" and others. All works Vereshchagin designed in the author's frame, trimmed with Japanese brocade.

The next year, the artist again went to the Far East to sail to Japan. “I still haven’t left, but tomorrow I’m finally leaving, and with a bad feeling- the artist wrote to his wife, - because I’m going to a country that is very hostile to us ... Judging by the newspapers, in Japan there are frequent meetings of Russia’s enemies demanding war with us, considering the present moment to open hostilities as the most convenient ...<...>They have everything ready for the war, while we have nothing ready, everything must be brought from Petersburg ... "

The war has begun. Vasily Vereshchagin and this time was in the ranks. On March 31, the battleship Petropavlovsk, on which the artist was located, was blown up off the coast of Port Arthur. Vereshchagin died.

Vasily Vasilyevich Vereshchagin (1842-1904) was born in the city of Cherepovets, Novgorod province, into the family of a district marshal of the nobility.
In 1850, Vasily entered the Alexander Cadet Corps for juveniles, and from 1853 to 1860 he studied at the Naval Cadet Corps, after which he received the rank of midshipman of the fleet and retired. Simultaneously with his studies in the cadet corps, he attends classes at the Drawing School of the St. Petersburg Society for the Encouragement of Artists (1858-1859).
In 1860 Vereshchagin entered the Imperial Academy of Arts.
In 1863-1864. at the invitation of the marine painter Lev Feliksovich, Lagorio travels around the Caucasus.
In 1864, Vereshchagin moved to Paris and began studying at the workshop of Jean-Leon Gerome of the School of Fine Arts (Ecole des Beaux-arts).
In 1866, the painter exhibited for the first time at the Paris Salon.
In 1867, at the invitation of Konstantin Petrovich von Kaufman, Commander of the Turkestan Military District, Vereshchagin went to Turkestan. In 1868, with the rank of ensign, he took part in the defense of the Samarkand fortress and was awarded the Order of St. George of the 4th degree for military merits.
In 1869, the “Turkestan Exhibition” was successfully held in St. Petersburg, where paintings, sketches and drawings created in Turkestan are exhibited.
In 1869, the artist again went to Turkestan, and in October 1870 he returned to St. Petersburg and was sent abroad to prepare the Turkestan Series. (In 1874, an album of paintings was published in St. Petersburg under the title "Turkestan. Etudes from life by V.V. Vereshchagin").
In 1873, the Turkestan Series, which included 13 paintings, 81 studies and 133 drawings, was presented at the artist's first solo exhibition in London, and in 1874 in St. Petersburg and Moscow. (In 1874, the "Turkestan Series" was purchased by Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov for 92,000 silver rubles. Initially, the "Turkestan Series" was exhibited at the Moscow Society of Art Lovers, and then at the Tretyakov Gallery.)
In 1874, the Imperial Academy of Arts awarded Vereshchagin the title of professor. However, the artist, who considered the ranks in art inappropriate and even harmful, publicly renounces this title.
In 1874 Vereshchagin went to India. Visits Bombay, Madras, Agra, Delhi, Jaipur, Eastern Himalayas, as well as areas bordering Tibet (Kashmir and Ladakh).
In the spring of 1876, the painter returned to Paris and worked on two series of paintings based on materials (about one hundred and fifty studies) brought from India.
In 1877-1878. Vereshchagin takes part in the Russian-Turkish war in the Balkans. After the completion of the Balkan campaign, the artist goes to Paris and starts work on the "Balkan Series".
In 1879, Vereshchagin's personal exhibitions were held in London and Paris, which presented paintings from the Indian and Balkan series.
In 1880, a personal exhibition and sale of sketches of the "Indian Series" took place in St. Petersburg. 78 sketches of this series were purchased by Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov.
In 1881-1882. personal exhibitions of Vereshchagin are held in the largest cities of Europe (Paris, Berlin, Hamburg, Dresden, Dusseldorf, Brussels, Budapest), and in 1883 - in Moscow and St. Petersburg
In 1882-1883. Vereshchagin again travels to India.
In 1883 he went to Syria and Palestine, where he worked on the paintings of the "Palestinian Series".
The result of the trip to the Holy Land were more than 50 studies and six paintings of the gospel cycle. However, the "Palestinian Series" was unfriendly to the Russian public and the public, because. the artist's interpretation did not correspond to the canonical one. For this reason, the main part of the works of the "Palestinian Series" was sold abroad.
In 1885-1887. The artist's personal exhibitions are successfully held in Vienna, Budapest, Berlin, Frankfurt am Main, Prague, Breslavl, Leipzig, Koenigsberg, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Copenhagen, London, Liverpool.
In 1887, Vereshchagin began work on the 1812 series. For the first time the paintings of this series were presented in Moscow and St. Petersburg in 1895-1896. In 1902, the entire series was purchased by the state for the Russian Museum, and later the paintings were transferred to the State Historical Museum.
In 1889-1891, the painter's personal exhibitions were held in major US cities, and in 1895-1898. - in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kharkov, Kiev, Odessa, Paris, Berlin, Dresden, Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Copenhagen, Leipzig, London.
In 1901, Vereshchagin was nominated for the first Nobel Peace Prize.
In 1902, the painter again went to the United States, and in 1903 he traveled to Japan.
In 1904, the Russian-Japanese war began, and the artist went to the army in the Far East.
Vasily Vasilyevich Vereshchagin died on March 31, 1904. The battleship "Petropavlovsk", on which he was, was blown up by a mine on the outer roadstead of Port Arthur.
The paintings of the painter are exhibited in the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Historical Museum, the State Russian Museum, the Nikolaev Art Museum. VV Vereshchagin, Irkutsk Regional Art Museum. V.P. Sukachev, State Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Tatarstan.
The works of Vasily Vasilyevich Vereshchagin are highly valued and often appear at international auctions. Including:
- Portico of a church - 314,500 British pounds (November 24, 2014, Sotheby's);
- "The Spy" (The spy) - 1,049,250 British pounds (May 28, 2012, Sotheby "s);
- "The adjutant" - 690,850 British pounds (November 26, 2012, Sotheby "s);
- "Transportation of the wounded" (Transportation of the wounded) - 937,250 British pounds (November 26, 2012, Sotheby "s);
- Taj Mahal. Evening "(The Taj Mahal. Evening) - 2,281,250 British pounds (June 6, 2011, Sotheby's)
- "Crucifixion by the Romans" (Crucifixion by the Romans) - 1,721,250 British pounds (November 28, 2011, Christie's)

