Kramskoy painting "mermaids" or a mystical dream. Beautiful mermaids in paintings by famous artists Mermaids paintings by famous artists
Makovsky’s “Mermaids” was shown at the 7th Traveling Exhibition in 1879. And then she received frankly shitty criticism of the fierce scarecrows from the art of Stasov and Garshin (for “the spectacular plasticity of naked female bodies using salon-academic techniques”) and the censure of her colleagues. The rest of the Itinerants were infuriated by Makovsky’s rainbow fascination with fairy-tale women and the isolation from the people’s agenda, which was so itchy among all the faithful Itinerants.
Even worse, Alexander II, who, as already mentioned, did not understand art, was so impressed by those very spectacular plastic arts and salon techniques that he made Makovsky almost a court artist and immediately ordered him a series of family portraits. The joy of my colleagues, of course, knew no bounds.
All mermaid entertainment according to version LiveJournal Media, 2016
Why will it be easy for you to understand Makovsky?
Paradox: Makovsky managed to suffer for art that was not recognized by his colleagues, but approved by the establishment. Only he got a lot of credit for this plot, despite the fact that other members of the circle also wrote their mermaids - Repin and Kramskoy, for example.
But in Repin’s work, mermaids are just an escort for the king of the sea, to whom Sadko got an appointment. Their poses express humility and, in general, do not irritate. Again, the painting depicts an oppressed class, and this was very suitable for the Wanderers.
Kramskoy’s mermaids, created based on Gogol’s motifs, are generally completely undead; there is no talk of any eroticism or social injustice there (well, unless you assume that the dead are discriminated against by the living). The only complaint about the painting was made by the collector Tretyakov, whose family allegedly lost consciousness in the room where the mermaids were located, and one of the guests, having seen enough of the painting, even jumped to her death into the Yauza;
– This is a picture about zombies. Her heroines are not only those who sit on branches in Russian fairy tales and personify everything magical and beautiful. According to Slavic tradition, unmarried girls and betrothed brides who die during the special Mermaid Week, which runs from July 19 to July 24, become mermaids. It is at this time that clusters of cute living dead can be observed near reservoirs and in water meadows. It’s also possible in the forest, because they really love to swing on branches. This whole event with swimming, round dances and swings is called rusalia - such a Sabbath for decent, but dead girls;
"Mermaids" by Makovsky, hanging in the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, 1879
How to read a canvas with frolicking nudes?
Clothed nudity
It is still worth agreeing that mermaids, by definition, are not naked, but permanently half-naked creatures, because they have tails and hair. The artists of Disney's "The Little Mermaid" in a unique way affirmed this point by providing the upper part of Ariel's tail with an additional fold of scales, creating the effect of a bikini or bath towel on the hips.
Not childishly seductive Ariel from the cartoon
But Makovsky’s mermaids are dead Slavs, and not, for example, Germans. That's why they don't have tails. The nakedness of Eastern European mermaids is traditionally hidden by long hair. Brown hair, of course, is one of the signs of the species and one of the options for the origin of the name of a particular undead.
Its own atmosphere
Makovsky painted the picture in the most suitable place for the plot, on the Zagony estate, not far from Dikanka, on the border of the Chernigov and Poltava provinces. And he painted the quiet Ukrainian night from life, as, probably, the central figure stretching languidly in the moonlight. Makovsky was also criticized for an overly realistic depiction of girls' bodies, but he was just faithful to legend - folklore insists that mermaids do not wear any underwear, although in their plaintive and cunning songs, which can be heard on a July night, they can ask the living for clothes . But this is just a way to lure some stupid child into your circle and dance him to death.
The church will always warm them
Rusalia is a pagan and godless event, and, apparently, in order to show that everything is under the control of the Lord, Makovsky depicts an occult structure in the corner. It turned out strange: evil spirits frolic with special cynicism in front of the temple of God. Representatives of the church, in general, also did not understand the picture.
Evil transmission channels
Water, trees and the traditional witches' round dance-queue (as in European medieval engravings) are the traditional paths of transition between the worlds of the living and the dead. Makovsky piles everything into an elegant pile, and under a snag places a greeting to the Pre-Raphaelites - a lady lying in water lilies.
