Exhibition of still life works in the works of People's Artist of the USSR, Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts A. Shilova. The fate of Russia in the faces depicted on the canvases of the artist Alexander Shilov In which direction does Shilov work
The Russian land is rich in talented people. V different times she became the homeland of geniuses of various occupations, including in the field visual arts... One can be proud that the artist Alexander Shilov is a living legend of Russia. Over the years of his work, he managed to create an incredible number of paintings, so his work can be called quite fruitful. Below you will see a gallery of paintings with the names of his works.
Shilov is an artist whose biography contributed to the emergence of a genius
Alexander Maksovich Shilov was born on October 6, 1943. His adolescence and youth cannot be called simple.
Early in his interest in painting, he had to earn money as a laboratory assistant while still in school, as his family did not have enough money for the essentials.
When he was 15 years old, a tragic event burst into their fate - their father died. After that, the young man was forced to go to work to help his family at a difficult hour.
Even at that difficult time, Shilov did not lose his passion for the fine arts. Thanks to the fact that after graduating from the corresponding studio, his head V. Voronin discerned talent in him and convinced him to continue developing as an artist, Alexander entered and graduated from the V. Surikov Institute, where he studied painting. These years were very significant in the life of the artist..
But since the financial situation remained rather difficult, Shilov, in parallel with the visual arts, was forced to work as a loader for several years. But, apparently, fate was favorable to the talented artist, and over time he gained well-deserved fame.
Special technique: perfect clarity of detail
Taking portraits is one of the characteristic features this artist ... He painted and continues to paint portraits famous people, genre and portraits of clergy. But most of all he loved to paint women and children, being able to convey their images in such a way that they seemed somewhat unreal - as if not from our time, but from the aristocratic Pushkin era, when grace and sophistication were valued. On our portal you can see photos of those incredible pieces to make sure of their genius and complex technique of performance.
The peculiarity of the creation of Shilov's paintings lies in the fact that each image is traced to the smallest needs. Every curl, every wrinkle on the face - the artist attaches great importance to detail. It is also worth noting the predominance of intentional static images.
Shilov also enjoyed painting landscapes of Russian nature. At the same time, he himself recognized himself as a realist artist, absolutely rejecting abstractionism.
The article uses the works of Alexander Shilov, taken from open sources and from the author's official website.
If you are interested in the work of the artist Shilov, you can watch the paintings created by his brush on our website.
I once had a chance to visit an exhibition of the artist Alexander Shilov. I don’t remember exactly in what year - 1985 or 1986 - the exhibition of his paintings was held in Tomsk. I only remember the huge queue at the entrance, which my friend and I defended, and our impressions of what we saw. We were simply struck by the portraits presented at the exhibition, especially the portraits of old people. I do not impose my opinion on anyone, I just propose to see a few of his works - the ones that I like the most.
"Shepherd." 1975 year
Alexander Shilov was born in 1943 in Moscow, in Likhov Lane. They lived, like everyone else in the war and post-war years, hard: three children, a mother, a kindergarten teacher, and grandmothers, who, in order to help the family, took jobs either as auxiliary workers or on night shifts. At the age of 15, Alexander began to work, was both a laboratory assistant and a loader, and at one time his only desire was to get enough sleep. He remembers the concrete corridor at the winery and the endless crates of bottles. I was so tired that my fingers did not feel the pencil. I didn't even think about becoming an artist at that time, another thought tormented me: is it really possible that you will have to work as a loader all your life?
"My grandmother." 1977 
Alexander Maksovich remembers well how he and his mother first came to Tretyakov gallery, saw the portraits of Levitsky, Perov, Bryullov and was delighted: it seemed to him then that the frame contained a living being. (And after years, one of the visitors to the A. Shilov exhibition will say that “I want to snatch the Shilov beauties out of the frame and kiss them.”) Since then, O. Kiprensky, D. Levitsky, K. Bryullov, A. Ivanov, V. Perov, I Levitan is his favorite artists and teachers in the highest sense of the word.
"Expectation". 1979 year
.
From 1957 to 1962 he studied at the art studio of the district Palace of Pioneers. But he entered the Moscow State Art Institute named after V. Surikov only in 1968. While still a student, Alexander Shilov took part in exhibitions of young artists in Moscow in 1971, and since 1972 in all-Union exhibitions. The career of a young painter is developing very successfully, and the ascent to the heights of skill and public recognition can be considered simply impetuous. In 1976 he was admitted to the Union of Artists of the USSR, in 1977 he was awarded the title of laureate of the Lenin Komsomol Prize, in 1980 - the title of Honored Artist of the RSFSR, in 1981 - People's Artist of the RSFSR, and in 1985 - People's Artist of the USSR ...
"Self-portrait with a hat". 1987 year
Exhibitions in the USSR and abroad, creative business trips make Alexander Shilov not just a famous, but a recognizable and beloved artist. Perhaps Shilov himself skillfully forms his image and builds a strategy for success. His numerous self-portraits and photographs show us the appearance of an imposing bohemian inhabitant: regular, masculine features, wavy hair casually thrown from the forehead, a slightly detached look, velvet dressing gowns on porter or patterned vests with catchy ties in the photographs, where the famous contemporaries - politicians, artists, singers, musicians and composers, scientists, whose names and titles would take more than one page.
"Old man." 1980 g. 
But art critics treat the artist, to put it mildly, with coolness, calling it a "salon portraitist", "court painter", "a skillful producer who began his career by painting a portrait of Brezhnev with stripes", "an artist of candy boxes." But contrary to all opinions and assessments, "the people are going to Shilov" for several decades already. In the 70s and 80s of the last century in Moscow there were many hours of queues for his opening days, a real triumph fell to the lot of the artist in Great Britain, Japan, Canada, France, Spain, and many other countries where exhibitions were held and where they were often surprised, as in the era prosperity avant-garde managed to survive the academic school of painting.
"Son of the Motherland." 1980 g. 
Alexander Shilov is now a living classic of Soviet and Russian realism, and no one will dare to deny the existence of a special "Shilov style". It is surprising that with the changes in political, economic, cultural realities, Shilov did not betray himself. It is even more surprising that interest in his work has not faded away among ordinary connoisseurs of painting and among statesmen. In 2001, he was awarded the title of Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts, in 2002 Alexander Maksovich was awarded certificates of honor of the State Duma and the Government of Moscow, in 2003 - the highest award of the Republic of Belarus - the Order of Francis Skorina, in 2004 - the Order of Merit to Fatherland "III degree, in 2005 - the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky" For Labor and Fatherland "I degree, in 2006 - the Order" For professionalism and business reputation "II degree, and this is not full list official recognition.
"Invincible." 1980 g. 
