Portrait of the artist Kuindzhi. Master of landscape painting arkhip ivanovich kuindzhi. Paintings of the artist Arkhip Ivanovich Kuindzhi

Artist Arkhip Kuindzhi - worldwide famous master landscape painting, the author of amazing paintings with an amazing destiny. However, his fate is very similar to the fate of most Russian artists of the nineteenth century.

Biography of the artist Arkhip Ivanovich Kuindzhi

Arkhip Kuindzhi

There is no reliable information about the date and place of birth of Arkhip Ivanovich. Someone claims that the future artist was born in January 1841, according to other sources this event took place in 1842.

Approximately the same "reliable" information is available about the surname of the painter. In the birth metric of a child, the surname Emendzhi (translated as "working person") appears, and later Emendzhi turned into Kuindzhi (translated from Urum - goldsmith).

The same is the version about the artist's Greek roots. Rather, it is possible, with a high degree of certainty, to talk about Tatar roots.

The artist's brother took the surname Zolotarev.

However, Arkhip Ivanovich himself always called himself Russian.

Now let's return to the artist's childhood.

Artist Arkhip Kuindzhi was born into the family of a poor shoemaker. In early childhood, Arkhip Ivanovich became an orphan and lived in the family of his uncle. The family was very poor and the boy early childhood worked - grazing geese, worked in construction, served in a bread shop.

He studied privately with a Greek teacher, for some time attended classes at a real school. Subsequently, Arkhip's comrades recalled that he did poorly and that the only subject that fascinated the boy was drawing. Kuindzhi painted not only on paper, but also on the walls of buildings, on the school fence, etc.

Bread merchant Amoretti, for whom Kuindzhi worked, saw Arkhip's drawings and advised Kuindzhi to go to Ivan Aivazovsky in Crimea and become a student famous artist.

In the summer of 1855, the future artist walked to Feodosia. It's not a close path at all. Crimean landscapes simply charmed Arkhip. But, Aivazovsky was not in Crimea at that time, and Kuindzhi turned for help to Adof Fessler, who worked for Aivazovsky as a copyist. Fessler was sympathetic to Arkhip's desire to study and became the first real teacher of painting in the boy's life.

Kuindzhi stayed in the house of Aivazovsky for several months: he studied and waited for the return of the famous artist. However, Aivazovsky did not see talent in a modest shy boy and refused to teach Kuindzhi. Aivazovsky instructed Arkhip to mix paints and ordered ... to paint the fence around his house.

Disappointed and simply destroyed by such a cold welcome Kuindzhi set off on his way back to the bread shop in Mariupol.

However, in Mariupol, Arkhip found a job as a retoucher with a local photographer. Arkhip worked in a photo studio for several months, saved up some money and moved to Odessa, where he again got a job as a retoucher, but already with an Odessa photographer. Then there was Taganrog and again the work of a retoucher. Arkhip even tried to open his own photo studio, but to no avail.

It took 10 years to retouch other people's photos, to worry about the failure that befell him with Aivazovsky. And finally, in 1865, Kuindzhi decides to enter the Imperial Academy of Arts.

Petersburg met the future artist very cool - two attempts to enter the academy ended sadly. It seemed that failures would break Arkhip, but he did not abandon painting and in 1868 offered his painting "Tatar Saklya in the Crimea" for an academic exhibition.

On September 15, 1868, the Council of the Academy of Arts awarded Arkhip Ivanovich Kuindzhi the title of a free artist.

However, the artist had to apply to the same Council for permission to take exams to obtain a diploma.

Two years later, in 1870, Kuindzhi received the title of a non-class artist.

Three times the artist passed exams for the right to become a volunteer at the academy and, in the end, achieved this right.

During this period, Arkhip Ivanovich made friends with I.E. Repin and I.N. Kramskoy. This meeting played a big role in the artist's creative destiny - he was carried away by the ideas of itinerant movement. And the result of this hobby was the paintings "Autumn thaw", "Forgotten village" and "Chumatsky tract in Mariupol". The last two paintings very quickly ended up in Tretyakov Gallery, and for the "Autumn thaw" Arkhip Kuindzhi was awarded the title of class artist.