Previous issues of “Pictures of the Week” can be found at the following links:
In the history of classical Russian painting there are many mysterious and amazing episodes that allow us to talk about the existence of paintings with a “bad reputation.” This list includes several works by the famous Itinerant artist Ivan Kramskoy. The largest number of legends is associated with his painting “Mermaids”.
I. Repin. Portrait of the artist I. N. Kramskoy, 1882. Fragment
The artist’s idea for “Mermaids” arose under the impression of N. Gogol’s story “May Night, or the Drowned Woman.” According to popular beliefs, drowned girls became mermaids after death. It was these that Ivan Kramskoy decided to write. This topic was quite unexpected and new for the realist artist. The artist loved Gogol very much and re-read all his works many times. He wanted to convey the very atmosphere of “May Night”, to immerse the viewer in the mysterious world of Ukrainian folklore.
I. Kramskoy. Self-portrait, 1867
While working on the painting, the artist was haunted by several themes. Firstly, he was obsessed with the idea of conveying the mesmerizing beauty of moonlight, which he never succeeded in: “I’m still trying to catch the moon at the moment. They say, however, that a particle of the moonlit night did end up in my picture, but not all of it. The moon is a difficult thing…” the artist lamented. The task was complicated by the fact that the moon itself was not in the picture - only its reflections on the ghostly figures of mermaids.
M. Derigus. Illustration for N. Gogol’s story *May Night, or the Drowned Woman*: Ganna, 1951
Secondly, the very topic of ghosts and the other world was said to be dangerous. Many of Kramskoy’s contemporaries seriously believed that Gogol’s subjects could drive painters crazy. “I’m glad that I didn’t completely break my neck with such a plot, and if I didn’t catch the moon, then something fantastic still came out,” said Kramskoy.
A. Kanevsky. Illustration for N. Gogol's story *May Night, or the Drowned Woman*: The Liberation of the Sister-in-Law
Critics agreed that the idea was successfully realized, and called the picture “the extreme plausibility of a fantastic dream”: “We are so tired of all these gray peasants, clumsy village women, worn-out officials... that the appearance of a work like “May Night” should make the most pleasant, refreshing impression on the public.” However, that's where the favorable responses ended. And then the mysticism began.
V. Vlasov. Illustration for N. Gogol’s story *May Night, or the Drowned Woman*: Sleeping Levko, 1946
At the first exhibition of the Association of Peredvizhniki “Mermaids,” I. Kramskoy was hung next to A. Savrasov’s painting “The Rooks Have Arrived.” At night, the landscape suddenly fell from the wall - then they joked that the mermaids did not like such a neighborhood. However, soon there was no time for jokes.
After the exhibition, P. Tretyakov acquired both paintings for his gallery. A place was immediately found for the “Rooks” - in the office, but for a long time they could not find a suitable place for the “Mermaids”, they were hung from room to room. The fact is that from the hall where Kramskoy’s painting was hung, barely audible singing could be heard at night and there was a breath of coolness, like water. The cleaners refused to enter the premises.
O. Jonaitis. Illustration for N. Gogol's story *May Night, or the Drowned Woman* | Photo: subscribe.ru
Not prone to mysticism, Tretyakov did not believe the rumors, but one day he himself noticed that he felt tired when he was near this painting for a long time. Gallery visitors also complained that it was simply impossible to look at this painting for a long time. And soon rumors appeared that the young ladies who looked at the “Mermaids” for a long time went crazy, and one of them drowned herself in the Yauza. Of course, there was no hard evidence linking the incident to the art gallery.
O. Jonaitis. Illustration for N. Gogol's story *May Night, or the Drowned Woman* | Photo: subscribe.ru
An old nanny who lived with the Tretyakov family advised that the painting be hung in a far corner so that no light would fall on it during the day: “It’s difficult for mermaids in the sunlight, that’s why they can’t calm down even at night. And as soon as they fall into the shadows, they will immediately stop chattering!” Tretyakov, far from superstitious, nevertheless listened to the advice. Since then, gallery visitors have not complained about this painting.
I. Kramskoy. Mermaids, 1871
Ivan Kramskoy. Mermaids.
(based on a plot from N.V. Gogol’s “May Night”).
1871. Oil on canvas. 88 x 132.
Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia.
