Vasnetsova. The history of the creation of masterpiece B

Plot

In the open field on combat duty, the main epic heroes-defenders: Dobrynya Nikitich, Ilya Muromets and Alyosha Popovich. They look around the surroundings to see if they can see an enemy or if there is some injustice going on. With this plot, Vasnetsov wanted, on the threshold of the twentieth century, to indicate the continuity of the heroic past of the Russian people with its great future. The heroes here are not specific epic characters, but an allegory of creative forces. Moreover, the field is not a specific place on the map, but the whole of Rus'.

First sketch of the painting, early 1870s

The heroes “lived” at different times and could only “meet” in Vasnetsov’s painting. When Ilya Muromets was the way the artist depicted him, Dobrynya should have been an old man, and Alyosha Popovich should have been a boy.

The heroes “lived” at different times and could only meet in the picture

Behind the heroes are the graves of soldiers who died in battle. In the foreground is young growth as a symbol of future generations. The heroes are located between the symbols of the past and the future as links in an endless chain of defenders of the Motherland.

Context

Vasnetsov made the first sketch of the painting in the early 1870s in Paris in the workshop of his friend Vasily Polenov. Viktor Mikhailovich wanted to give this trifle to a friend, to which the latter replied: “You will present it when you complete the picture.”

“The Knight at the Crossroads”, 1882

The implementation of the plan became for Vasnetsov, as he himself said, “a duty, an obligation to the people who raised [me], educated me, and armed me with skills.” “I worked on “Bogatyrs,” perhaps not always with the proper intensity, but they were always relentlessly in front of me, my heart was always drawn to them and my hand reached out to them!” - admitted the painter.

The huge canvas moved with the artist and his family from apartment to apartment; from Moscow to Kyiv and back; in the summer - out of town. Vasnetsov’s son Alexey recalled: “Bogatyrs” was for us... not a picture, but something necessary in life - a constant living environment, like walls, ceilings, lunch, tea...”

The face of Dobrynya is a collective type of the Vasnetsovs

Vasnetsov remade certain places several times. For a particularly long time he searched for the image of Dobrynya Nikitich. The basis was taken from a sketch made from one peasant, and the details were taken from portraits of relatives. As a result, Dobrynya’s face became a collective type of the Vasnetsovs.

The artist collected the face of Ilya Muromets feature by feature from commoners. And the youngest son of Savva Mamontov, Andrei, posed for Alyosha Popovich. By the way, the heroic horses also came from Mamontov’s stables - they were brought to the field to Vasnetsov, where he actually settled to paint a picture.

The fate of the artist

Vasnetsov was born into the family of a Vyatka priest and at first intended to follow in his father’s footsteps. But in his last year of theological seminary he left his studies and went to St. Petersburg to enter the Academy of Arts.

Vasnetsov near the painting “Bogatyrs”. Moscow, 1898

At first, Vasnetsov wrote on everyday subjects. Subsequently, he developed the so-called “Vasnetsov style” - epic-historical at its core with a strong patriotic and religious bias.

After 1917, Vasnetsov worked on folk fairy tale themes

Vasnetsov performed in all kinds: he was a historical painter, a religious painter, a portrait painter, a genre painter, a decorator, and a graphic artist. In addition, he was an architect - according to his designs, the church in Abramtsevo, the facade of the Tretyakov Gallery, the Tsvetkovskaya Gallery and his own house with a workshop in Troitsky Lane were built.

Viktor Vasnetsov was born into the family of a priest. The artist’s homeland was the Vyatka region - a place where at that time ancient rituals and customs, folk tales were remembered and sacredly revered. The boy's imagination was captured by the poetics of fairy tales, epics, and songs. During his years of study at the Academy of Arts (1868 -1875), Vasnetsov studied the history of his people and Russian heroic epics with avid interest. One of the artist’s first works was the painting “Vityaz,” which depicts a calm hero guarding the border of the Russian land. With great enthusiasm, the young artist worked on illustrations for fairy tales: “The Little Humpbacked Horse”, “The Firebird”. A passion for the epic fairy-tale genre made Viktor Vasnetsov a real star of Russian painting. His paintings are not just a depiction of Russian antiquity, but a reproduction of the powerful national spirit and meaning of Russian history.

