Savrasov Aleksey Kondratievich (1830–1897), Russian artist, member of the Association of Wanderers for a long time was undeservedly “forgotten”. Even Alexandre Benoit spoke of him as an artist who accidentally painted one delightful painting, Rooks Have Arrived. And neither before nor after Savrasov created anything more remarkable. Of course, this is not so. Savrasov's paintings are of great artistic value not only for our country.
There was success and recognition, but having suffered a number of failures in his personal life, having survived the death of three children, he began to drink. He was fired from the school where he taught painting. Towards the end of his life, Savrasov vegetated in poverty, was ill and drank mercilessly. His work lost its airiness and became gloomy. But still, Savrasov A.K. considered a recognized outstanding landscape painter with a huge Russian soul, a singer of Russian nature.
The most famous works of Savrasov:
1
View of the Kremlin from the Crimean bridge in inclement weather (1851)
The young artist is still influenced by the Italian school. The landscape is simply fabulous: the White Stone Kremlin shines in the very center of the picture, drowning in swirling blue clouds. The boiling and bubbling sky occupies most of the picture. Its beauty and strength is emphasized by an unusual lighting solution. Strong wind trails the branches of an old oak tree. The thunderstorm is about to begin. In the foreground a rickety hut. A woman in a hurry to hide from the weather. This picture already claims the talent of a young painter.
2
View in the vicinity of Oranienbaum (1854)
This magnificent and expertly executed landscape reveals the fantastic nature of the surroundings of the Northern capital. Huge boulders brought to the plain by an ancient glacier flaunt in the foreground. They are covered with moss and fit perfectly into the landscape of the edge of the forest. The old oak tree spread its crown over the boulders. Its leaves are bathed in sunlight, and against the background of a dark pine forest look exquisite lace.
3
Early spring. High Water (1868)
"Spring flood" Savrasova A. K. - an easy, fresh picture. The huge sky is saturated with the lightest shades of lilac, yellow, whitish-blue hues. It is found on the horizon with boundless water that flooded everything around. Small islands of land on which birches huddle, divide the canvas into two unequal parts. The lower third of the canvas is dark, cold. In the smooth spring water bare trees are reflected. The beauty of this spring phenomenon is conveyed by Savrasov very subtly.
4
Elk Island in Sokolniki (1869)
This is the first picture that brought real success to Savrasov. Now Sokolniki and Elk Island can not be recognized. They are located in the center of a huge metropolis, and before that it was the backyards of old Moscow. And the artist gave us the opportunity to feel the extraordinary beauty that reigned earlier in this place.
This picture won the first prize at the exhibition in 1871 and had the name Sokolniki. It was immediately acquired by the Tretyakovs, and only this highly appreciated the painting. After some time, at the exhibitions of the Wanderers, she presented herself as "Elk Island in Sokolniki." This painting was painted by Savrasov during the period of creative growth.
His fascination with realism was able to convey both the vast scale of the Russian landscape, and its monumental beauty. All attention is given to huge centuries-old pine trees. The marvelous forest goes beyond the horizon. In front of the forest is an open meadow on which cows graze. The torn shores of the swamp in the foreground are combined with a cloudy sky and give a picture of anxiety. A lonely tree at the site of the old felling alludes to the changes that the old forest is subject to. According to the editors of most-beauty.ru, this is the most beautiful painting by Savrasov.
5
Pechersky Monastery near Nizhny Novgorod (1871)
The great Volga River attracted Savrasov with its grandeur and beauty. The painting “Pechersky Monastery near Nizhny Novgorod” is the largest of the artist’s “Volga Series”.
Before the viewer appear the vast expanses of the Volga River. A provincial town lies on the sandy shore, on the outskirts of which you can see the white buildings of the monastery. In the foreground, in the right corner of the picture, a birch grove rises along a steep slope. The sky occupies the third part of the canvas, as the artist wanted to show the beauty and grandeur of the river, its vast expanses.
This painting was successful and received a well-deserved award - the first prize in a painting contest. She was also acquired by Tretyakov. Now she is in the museum of Nizhny Novgorod.
By the way, about the most beautiful landscapes read the article on our website.
6
Rooks flew in (1871)
Rooks Have Arrived - Savrasov’s most famous painting. After the exhibition, P. Tretyakov immediately acquired it for his gallery.