It was decided to open the first exhibition of the partnership at the end of 1871. For this exhibition, Kramskoy wanted to finish work on the painting “Mermaids”. Many years ago, Kramskoy wrote in his diary: “Oh, what an amazing person this Gogol was!” He lovedGogol, reread all his works many times, especially “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka.” And now, reading “May Night,” he again plunged into the world of Ukrainian folk tales with its witches, sorcerers, mermaids, and magical moonlit nights. And even though this is just a fairy tale, and the house on the mountain, and the dense forest, and the deep, overgrown pond, and mermaid girls seem fabulous, but in every fairy tale there is always a grain of truth, and Kramskoy wanted to paint the picture in such a way that the viewer behind this fairy tale I saw real life, heard a sincere Ukrainian song, felt concern and pity for those “earthly” peasant girls whose fate turned out so sadly.
The painting cost Kramskoy a lot of work. Sketches have been preserved that clearly show how the artist gradually moved away from the illustrative method and sought a means of pictorial embodiment of the poetry of a moonlit night: that “fairy-tale impression” about which he wroteVasilievin August 1871, when, having belatedly arrived at the estate of P.S. Stroganov, Khoten, Kharkov province, where they had agreed to meet, he no longer found Vasiliev, who had left for Yalta. The influence that twenty-year-old Vasiliev had not only on his peers, but also on Kramskoy, is evidenced by the painting itself and the letters. Kramskoy was never able to achieve a result that would satisfy him: “I’m still trying to catch the moon. They say, however, that a particle of the moonlit night did end up in my picture, but not all of it. The moon is a difficult thing."
“Catching the moon,” showing how in its light everything transforms, becomes wonderful, a little alarming, was painfully difficult. But he still “caught” the moon and painted a wonderful poetic picture of a moonlit night.
The painting represents a river bank on a moonlit night. On the right is a hillock with a manor on it, surrounded by poplars. There is a forest in the background. On a bank overgrown with reeds, on the trunk of a fallen giant poplar thrown across the river, in the soft waves of moonlight, a whole host of drowned women settled down. Their picturesque poses are sad, their pale faces are full of hopeless melancholy. The whole picture bears a deep stamp of poetry and quiet sadness. The general tone is in harmony with the nature of the artist’s talent, who himself considered himself to be in the category of “quiet artists.”
Kramskoy himself was not entirely satisfied with the painting - his demands on himself knew no bounds. Several times he began to redo the painting, and even a year after it was bought by Tretyakov, he wrote to him and asked him to send the painting: “I wanted to rework it a little, in the summer I saw something else, and I would like to correct it.”
And yet, Kramskoy’s work was in its own way significant for Russian painting, since in it, like in “Grandmother’s Tales” by V.M. Maksimov, interest in folk poetry first appeared, still indirect, perceived in literary processing, but already paving the way the path that will be followed firstV.M.Vasnetsov, and then other Russian artists.
Reviewers noted with great pleasure in Kramskoy’s painting the “extreme plausibility of a fantastic dream,” and such rare qualities of modern art as sincerity, the absence of falsehood, lies, and bias. “We are so tired of all these gray peasants, clumsy village women, worn-out officials... that the appearance of a work like “May Night” should make the most pleasant, refreshing impression on the public,” noted the press about the exhibition.