Forgotten Village

Chumatsky tract in Mariupol

Autumn thaw

All three works were exhibited at the exhibition of the Association of the Itinerants and made a real sensation - people started talking about Kuindzhi and his works.

The artist finally believed in his talent, in his strength. And he stopped attending classes at the Academy.

However, Kuindzhi was not so carried away by the ideas of itinerant movement that he completely abandoned the vision of his path in painting.

In the early seventies, the artist often visits the island of Valaam (this was a favorite place of Petersburg landscape painters) and writes two very interesting landscapes: “On the island of Valaam” and “Lake Ladoga”.

On the island of Valaam

Ladoga lake

Do not think that in a few years of creativity only two landscapes were painted. "On the island of Valaam" and "Ladoga Lake" became another stage in the artist's work - it was a breakthrough in the itinerant landscape, or rather a departure from itinerant movement. Realistic nature with romantic elements. And itinerant movement does not imply romanticism.

1873 was a very successful year in the life of the artist. This is the success of the Valaam landscapes, and the exhibition of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists of the painting "Snow". And again, a huge success. In 1874, the painting "Snow" received a bronze medal for international exhibition in London.

In 1875, the artist leaves for France, but is engaged, to a greater extent, not painting, but ordering a wedding dress coat. From childhood, Arkhip was in love with the daughter of a rich Mariupol merchant Vera Ketcherdzhi-Shapovalova. And then a miracle happened - the beauty (and her parents) agreed to this marriage.

After the wedding, the young people leave for Valaam. In that happy year the artist painted "The Steppe" and his famous "Ukrainian Night". Art critics say that the romantic period in the artist's work began with the "Ukrainian Night". And I think that the romantic period began with the wedding and the appearance of his Vera in the artist's life.

Ukrainian night

Steppe. Niva

In 1875 Kuindzhi was admitted to the Association of the Itinerants, but he was already far from the ideas of itinerant movement. He does not want to open ulcers and interpret life. Kuindzhi has a different view of painting and its place - to show beauty and enjoy beauty.

In 1878, the young couple went to Paris for the World's Fair. Kuindzhi's works delight Parisians and guests of the exhibition. Critics all over the world talk and write about the talented Russian artist.

Returning from the exhibition, Arkhip Ivanovich begins to write "Evening in Ukraine". He will paint this picture for 23 years.

Evening in Ukraine

In March 1879 A.I. Kuindzhi finally breaks off his relationship with the Association of the Itinerants. The reason for the gap was the article unknown author in one of the newspapers. The author was very critical of the work of the Itinerants, but Kuindzhi was subjected to special pejorative criticism. It soon became clear that the author of the article was M.K. Klodt.

At the meeting, Kuindzhi demanded that Klodt be excluded from the number of the Itinerants, but the meeting refused to satisfy this demand. And then he left the Association. A.I. Kuindzhi.

And soon Kuindzhi arranged, in the Society for the Encouragement of Artists, an exhibition of only one painting. The painter thought over this unusual exhibition to the smallest detail: the windows in the hall were draped, and the painting (it was “ Moonlight night on the Dnieper ") was illuminated with a beam of electric light.

Moonlit night on the Dnieper

The exhibition had an unprecedented success and caused a real stir in the world.

Alas, the picture was painted with bitumen-based paints. Subsequently, it turned out that asphalt paints decompose and darken under the intense influence of light and air.

The painting was acquired by the Grand Duke Constantine, who simply fell in love with this landscape, and decided to take it with him to trip around the world... Under the influence of the sea air and light, the composition of the colors has changed ... And today we have the opportunity to admire not the pristine beauty that so amazed the audience 150 years ago, but only the echoes of beauty. However, art critics say that today the painting is striking in its depth, power and beauty.

Inspired by Kuindzhi's success in 1881, he arranged an exhibition of one painting for Birch Grove. Success again.

Birch Grove

In 1882, the exhibition of the painting "Dnieper in the Morning" ends in failure. Public skepticism, cool reviews from art historians and critics.