In 1996 A.M.Shilov donated 355 of the best paintings and graphic works to the country. In 1997, in accordance with the decisions of the State Duma of the Russian Federation and the Moscow government, the Moscow State Picture Gallery of the People's Artist of the USSR A. Shilov was created. To house the collection, Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov provided an old mansion in the historical center of Moscow, near the Kremlin, built at the beginning of the 19th century by the project of the famous Russian architect E. Tyurin. In 2003 a new building was built. Today, the collection of the gallery has about 800 works of authorship, 18 exhibition halls have been opened.
"The wild rosemary has blossomed." 1980 g. 
“The gallery lives a busy life,” says its director Anatoly Chistyakov. - Themed and visiting exhibitions are held. In addition, the already traditional Saturday musical evenings, many excursions and charitable events are held. I remember the exposition dedicated to the anniversary of the Victory "They fought for the Motherland", where we showed 34 works of the master, written in different years, there were evenings for veterans and youth. The collection is replenished annually, this year Alexander Maksovich will donate 17 works to the gallery fund, of which seven are pictorial.
"On Arisha's birthday." 1981 year 
The position of Alexander Shilov, who does not prove anything to anyone and knows for sure that the place of the artist is at the easel, evokes respect. You cannot reproach the artist for the lack of skill and amazing performance. “I work every single day. Otherwise, I do not see my being, ”the artist admitted in an interview. Shilov draws only from nature. He is very demanding of himself and those with whom he works. It takes about 15 sessions to create a portrait, 3-4 hours each. This is a difficult test for the person being portrayed - to sit in a suit, make-up, not daring to move, because the eye of Shilov is the eye of an eagle, and no liberties are allowed. The “model” sees only the finished picture, and the first show becomes a real ceremony.
"The fate of the violinist." 1998 year
Shilov has favorite faces, which he writes several times. For example, the violinist Alik Yakulov is a very colorful type, such a gypsy Paganini. And in the halls of his Moscow gallery the same music sounds as in the workshop - Vivaldi, Mozart, Beethoven, Verdi. He is really a workaholic, he has no hobbies, it takes a lot of time and effort to work in the workshop and in the gallery. But when asked how quickly he can paint a picture, the artist refused to answer: "I am not a circus performer, I work."
"Portrait of the conductor Alpis Ziuraitis." 1981 year
Many kind, warm words of admiration and gratitude for his work, for the soulfulness and spirituality of his works, wonderful, majestic and very close, memorable on long years... Yes, and about the stars. Alexander Maksovich once said that he always believed in his star. In 1992, the International Astronomical Union in New York named the unnamed planet "Shilov".
"In the theatre." 1981 year
"Marina" 1982 
"They don't write." 1984 year 
"Diplomat from Uganda." 1984 year 
"My mum." 1986 year 
"Portrait of a daughter." 1986 year 
"Academician N. N. Blokhin." 1988 year 
"Nana". 1989 year 
"Mother Macarius." 1989 year 
"Natan Lvovich Vinokur." 1989 year 
"Behind the monastery wall." 1991 year
"Abbot Zinovy." 1991 year
"Sister of Mercy." 1992 year 
"Bum." 1993 year 
"In front of the mirror." 1994 year 
"Abandoned." 1998 year 
"Portrait of Masha's daughter." 1998 year 
"Lonely." 2007 year
"Sonnets of Petrarch." 2007 year 
"Metropolitan Seraphim." 
"Pansies." 2009 r. 
"Yuliya." 2009 r. 
"Hero of the Soviet Union EI Mikhailova-Demina." 2010 r.
Dear reader asks:
Explain why Shilov is a bad artist and Bryullov is a good one? At first glance, they are even so similar in places.
Okay, now I'll tell you why Shilov, as well as many other contemporary artists, for example, the Arbat portrait painters, as well as scribes of "portraits from photographs" are bad portrait painters from the point of view of professionalism.
- Only, please, without aspirations like "Bryullov is a genius!" No, no, at the level of "goosebumps" I perceive everything. But, for example, as a person involved in philology, I can explain why Yesenin is poetry, and Asadov is jam on a stick, not only at the level of “believe me, people,” but also quite reasonably on the fingers. But with Shilov I am not an art critic, here I am a simple consumer. I can smell with my spinal cord when they make a fool of me, and in a shiny wrapper there is a dummy, but I want to be laid out for me.
Okay, this is more difficult and much longer, but let it be on the fingers.
To do this, however, I will have to compare Shilov's paintings with the works of other artists - and some condemn this method of proof as too simple ...
(I wrote this and got a little bit sad, but then I came across in the bookmarks of Antonova's interview on the subject: " I am sometimes asked: why do you speak about Shilov's portraits carelessly, so to speak? Yes, a portrait painter like Shilov is a very difficult case. And to explain this, I have to put a picture next to it. Not necessarily Rembrandt. Enough of Repin, Serov.But the viewer, whose gaze has not been trained, does not see it. " If Antonova doesn't know how to explain it differently, then why should I reinvent the wheel? Let's compare).
So, here are some quick tricks to help you spot a smear (bad portrait).
FIRST LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING
The man in the portrait is written as if he was sitting against the backdrop of a photo studio
The light on the figure can fall from one side, and against the background it can go from the other, the figure may not be combined with the background at all,
scientifically - the model is not integrated into the airspace environment.
Photo to illustrate the problem and anchoring memorization
So, this is Bryullov:
look, his people are normally "built" into the surrounding atmosphere 
and when they are not in nature, but against a neutral background, everything is fine with them too 
This is Shilov 
The head is as if attached to the body.
The artist clearly paid too much attention to her, "licked" her, she is noticeably different from the rest of the body.
Sometimes this is the result of the artist only having a photograph of the face. heads on the shoulders,
the rest he has to invent on his own,
that is, he did not paint the model from life.
It looks like a collage.
Here is Bryullov.
The head is attached to the neck normally. 
The skin shines brightly, like a wax figure.
Or rather, it does not “glare”, but “gives a reflex”.
The basics of drawing are as follows - they put a plaster ball or fruit in front of you, and you need to draw them, creating a volume on the plane of the paper.
Volume is created using highlights and other light and shade components.
See the crescent moon at the bottom right? It's called a "reflex".
Many poor portrait painters have a problem with the reflexes on the neck and chin, it is immediately evident.
Shilov also has this problem. (He is generally a technically bad painter with a brush and hands, in many ways, it takes a long time to tell,
but this mark is so bright that it is easy to remember and immediately recognize). 
Shilov also does not know how hair is attached to his head, they look like a wig. 
This is Bryullov
This young lady also has a chin / cheek reflex,
but notice how less glossy it is,
This is not an apple peel, but a peach!
Here, this reflex is hardly noticeable at all.
In Bryullov, in general, all people are alive and breathe, but in Shilov, people do not work out alive.
They are like wax figures from Madame Tussauds, with overly bright reflections, excessive makeup,
some kind of corpse make-up.
