This artist proved his skill by creating paintings, designing performances in theaters, and as a graphic artist. But still, it was the illustrations for Yuri Vasnetsov’s fairy tales that gained special love and recognition from young readers. This became the main business of his life. We, former children, readers of books, remember this now, in which looking at the illustrations created by this artist was no less exciting than sorting out our first texts back then.
What do we know about the biography of Yuri Vasnetsov?
The artist's youth
The future artist was born in 1900 in the Russian town of Vyatki, in the family of a priest who served in the local cathedral. Distant family ties connected this family with other Vasnetsovs - artists Victor and Apollinaris, as well as Alexander Vasnetsov, a famous folklorist and collector of folk songs. Of course, such a family legacy could not but affect the artist’s future work.
Yuri Vasnetsov spent his entire childhood in Vyatka. A large number of handicraft workshops and artels operated in this provincial town. The crafts were very different - furniture, chests, toys. And Yuri’s mother herself was known in the area as an excellent embroiderer and lacemaker. Childhood impressions are the most vivid and they influence the formation of our ideas about the world, the memories that remain with us until the end of our days. Towels with embroidered roosters, boxes and chests painted in the Russian folk spirit, bright wooden and clay toys - rams, bears, horses, dolls... All these images made their way onto the pages of books with Vasnetsov’s famous “fairy-tale” illustrations for a reason.
Young Yuri really wanted to become an artist - so in 1921 he entered the Petrograd State Free Art Workshops (abbreviated as GSAM) in the painting department. Among Vasnetsov's teachers are Osip Braz, Alexander Savinov and even Russian avant-garde artists Kazimir Malevich and Mikhail Matyushin.
Working in a publishing house
After training, the artist began collaborating with the famous Detgiz, where, under the supervision of the painter and, by all accounts, an outstanding poster master, Vladimir Lebedev, he created his first masterpieces. Illustrations for the children's books “Swamp” and “The Little Humpbacked Horse,” as they say now, “made his name.” Following them, “Three Bears” by Leo Tolstoy, “Fables in the Faces”, “Ladushki”, “Rainbow-Arc”, designed by Yuri Vasnetsov, were published. At the same time, he created a series of paintings created using the so-called “flat printing technique” - children's lithographic prints on traditional folklore themes.
After a trip to the North in 1931, the artist Yuri Vasnetsov finally became firmly established in his chosen path. Already possessing all the skills of a master painter, he approached the study of folk origins even more carefully.
The phenomenon of painting by Yuri Vasnetsov
Having traveled to the Russian northern regions, the artist began to master new subtleties of craftsmanship. Then they started talking about the “phenomenon of Vasnetsov’s painting.” Here, for example, is one of the still lifes, with a large fish depicted on it: on an oblong, red tray lies a large fish with silver scales. The painting is stylistically executed in such a way that it is unclear whether it is a heraldic sign, or just a rug from the wall of a peasant hut. Red, black and silver-gray tones are contrasted, but at the same time balance each other in the overall artistic plane of the still life.
Highly appreciating both folk “bazaar” art and the canons of refined painting, by 1934 Yuri Vasnetsov created such paintings as “Lady with a Mouse”, “Still Life with a Hat and a Bottle”, etc. However, fearing the persecution that affected the creative workers of that time In connection with the campaign against formalism that had begun, Vasnetsov painted what is called “on the table,” making this part of his painting a secret and showing the paintings only to close people.
Only after his death at exhibitions did the works of Yuri Alekseevich Vasnetsov fully gain their fans. Then it became clear how great this man’s gift was - being an outstanding “children’s” artist, he was also a remarkable master of painting of the 20th century.
Illustration images
It is no coincidence that the artist later wrote that he always lived by what he remembered from childhood.
And so, almost in the same way as Vyatka toys, the artist “dresses” his heroes in an elegant and festive manner. Cats and goats, mothers of numerous families, wear skirts decorated with frills and lace in his illustrations. That's how they manage things. But the Bunny, offended by the Fox, the artist, probably out of compassion, put on a warm blouse for him. Bears and wolves, according to a logic completely understandable to all children, were most often not supposed to have clothes, because they were dangerous and predatory enemies to all other animals.
And here is an unusually kind cat:
The cat bought a pie
The cat went into the street
The cat bought a bun.
Do you have it yourself?
Or demolish Borenka?
I'll bite myself
Yes, I’ll demolish Borenka too.
In winter, the cat wears good-quality painted felt boots, a pink bow is tied around his neck, and the woman next to the walking cat noisily rejoices at his appearance, and the dog is in no hurry to bark. And even further away there are houses with snow-covered roofs, with burning windows, and smoke from the chimneys in a column straight into the sky - which means the weather is calm, windless, and clear.
How stupid it is to live in enmity! Here are two crows sitting, turned away from each other, ruffled, looking in different directions:
On the edge, on the barn
Two crows are sitting
Both look apart:
Because of a dead bug
We quarreled.
And the landscape surrounding these mean crows is not at all the same as in the other pictures. He is much more stingy with colors and there is clearly a lack of joy in him.