Gallery of 42 paintings by Vasily Vereshchagin

• Tartar from Orenburg prison Tartar from Orenburg prison
• Portrait of Bacha Portrait of Bacha
• Afghanistan Afghanistan
• Nomadic road in the mountains of Alatau
• Passage of Barskaun Passage of Barskaun
• Sher Dor Madrassah Sher Dor Madrassah
• Gur Emir. Samarkand Gur Emir. Samarkand
• Baeggars in Samarkand Baeggars in Samarkand
• Politicians in an Opium Den Politicians in an Opium Den
• Apotheosis of War Apotheosis of War
• Tamerlanovy gates Tamerlanovy gates
• old ruins old ruins
• The Doors of Timur The Doors of Timur
• Selling a Slave Boy Selling a Slave Boy
• Chinese Chinese
• Mountain stream in Kashmir Mountain stream in Kashmir
• Taj Mahal in Agra Taj Mahal in Agra
• Taj Mahal Taj Mahal
• Himalayas in the evening Himalayas in the evening
• Sovar-a government messenger Sovar-a government messenger
• Picket in the Balkan Mountains
• Two Falcons Two Falcons
• The Spy The Spy
• Two Jews Two Jews
• Russian hermit in the Jordan Russian hermit in the Jordan
• Arab woman in Jerusalem Arab woman in Jerusalem
• Crucifixion by the Romans Crucifixion by the Romans
• The French in Moscow The French in Moscow
• Napoleon in the Petroff Palace
• Napoleon and Marshal Loriston Napoleon and Marshal Loriston
• attack attack

Vereshchagin Vasily Vasilyevich

Vasily Vasilyevich Vereshchagin(1842-1904) - Russian painter, battle painter, traveler. Almost all his life V.V. Vereshchagin spends on expeditions, military campaigns, traveling and traveling. He studied and lived in St. Petersburg, Tashkent, Munich, Paris, at the end of his life - in Moscow. Participates in long expeditions and travels - in the Caucasus, Turkestan, western China, Semirechye, India and Palestine. Traveled in Europe and Russia. Was in the Philippines and Cuba, the Tien Shan, America and Japan.

