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The Immortal Itinerants (Peredvizhniki) - Part I

By the end of the first half of the 19th clearly recognizable in these two
Century, Russian intellectuals supported paintings.The Date is particularly
the need for reform in Russia. Russia had remarkable. When viewing the painting, you
entered the age of capital development. can sense the same strain and emotional
Influenced by the liberal ideas of disconnect that you find in On the
Chernyshevsky and Belinski, the Itinerant Boulevard. At first glance nothing seems
movement established the first Free askance in either painting. You sense
Society of Artists in Russia. The founding nothing amiss due to the lack of action or
of the Itinerant's movement was a measure covert tension. You see two people sitting
calculated to express the need for on a bench - one of them a young woman
rejection of the social order in Tsarist with a child, newly arrived from the
Russia. The objectives of the Itinerants village to visit her husband. Her husband
were: sitting beside her has become a foreigner
- the enlightenment of the people by to his family and apparently has been so
affording them the opportunity to learn for sometime. The more you look the more
about the new Russian art; you see of a tragedy slowly unfolding
- the aesthetic objective of forming a before your very eyes. The viewer becomes
new artistic sense and taste; aware of the contrast between the
- the economic objective of attracting interplay of the people and the
new buyers in order to have a market for surrounding beauty of an August day on an
the new art. Itinerants (Peredvizhniki) old Moscow street, oblivious to the
List: I.Shishkin, N.Ghe (Gay), V.Perov, tragedy between the husband and wife.The
I.Kramskoi, I.Repin, V.Surikov, oldest artist among the itinerants was
G.Myasoedov, Kamenev, A.Savrasov, Amosov, Vasiliy Perov. His creativity played a
Ammon, M.P.Klodt, M.K.Klodt, special role in the establishment of
Pryanishnikov, A. Bogolyubov, Gun (Huns), Russian realism. In his painting Religious
V.Makovskiy, N.Makovskiy, K.Makovskiy, Procession on Easter that belongs to his
V.Maksimov, K.Bryullov, K.Savitskiy, early period, we can find a critical
A.Kuindji, Bronnikov, V.Vasnetsov, tendency, a typical feature of early
A.Vasnetsov, Litovchenko, Lemokh, realism. He criticizes priests that are to
V.Polenov, Volkov, Leman, Nevrev, bring the faith to the people but actually
Kharlamov, Kuznetsov, Bodarevskiy, do not deserve to be the Lord's pupils.
N.Dubovskoy, Svetoslavskiy, N.Shil'der, Following a period of creativity, Perov
Arkhipov, I.Levitan, I.Ostrouhov, tried to avoid a rude unmasking of
Zagorskiy, Lebedev, Stepanov, Pozen, people's sins and defects. He starts
Kasatkin, Miloradovich, Shanks, V.Serov, telling a sad story of contemporary
Bogdanov-Bel'skiy, I.Bogdanov, A.Korin, reality. Seeing -off the Deceased is a
Endogurov, Nesterov, Baksheev, Orlov, story in art in which we can see the image
Kostandi.With the onset of the itinerant of a peasant woman free from idealization.
movement, new terms to describe Russian Her fate gains the sympathy and compassion
art began to be heard. Phrases such as of the viewer. The landscape in an
"enlightening," "aesthetic objective," artist's paintings starts playing a
"economic objective," "new," "fresh," "for specific role in setting the mood of the
the first time" were heard all over the whole painting. In the 1870s, Perov
country. This was the first time in the changed from sad and tragic subjects. He
history of the Russian world of art that started depicting common people happy with
the subject matter was rich and expansive. their simple human joy and hobbies. He
The method used by these artists was to depicted fishermen, hunters on the holt,
conduct traveling art exhibits in Moscow, and bemused duck hunters.The creative
St. Petersburg, and other large cities heritage of Ilya Repin plays a special
throughout Russia. This set the Itinerants role in genre painting and in Russian art
on a collision course with the forces of as a whole. He is considered to be the
the Academy and set the stage for an most talented and famous Russian painter.
entirely new type of art. Russian art has His interests in painting were pointed
never looked back. Everyone in Russia mainly to contemporary subjects. He was
became involved in the conflict. Critics, interested in all aspects of Russian
artists, academics, newspapers, reality, but his talent was more fully
politicians, and even the common people revealed in genre and portrait painting.