Dnipro in the morning

In the same year, the artist arranges an exhibition of two paintings: "Birch Grove" and "Moonlit Night on the Dnieper". And for many years he retires in his workshop.

What happened and why did the artist choose voluntary seclusion at the height of his fame? There is no answer to this question.

In 1886, not far from the village of Kikeneiz (in the Crimea), the Kuindzhi family acquired 245 acres of land, built a hut on this site and enjoyed serene happiness. Some time later, a small family estate, Sara Kikeneiz, appeared in this place.

Many years later, the artist will bring his students to the estate in the open air.

In 1901, Kuindzhi refuses voluntary seclusion and shows, first only to his students and friends, and then to the public, four of his paintings: the completed Evening in the Ukraine, the new Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, the third version of The Birch Grove and already once unsuccessfully shown "Dnepr in the morning".

Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane

The audience was absolutely delighted!

In November 1901, the artist arranges a large public exhibition of his works. This was the last exhibition. More A.I. Kuindzhi did not show his works to the public.

After the November exhibition, "Rainbow", "Red Sunset", "Night" and other works of the artist were painted. But the public saw these pictures after the death of the painter.

If the artist did not exhibit his works, then with what income did he live?

At the height of their fame and financial well-being Kuindzhi bought in St. Petersburg (on Vasilievsky Island) big house, renovated it and turned the house into a profitable one, i.e. intended for renting out apartments, as they would say now. This house gave the artist a very decent income. In 1904, Kuindzhi donated 100,000 rubles to the Academy for the issuance of 24 annual awards. There were also other rather serious donations.

And the Kuindzhi family lived quite modestly.

In the summer of 1910, in the Crimea, the artist fell ill with pneumonia. At the insistence of the doctors, the spouse took her sick husband to St. Petersburg, but the doctors were powerless. In July 1910, the artist died. They buried him at the Smolensk cemetery in St. Petersburg.

And Vera Leontievna Kuindzhi outlived her husband by 10 years. She died of starvation in 1920.

I have collected a small gallery of the artist's work. I hope you enjoy the work of the great Russian landscape painter.

Paintings of the artist Arkhip Ivanovich Kuindzhi

After the rain

Darial gorge. Moonlight night

Sunset effect

Sea. Crimea

Fishing in the Black Sea

Cypresses by the sea. Crimea

Elbrus in the evening

Elbrus. Moonlight night

Forest Lake. Cloud

View St. Isaac's Cathedral moonlight

Sunset in the steppe

Spots of moonlight in the forest. Winter

Flower garden. Caucasus

Viktor Vasnetsov "Portrait of A. I. Kuindzhi", 1869

Moscow museums are closed on Mondays. But this does not mean that the public does not have the opportunity to get acquainted with the beautiful. Especially for Mondays, the site has launched a new section "10 Unknowns", in which we introduce you to ten works of world art from the collection of Moscow museums, united by one theme. Print out our guide and feel free to go with him to the museum starting from Tuesday. January 27 marks the 175th anniversary of the birth of the great Russian artist Arkhip Ivanovich Kuindzhi, so today the heading "10 unknowns" is dedicated to him.

Arkhip Kuindzhi "On the island of Valaam", 1873

Arkhip Kuindzhi began working in St. Petersburg in the mid-1860s, moving from Mariupol to enter the Academy of Arts. The first works of the artist were created under the influence of the painting of his teacher, Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky, the world famous Crimean marine painter who worked in Feodosia. Since 1870 Kuindzhi, like many Wanderers, begins to travel to the north and repeatedly visits the island of Valaam, where he creates a picturesque trilogy glorifying the beauty of northern nature, which, in addition to the canvas "On the Island of Valaam", includes the paintings "Lake Ladoga" (1873) and "North" (1879). The artist Ilya Repin wrote about Kuindzhi's new work: "Everyone loves it terribly, and not even further than Kramskoy came to see me today - he was delighted with it." The painting "On the Island of Valaam" was Kuindzhi's first work, which Pavel Tretyakov bought for his collection, which meant a real recognition of the painter in artistic circles.