Obvious problems with anatomy, proportions, with what to do with arms and legs
Especially hands and palms give out half-educated people.
In general, it is so difficult to draw hands that the first real (easel) portrait painters of the early 15th century tried to do without them and painted only heads.
Then everyone got bold and bold, sank lower and lower (as in pornotetris): they began to write up to the shoulders, up to the chest ... By the time of Leonardo and Raphael, they had already taken courage and reached the waist. Sank to the feet - by the end of the 16th century (if interested, I can describe in detail somehow).
If Shilov had remained at the level of the 1490-1500s, he would have passed for a smart one.
But no! We want it like Serov, we are cool!
Stomach!
Pull your belly in, you fool!
(I hope this portrait was free, otherwise the young lady would be offended). 
A man who appears to be a dwarf 
It can't be so easy ...
You can't just pick up and cross your legs if you are drawing a person in a picture. 
Joseph Wright can. And Franz Hals. Shilov is not allowed. 
So, the first level of understanding is overcome,
you can get up, catch your breath, drink some water.
SECOND LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING
This level is more difficult, if for the previous one there was enough good eye and observation, then hazing of taste begins here.
To catch these signs, you need to have a taste, some aesthetic development, understand what harmony is and what vulgarity is.
Go! (c) Mark Lazarevich Gallay
People in the picture are ugly, strange, incongruously dressed
Postulate: a ceremonial realistic portrait is a work of art. In such a work of art, every detail must be thought out. Not only every gun must fire, but every book on the table and a ring on your finger. Well, a suit is the most important way to create an image.
There is such a thing as "costume language". We use this language every day to convey to the world who we are and how we relate to people. The things we wear tell others: I am a tired housewife, do not get to the bottom of me; I am a glamorous kitty and do not mind getting to know each other; I am not Uzbek, but a fashionable Japanese; I am an athlete, even when in the office; I don't care if you think that I stink... You will treat a person differently (especially if you are interviewing him in the HR department), depending on whether he is wearing branded clothes, hipster, or from the clothing market.
The language of the costume has existed in absolutely every century. Only when the era passes away, we no longer understand it (for example, the first half of the twentieth century is already completely; late Soviet at the very least). Therefore, in order to understand ancient portraits, we need translators - historians of fashion and costume (for example, the wonderful eregwen
). When they interpret the language of the costume in a portrait for us, it's like a translation of hieroglyphs - new depths open up.
It is quite easy with Shilov's portraits: they depict our contemporaries.
And it's obvious to us how vulgarly dressed they are.
- It was the nineties! Then everyone dressed like that! The artist did not realize that it would look funny!
No. A true master must perceive, evaluate clothing abstractly and understand how it will look in twenty, fifty years. He creates for eternity!
A real painter will paint these clothes with taste so that they look good.
Here is Tahir Salakhov and his 2005 portrait with a strange knitted sweater.
Imagine this clothes in reality or in a photograph - it would not look so hot. And in the painting of this master, he very successfully became the key point of the composition. 
Oh, here's even more good example Googling (with portraits of other, normal, artists of the Shilov era, in general, there is a shortage).
Nelson Shanks wrote Princess Diana in 1994.
Do you see a translucent blouse in hellish ruffles here? And it turned out well! 
Or, as an option, a real painter will drive the model with sticks to change into something more decent.
“He had no choice! He couldn't argue with customers! They insisted on being painted in their favorite furs!
Well, the "real" great painters possessed such dignity (and conceit) that they calmly refused to order if they did not like the person being portrayed and drove him away (see V. Serov).
Or they argued with them and forced them to change their clothes.
The problem with Shilov is that he obviously likes these things, and he does not see any trouble in them. He does not want to "remove" them, nor to present them in any special artistic way. 
Shilov is clearly just enjoying writing out all this wealth, relishing it.
And what does the "language of the costume" of these portraits say to us, the audience?
"I am rich! I have a lot of money!
What kind of furs I have, look!
What jewels I have!
Well, look, what a trick I have! "
UPD: the commentator suggests that there is NO piano with such an arrangement of keys.
It’s cool, of course, to write out the lace so carefully, and to hammer on the correct alternation of black and white keys in the piano. In the portrait of the great singer Alla Bayanova, by the way.
Translucent again. 
Lurex!
And what a combination of colors! 
What do other artists do? What is the way out?
For example, there is such a modern painter Andrei Remnev, a class much higher than Shilov.
He writes mainly such symbolist-genre paintings (this one is called "The Apples of the Hesperides", guess why). 
Around the same time, at the end of the 20th - beginning of the 21st century, Remnev also strongly wanted to eat, he also painted custom portraits.
And look how he did it: both girls are obviously dressed up to the taste of the artist, in order to do something unusual, "in the style of Remnev." And my mother - yes, in furs, but they are not the main subject in the picture. 
(The life hack with a flat back does not work in Remnev's case, since he, unlike Shilov, does not position himself as a realist. But in this portrait, yes, the backdrop is unsuccessful with the harbor. Maybe the picture looks better alive).
Here are some more examples of how Remnev makes a suit "work" for the "beauty" of a portrait. And even lurex is in the subject here. 
Shilov likes something completely different.
His ideal of beauty in fashion can be judged absolutely definitely - this is a dress for a prom from a boutique in Biryulyovo.
And the customers have nothing to do with it: here are two portraits of his daughter. Tragic story- She died as a teenager from cancer, and he continued to paint her portraits, as if she was growing up.
This is a purely artistic factor in our conversation, because here is a Petri dish for us - the one depicted also could not in any way affect the dress on the paintings, this is entirely the choice of Shilov, the choice of the ghm artist.
If the customer did not bring a fur coat and translucent blouses with her, then Shilov, apparently, endowed her with dresses from the same salon.
Here, you know, what a setup:
the clothes in the portrait must serve some purpose - to create beauty, harmony, style, as in Salakhov and Remnev above, plus reflect the era and fashion of the time when the painting was painted. The dresses in these three pictures above are in real life for nothing. It was not even possible to wear them to Yeltsin's reception, and you cannot sit in the first row of the stalls in the Bolshoi either. It's just a carnival, historical costume of some kind. But a carnival costume should have an appropriate entourage, confirming its carnival character, a game. He's not here.
However, in the portraits of this era, the existence of a long dress is justified, but only in that case
if we have a logical explanation, where the hell did it come from.
For a princess, for example, you can.
Princess Diana by Richard Foster, 1986
Inappropriate, strange objects surround the people in the painting.
or these items are poorly served.
The things in the painting that surround the person are called "attributes".
They help to identify the person depicted (like stars on shoulder straps) or to understand what the picture is about, for what reason it was written.
For example, the attribute of Saint Sebastian is arrows, and Mary Magdalene's is a vessel with incense.