Konstantin Egorovich Makovsky Mermaids 1879
Makovsky, Konstantin Egorovich - Russian painter; son of a famous Moscow art lover in his time, one of the founders of the local school of painting, sculpture and architecture, Yegor Ivanovich M. (1800-1886), b. in Moscow in 1839; under his father’s influence, at the age of 12, he became a student at the mentioned school, where his mentors were M. Scotti, S. Zaryanko and V. Tropinin, and received a small silver medal from Akd in 1857. arts The following year he moved to St. Petersburg. and enrolled as a student at the academy; was awarded a small gold medal for the painting “Agents of Demetrius the Pretender Kill Feodor Godunov” in 1862. Upon receiving this award, the young painter had to participate in the competition for a large gold medal, but he, along with 12 of his comrades, were dissatisfied with the fact that they were denied choosing competitive tasks at their own discretion, left the academy with the title of artist of the 2nd degree and took part in the establishment of St. Petersburg. artistic artel, a member of which, however, did not remain for long. In 1867, for the paintings “Poor Children” (located by D.V. Stasov in St. Petersburg) and “The Herring Girl” and for three portraits (of General Kaufman, General Rokasovsky and Mrs. Voronina) he was recognized as an academician, and through year, for the colossal and complex painting “Maslenitsa in St. Petersburg”, he was elevated to professor. In 1876 he made a trip to the Balkan Peninsula and Egypt. M.'s numerous works - portraits and paintings of historical everyday life, purely genre and partly fantastic content - gave him the reputation of one of the most talented representatives of modern Russian painting. He first appeared with these works at annual academic exhibitions, and then (from 1874 to 1883) at exhibitions of the Association of Traveling Exhibitions, and later began to organize separate exhibitions from them. Some of his paintings were also exhibited in Paris and North. America and spread his fame beyond Russia. Effectiveness of composition and lighting, expressive, although not sufficiently accurate drawing, strong, brilliant, but overly flowery color, mastery of the brush, especially when designing costumes, etc. accessories, all of M.’s works are distinguished, among which, in addition to those mentioned above, the main ones can be considered: “Funeral in the Village” (1872; with K. Soldatenkov in Moscow), “Return of the Sacred Carpet from Mecca to Cairo” (1876 in the Imperial Ermit ., repetition in the Anichkov Palace), "Bulgarian Martyrs" (1878), "Mermaids" (1879, in the Imperial Hermitage),"Wedding feast in a boyar family" (1885), "Choice of a bride by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich" (1886), "Death of Ivan the Terrible" (1888), "Down the aisle" (1890), portraits of: A. S. Dargomyzhsky, Senator Weimarn, A. E. Timasheva, the artist’s wife with children, gr. Muravyov-Amursky, gr. S. R. Stroganov, singer O. Petrov and some. etc.In the history of classical Russian painting there are many mysterious and amazing episodes that allow us to talk about the existence of paintings with a “bad reputation.” This list includes several works by the famous Itinerant artist Ivan Kramskoy. The largest number of legends is associated with his painting “Mermaids”.
I. Repin. Portrait of the artist I. N. Kramskoy, 1882. Fragment
The artist’s idea for “Mermaids” arose under the impression of N. Gogol’s story “May Night, or the Drowned Woman.” According to popular beliefs, drowned girls became mermaids after death. It was these that Ivan Kramskoy decided to write. This topic was quite unexpected and new for the realist artist. The artist loved Gogol very much and re-read all his works many times. He wanted to convey the very atmosphere of “May Night”, to immerse the viewer in the mysterious world of Ukrainian folklore.
I. Kramskoy. Self-portrait, 1867
While working on the painting, the artist was haunted by several themes. Firstly, he was obsessed with the idea of conveying the mesmerizing beauty of moonlight, which he never succeeded in: “I’m still trying to catch the moon at the moment. They say, however, that a particle of the moonlit night did end up in my picture, but not all of it. The moon is a difficult thing…” the artist lamented. The task was complicated by the fact that the moon itself was not in the picture - only its reflections on the ghostly figures of mermaids.
M. Derigus. Illustration for N. Gogol’s story *May Night, or the Drowned Woman*: Ganna, 1951
Secondly, the very topic of ghosts and the other world was said to be dangerous. Many of Kramskoy’s contemporaries seriously believed that Gogol’s subjects could drive painters crazy. “I’m glad that I didn’t completely break my neck with such a plot, and if I didn’t catch the moon, then something fantastic still came out,” said Kramskoy.
A. Kanevsky. Illustration for N. Gogol's story *May Night, or the Drowned Woman*: The Liberation of the Sister-in-Law
Critics agreed that the idea was successfully realized, and called the picture “the extreme plausibility of a fantastic dream”: “We are so tired of all these gray peasants, clumsy village women, worn-out officials... that the appearance of a work like “May Night” should make the most pleasant, refreshing impression on the public.” However, that's where the favorable responses ended. And then the mysticism began.
V. Vlasov. Illustration for N. Gogol’s story *May Night, or the Drowned Woman*: Sleeping Levko, 1946
At the first exhibition of the Association of Peredvizhniki “Mermaids,” I. Kramskoy was hung next to A. Savrasov’s painting “The Rooks Have Arrived.” At night, the landscape suddenly fell from the wall - then they joked that the mermaids did not like such a neighborhood. However, soon there was no time for jokes.