Arkhip Kuindzhi "Forgotten Village", 1874

They started talking about Kuindzhi and his works as an iconic artist after a series of works on social themes, among which were "Autumn thaw" (1872, State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg), for which he received the title of class artist, "Forgotten Village" and "Chumatsky tract in Mariupol", which are kept in the Tretyakov Gallery. The title of "class artist of the first degree" awarded to Kuindzhi in 1878 meant the artist was awarded a large gold medal from the Academy of Arts, the right to a pensioner's trip to Europe, the title of academician and a civil rank of the ninth grade. The plot of the painting arose from the artist during his trip to the south in the summer of 1873. The artist Ilya Repin, having learned from Ivan Kramskoy about the idea of Kuindzhi's new work, said: "What a piece I dug up! ... The idea is incomparable", and Kuindzhi's biographer, art critic Vitaly Manin described the picture as follows: "The wretchedness of the Russian village, expressed in rusty colors."

Arkhip Kuindzhi "Ukrainian Night", 1876

For the first time, the painting "Ukrainian Night" was shown at the 5th exhibition of the Itinerants, where it was a huge success, after which Kuindzhi presented it in 1878 at the World Exhibition in Paris. "Kuindzhi," wrote the French critic, "is undoubtedly the most interesting among young Russian painters. He feels his original nationality even more than others." It is believed that this painting became a turning point in the artist's work. From that moment on, he departed from the academic interpretation of the landscape and began to experiment with the color and illusion of moonlight and lighting in his works. Most of the painting "Ukrainian Night" is painted in velvet blue and black tones, and only the light walls of the village hut houses on the right side of the painting are snatched out of the darkness by bright rays of light.

Arkhip Kuindzhi "Birch Grove", 1879

In 1879 Kuindzhi presented a kind of trilogy of landscapes "North", "Birch Grove" and "After the Rain". The lighting effects that Kuindzhi sought to achieve through pictorial means indicate that multiple trips to Paris allowed the artist to become closely acquainted with the search for French Impressionist painters who worked in the same years. And although he did not use classical impressionist techniques in his work, the fascination with the transmission of the light-air environment in various ways - the separation of colored dynamic and intermittent strokes, the discontinuity and lightness in the image of the sky and the subtle combination of various colors - was quite obvious.

Arkhip Kuindzhi "After the rain", 1879

Another pictorial work from the trilogy presented by Arkhip Kuindzhi at the 7th exhibition of the Association of Traveling art exhibitions... The picture shows the houses of the steppe farm, illuminated by the bright sun that peeped through after a recent thunderstorm. But the feeling of a thunderstorm is still in the air: the black sky in the background is still covered with heavy rain clouds, but the rain is obviously over, the wind is not bending the grass, the water in the river is calm, and the horse grazes peacefully on the shore.

Arkhip Kuindzhi "Dnieper in the morning", 1881

In 1881, the artist creates the painting "Dnieper in the Morning", where once again masterly conveys lighting and a fleeting feeling of pre-dawn fog, boldly using the techniques of impressionistic painting. After this work, Kuindzhi will cease to exhibit for a long time. As Kuindzhi himself explained, “an artist needs to perform at exhibitions while he, like a singer, has a voice. good, and then I saw that I couldn't do that anymore, that my voice seemed to begin to subside. Well, they'll say: Kuindzhi was, and Kuindzhi was gone! So I don't want that, but Kuindzhi alone will remain forever. " At the same time, he continues to work: he heads a landscape workshop at the Academy of Arts and transfers his skills to students, among whom was Nicholas Roerich.

Arkhip Kuindzhi "Moonlit Night on the Dnieper", 1882

Arkhip Kuindzhi "Night on the Dnieper", 1882

Perhaps the most famous painting by Kuindzhi - "Moonlit Night on the Dnieper" was painted in 1880 and is kept today in the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg. In the Tretyakov Gallery, there is a copy of the work written by the artist himself in 1882. "... His" Night on the Dnieper "is all filled with real light and air, his river really makes its majestic course, the sky is real, bottomless and deep," wrote Kuindzhi's friend Ivan Kramskoy. The painting "Moonlit Night on the Dnieper" was exhibited in 1880 in St. Petersburg, and it was the only painting that made up the exhibition.