The painting was based on a picturesque view of the village of Molvitino. On the eve of spring, when the breath of winter is still strong, the elusive smell of the awakening of nature appears in the air. At this time, rooks arrive. These are the first harbingers of departing cold weather and the onset of heat. At this time, the snow melts, trees begin to pour in juice, and buds swell.
All this riot and magnificence skillfully conveyed Savrasov. This picture is a real hymn to the beauty of the Russian landscape. Here, architecture and nature create a magnificent orchestra in which every detail plays a role. The joy of the coming of spring, rebirth penetrates the very heart.
7
Lane (1873)
A small (57 × 70 cm) painting “Lane” is delightful. This masterpiece is a song dedicated to the unpretentious Russian landscape. It is part of the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery.
At first, Savrasov was embarrassed to put her on public display. He considered her simple and unworthy of the general public. For a long time, almost 20 years, she was with a friend of the artist. But when she was still put up, she made an extraordinary impression. The criticism of this picture was commendable.
The thaw of Russian roads turned out to be unusually picturesque. Heavy summer rain has passed. The roads are lucky. Terrible sky gives way to warm shades. Light pearl clouds appeared on the horizon, and the rays of the sun try to break through the clouds. They are reflected in puddles and streams of a country road. The color of water and dirt are conveyed so realistically and colorful that one has to wonder at the artist’s skill.
The endless expanses of the landscape emphasize the six sprawling plain trees that grow along the road. They add dynamism to the landscape.
The artist masterfully conveyed freshness after an evening summer rain, which proved that any weather only emphasizes the beauty of the landscape and creates its mood.
8
Winter (Late 1870s - early 1880s)
This period of creativity was difficult for Savrasov. His life was going downhill, he washed down. Rarely, a successful painting appeared from under the artist’s brush.
A dark, heavy saturated sky presses on a low horizon. A boundless road divides the landscape into two parts. On the far left you can see the forest, on the right - the endless plain. In the foreground are lonely birch trees and rare bushes. A white line on the horizon highlights the overhanging leaden sky. The snow of the plain is dirty, yellow-brown, as after a thaw. It is about to rain, or wet snow.
The picture is dramatic and joyless. This colorful, mature and unique work very subtly conveys the mood of the artist and the state of nature.
The artist in this picture found a reflection of his life. Unrestrained longing, death of children, break with wife, loneliness. Savrasov is a lonely pine tree by the side of the road, with broken branches.
9
Lascivious (1894)
Savrasov often portrayed early spring when snow was falling and there was a thaw on the roads. The artist depicted the landscape of the village of Pokrovskoye. The composition of the picture is unusual. A wide broken spring road goes far from the left edge of the picture. In the distance you can see neat houses. Their roofs are still covered in snow. On both sides of the road a whitish birch grove is covered with light frost.
Savrasov accurately caught the imperceptible transition from the winter state of nature to spring. The picture is permeated with fresh air, and a bright piece of the sky predicts soon warmth.
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Afterword
The Volga, 1874
Even if Savrasov painted only one painting, “The Rooks Have Arrived,” and he would not have had other wonderful works, all the same, this would have made him a great Russian landscape painter. This masterpiece is still a monument to the greatness and beauty of Russian nature. He inscribed the name of Savrasov among the best Russian painters in golden letters.
We could not distinguish from the huge number of beautiful paintings by Savrasov only a few of the best, so we decided to add another ten beautiful landscapes.
Other paintings by Savrasov:
11
Steppe in the afternoon (1852)
12
Landscape with a River and a Fisherman (1859)
13
Swiss landscape with horses (1867)
14
Rural View (1867)
15
Rafts (1868)
16
Early spring. High Water (1868)
17
View of the Volga near Yurevets (1870)
18
Sunset over the swamp (1871)
19
Fishermen on the Volga (1872)
20
Towards the end of summer on the Volga (1873)
21
Spring Day (1873)
22
Thaw. Yaroslavl (1874)
23
Night on the Sparrow Hills (1881)
24
Landscape with a Rainbow (1881)
25
Forest in hoarfrost (1890)
This concludes our article. We hope you enjoyed watching the beautiful works of the Russian painter. We are waiting for your comments. Write what paintings of Savrasov made the greatest impression on you.