In portraits real people there are also attributes: a ring - from a newlywed or an engaged person, a compass - from an architect, a violin - from a musician, etc.
Here are the classic portraits in which the depicted "show off" the rings, emphasizing that the paintings were written for an important occasion.
Francesco del Cossa (1470s)
Mengs (1775)
Shilov does not know how masterly, he does not have enough courage or school for this.
At the same time, he is still capable of obsessively hinting at the reason for painting a picture.
Here it is clearly a donated ring in an open box on the table.
Why is he doing this? Obviously, the model of the portrait (by the way, plus a point for her dress, apparently, her own, not Shilov's), and the customer (husband?) Know perfectly well what the occasion is about. A ring on a finger would be sufficient. But you have to poke it in the face.
(By the way, pay attention to the abundance of burgundy and red, but in combination with pink. Another bad sign).
And now there will be my favorite, the standard bad "shilov"!
Everything is there:
a black translucent blouse of an incredible cut with ruffles, combined with a red skirt,
mind you, with a red skirt against the background of a crimson chair,
wig,
purple blush
for some reason a bust of some king Leonidas,
tapestry under "Louis",
curtain with lurex,
mutant table,
but on the table, and on the table
besides the pearl necklace,
are CAR KEYS
The version that the keys got into the frame by accident, I reject as untenable. Obviously, the lady is showing off on a par with the pearl necklace.
Can anyone guess the make of the car from the keys? Interesting.
UPD: there is an opinion that these are the keys to the BMW 7th series in the back of e32 =) In the nineties, it was one of the top cars among the nouveau riche.
People in the picture are in an ugly, strange, inappropriate interior
items in which do not match with each other, with the clothes of the model and with the theme of the picture.
By analogy with the "language of the costume", let us imagine that there is the "language of the interior".
What would we say about these interiors if we saw them in photographs in an interior magazine like SALON or in Varlamov's blog?
The same thing that was about the suit - flaunting wealth, not flavored with exquisite taste.
These are rooms filled with antiques and fakes. These things do not carry any semantic load, but the artist sincerely thinks that they carry an aesthetic load.
Is that why she hugs this statue?
To show that she is all so spontaneous, light? 
This is a list of life hacks, signs that "can be touched", "put in a car", so I will not dwell on the fact that Shilov also has a banal problem with placing the human body in three-dimensional space (therefore, his portraits are more decent on a neutral background). But in the picture above, note that in the back room there is such a small chandelier and a picture that the room should be huge, but it does not work out that way in terms of perspective distortion.
By the way, look at the lower left corner there - outright hack, filling with one color even without a gradient.
Things in the interior must be harmonious, and for this, architects and designers are hired.
If we go back to my favorite portrait of an autolady (pardon my french), then there is that interior hodgepodge stylistically.
An 18th century tapestry with powdered wigs (bad). The bust is either in the style of antiquity or classicism, but generally a clumsy replica; in any case, does not fit wigs. The curtain matches the color of the tapestry, but does not match the texture. I don’t know the little table at all from what period, he has such a loose leg that he looks like a mutant; or it is a console that needs to be attached to the wall. The chair should be upholstered with fabric, either under the tapestry or under the curtain, and not with crimson leaves (an attempt at rococo?). The table and chair must be from the same headset.
I am already silent about the mismatch between the surroundings and the costume.
This picture is more successful: the tapestry is combined with the curtain in color and texture (and it is without lurex!), And with the table in style. But the dress and the handbag, and the bouquet are again out of the box. 
These things were either in the homes of the customer, or in the workshop of Shilov. It is generally understandable why he was in such demand as a portrait painter among a certain class of people of that era. Because they have the same aesthetic views. And in some ways, of course, he is extremely successful and "embedded": perfectly reflects their taste and that era.
Just like the gravestones of the brothers.
In such interiors, you can only draw Madame Pompadour (real). For the rest, posing against the background of such antiques is like being photographed for avatars in classmates against the backdrop of luxury cars. Maybe this car even really belongs to you, but who cares.
Quentin de La Tour. Portrait of Madame Pompadour:
Pay attention - she's not "showing off" furniture, but notes in her hands and books on the shelf, that is, her brains. 
Shilov again.
Damn, purple with such red cannot be combined!
And furs, furs again, for some reason I did not notice them here the previous time.
But, for comparison, on what background, in what interior, really rich people pose,
who can afford to hire a truly high-quality portrait painter.
Princess Diana by Bryan Organ, 1981
This, by the way, is Buckingham Palace! What, there would be no cupids, perhaps, to hug? No, it was found, here is a view of the room from a different angle. The customer of Shilov would have burst, but he would have forced the artist to cram all this antiques "into the frame."
But the real, unsurpassed show-off. 
Please note that this artist's prince and princess are dressed in casual, familiar clothes, which perfectly reflect the character of the models.
(And also how pleasant the harmonious color scheme is in both paintings).
Poor composition, posture, color combination
I will mention it, but you cannot explain it at once, of course.
And to understand, you need to train for a long time, to taste.
Here are two pictures for comparison, in theory, the same composition. Practice for yourself, feel the difference.
The empress has a rounded mirror, cuts her neck-length, focuses attention on her face, her head in profile rhymes with the real one. Shilov has a mirror of a different shape, what does this affect? Shilov has a red curtain in the mirror - why? The empress is standing straight, the aunt in blue is slanted - what changes in the perception of the picture? What has changed from the rearrangement of the bouquet? The empress is in the color of bezh and ivory, and the color of the portrait of aunty-blakitny - how does this affect the mood of the picture? How, in which direction, is the viewer's gaze directed and by what? How else are the paintings different and what does this affect?
Shilov on the left, Zh.L. Monier. Portrait of Empress Elizabeth Alekseevna, 1802.
Something I am fed up with this new Russian pornography, I'm finishing it already.
THIRD LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING
But now the most difficult, last level, about the same goosebumps, genius, attempts to measure harmony with algebra, and so on. There is already an art history theory, some things will have to take my word for it.
So, one more postulate.
Shilov declares that he works mainly in the portrait subgenre, called "a realistic ceremonial portrait for the customer's money."
It is one of the oldest portrait subgenres. For example, option "a realistic intimate portrait of my wife, which I paint for free for training, and she poses for free, where to go", appeared much, much later.
Hood. Sergey Pavlenko. He left the USSR in 1989, draws lords.
This subgenre has its own rules (and they must be followed, since you are claiming to be playing classics).
- Similarity... A high-quality portrait requires a realistic rendering of facial features, physiognomic similarity. Most of these "bad" portrait painters limit themselves to this point. It is sad that the same is limited to their customers, well, those who order their portraits-collages from photographs and old paintings. Shilov has a tick at this point.