After the exhibition, P. Tretyakov acquired both paintings for his gallery. A place was immediately found for the “Rooks” - in the office, but for a long time they could not find a suitable place for the “Mermaids”, they were hung from room to room. The fact is that from the hall where Kramskoy’s painting was hung, barely audible singing could be heard at night and there was a breath of coolness, like water. The cleaners refused to enter the premises.
O. Jonaitis. Illustration for the story by N. Gogol *May Night, or the Drowned Woman*
Not prone to mysticism, Tretyakov did not believe the rumors, but one day he himself noticed that he felt tired when he was near this painting for a long time. Gallery visitors also complained that it was simply impossible to look at this painting for a long time. And soon rumors appeared that the young ladies who looked at the “Mermaids” for a long time went crazy, and one of them drowned herself in the Yauza. Of course, there was no hard evidence linking the incident to the art gallery.
O. Jonaitis. Illustration for the story by N. Gogol *May Night, or the Drowned Woman*
An old nanny who lived with the Tretyakov family advised that the painting be hung in a far corner so that no light would fall on it during the day: “It’s difficult for mermaids in the sunlight, that’s why they can’t calm down even at night. And as soon as they fall into the shadows, they will immediately stop chattering!” Tretyakov, far from superstitious, nevertheless listened to the advice. Since then, gallery visitors have not complained about this painting.
I. Kramskoy. Mermaids, 1871
The theme of mermaids is interesting because everyone sees them differently. It’s especially nice when your ideas coincide with others. And if they are also painted on canvas... I would like to introduce you to five famous artists whose paintings you could see on the Internet.
1. Viktor Nizovtsev, illustrator.
Victor was born in 1965 in Ulan-Ude. There he first graduated from the art academy, then entered the capital of Moldova, where he graduated from college and finally from institute. Currently, the artist lives in the USA with his wife and little daughter.
A distinctive feature of this artist’s works is the bright contrast that creates a characteristic fairy-tale atmosphere. Many of his works echo each other, such as the painting of mermaids and frogs.
In this age of high technology, most illustrations are done on computers. There are very few lovers of traditional painting in this direction. That is why the works of Viktor Nizovtsev become more attractive, because here there is only the canvas, the brush and the soul of the artist.
More photo of Viktor Nizovtsev's works with mermaids
Notice how beautifully and realistically the scales on the little mermaid are drawn. They shine, shimmer in all colors and look like real ones. The Little Mermaid appears before us as a fairy-tale creature with beautiful long hair.
2. Vladimir von Kozak
Contemporary Russian artist from Tver. About his works, he says that “most of all he likes to paint women and airplanes. On the contrary, first the planes, then the women.”
Which does not stop him from developing the theme of mermaids in his work. His plots can be completely different, from humor to tragedy.
Photos of Kazak's works with mermaids
3. Viktor Korolkov
Viktor Korolkov can be classified as a Slavic artist. Almost all of his works use the theme of old Rus', with its mythology and paganism, to reveal the plot. Before starting a new painting, Victor prefers to thoroughly study the chosen topic in order to avoid mistakes in the story. This is why his paintings depict aspects from the past so well.
Photos of the artist's works
The works represent fairy-tale images of little mermaids in Rus'.
4. Pavel Orinyansky
Initially, this artist did not plan to devote himself to art, and even graduated from the Suvorov Military School, after which he entered the Leningrad Military Topographical School. But nature took its toll and the artist re-enrolled as an art major in Mukha, where he plunged headlong into creativity.
Pavel works in the Art Nouveau style and has worked as an illustrator for various publishing houses. Many of our readers may remember him from his works for “Ruslan and Lyudmila” and “The Master and Margarita”.
The theme of mermaids did not bypass him either. Perhaps because Art Nouveau welcomes plastic forms, which we can often observe in magical half-maidens.
Photos of works
5. Boris Olshansky
Boris Olshansky is a supporter of the old school of academicism. At the beginning of his creative career (as indeed now), he trained to write works from life and from memory. His skill completely dispels the theory that academicism kills creativity.
In the subjects of his paintings, Boris prefers the Slavic direction. She often illustrates Russian folk tales.
Photos of works
Despite the fact that now you could see many works by five artists at once, you should not forget what exactly connects them. Namely, the theme of magical mermaids