The famous painting “Bogatyrs” was created in the village of Abramtsevo near Moscow. This painting is often called “Three Heroes” today. Vasnetsov gave a short but succinct remark: “The heroes Dobrynya, Ilya and Alyosha Popovich are on a heroic outing - they are noticing in the field whether there is an enemy somewhere, whether they are offending anyone.”

The hilly steppe, covered with feather grass and here and there with young fir trees, stretches widely. She herself, like the acting characters, speaks of the strength and courage of Russian heroes. Let us note this before describing the picture. The three heroes of Vasnetsov are full of readiness to stand up for the defense of their native land and their people.

Work on the great canvas took the artist almost seventeen years, and it began with a pencil sketch in distant Paris. The artist had barely made the final touch when Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov bought the canvas for his collection. This is how this painting by Vasnetsov found its place in the Tretyakov Gallery. Three heroes still look at us from the wall of the famous gallery.

The artist understood his work on the painting as “a creative duty, an obligation to his native people.” He noticed that even in moments when he left work on a work, his “heart was always drawn to him and his hand reached out to him.” What can you see when trying to make a sufficiently deep description of the picture?

Three heroes

Vasnetsov was captivated by heroic characters. By creating these monumental images on canvas, the artist sought to endow them with an impressive appearance and memorable features. Ilya Muromets in the center of the composition is an extraordinary person, he is powerful, calm, collected, and one can feel wisdom and confidence in his appearance. His hand, raised to his eyes, easily holds a heavy club, the spear in his other hand sparkles sharply. Nevertheless, the hero’s appearance is not intimidating - he breathes all over with peaceful kindness.

To the left of Ilya is Dobrynya, the second most important in the heroic trinity. A prince by birth, a warrior by vocation, Dobrynya Nikitich is smart and educated. In a decisive pose and a sharp gaze, the artist emphasizes the remarkable character of the snake fighter Dobrynya (he is the one who defeats the Serpent Gorynych in the epics). In his hands is a sword, which the hero holds not with reckless abandon, but with confident strength. Looking at the hero, we are convinced that he will be able to skillfully use a weapon at the right moment. To the right of his senior comrades, Alyosha, the son of a Rostov priest, sits on a horse. He easily holds the bow in his hand and glances with cunning. Alyosha Popovich plays with youthful enthusiasm, and one feels that the boy will rush with passion in a moment of danger to protect his friends and the land.

Without characteristics of the horses, the description of the picture will not be complete. The three heroes of Vasnetsov see friends and comrades in their horses. The appearance of each animal is associated with the qualities of the hero. Under Ilya is a solid, stubborn and loyal crow. Dobrynya's white horse is proud and full of dignity. Alyosha's red horse is elegant and simple, with a harp attached to his blanket.

Composition and landscape

Every detail is full of meaning, and it is important to say this when making a detailed description of the picture. Vasnetsov’s three heroes seemed to become close to the landscape, subtly conveying the heroic mood of the picture. The figures are located in the center of the border between earth and sky, a rebellious free wind is blowing, a strong bird is soaring over the hills in the depths of the canvas. There is tension and anxiety in the air. But the appearance of the heroes - warriors and godly people of the Russian land - exudes confidence and reliability.

Title of the painting: “Bogatyrs”

Canvas, oil.
Size: 295.3 × 446 cm

Description of the painting “Three heroes” by V. Vasnetsov

Artist: Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov
Title of the painting: “Bogatyrs”
Painting: 1881-1898
Canvas, oil.
Size: 295.3 × 446 cm

Born into the family of a Vyatka priest, V. Vasnetsov grew up in the region where ancient customs and rituals were always revered, epics, fairy tales and legends were told. From a very young age, the future author of paintings on folklore themes was associated with fairy-tale heroes and epic characters.