As a military man, he volunteers to participate in all the wars and military campaigns of Russia that took place at that time. Vasily Vasilyevich graduated from the naval cadet corps, was a participant in military campaigns (the Turkestan campaign), as part of a small Russian garrison, withstood a heavy siege of Samarkand. For which he was awarded the Order of St. George 4th Art. (the only award he wore and was proud of).

"Turkestan series"bright paintings written by Vereshchagin in Munich in 1871-1874. Consisted of a whole group of battle (almost documentary) paintings, such as" Let them in", "Entered", "Surrounded", "Pursued", "Attacked by surprise". Since Vasily Vasilyevich himself believed that the best way to address the audience is a personal thematic exhibition, his exhibitions were a huge success in Europe and Russia.

The talent of the artist reflected the true value of the emperor's imperial ambitions in Middle Eastern companies. The death of soldiers in foreign countries, the struggle with the eastern armies and the constant uprisings of the local population. Life and wild customs of the local population.

Participation in military campaigns formed the artist's own vision of the war, the attitude towards the death of ordinary soldiers. His paintings are filled with a special philosophy and a critical attitude towards the war. This style often led to criticism of his paintings, and even condemnation of the artist by the emperor and his entourage.

After the exhibition and demonstration of his "Turkestan" series of paintings, he was subjected to constant attacks, criticism and even displeasure of Tsar Alexander II (at an exhibition in St. Petersburg in 1987). And the future Emperor Alexander III spoke of Vereshchagin himself in this way:

His constant tendentiousness is contrary to national pride and one can conclude one thing from them: either Vereshchagin is a beast, or a completely crazy person”.

But Vereshchagin highly valued his own opinion, freedom and dignity and did not seek the support of those in power, he generally avoided the "high society", despite his fame in Europe and Russia. In 1874, Vereshchagin was offered the title of professor at the Academy of Arts. But he publicly refuses it, citing the fact that he believes " all ranks and distinctions in art are certainly harmful".

Paintings by Vasily Vereshchagin:

Biography of Vereshchagin:

Vasily Vasilyevich Vereshchagin was born on October 14, 1842 in the family of the marshal of the nobility of the city of Cherepovets, Novgorod province. Just like his brothers, he is studying for a military man and at the age of 9 he enters the naval cadet corps in St. Petersburg. At the end, he served for a short time, but retired to enter the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts (he studied from 1860 to 1863). Not having completed his studies, he leaves St. Petersburg and leaves for the Caucasus to write from nature. But then, Vereshchagin decides to return to his studies and studies painting in Paris under the guidance of Jean-Leon Gerome (French artist, an ardent supporter of academicism in art, opposition to impressionism) from 1864 to 1865.

Then the young Vereshchagin has a strange period. He leaves Paris and leaves again for the Caucasus, works hard, and in the fall of 1865 goes to St. Petersburg (where, perhaps, he received critical comments on his work). Then, he returns to Paris where he continues his studies at the Paris Academy. In the spring of 1866, Vasily Vereshchagin returned to the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts and completed his official studies.

In 1867, Vereshchagin accepted the invitation of the Turkestan Governor-General K.P. Kaufman to come to Samarkand (as a military artist) with the rank of ensign. And almost immediately finds himself in the center of hostilities. A small Samarkand garrison of Russian soldiers (left behind in the city) is forced to heroically defend itself against the rebellious local residents. Vereshchagin managed to distinguish himself in defense, raising the fighters to counterattack. For which he was awarded the Order of St. George 4th Art.