- Literacy... Realistic rendering of chiaroscuro, anatomy, perspective (see our First level of understanding). As you saw, already at this point Shilov begins to stumble heavily.
- the beauty... Harmony of colors (coloration), proportions, clothing, interiors, the normal meaning of attributes (see Second level of understanding).
- Soul... The most important thing. The portrait cannot become true work art, if it does not capture the soul of the person being portrayed, its character, facial expressions, features. A good portrait painter is obliged to act as a translator, and with the help of his skill to grasp the lines of his model, pin them like a butterfly to the canvas, and enable everyone, even after centuries, to understand the character of this person. ( Good photographer does the same - tortures the model for hours in a photo studio in order to catch the right shot and capture the character). There must be a talent for this: an artist can be an excellent painter, but the genre of a particular portrait may not be suitable for him.
- Innovation / Fashion... A good portrait should preferably be consistent with the spirit of the era and reflect the prevailing stylistic trends, painting technique (and also correspond to the time in costume and interior). Valentin Serov was exactly what a "fashionable" painter. Here I have it Bryan organ(which, by the way, does not manage to convey the soul very well). It is even better if the portrait turns out to be a forerunner, a flagship - but these are unique, piece things, and they are all recorded in the history of art.
(Since the portrait was commissioned by the widow after the murder, this picture is distinguished by a special mood created by the pose).
It is very difficult to be such a "good" portrait painter in the 20th and 21st centuries. After all, in order for them to grow up, to form, a strong school is required, an unbroken tradition, teachers who will explain that the point is not only in the similarity of the nose and ears.
Due to what happened to realistic art in the 20th century, there was a tension with the technical continuity.
In addition to the general artistic situation, the shortage of customers is to blame - people who need such portraits. In the 20th century, they were either cut out at the root, or they went bankrupt. And in order for the genre to stand on its feet well, develop normally, it needs normal nutrition.
That is why I have in comparisons from modern paintings so much of the English royal family: because it is in Great Britain that this layer has survived enough, it feels the need to create portraits and can select the best from the "fashionable", and since the tradition of such a portrait genre is preserved there.
Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother by Alison Watt, 1989
Shilov, which is regrettable, declares his claims to this tradition and continuity.
But there is no ground under his feet.
Rather, he lost her: his portraits of the seventies, when Surikovka had not yet disappeared, are much more decent (although the symptoms are already outlined).
Well, how to determine whether there is a soul in a portrait or not? ..
Where to look? This I will not say for sure, probably we should start with the eyes.
Here are the portraits in which, according to the generally accepted opinion, there is a soul.
(I will not put Shilov's pictures next to each other for comparison - if you want, re-read the post again and look at his works through freshly acquired filters).
Well, can you now determine where Bryullov's "Self-portrait" is, and where is Shilov? Or agree that they are "similar"?
Gallery of Shilov's paintings on the official website
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Supplements from art professionals are welcome. What have I forgotten?
UPD: for a list of comments from specialists, see the first comment of the post.
Posts from This Journal “questions about art” Tag
What is wrong with the word "masterpiece", or About how journalists are dishonoredHow to use the word "masterpiece" correctly so as not to look like an enthusiastic collective farmer. Here the other day I was doing a text about how to the museum ...
Why can't we take everything and divide it up? (I'm talking about museums)I dashed off another sheet about the fact that people are idiots, and art critics are secret keepers of sacred knowledge, koshchei and freemasons. Sorry.… voronkov_kirill It was necessary to start with the fact that for a realist artist Shilov is a disgusting anatomist.
Crumpled skulls, broken jaws and flying eyes are the characteristic handwriting of his portraits.
interius_pacem I didn't notice the aerial perspective in his work. That is, there is no air in it, depth. Because of this, the work looks like a realistic-decorative picture. Another strong omission is bad coloring, body colors, the artist does not mix paints, if it is kraplak, then kraplak both in the light and in the shade, if ultramarine, then ultramarine in the light and in the shade. There is no pictorial complexity, elaboration, color depth, color reflexes on the skin. There are no accents. What does the artist want to show? Eyes, face or hands of the model? Why write out roses on a dress like that, or write out interior details in detail? The eye slides and stops at nothing.
In a good portrait, something important is striking, and not all at once. And the compositions and poses of the model have not been worked out. No searches visible. Usually, the artist, before starting work, makes many sketches of how the model is best presented.
hentai_hunter As a designer, I can say that the problem with Shilov's backdrops is mainly due to the fact that his lighting is not written out at all. By default, the apron is light, the backdrop is dark, everything is smeared evenly, hence the effect of an inept collage. Well, the absurd detailing of small objects around the person being portrayed.
psyhologica unconsciousness, denseness. That is, as an artist, Shilov does not see and does not realize, for example, the wild combination of the palette in his paintings. A more conscious artist could, for example, consciously "play" with such wildness, use it as a technique, as a feature. It might work and there are artists who have used it. But Shilov in this sense is absolutely wooden, just that stupid.
seryi_polosatiy about fitting the model into the interior - for Shilov, background objects often turn out to be more contrasting / more detailed than the foreground and the model itself. This breaks the perception of perspective and deprives the portrait of an accent, it turns out rather a still life with the model as one of the vegetables on a rag.
li_rysya In principle, he does not know how to write fabric, neither the texture nor the color. The color is generally dead everywhere, smeared. Where was he taught this? In the first year, they write better. Among other things, I will especially note the illogical unevenness of work. He paints in detail with small strokes of the face, hands, cupids, but he just throws some pieces of the canvas, although this is not even some kind of background in the distance, which can be blurred. On the contrary, he will prescribe a lurex curtain in the distance, even a shadow cannot fall on it. She shines.
cleofide The cherry on the cake: a portrait of an elderly lady showing the edge of the piano. Interestingly, Shilov wrote the piano from nature? Personally, I have never seen this. Black keys are grouped according to the principle: two - three, etc., except for the extreme octaves below and above, where there can be only 2. But never four in a row! There is at least one white key missing. And most likely more. Because in the last group of the three, the first two are stuck together, and there is no white between them either. It doesn't work that way.
cambria_1919 Leonardo already deliberately noted (and his contemporaries intuitively understood) that the further, the less distinct, less contrasting in color, and generally colder than the foreground. This creates the illusion of living space. At Shilov's works, bouquets, paintings, and furniture are frantically "shooting from the corridor"; sculptures from there, as if they were alive, rush into battle, etc.
The pianos, tables and windowsills lean forward and backward and dance in every way relative to each other. Inflatable, I guess. So are the models.- New comment
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Great Russia from time immemorial gave birth to talents, which all mankind is rightfully proud of. They went down in the history of world culture. Their names are immortal. Among our contemporaries who create Russian culture today, Alexander Shilov certainly stands out. He is one of the outstanding artists of the 20th century, a living legend, pride and glory of Russia.