Then he began to study at the Academy of Arts and began to study not only the techniques of portraiture, but also the history of Rus', which, as we know, is directly related to oral folk art.

Among the first works on the theme of folklore, it is worth mentioning such works as “The Flying Carpet” and “The Knight”, which are famous for the heroes depicted on them, one flying over Russian soil, and the other building to guard its borders. The name of V. Vasnetsov is also known as one of the illustrators of Russian fairy tales, including “Alyonushka”, “Ivan Tsarevich on the Gray Wolf”, “Sivka-Burka” and many others. Vasnetsov developed this passion for depicting heroes of fairy tales and epics, which many artists have made only part of their creative heritage, which gives the right to consider him an ace in his field. A talented architect and illustrator, he not only depicted pages of our legendary history, but also brought a powerful ideological meaning to it.

One of these paintings is considered to be the famous “Bogatyrs”, who, with the light hand of the painter himself, are called nothing less than “Three Bogatyrs”. The reason for this was the remark to the canvas written by the author: “The heroes Dobrynya, Ilya and Alyosha Popovich on the heroic outing.”

Here, as you might have guessed, three main heroes of the epic epic and three main Russian heroes are depicted, whose images are exploited by domestic politicians and animators - Ilya Muromets, Alyosha Popovich and Dobrynya Nikitich.

The figures of the heroes resemble titans from ancient Greek mythology, and their horses are appropriate - gigantic and powerful, which raises the assumption that the artist depicted the same qualities of his people. If we talk about the size of the painting, they are no less impressive - 3 meters in height and almost 5 in width.

It took the artist about 30 years to create this masterpiece, and in 1871 he created the first pencil sketch, and from 1881 to 1898 he worked directly on the painting.

Those who have ever seen the painting in the Tretyakov Gallery will certainly say that it is the personification of strength, wisdom, youth and good luck. You have known the names of each of the trinity of heroes since childhood and from cartoons about the adventures of the guards of Rus'. All the images in the picture are symbolic: Dobrynya has knowledge, experience and ingenuity, Ilya is filled with vitality, and Alyosha reflects the lyricism, romance and fun of youth.

The central part of the composition of the canvas is occupied by the figure of Ilya Muromets. The prototype for him was the peasant Ivan Petrov, a man of enormous stature, whose unspent spiritual qualities Vasnetsov saw in his eyes and depicted them in the portrait. In epics, the image of the Russian hero is presented as the image of everyone’s favorite - old, young, children and adults. Ilya Muromets is a very real historical character, and the stories about him are nothing more than chronicles of events. Later, this hero became a monk in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra and is currently canonized. The artist knew these facts, and before the audience appears a mighty warrior and an open person, in whom remarkable strength and breadth of soul were strangely combined. A huge black horse requires a massive metal chain instead of a harness, and its mane flowing in the wind and powerful legs complement the greatness of the hero. Ilya, folding his hand like a visor, looks into the distance, as if looking for an adversary, whom he is always ready to fight back.

Russian legends speak of the excellent education and courage of Dobrynya Nikitich, and the artist himself embodied in him the collective image of the Vasnetsov family - father, uncle and himself. This is the reason why researchers note the similarity of facial features and eye size with the artist's appearance. In the epics, Dobrynya is always young and daring, he is the fellow who wears enchanted armor and a treasure sword, and the artist, on the contrary, portrayed him as a stately and wise man. The hero’s facial features are noble, as if emphasizing his education. But this man is able to stop the enemy not only with the power of words, but also with a sword, which his hand is already ready to snatch from its sheath.

Alyosha Popovich is the youngest of the trio. This slender young man was drawn from the eldest son of the philanthropist Savva Mamontov, Andrei, who died at a young age. They say that he was a cheerful and sociable person, and the artist transferred these features to the picture, depicting Alyosha with a harp attached to the saddle.

Each of the heroes is armed to protect Rus' from the invasion of enemies: Ilya Muromets does not let go of his spear, Dobrynya Nikitich keeps his hand on the sword, and Alyosha Popovich has a bow in his hands. The helmets of the defenders are similar to church domes, which is a symbol of blessed deeds for the sake of their people.