Arkhip Kuindzhi "Forest Glade", 1887

There are no complex color schemes or compositional searches in this canvas. The sky is painted with sweeping purple-gray strokes, and the grasses and flowers in the foreground are painted in some detail. This, of course, is an amazing "portrait" of Russian nature, in which the skill of the artist Arkhip Kuindzhi is felt.

Arkhip Kuindzhi "Elbrus. Moonlit Night", 1890-1895

In 1888, Kuindzhi, at the invitation of the itinerant artist N.A.Yaroshenko, visited the Caucasus, where they witnessed a rare mountain phenomenon - the Broken ghost, in which one can see the reflections of their enlarged figures on a rainbow-colored cloud. Upon his return to St. Petersburg, the artist, who was unusually impressed by the trip, created a number of beautiful mountain landscapes, in which his romanticism finally merged with the philosophical landscape. Some researchers believe that these canvases and the image of the Caucasus inspired Nicholas Roerich to create Himalayan landscapes. One of the outstanding works created after this trip was the painting "Elbrus".

Arkhip Kuindzhi "Landscape. Steppe", 1890-1895

In his work, Arkhip Kuindzhi managed to achieve what many artists aspired to and did not achieve - to create on the plane of the picture the impression of the infinity of the pictorial space. In the painting "Landscape. Steppe" the artist conveys the effect of a thick fog: such a steppe can be seen in the early morning or on a cloudy day with a sharp temperature drop that occurs in spring. Due to this, it seems that the border of the earth and the sky is blurred and disappears, and the human eye cannot catch the thinnest line of the horizon.

Not in history talented artists who would lead an ordinary, expressionless life, full of happiness and success. This is because talent is always one, always ahead of time, always in need of like-minded people. But against the general difficult and tragic background, Kuindzhi's life looks quite successful and happy. But this is only at first glance.

The son of the Greek shoemaker Kuindzhi Arkhip was left an orphan early. Greek families are large, so the future artist also managed to avoid a shelter. He was brought up in his uncle's house and did not feel at least something deprived. He never received a systematic education, despite the fact that his guardians made efforts to ensure that Arkhip received an education. The boy was interested in only one thing in the world - painting, or drawing. His fellows on the school desk recalled that nothing could tear Arkhip away from his favorite pastime. As a basis for his artistic experiments, young Kuindzhi used everything that only caught his eye: fences, walls, a sandy beach, billboards. There was no time for study.

The family where Arkhip Kuindzhi was brought up was large, but not at all rich. Therefore, the future great master learned to work from the very young years... He worked at construction sites, shops, bakeries. It was in the bakery that the owner, the friend of the guardian, drew attention to his passion for drawing. On his advice, Arkhip goes to the Crimea, to Aivazovsky, to be asked to be a student.

I did not see any special inclinations in the young and impudent teenager and invited him to paint the fence and generally help with the housework. Only the brother of the great marine painter has descended to the training of Arkhip. He gave several lessons to the young Greek. Three years of being in the workshop of Aivazovsky were not meaningless. Kuindzhi (the change of the last name was due to its Turkish sound, which did not simplify the artist's life in Russia) learned to mix colors and even create his own shades, which aroused respect even among the great master.

At the age of 17, Arkhip was hinted that it was time to start an independent life. He did just that, getting a job in a workshop with ... a photographer! For five years Kuindzhi diligently retouched negatives from a famous photographer. The successes in this difficult matter were so brilliant that Arkhip was persistently advised to think about opening his own photo workshop. A businessman from Arkhip did not work out, but an idea was born ...

In 1865, at the age of 24, Kuindzhi left for St. Petersburg. He is trying to enter the Art Academy. Unsuccessfully. The next attempt was also in vain. For the third time Kuindzhi went to the exams, taking with him his first independent painting. The selection committee, having carefully studied the canvas (the picture has not survived, only the name is known - "Tatar Saklya in the Crimea"), came to the conclusion that the author could well be awarded the title of "free artist". The title provided opportunities, but did not provide income. It is known that Kuindzhi was admitted to the Academy only two years later.