In 1869 he organized a "Turkestan exhibition" where he demonstrated his works. Upon completion, he returns to Turkestan. Then he travels to western China, observes the brutal suppression of the Dungan uprising, and participates in the conquest of Turkestan.

In 1871, Vereshchagin traveled to Munich, where he worked on paintings for the Turkestan Series. Holds exhibitions 1871-1874. and had a huge success in Europe. In 1873, he arranged a solo exhibition of paintings at the Crystal Palace in London.

In the spring of 1874 he returned to Russia and held an exhibition in St. Petersburg, where he was criticized by Emperor Alexander II and his entourage.

In 1874-1876. Vereshchagin lives in India, also traveling to Tibet, and in the spring of 1876 returns to Paris.

With the beginning of the Russian-Turkish war of 1877, he volunteered for the army, received the post of adjutant with the possibility of free movement among the troops. And in the same year, Vereshchagin was seriously wounded aboard the destroyer Pike.

In 1878-1879. in Paris, the artist works with paintings called "Balkan Series".

In 1882-1884, Vereshchagin again traveled to India, Syria, and Palestine.
In the summer of 1894, Vasily Vereshchagin travels and draws the Russian north (White Sea, Northern Dvina, Solovki).

In 1896, the artist worked on a series of paintings dedicated to the war of 1812.
In 1899 he spent the summer in the Crimea. In 1901 he visited the Philippine Islands, in 1902 he visited the USA and Cuba. And in 1903 he visited Japan.

With the beginning of the Russo-Japanese War, Vereshchagin finds himself in the active fleet.
Vasily Vereshchagin died on March 31, 1904. The battleship "Petropavlovsk", on which the artist was, was blown up by a mine on the outer roads of Port Arthur.

Vasily Vasilyevich Vereshchagin in the workshop of his house:

House in the village Nizhnie Kotly (nearest suburbs of Moscow at the beginning of the 20th century).

Attention! In the history of Russian fine arts, there was another Russian artist Vereshchagin Vasily Petrovich(painter and portrait painter). Who was also a talented painter and lived at the same time (1835-1909) with Vasily Vereshchagin Vasilyevich(1842-1904)! And he graduated from the same imperial academy of arts. On the Internet, you can find examples when some paintings by Vereshchagin V.P. mistakenly attributed to Vereshchagin V.V. Especially paintings with religious subjects.

10 scariest paintings by the artist

Vasily Vereshchagin studied the war so well that he could write an entire encyclopedia about it. And he painted - with paints on canvas. There are almost no attacks, maneuvers and pompous parades in his paintings. But there is a lot of such a war, which is not customary to talk about. The artist himself once said: “I decided to observe the war in various forms and convey it truthfully. The facts transferred to the canvas without embellishment should speak eloquently for themselves. Today, the creative message of Vereshchagin is so relevant that historical and social parallels make you uncomfortable. On the eve of the artist's anniversary, we selected the 10 most terrible paintings and told how to "read" them correctly.

"Present Trophies"
1872 Oil on canvas. 240×171 cm State Tretyakov Gallery.

Graceful oriental columns, a sun-drenched courtyard, elegant clothes of those gathered - what is terrible in this picture? The very essence of what is happening. In a recent battle, the soldiers of the emir demonstrated courage and valor. They have just arrived at the court with a valuable trophy. Alas, this is not gold and not captured banners: at the feet of the eastern sovereign, the severed heads of "infidels" - Russian soldiers who lost in the battle - are piled in a heap. Darkened faces in gore, the disgusting stench of decay, from which those gathered cover themselves with the sleeves of their robes - this is how a sweet victory looks like. Such is the moment of glory of the victorious army. One of the heads rolled up to the Emir's foot, and he thoughtfully examines the face of a dead enemy. The painting “Representing Trophies” was included in the cycle “Barbarians”, which Vereshchagin wrote after returning from Turkestan, when the Emir of Bukhara declared jihad on Russia - a holy war. But can war be sacred when there are severed heads under your feet?