In 1957-1962 A.M. Shilov studied at the art studio of the House of Pioneers of the Timiryazevsky District of Moscow, then at the Moscow Art Institute named after V.I. Surikov (1968-1973). Took part in exhibitions of young artists. In 1976 he became a member of the Union of Artists of the USSR. He has held numerous solo exhibitions in the best halls not only in Russia, but also abroad. His paintings were exhibited with great success in France (Gallery on Boulevard Raspail, Paris, 1981), West Germany (Willibodsen, Wiesbaden, 1983), Portugal (Lisbon, Porto, 1984), Canada (Vancouver, Toronto, 1987), Japan (Tokyo , Kyoto, 1988), Kuwait (1990), United Arab Emirates (1990), other countries.
Creative person can rent a photo studio and create beautiful portraits of contemporaries, can show his gift in other types of creativity. Alexander Shilov is not just a creator - he is an artist from God.
Alexander Shilov chose the most difficult direction in art - realism and remained faithful to the chosen path throughout his life. Absorbing all the highest achievements of the world artistic arts continuing the traditions of Russian realistic painting of the 18th-19th centuries, he purposefully, with inspiration went his own way, enriching, improving his own artistic language... He escaped the influence of destructive tendencies in the artistic culture of the twentieth century, did not lose the wonderful properties of his talent and the most expensive instrument of an artist - the heart.
Among a large number his works - landscapes, still lifes, genre paintings, graphics. But the main genre of A.M. Shilova - a portrait. It is the person, his individuality, uniqueness that is the focus of the painter's work. The heroes of his works are people of the most different social status, age, appearance, intelligence, character. These are politicians and ministers of the church, prominent figures of science and culture, doctors and war heroes, workers and rural workers, old and young, businessmen and homeless people. Among them are portraits of the pilots-cosmonauts P.I. Klimuk (1976), V.I. Sevastyanov (1976), V.A. Shatalova (1978), "Son of the Motherland" (YA Gagarin, 1980), "Academician N.N. Semenov "(1982)," On Victory Day. Machine gunner P.P. Shorin "(1987)," Metropolitan Philaret "(1987)," Metropolitan Methodius "(1990)," Archbishop Pimen "(1990)," Hegumen Zinovy "(1991)," Film director S. Bondarchuk "(1994)," Playwright V. Rozov "(1997)," People's Artist of the USSR Yevgeny Matveev "(1997)," Portrait of A. Yakulov "(1997)," Portrait of Tamara Kozyreva "(1997)," Portrait of Bishop Vasily (Rodzianko) "(1998), “Writer Arkady Vayner” (1999), “Portrait of a Mother”, “G.Kh. Popov "(1999)," After the ball (Natalia Bogdanova) "(2000).
As a portrait painter, Alexander Shilov is a kind of mediator between man and time. He sensitively captures the psychological life of the image and creates not just a painting, but, penetrating into the recesses of the soul, reveals the fate of a person, captures the moment in which our real contemporary lives. A. Shilov is interested in a person in all manifestations of individual life: his characters are in joy and sadness, in calm meditation and in anxiety of expectation. On his canvases there are many children and female images: clean, charming, soulful, beautiful. Respect and sympathy are imbued with portraits of elderly people who have lived a long difficult life, but have retained kindness and love for others: "My grandmother" (1977), "Master of the Earth" (1979), "Ledum blossoms" (1980), "On Arisha's birthday "(1981)," Together "(1981)," Getting Cold "(1983)," Grandfather Gavrila "(1984)," Soldier's Mothers "(1985)," Portrait of a Mother "(1988)," Mother Macarius "(1989) , "Homeless" (1993), "Abandoned" (1998). The special softness and sincerity of the images makes the works of A. Shilov deeply national.
Everything in A. Shilov's paintings carries a deep meaning. There is nothing random about them, for the sake of external effect. The expression of a person's face, his posture, gesture, clothing, interior items in the picture, its color serve to create an image, characterize the hero, and convey his inner state.
No lofty words can convey the great skill that Alexander Shilov achieved. The artist just works wonders. With his magic brush, he makes the eyes speak, turns colors into silk, velvet, fur, wood, gold, pearls ... His portraits live on.
In addition to oil paintings, the artist's collection includes paintings made in the pastel technique. This is an old technique in which the artist writes with special colored crayons, rubbing them with his fingers. Having perfectly mastered this complex technique, Alexander Shilov became an unsurpassed master of pastels. No one since J.E. Lyotard did not achieve such a virtuoso skill.
Conquers, enchants, no one can leave indifferent portrait
Mashenka Shilova (1983), performed in this technique. What a beautiful Mashenka! What long hair Mashenka has! What an elegant, luxurious dress Mashenka has! The baby is already aware of her attractiveness. Pride, joy and happiness illuminate her smart, sweet, gentle face. Masha's posture, the position of the head, hands - everything is full of natural grace and nobility. Childishly plump hands gently, carefully hug their beloved bear. The girl animates him, does not part with him for a second - compassionate, kind, a pure soul with this child.
Mashenka's childhood happiness coincided with the happiness of the artist himself. One cannot help but feel that the picture was created in a single burst of love and happy inspiration. Everything in it is depicted so lovingly, written out with such great and amazing art: a sweet face (sparkle of eyes, delicate velvet skin, silkiness of hair), a chic dress (play of satin, luxury of lace and ribbons), a shaggy bear. In terms of thoroughness and plausibility, only the talent and love of A. Shilov could do this.
The image on the canvases of A. Shilov "breathes" with such authenticity that the audience in front of the paintings cry and laugh, sad and rejoice, admire and horrified. Such portraits are not the fruit of skill alone, but of the artist's heart, mind, and soul. Only a person with a vulnerable, impressionable, nervous soul, who with his own heart feels the pain, suffering, joy of each hero, can write this way; a wise man, deeply cognizant of life, knowing the value of everything: love, happiness, and grief. Only a patriot who loves his people, his city, his country with all his heart can write this way. Russia is beautiful and beloved for Alexander Shilov. Landscape painting masters - a reverent declaration of love to the Motherland. He is inspired by the image of a modest, sad, sincere Central Russian nature: Thaw (1986), February. Peredelkino "(1987)," October. Nikolina Gora "(1996). In the most ordinary, he knows how to see beauty. The artist is interested in various states of nature that give rise to various emotions in the soul. By means of a landscape, he expresses a subtle gamut of feelings: joy, anxiety, sadness, loneliness, hopelessness, confusion, enlightenment, hope.
In still lifes, the artist depicts objects that are inseparable from our life, decorating it: books, indoor and field flowers, elegant dishes. Among the most famous are such works as "Gifts of the East" (1980), "Violets" (1974), "Pansies" (1982), etc. And yet it is the portrait that occupies the central place in the artist's work.