The academy was not finished. As soon as Kuindzhi's skill was recognized by the public and critics, Arkhip considered his education complete. The 70s of the XIX century were the heyday of the artist's work. Each new job was received with extraordinary admiration. Criticism was choking with delight, the public poured a shaft on exhibitions.

It was at this time that Kuindzhi's happy marriage to the daughter of a wealthy merchant, his triumphant joining the "Wanderers" group, the search for new shades and ways of depicting light fell. It was the ability to convey light in Kuindzhi's paintings that attracted and surprised most of all. The artist was the first to organize mono-exhibitions in darkened halls, achieving amazing effects with the help of a beam of electric light directed at the picture.

Society expected from the master only masterpieces and nothing more. A decade of hard work has drained the artist. His painting "Dnepr in the Morning" did not cause a stir, critics took the work very cool. For Kuindzhi, this was a tragedy. The artist breaks with the "Wanderers" and ceases to exhibit paintings. The retreat lasted 20 years ...

All this time Kuindzhi has been working hard, teaching a class at the Academy, but not exhibiting a single work. Researchers are still lost in conjecture about the reasons for such a long "silence". Different versions are being put forward: from a banal creative crisis to an intense search for their new manner. One thing is known, during this period the artist creates about two hundred sketches, which are now accepted as finished works and impeccable examples of Russian impressionism.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the "silence" is interrupted. The master exhibits several works at once and makes a splash. Last years Kuindzhi's lives are unusually rich. He works at the Academy, often goes to the open air, is actively involved in charity work.

Kuindzhi's generosity is admirable. It finances working trips of young artists to Europe, establishes scholarships for students of the Academy, and creates its own foundation. These were the years of recognition, fame and prosperity.

Kuindzhi died of pneumonia, which he managed to catch in the hot summer of 1910 in the Crimea.

Arkhip Kuindzhi (at the birth of Kuyumdzhi; (15 (27) January 1841, according to another version 1842, the town of Karasu (Karasevka), now within the boundaries of Mariupol - 11 (24) July 1910, St. Petersburg, Russian empire) - Russian artist Greek origin, master of landscape painting.

Biography of Arkhip Kuindzhi

Born in 1842 in the family of a shoemaker in Mariupol. He lost his parents early and lived in great poverty, grazing geese, worked for a contractor for the construction of a church, then for a grain merchant; learned from a Greek teacher to read and write in Greek, then briefly attended the city school.

Kuindzhi's creativity

WITH early years manifested his attraction to painting; he painted wherever he could, on walls, fences, and scraps of paper.

After being a retoucher for photographers in Mariupol, Odessa and St. Petersburg, he painted a big picture: "Tatar Saklya in the Crimea", which he exhibited at an academic exhibition in 1868, and became a volunteer at the academy.

In 1873 Kuindzhi exhibited the painting Snow at the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, for which in 1874 he received a bronze medal at an international exhibition in London.

In the same 1873 he exhibited his painting "View of the Valaam Island" in Vienna, and "Lake Ladoga" in St. Petersburg. In 1874 Kuindzhi exhibited "Forgotten Village" at the exhibition of the Association of Traveling Exhibitions, in 1875 - two: "Steppes" and "Chumatsky Trakt", in 1876 - the famous "Ukrainian Night". Critics are unanimous in their appreciation of the outstanding merit of his work.

In 1878, "Ukrainian Night", together with "View of the Valaam Island" and "Chumatsky Trakt", appeared at the World Exhibition in Paris.

In 1878 he exhibited "Forest" and "Evening in Little Russia", which aroused a lot of controversy and created many imitators. In 1879 Kuindzhi exhibited "North", "Birch Grove", "After a Thunderstorm"; in the same year Kuindzhi left the exhibitions of the Association of the Itinerants. In 1880 he arranged an exhibition of one of his paintings at the Society for the Encouragement of Arts: "Night on the Dnieper"; this exhibition was an unprecedented success, not only ordinary people wrote about it art critics, but also Polonsky, Strakhov, Mendeleev, Turgenev.