The landscape of the painting is a revelation for the viewer. The epic feather grass, green grass, hills - all this is a collective image of the homeland that every person imagines. If you look at the top of the canvas, you can see an approaching storm. Wind-driven wisps of clouds, moving forest grasses, fluttering horse manes - all this makes it clear that despite the Mongol-Tatar yoke, there are people in Rus' who are capable of protecting others.

One cannot ignore the characteristics of horses, because this animal is an obligatory attribute of every hero, his friend and comrade-in-arms, who is somewhat similar to his owner. Ilya's horse is a stubborn, faithful black who will be with him to the end. Dobrynya has a white horse, proud and full of dignity, which continues the character traits of the rider. Alyosha sits on a red horse-fire, which is filled with ebullient energy, grace and is ready to fight to the end.

“Bogatyrs” is considered the brightest and most powerful picture among all Vasnetsov’s works, because he completely devoted himself to epic plots the way Dobrynya, Ilya and Alyosha did for their homeland.

The Three Heroes are traditionally associated with fairy tales and legends. Few people know that the prototypes of these semi-mythical characters were very real, living people.

Ilya Muromets

Ilyusha is the eldest and most beloved of the three heroes. Glorious feats of arms and real miracles are associated with him. It’s amazing that after 30 years of sitting on the stove, this marvelous fellow, gifted with remarkable strength, turned into a legendary defender of the Fatherland.

The prototype of Ilya Muromets was Ilya Pechersky. Now the relics of this holy associate are kept in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. It also contains a document mentioning a hero nicknamed “Chobotok” (translated from Ukrainian as “Boot”). This is exactly what they began to call Muromets after he managed to kill a countless number of enemies with one of his boots. There were no other weapons at hand at that time.

Confirmation that the image of the glorious Russian hero was “copied” from Ilya Pechersky can be found in the book “Teraturgima” (1638). In it, the Lavra monk Afanasy Kalnofoysky indicates that Elijah, who before taking monastic vows was a famous knight and defender of the Russian land, found his last refuge in the Holy Lavra.

In 1988, the remains of Ilya Pechersky were examined by a commission from the Ministry of Health. It was established that during his lifetime he actually had a heroic height for Ancient Rus' (177 cm), was bedridden for a long time due to a spinal disease, and then served in the princely squad. The latter fact was evidenced by healed fractures and other traces of numerous combat wounds.

Nikitich

In epics, Dobrynya is portrayed as a kind-hearted person with a creative streak. He always strives to protect the orphaned and wretched. In addition, he plays the harp, sings well, and, when possible, indulges in gambling. All these qualities suggest that the hero could belong to the nobility.

Philologists Kireevsky and Khoroshev believe that the image of this epic knight was “copied” from Vladimir Svyatoslavovich’s uncle, whose name was Dobrynya Malkovich. A relative of the Kyiv prince was born in the village of Nizkinichi, where the nickname “Nizkinich” and then “Nikitich” came from.

The Tale of Bygone Years and the Joachim Chronicle contain information that Dobrynya Nikitich played a big role in the fate of Rus'. On his initiative, Vladimir was called to reign. Later, with his help, the baptism of Novgorodians was carried out, which ended with the burning of pagan houses and a large fire.

Alesha Popovich

Alyosha, the youngest of the heroes, did not have colossal physical strength, but was savvy, boastful and eager for the female sex. The prototype of this hero is considered to be a boyar from Rostov, a certain Alexander Popovich. The Nikon Chronicle mentions that he died in a battle on the Kalka River in 1223, and before that he became famous for his exploits during the Battle of Lipetsk.

According to another version, Alyosha appeared in epics thanks to the real-life boyar Olberg Ratiborovich. He was a warrior and ally of Vladimir Monomakh. In 1095, this man negotiated with the Polovtsian Khan Itlar, but did not complete his mission, as he was treacherously shot through a hole in the roof.