"Triumph"
1872 Oil on canvas. 195.5 × 257 cm. The State Tretyakov Gallery.
Cycle "Barbarians", Turkestan series

A crowd gathered in the square in front of the majestic Sherdor Madrasah in Samarkand. The white-clad mullah in the center delivers a sermon. People are celebrating, but what? The answer becomes obvious if you look closely. The heads of soldiers stick out on the poles - an honorary trophy of the emir's army, put on public display. They could not be noticed at all against the background of multi-colored ornaments flooded with bright sun. And yet they are here, watching the crowd, which feasts literally on the bones. On the frame is the inscription: “So commands God! There is no God but God."

"The Suppression of the Indian Rebellion by the British"
1884 Location unknown.
Series "Three Executions"

This lost painting has the traditional interpretation of English soldiers executing rebels during India's struggle for independence from the British Empire. Rebels are tied to the muzzle of cannons. A volley is about to be heard and the unfortunate will be blown to pieces. The execution, which was called the "devil's wind", was cruel not only in the physical sense. For the deeply religious population of India, it was more terrible than death to "appear before the supreme judge in an incomplete, tormented form, without a head, without hands, with a lack of members." It is difficult to come up with a more humiliating reprisal, given the caste nature of Indian society: the body parts collected after the execution were buried all together, en masse. After Vereshchagin painted this canvas, the British accused him of espionage. However, he accurately conveyed his idea: a colonial war, like any other, makes some of them masters, and others - slaves.

“Everything is calm on Shipka”, triptych
1878–1879 Canvas, oil. Private collections, Kostroma State United Art Museum.
Balkan series

Three paintings, united by one plot, tell about the last hours of the life of an ordinary soldier during the Russian-Turkish war (1877–1878). Despite the snowstorm and severe cold, until his last breath he keeps a post on the captured Shipka Pass: in the third picture, only a snowdrift and the tip of a bayonet sticking out from under the snow remain from him. It seems that the command simply forgot about him and left him to be torn apart by the elements. This triptych tells about the dishonesty and irresponsibility of the army leaders, who diligently concealed the real state of affairs. The war here is not in beautiful battle scenes and eyes burning with heroism, but in the unforgivable carelessness of commanders who do not care about their people. The Russian soldiers guarding the pass were not only bombarded daily by the Turks. Often they simply froze in the snow, as they did not have the proper equipment. During the period from September to December 1877, 700 people were out of action, wounded and killed, and more than 9,000 sick. But did the generals care about that? “Everything is calm on Shipka,” the commanders regularly reported to the capital.

"Shipka - Sheinovo. Skobelev near Shipka
1878–1879 Canvas, oil. 147×299 cm State Tretyakov Gallery.
Balkan series

The battle for the Shipka Pass took place on January 9, 1878 and brought the long-awaited victory to the Russian army. The exhausting defense is finally over, and it's time for the heroes to rejoice. General Skobelev circles the ranks of survivors with congratulations, and the soldiers joyfully toss their hats into the air. A white horse gallops briskly, a victorious banner flutters. But what is the price of this victory? The fun and joy of the winners are not so important, since dozens of bloodied and mutilated bodies - Russian and Turkish soldiers - were in the foreground. Unlike their brothers, they will forever remain in the snow near Shipka. This canvas by Vereshchagin was included in the Balkan series dedicated to the events of the Russian-Turkish war. He described his work on the cycle as follows: “You start writing, you burst into tears, you quit ... You can’t see anything behind the tears ...”

"Before the attack. Under Plevna"
1881 Oil on canvas. 179×401 cm State Tretyakov Gallery.
Balkan series

The command gave the order to storm Plevna. The army is ready to start the offensive. Emperor Alexander II peers into the distance, adjutants examine the enemy through binoculars. Paradoxically, commanders almost never participate in combat. They only give orders, sending ordinary people to their deaths. In this picture of Vereshchagin, the leaders of the army cannot even really see what is happening. They are visually separated from the troops and look out "from around the corner." On the day of the attack, the emperor watched the battle from the "snack mountain" - a hill where he and his staff celebrated name days and raised glasses of champagne "for the health of those who are now fighting there." After the battle, the artist returned to this place: “Everywhere there are piles of grenade fragments, bones of soldiers forgotten during burial. Only on one mountain there are no human bones, no pieces of cast iron, but corks and fragments of champagne bottles are still lying there - no kidding.