In 1996, Alexander Maksovich Shilov donated to the Fatherland a collection of 355 paintings and graphic works. This noble deed was appreciated by the public, the leadership of the country and its capital. The Moscow State Picture Gallery of the People's Artist of the USSR A. Shilov was established by decrees of the State Duma of the Russian Federation of March 13, 1996 and the Moscow Government of January 14, 1997.
To house the collection, a mansion was allocated in the historical center of Moscow near the Kremlin, built at the beginning of the 19th century by the project of the famous Russian architect E.D. Tyurin. The grand opening of the gallery took place on May 31, 1997. Created in accordance with the highest spiritual needs of the viewer, with respect and love for him, from the first days of her life she became extremely popular and extremely visited. Over the 4 years of its existence, it has been visited by over half a million people.
The museum collection of A. Shilov is constantly replenished with new works of the artist, which confirms the promise he made: to bring each new work written as a gift hometown... On May 31, 2001, the Moscow State Art Gallery of People's Artist of the USSR A. Shilov celebrated the fourth anniversary of its opening. The presentation of the gift of new works by A. Shilov to Moscow was timed to this day. Three new portraits - “Professor E.B. Mazo "," Milochka "," Olya ", created in 2001, replenished permanent exhibition gallery, the collection of which today includes 695 paintings.
By donating his new works, A. Shilov thereby continues the best spiritual traditions of the Russian intelligentsia, the traditions of patronage and service to the Fatherland.
September 6, 1997 for services to the state and for his great personal contribution to the development of the fine arts A.M. Shilov was awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, IV degree. But his most precious, priceless reward is the love of the viewer.
The creativity of A.M. Shilov is dedicated to the films "Knocking the Hearts of People" (1984), "The Art of A. Shilov" (1990), "Alexander Shilov - People's Artist" (1999), as well as albums of his paintings and graphics.
A.M. Shilov loves classical music... His favorite Russian artists are O.A. Kiprensky, D.G. Levitsky, K.P. Bryullov, A.A. Ivanov, V.G. Perov, I.I. Levitan, F.A. Vasiliev.
Lives and works in Moscow.
Alexander Maksovich Shilov is a realist painter, the author of portraits in the traditional romantic style. People's Artist of the USSR.
Was born in 1943 in Moscow. Graduated from the Moscow State Academic Art Institute named after V.I. Surikov. Participated in exhibitions of young artists, and in 1976 became a member of the Union of Artists of the USSR.
In 1997, the State Picture Gallery of the People's Artist of the USSR Alexander Shilov was opened in Moscow.
Since 1997 - Corresponding Member (since 2001 - Full Member) of the Russian Academy of Arts.
Since 1999 - member of the Council for Culture and Arts under the President of the Russian Federation.
“It was with great pleasure and admiration that I got acquainted with the works in this beautiful gallery. Unsurpassed portraits, of course, are part of the history of Russia and its people ”,“ I am glad and happy that we have such a wonderful museum of a talented, recognized, beloved master. It is a real pleasure to inspect the exhibition, leaving an indelible impression on the artist's skill - high, spiritual, philosophical! " - such enthusiastic words are left in the guest book by visitors to the Alexander Shilov gallery.
We have long been accustomed to the fact that in the center of Moscow - opposite the Kremlin - the State Art Gallery of the People's Artist of the USSR, portraitist Alexander Shilov is located. This year she turned 15 years old. Is it a lot or a little? To judge visitors, admirers of the painter's talent, and those who first step into the high exhibition halls. Many have already forgotten how this museum was created, with a constantly renewed exposition. Unfortunately, there are more and more people with a short memory and who do not respect their past. These are the realities of our life. But at the same time, interest in realistic art, in the genre of portraiture, remains. We met with the founder of the gallery and the brightest representative of this genre by Alexander Maksovich Shilov and asked him several questions.
Correspondent. Alexander Maksovich, tell us how it all began?
Alexander Shilov. In 1996, I turned to the State Duma with a proposal to donate my works to the country, people, and the state. I had a moral right to do so. After each exhibition in the 80s and 90s - and they were held in the Manege, and on Kuznetsky Most, and on Tverskaya - people in their responses and in their appeals to the heads of various departments asked to make my exhibition permanent. Having listened to my proposal, the chairman of the State Duma, and then he was Gennady Seleznev, raised this issue at a plenary session. What I am proud of, all factions, although I never belonged to any of them, voted unanimously to create state gallery deciding to give her my name. After that, they turned to the Kremlin with a request to allocate a room in the city center. Not for me personally, as the unscrupulous media write, which is a mean lie, but for the gallery. At first, they offered three rooms in the Kremlin Palace, which had just been restored then, but this room is secure (not open every day), and my work would not fit there. Therefore, this option was dropped. Then the Moscow government allocated a mansion designed by the architect Tyurin, built in 1830 at the address: Znamenka street, house 5. A small cosmetic repair was carried out here, and the gallery opened on May 31, 1997. On that solemn day, I said that I would donate works that were not made by me to order - and this is almost 95 percent of what I write. This has been the case for 15 years. The best in my work - 15-20 paintings and graphics - I donate to Moscow every year on City Day.
Corr. How many works are in the collection today?
A.Sh. The collection comprises 935 paintings and drawings.
Corr. You have interesting portraits in pastel technique.
A.Sh. Yes, this is the hardest technique. I rub my fingers into the blood, as I work on zero-grade sandpaper so that the pastel does not crumble ...
Corr. Your gallery has won fame as one of the most famous concert venues in Moscow.
A.Sh. Again, by the decision of the Moscow Government, we are holding concerts of classical art stars "Visiting the Shilov Gallery". Over the years, we have performed world-class masters - Obraztsova, Matorin, Sotkilava, Pakhmutova and others. We are always sold out. In addition, we often invite people to our concerts who cannot afford to buy tickets.
We also organize free evenings for children with disabilities... I would like to pay more attention to those who are deprived of this from birth. We organize drawing contests, I select children's works for exhibitions. I hope that the children find a good shelter here and feel fulfilled.
In addition, there are meetings with the heroes of my paintings. I made a number of portraits of the military, intelligence officers, border guards. We invite the guys who are preparing to become defenders of the Fatherland to such meetings. I must say that these evenings pass warmly and cordially.
Corr. Your creative credo ...
A.Sh. The most important thing is to grow as an artist. From work to work, try to improve the level of skill, to achieve depth of content. I write what I feel with my heart. The artist must be a Samoyed, in such a state and must work. Only fools are smug. If a person is satisfied with himself, he dies in creativity. And in order to feel shortcomings, Repin said, you need to look only at the great.
Corr. How do you choose heroes for your portraits?