could not let the matter rest. Exhibition His works can be considered as an
halls became battlegrounds between the new encyclopedia of Russian life with its
and the old. Today it is difficult to heroes and events. His first famous
understand that the emotion of the times painting, Barge Haulers on the Volga,
and the results of the movement clearly painted while he was a student of the
shook the forces of empire to their very Academy of Fine Arts, showed his talent
depths.The itinerant artists themselves and characteristic manner of work. Unlike
were from all walks of life and age. Some the artists who had treated this subject
were peasants, and some were of the before, Repin was much more interested in
nobility, but all were united in a single the participants of the scene. He wanted
goal. That goal was to depict life in the viewers to see their fates and
Russia as it really was. The difference personalities more than the hard labor
between this path and Classicism and they were forced to perform. He was the
Romanticism was that for the first time first in the history of art who tried to
painting was focused on present day peer into people's faces to understand who
reality. The artist's hand was freed from they were. For the first time a common
the restrictions of lofty ideals. Painting Russian man was depicted as a hero of
reflected events and the contradictions of artistic work. He didn't idealize his
Russian society. The lives of common heroes but tried to demonstrate their
Russian people including their struggles personality. For the first time people
against oppression were revealed through could see a group portrait of miserable
art. The love of the Russian people for and humiliated Russian people.Such an
their country and its nature was deified, artist's aspiration to concentrate
and for the first time, paintings were attention on the psychology of the
free of social prejudice. One must be bargemen was always Repin's characteristic
aware that all the while Russia, unlike feature. Another illustration of this was
other Western European countries, was a his painting Religious Procession in Kursk
land where the political freedom to Province. This painting is very typical of
express oneself was strictly prohibited. Repin and is remarkable for its
Free expression was prohibited almost to characteristic details of that time. Being
the point of non-understanding in this a talented artist he had a wonderfully
country. It was only in the field of the keen feeling of the main idea that needed
arts (painting, literature, music, to be expressed. One of the features of
theater, etc.) that there was any art of the 1870-80s was the tendency to
possibility self expression. This led the create big monumental works whereby a
Itinerants to feel as if they were given a person viewing the one life depicted on
special responsibility to effect change. the canvas could analyze present day
The artists willingly took on this mission reality and see the whole historical epoch
as a sacred duty. The great Ilya Repin of the Russian people. This technique
wrote that artists come from the people illustrated that genre painting proved to
and that the people expect art that be as powerful and as important as
reflects a clear understanding of historical painting. Genre paintings
conditions and nature.This generation of illustrated the life of the Russian
Itinerants tried to analyze and determine province, in both events and in human
what art was and what role it played in portraits. The action in Religious
social life. The great Russian art critic Procession in Kursk Province takes place
Vladimir Stasov defined this aspiration as in a province famous for its dense
follows: "The artists striving to unite to forests, but in the picture we can see
setup their own society were not doing it only stumps left after the trees had been
for the purpose of creating beautiful cut down. Modern man's activity resulted
paintings and statues for the sole purpose in the destruction of nature. We see
of earning money. They were striving to crowds of people marching along the dusty
create something for the minds and road.The composition was arranged in such
feelings of the people." This is why a way that we almost feel the crowd moving
arguments that arose at the exhibition forward, about to crush the spectator.