"After the attack. Dressing station near Plevna "
1878–1881 Canvas, oil. 183×402 cm State Tretyakov Gallery.
Balkan series

The third assault on Plevna turned out to be a complete failure - the Russian army lost about 13,000 people and was forced to temporarily retreat. Sergei Vereshchagin, the artist's brother, also died in the battle. Vasily wandered for a long time among the decomposing bodies of the dead, trying to find him, and this sight made an indelible impression on him. The artist recalled the days after the battle: “The number of wounded was so great that it exceeded all expectations. Everything that was prepared turned out to be insufficient.<...>Each of the doctors worked for two, the sisters of mercy provided unrequited services these days, and, despite the fact, nevertheless, the masses of the wounded remained for days without bandaging and without food. When it rained, the wounded were literally soaked through, as there was nowhere for everyone to hide. Hours of suffering, pain, agony and often heavy death are the price that must be paid in any war, no matter what it is fought for.

"Winners"
1878–1879 Canvas, oil. 180×301 cm. Kiev National Museum of Russian Art.
Balkan series

Another picture about the Russian-Turkish war depicts the final battle of Telish, when the Russian regiment was almost completely destroyed due to the fault of the commanders. Again on the canvas are the bodies of the dead and the few survivors. But the horror of this picture is not in the victims carried away by death. The inhumanity of those who remained to live is terrible. The victorious Turks are rummaging through the pockets of the dead - what if something valuable is found? They immediately pull off uniforms and boots from still warm bodies and laugh merrily, taking one of the survivors prisoner. War shocks and blurs the eye, and at some point, cruel deeds cease to seem unnatural. Vereshchagin shows disrespect for the dead - albeit enemies, but the same people who have children and families left at home.

“Defeated. Panikhida"
1879 Oil on canvas. 179.7 × 300.4 cm State Tretyakov Gallery

After the end of the assault on Plevna and the Russian-Turkish war, Vereshchagin wrote: “I can’t express the severity of the impression that I endure when I go around the battlefields in Bulgaria. In particular, the hills surrounding Plevna are crushed by memories - they are continuous masses of crosses, monuments, more crosses and crosses without end. In the painting "Requiem" the war is depicted as an all-consuming death. The pale yellow field is dotted with bodies to the very horizon, and there is no end to them. Two gloomy figures of a priest and a commander performing a memorial service are the only living thing that is here. The sky in mourning sheds bitter tears for the great human stupidity, forcing time after time, from generation to generation, to start senseless and cruel wars.

"Apotheosis of War"
1871 Oil on canvas. 127×197 cm State Tretyakov Gallery

Perhaps this is the most famous canvas of the artist, which crowns his work. In the picture, a hot desert, a scorched orchard, the ruins of a city - all that remains of a once flourishing land. A flock of vultures circle over this graveyard in search of prey. Vereshchagin knew human anatomy perfectly and carefully wrote out each skull in a huge pyramid. These remains belong not only to soldiers: there are old people, women, and children. This means that war affects everyone. And destroys everyone. This work is a moral sermon to all living beings and the apotheosis of Vereshchagin's philosophy. There is an address inscription on the frame: "Dedicated to all the great conquerors - past, present and future."

Vereshchagin hated the war, although all his life he selflessly wrote only it. He died while sketching another battle during a naval clash between Russia and Japan. About his work, he wrote: “There are many other objects that I would depict with much more willingness. All my life I passionately loved and wanted to paint the sun.

You can see the artist’s paintings live from April 20 to July 24 at the State Russian Museum at the retrospective exhibition “Vasily Vasilyevich Vereshchagin. To the 175th Anniversary of Birth”, the general sponsor of which is VTB Bank.