A.Sh. I paint portraits of the most different people... And doctors, and artists, monks and nuns, homeless people and abandoned old people. “History in faces”, “an absolute cut of society” - this is how they write about the gallery's collection. An artist is, first of all, a state of mind. First of all, I have to be motivated to work. By my last heroine, I was shaking on our roads for 9 hours in a car, but I could not live without it. They told me about her, showed her a photograph, and I wanted to meet her.
Corr. Anything shocked in recent times?
A.Sh. Yes. That's exactly what she shocked. Recently returned from the Saratov region. I went to the village to paint a portrait of an amazing woman - Lyubov Ivanovna Klyueva, a participant in the Great Patriotic War... Her portrait will be included in the exhibition "They Fought for the Motherland." She is 90 years old, from the age of 19 she was at the front. If you could see her hands! These are neither female nor male hands. They are all in knots. This woman hasn't had a day off. She worked all her life, raised six children. She has already buried her husband. When I talked to her, I had a spasm in my throat, tears welling up. It was some kind of spiritual cleansing. Lyubov Ivanovna is intelligent, modest and pleasant to talk to. God, what subtle manners she has! When we said goodbye, she gave me a rose. It's so touching ... It's sad that such beautiful people go away. For six months I dreamed of breaking free to her. The work, however, was very hard. It is very difficult to write in a cramped hut with small windows, where even an easel cannot be properly placed. But this path to the portrait is dear to me.
Corr. How often does your gallery travel to other cities with exhibitions?
A.Sh. About once a year. Organizing exhibitions is not easy. The gallery does everything by itself, for its own money. Recently, the exhibition "They Fought for the Motherland" was held in Volgograd. The exposition includes more than 40 of my works. These are portraits of participants in the Great Patriotic War. Here and ordinary soldiers, both clergymen and famous cultural figures - Bondarchuk, Etush, Viktor Rozov ... The interest was great - the exhibition was extended twice. Front-line soldiers came, not those who sat in the carts, but, you know, real warriors. I, if I had such an opportunity and time, would definitely paint their portraits. After all, these are the last witnesses of the terrible events of the twentieth century, in their eyes - the war. There were many young people. In general, our exhibition has a huge educational value... Soon, at the invitation of Aman Tuleyev, we will go to Kemerovo. Of course, I would have dreamed of traveling with this exhibition to all the hero cities! But the gallery cannot lift it alone ...
Corr. How long have you exhibited abroad?
A.Sh. For a long time. True, now there is no such special need. First, there is a gallery. Now people come to us from different parts of Russia and abroad. AND simple people leave reviews and distinguished guests. President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, and recently Vladimir Putin was. Everyone praised my work, which I am very proud of. For example, I had an exhibition in Paris. A lot of people came. I remembered the opinion of Louis Aragon: "It's amazing that with such pressure from ideology and all kinds of" isms "you have preserved the traditions of classicism." Secondly, I repeat, organizing an outdoor exposition, moreover, abroad, is a big risk. Now, if someone made such an exhibition for me, I would be happy!
Corr. How can young artists make their way, since realistic art is not honored today? For example, the organizers of the. Kandinsky don't even consider the work of realist artists?
A.Sh. Even Chekhov said: "Talent needs to be helped, but mediocrity will break through by itself." I want to assure you that it is always difficult to break through in my country and abroad, but this is a test of calling. If a person draws and cannot live without it like without air and if he has a gift, then such a person cannot be stopped. It is impossible to stifle talent. It was not easy for me either, but I worked hard, and today I write for 4-5 hours every day. Then, of course, I feel like a worn out lemon. But until I finish the portrait, I cannot calm down, I feel inferior, I cannot be completely happy. Not for the sake of a beautiful word I will say: "I will die without work."
Of course, some people paint today just to get rich. This is what PR is for. But, unfortunately, the criterion of mastery is trampled underfoot. The level of skill, I believe, is deliberately lowered to the position of the robe. And this is happening in all areas. In literature, painting, music ... Everything is deliberately mixed. Now every genius, everyone knows how to sing, draw, etc.
Corr. Is it possible to change this situation?
A.Sh. Oh sure. There must be a state program. Art must be taught with kindergarten, in order to develop the souls of people. High art saturates with thoughts, feelings.
I remember how my mother took me to the Tretyakov Gallery for the first time. I was shocked. Portraits by Levitsky, Borovikovsky, Bryullov are something divine. The question haunted me all the time: “Is it possible that a person can paint a portrait so that I see a face? real person with whom you can talk? ". I enjoyed the way it was done. Craftsmanship perfected! I was surprised that I did not see the artist's kitchen, and in my work I also strive not to see it.
But returning to the topic of education, I will repeat: there must be a state program. If a child learns to draw and sees masterpieces in front of him, he will never be interested in cheap and vulgar fakes in the future. See how they painted before the revolution in noble families, in military families. They studied music a lot and seriously. What a waltz Griboyedov has composed - a miracle! And if people do not come into contact with art, purify themselves, grow, they will quickly turn into a herd. Well, there is always a shepherd.
Corr. And if you are offered to create a kind of education program? Do you agree?
A.Sh. Yes, I will do it with pleasure.
Corr. Do you often visit provincial art galleries?
A.Sh. Yes. I was recently in the same Saratov. The gallery is in a terrible state. Although there are paintings by Shishkin, Polenov ... Who should support this? Probably the Ministry of Culture. Let's remember the history. The way Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel was watched over by the elderly Pope. Russian emperors constantly visited the Academy of Arts, were interested in what was happening in Russian art. Indeed, according to the state of art values, according to achievements in art, the level of development of the country is determined.
Corr. What museums do you prefer to visit abroad?
A.Sh. I love Italy, I love the amazing Louvre Museum. Of course, everything came from Italy. It is no coincidence that our boarders - medal graduates of the Russian Academy of Arts - were sent to Italy at public expense. Kiprensky, Bryullov, Ivanov, and many other outstanding artists improved their skills there.
Corr. Do you have students?
A.Sh. No. First, you need to have time, but I don't have it. Secondly, you need to have patience, I don't have it either. Apparently, this is not my calling. I am an artist. I give a lot of energy to my work. I invite everyone to the exhibition "They Fought for the Motherland." I believe that people who fought, laid their lives on the altar of the Fatherland, should be rewarded much more than is being done now. I want to be heard through these portraits. The exhibition has a very beneficial effect on the viewer, makes people think about many things, remember the concepts of honesty, honor and decency ... I want a sense of pride for our people, for our art to take root.
Corr. What qualities do you value in women, in men?
A.Sh. Whatever the relationship is, in a woman I value loyalty, even if she is blind. Any relationship must be based on that. A woman should be loving, caring, feminine. Earlier in the villages it was believed that if a woman loves a man, she protects him. The man is obliged to take care of the woman, preserving his dignity. But in general, by and large, I love people with a delicate mental device. After all, I'm an artist after all.
The interview was conducted by Oksana Lipina.
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