halls were concerned with far more than Real religious faith can be read on the
pure artistic arguments. The artists faces of heroes depicted on the left of
themselves were of varying talent, and the canvas and especially in the face of
different painting genres, but as members the hunchback on the foreground. Note that
of the Society became "Universal Artists," he is pushed aside by the policeman riding
who worked in different forms of art. For a horse because this poor cripple might
example, the most talented of the disturb rich people proceeding along the
Itinerants (Repin, shishkin, and others) road. (Didn't Christ say we are all equal
worked in both painting and drawing. As a before him?) The painting shows us two
result of their efforts, easel drawing extremes: superficial, cold, hypocritical
stopped being merely preparatory work for religious feelings on the right half and
future paintings and developed into an true believers in God in the left half of
independent form of art.Other examples of the painting. These people are rejected by
multi-talented artists include artists this insincere society on the left part of
such as Vasiliy Polenov and Victor the painting. By paying such attention to
Vasnetsov. These two Itinerants worked, the individuality of a person, Repin
not only as easel painters, but each also displays the great variety of types and
devoted a great deal of time in reviving characters of his heroes. In the
theater scenery painting thus laying the foreground we see a rich merchant woman
foundation for the tradition of Russian avidly holding a icon. She is drawn into
theater decor that reached its peak at the arrogance, clearly breaking a main tenet
turn of the 19th and 20th Centuries. This of Christianity. We can spend hours
effort was done in conjunction with examining the painting whereby the motley
artists of another artistic society, the crowd is represented as an integral part
World of Art. Vasnetsov, among others, of the Russian people.Painting present day
also created many mural paintings for reality, Repin managed to reveal a new
churches. Being universal artists, many social phenomena by using new
Itinerants worked successfully in other participants. He was an artist forever
genres. Ivan Kramskoi, Nikolai Ghe, Ilya seeking new subjects, themes, images and
Repin, and Vasiliy Surikov were fine means of expression. Many times in his
portraitists and history theme painters. paintings he addressed new social and
Polenov was an historical painter as well political moods and, of course,
as a landscapist. Nikolai Yaroshenko revolutionary events. The policy of terror
worked in portrait, landscape, and genre carried out by several revolutionary
painting. In spite of multi-talented organizations entailed cruel murders of
artists that worked in many genres, one some prominent politicians and the
must not forget, subjects and heroes, the assassination of Emperor Alexander II in
images of Russian nature and human destiny 1881. This consequently resulted in
always remained the main themes of their extremely strict and bloody responses by
creativity. While working on these motifs the Government. As the country became more
each artist revealed his own understanding and more submerged in the blood of
of the fundamental problems of human innocent victims, the attitude towards
existence.In order to comprehend the work revolutionaries gradually changed in the
of the Itinerants more fully, one must society. Art in this matter absorbed and
examine some of the new tendencies brought reflected all topical ideas. Initially
by the Itinerants to Russian art. Genre revolutionary activity was often compared
painting was the primary method of with the excruciating life and death of
bringing realism to Russian art though it the saints of the Gospel who sacrificed
was not new for Russian art in the whole. their lives for faith. Repin was affected
The range of themes represented here was by these ideas, and he painted his Refusal
extremely wide, embracing studio works to Confess which glorified fanatical ideas
depicting everyday life in the city and of the day.Afterwards he conceived the
peasant life in the country. In some idea of another work They did not expect
instances huge paintings were created in him, a story about the return of an exiled
order to accomplish these goals.Before convict. The interesting thing is that
serfdom was abolished by the reform act of originally Repin planned for a woman to be
1861, peasants had belonged to a landlord. the main actor in the painting, as women
The liberation of the serfs entailed many were fighting for these new ideas next to
new problems in society. The serfs were men. Later the artist gave up this idea
freed but were not given the right to own having considered that it would add some
land. Therefore, they had no means of sentimental aspect to the painting.
support. Many serfs fled to the cities and Besides, he realized that the question of
into the arms of a miserable existence. the main hero was not so relevant compared
They were no longer peasants but they did to the subject itself. Terrorists were
not find acceptance in the cities. They ready to die for the sake of the idea and
were no longer able to always maintain the for the sake of their loved ones. Did
ties that had previously bound them to these loved ones want such a sacrifice to
their families. The villages they left be made? How did relatives meet these
behind had also changed. Customary ways of returning anarchists after being separated
making a living were changed forever, and for decades? Repin's contemporaries
again family relations were affected. The usually associated this painting with the
peasantry became very heterogeneous and in parable of the return of the prodigal son.
some cases were able to engage in cottage None of the artists expressed an opinion,
industry that changed their relationship thus making the viewer decide the destiny
with the local nobility. A classic of the hero.Bloody events of reality had
painting by Maximov, The Division of the not always been reflected directly in
Family Property is a sterling example of genre painting. The background of Repin's
this change in Russian lifestyles. Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan was an
Vladimir Makovskiy, a very prolific expression of the artist's feeling of the
artist dedicated his creative works to a atmosphere and smell of spilled blood in
reflection of urban life. His paintings the room where Ivan the Terrible is
The Date and On the Boulevard are perhaps holding the head of his son. A son he had
his two best works. By depicting ordinary just struck in the head with a stave and
life he managed to reflect the deepest murdered in a fit of temper. Another
tragedies of contemporary society. The painting Nicholas from Mirl, calls for
poverty of the most vulnerable members of love and forgiveness and shows us how the
society children and their miserable main hero, Saint Nikolai, intervenes at an
existence, mothers being doomed to the execution and saves the lives of people
worst, the estrangement of sons totally sentenced to death.Continue in Part
exhausted by backbreaking labor were IIMichael E.




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