After this exhibition, until his death, Kuindzhi did not exhibit his paintings anywhere else, and until the 1900s he did not show anyone to anyone. From 1894 to 1897 Kuindzhi was the professor-director of the higher art school at the Academy of Arts.

In 1904, he donated 100,000 rubles to the Academy for the issuance of 24 annual awards; in 1909 he donated 150,000 rubles to the art society of his name and his estate in the Crimea, and to the society for the encouragement of arts 11,700 rubles for a prize in landscape painting; July 11, 1910 Kuindzhi died.

At the academy, Kuindzhi became friends with Repin, V. Vasnetsov and others, and together with them joined the group of the Itinerants; for this period the most characteristic are his "Autumn thaw," "Forgotten village" and "Chumatsky tract", although in the latter, one can already notice a deviation from careful writing out of details and a desire to generalize.

"Ukrainian Night" marks a turning point in Kuindzhi's work.

Kuindzhi boldly paved the way for impressionism; he himself said that an artist is one who knows how to capture and recreate inner unity. He was fascinated primarily by the light effect, his goal was to convey the impression of light; he studied the laws of the combination of additional tones to convey the intensity of light. Sometimes the pursuit of the power of light led him to unnecessarily theatrical effects; his manner was sometimes crude, his drawing was primitive, but his role in Russian painting was enormous; he was the first completely original Russian impressionist.

Despite the fact that since 1882 Kuindzhi did not exhibit anything, he worked a lot in his studio and was deeply interested in art; he took a close part in the development of the new charter of the Academy of Arts; joining the leadership of the landscape class, he, having been a professor for only three years, created a whole school of artists.

Independent and self-reliant, Kuindzhi played a large role in the academy; He also made many enemies with his directness and harshness.

A man of exceptional kindness, he strove to help his students and comrades both with advice and materially; his dream was to free the artist from the power of the market, to give him the opportunity to develop his talent beyond heavy material concerns. The prizes he had instituted seemed to him to be such a partial deliverance; the same goal was to serve the society of his name, provided by him with large capital, the managers of which were the artists themselves.

Artist's works

"Night on the Dnieper" is with the Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich,
"Birch Grove" and "Steppe" - in the collection of Tereshchenko in Kiev.

The Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow houses:

"On the island of Valaam"
Forgotten Village
"Steppe",
"Chumatsky tract"

"Birch Grove",
"After a thunderstorm"
"Dnieper in the Morning" and "Sunset in the Forest".

In the Museum of Emperor Alexander III in Petrograd:

"Evening in Little Russia",
"Fog at sea"
"Rainbow" and sketches.

Bibliography

Arkhip Ivanovich Kuindzhi: Album / Album compiler and author of the introductory article N. Novuspensky. - M.-L .: State. publishing house visual arts, 1961 .-- 40 p. - (Masters of Russian art). - 27,500 copies. (region)
Kuindzhi's Light: Roman / Viktor Shutov, Semyon Ilyushin; [Artist. I. A. Galyuchenko], 268 s ill., 5 p. color ill., Donetsk Donbass 1983
Light Kuindzhi: Roman / Victor Shutov, 462, p., Fol. portr. 22 cm, Kiev Dnipro 1990
Ilyushin S. V. Youth of Kuindzhi.: A Story. - Donetsk: Donbass, 1977 .. Archived from the original on November 28, 2012.
Melnikova L. Kuindzhi / In the series "Great Artists" - Vol. 5 - K., 2010 - 48 p.

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Portrait by V.M. Vasnetsov, 1869

Arkhip Ivanovich Kuindzhi - Ukrainian and Russian artist, master of landscape painting.

Kuindzhi Arkhip Ivanovich was born in 1842 in the family of a shoemaker in Mariupol. He lost his parents early and lived in great poverty, grazing geese, worked for a contractor for the construction of a church, then for a grain merchant; learned from a Greek teacher to read and write in Greek, then briefly attended the city school.

From an early age, he showed an attraction to painting; he painted wherever he could, on walls, fences, and scraps of paper. After being a retoucher for photographers in Mariupol, Odessa and St. Petersburg, he painted a big picture: "Tatar Saklya in the Crimea", which he exhibited at an academic exhibition in 1868, and became a volunteer at the academy.