Researchers of the image of the hero (Boris Rybakov, Anatoly Chlenov) believe that Khan Itlar is precisely the prototype of the filthy Idol with whom the epic Alyosha Popovich fought. The pagan name “Olberg” was transformed from the Orthodox “Olesha”, and then “Alyosha”. This is how the third Russian hero appeared, who can now be seen in the famous painting by Vasnetsov.

The heroes are celebrating a significant anniversary. 140 years ago, Viktor Vasnetsov made the first pencil sketch of three epic heroes - Dobrynya Nikitich, Ilya Muromets and Alyosha Popovich. The titanic work on the canvas took almost 20 years.

Three heroes of Vasnetsov: Dobrynya Nikitich, Ilya Muromets and Alyosha Popovich. Powerful, strong, unshakable. Neither blizzards, nor hurricanes, nor centuries are afraid of them.

“Vasnetsov was just remembering that he saw three oak trees in Abramtsevo. He saw them from the window of his workshop and they helped him create a heroic image, that is, a heroic spirit,” says Elena Mitrofanova, deputy director of the State Historical, Artistic and Literary Museum-reserve "Abramtsevo".

From a pencil sketch of the heroes to the start of work on a huge canvas - 10 years of thought. Vasnetsov studied folk tales, thought over the details, and most importantly, looked for models for the heroes.

Here everyone is still named Rakhmanovsky. Once upon a time, their ancestor's landowner lost at cards, so the whole family of the Polish stove maker moved to a new master in the Moscow region. Almost all of Rakhmanov's were unusually tall, broad-shouldered and stately. Vasnetsov wrote sketches from them.

True, in the end, as a model for Ilya Muromets, the artist still chose a peasant from a neighboring village - a Russian peasant named Petrov. In another heroic image, the author himself is guessed - Vasnetsov drew Dobrynya Nikitich from himself. But the choice of a sitter for Alyosha Popovich is still called the most mysterious.

“It’s hard to say why he became a model. After all, he started painting him as a boy, and on the canvas there is a young man, and not just a young man, but a hero of Russian nature,” says Svetlana Volkova, leading researcher at the State Historical, Artistic and Literary Museum-Reserve “Abramtsevo” ".

The son of entrepreneur Savva Mamontov, the aspiring artist Andrey was only 13 years old when Vasnetsov began to paint Alyosha Popovich from him. Eight years later, in the midst of work on the painting, the young man caught a cold in Kyiv while he was painting the Vladimir Cathedral, and died upon arrival home. Viktor Mikhailovich completed it from memory.

Vasnetsov spent a long time choosing a landscape worthy of his heroes. Until one day, while walking around a friend’s estate, he came out onto a wide field, protected on almost all sides by a dense, impenetrable forest. What is not a symbol of the beauty and greatness of the Russian land!

Vasnetsov literally settled on the field - a workshop was built for him here, sitters came here and horses were brought here.

The most expensive, so-called improved, Russian horse with an admixture of oriental blood - for Dobrynya Nikitich, a princely warrior. For the Rostovite Alyosha Popovich - a steppe horse, and for the peasant Ilya Muromets - a Russian heavy truck.

“Under the riders, the horses stand rooted to the spot, because every day they participate in transitions, combat operations, and men sit on them and, as they say, you won’t spoil them,” says the trainer-teacher of the Moscow Agricultural Academy. K.A. Timiryazeva Tatyana Demina.

The epic heroes had to look as realistic as possible. The artist spent hours wandering around the historical museum, studying weapons and armor. But the 10th, 12th and 13th centuries, to which the heroes belong, were still little studied in the 19th century.

“Their weapons, of course, should have been different: they should have had chain mail, they should have had helmets in the shape of an elongated cap,” says Natalya Astashova, leading researcher at the archeology department of the State Historical Museum.

According to experts, Vasnetsov’s ancient Russian heroes are armed more like medieval warriors. But this is also the greatness of the picture. The defenders of the Russian land seemed to have passed through time and stopped. On eternal guard of our native borders.