In 1873 Kuindzhi exhibited the painting Snow at the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, for which in 1874 he received a bronze medal at an international exhibition in London. In the same 1873 he exhibited his painting "View of the Valaam Island" in Vienna, and "Lake Ladoga" in St. Petersburg.

Ladoga lake. 1873

In 1874 Kuindzhi exhibited "Forgotten Village" at the exhibition of the Association of Traveling Exhibitions, in 1875 - two: "Steppes" and "Chumatsky Trakt", in 1876 - the famous "Ukrainian Night". Critics are unanimous in their appreciation of the outstanding merit of his work. In 1878, "Ukrainian Night", together with "View of the Island of Valaam" and "Chumatsky tract", appeared at the World Exhibition in Paris.

Forgotten village. 1874

Chumatsky tract in Mariupol. 1875

Ukrainian night. 1876

In 1878 he exhibited "Forest" and "Evening in Little Russia", which aroused a lot of controversy and created many imitators. In 1879 Kuindzhi exhibited "North", "Birch Grove", "After a Thunderstorm"; in the same year Kuindzhi left the exhibitions of the Association of the Itinerants. In 1880 he arranged an exhibition of one of his paintings at the Society for the Encouragement of Arts: "Night on the Dnieper"; This exhibition was an unprecedented success; not only ordinary art critics wrote about it, but also Polonsky, Strakhov, Mendeleev, Turgenev.

Birch Grove. 1879

After a thunderstorm 1. 1879

In the same year, the painting was exhibited in Paris. In 1881, also separately, Kuindzhi exhibited "Birch Grove", which had an equally great success, and in 1882 "Dnepr in the Morning" together with "Birch Grove" and "Night on the Dnieper". After this exhibition, until his death, Kuindzhi did not exhibit his paintings anywhere else, and until the 1900s he did not show anyone to anyone.

Dnipro in the morning

From 1894 to 1897 Kuindzhi was the professor-director of the higher art school at the Academy of Arts. In 1904, he donated 100,000 rubles to the Academy for the issuance of 24 annual awards; in 1909 he donated 150,000 rubles to the art society of his name and his estate in the Crimea, and 11,700 rubles to the Society for the Encouragement of Arts for a prize in landscape painting.

Autumn thaw. 1872

Forgotten village. 1874

"Ukrainian Night" marks a turning point in Kuindzhi's work. Kuindzhi boldly paved the way for impressionism; he himself said that an artist is one who knows how to capture and recreate inner unity. He was fascinated primarily by the light effect, his goal was to convey the impression of light; he studied the laws of the combination of additional tones to convey the intensity of light. Sometimes the pursuit of the power of light led him to unnecessarily theatrical effects; his manner was sometimes crude, his drawing was primitive, but his role in Russian painting was enormous; he was the first completely original Russian impressionist.

Independent and self-reliant, Kuindzhi played a large role in the academy; He also made many enemies with his directness and harshness. A man of exceptional kindness, he strove to help his students and comrades both with advice and materially; his dream was to free the artist from the power of the market, to give him the opportunity to develop his talent beyond heavy material concerns. The prizes he had instituted seemed to him to be such a partial deliverance; the same goal was to serve the society of his name, provided by him with large capital, the managers of which were the artists themselves.

The grave of A.I. Kuindzhi at the Tikhvin cemetery in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra (St. Petersburg)

Kuindzhi's paintings are in museums and at private individuals; all those who remained after his death were bequeathed by him to the Society of his name, which some of them donated to the capital and provincial museums. "Night on the Dnieper" is in the possession of the Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich, "Birch Grove" and "Steppe" - in the collection of Tereshchenko in Kiev; in the Tretyakov gallery in Moscow there are: "On the island of Valaam", "Forgotten village", "Steppe", "Chumatsky tract", "Ukrainian night", "North", "Birch grove", "After a thunderstorm", "Dnieper in the morning" and "Sunset in the Forest"; at the emperor's museum Alexander III in Petrograd - "Evening in Little Russia", "Fog at Sea", "Rainbow" and sketches.