In the illustrations of Yuri Vasnetsov, a special world comes to life - cozy, kind, calm. And incredibly colorful. In such a world, any child, and maybe sometimes an adult, will want to linger longer, peering at its heroes, being charged with their spiritual generosity, living with them their albeit “gingerbread”, but such touching stories. At the same time, the animals drawn by Vasnetsov are not cloying, but mysterious. Some critics even believed that the artist painted “scary” pictures, scaring children.
And this is also very Russian: if you are scared, then you will tremble, if you are sad, then you will cry, and if you are happy, then it will certainly be a feast for the whole world.
Stylistics and color
The emotionality of Vasnetsov’s drawings is dictated primarily by color, which plays a decisive role in the perception of images. It is both decorative, which is generally characteristic of folk art, and poetic, which, in turn, distinguishes all the artist’s work.
Vasnetsov's illustrations are the color alphabet for a child. Everything is simple, like in a fairy tale: the wolf is gray, the bunny is white, the fox is red, etc. The artist actively uses the principle of what art critics call this technique, the “magic lantern.” The action takes place on a certain, necessarily festive, bright background color (red, yellow, blue, etc.). This environment in which the characters communicate is compositional in itself, and at the same time it is that new bright spot that is so necessary for children who turn the next page in anticipation of new impressions.
In conclusion
A book, especially in children's hands, is a cheap and perishable commodity. Who among us in childhood did not have “The Boat Sails and Sails”, illustrated by Konashevich? Or the famous "Baggage" with drawings by Lebedev? And Vasnetsov’s “Rainbow Arc” with wonderful animals is completely impossible to forget. But who has “survived” these books to this day? Probably only a very few. But these were well-made, beautifully designed, and presented in a convenient large format for children's books. And those who still have them know very well how today’s children perceive them. Yes, just like adults did many years ago - with joy and admiration.
Several generations of young readers have already grown up on Vasnetsov’s bright, witty and entertaining illustrations, and the artist himself was called a classic of children’s book illustrations during his lifetime.
Elena Khomutova
Target: introduce children to the work of the artist and illustrator Yu. A. Vasnetsova.
Tasks: teach to carefully examine illustrations, highlight the expressive characteristic means of the artist, expand and intensify dictionary: artist, illustrator, illustration. To develop in children the ability to expressively read familiar nursery rhymes and to cultivate an interest in book graphics.
Materials: laptop, projector, screen, presentation “Illustrations by Yu. Vasnetsova", gouache paints, paint brushes, cotton swabs, jars of water, 2 easels, shaded silhouettes of flowers, artist's cap, swan costume, A2 sheet with an image of a swan on the river, illustrations by Yu. Vasnetsova and E. Charushina, classical music by Saint-Sane "The Swan", Karel Gott music from the film "Three Nuts for Cinderella".
Preliminary work: conversation about book graphics “Why do we need pictures in books?”, looking at illustrations by E. I. Charushin, memorizing nursery rhymes: “Grandfather Hedgehog”, “The cat went to the market”, “Kitsonka-Murysonka”, “Ivanushka”, drawing fabulous flowers.
Progress of the lesson: children enter the hall and stand in a semicircle.
Q. Guys, what are your mood today? (Answers children: good, joyful, cheerful.)
B. Let's stand in a circle, hold hands and convey our good mood to each other.
All the children gathered in a circle.
I am your friend and you are my friend.
Let's hold hands tighter
And let's smile at each other.
Q. Guys, do you like to solve riddles? (Children's answers)
Listen carefully.
Not a bush, but with leaves,
Not a shirt, but sewn,
Not a person, but tells. (Book)
Children's answers.
V. Well done, you guessed correctly. We show a book with bright illustrations. Guys, do you like when people read books to you? And each of you has your own favorite? Who knows what the pictures in books are called? (Illustrations) Children's answers.
Yes, that's right, pictures in books are called illustrations. Children, why do you think we need illustrations in books? (Children's answers) Who draws them? (Children's answers)
V. That’s right, artists, but this profession is called illustrators. And now we will talk about one of them. Children sit in a semicircle.
Many years ago in our state there lived good wizard. And this wizard was an artist. His name was Yuri Vasnetsov.
You ask: "Why a wizard? Wizards only exist in fairy tales? "True and false, he certainly could not perform miracles, but he could draw everything he was talking about. told in fairy tales. Creation Vasnetsova known to adults and children. Everyone loves to look at books with his illustrations.
His works are filled fabulous power, emit kindness and joy. You saw Yuri Alekseevich’s drawings when you were very little, and your mother read “Bai-bayushki, bayu.” and showed you the picture.
Remember? A child reads the nursery rhyme “Bay-bayushki, bay”. If you carefully look at Yuri's illustrations Vasnetsova, you can notice distinctive features in the artist’s drawing.
Yuri Alekseevich was born (slide 4-5) in the ancient Russian city of Vyatka, now this city is called Kirov (slide 6). This city is famous for these toys (slide 7).
Do you remember them? (Answers children: Dymkovo toy)
When he was little, like you, he loved to go to fun fairs where they sold various goods and these wonderful toys. (Slide 8) Little Yura stood for a long time and admired their patterns. And if you look closely at the drawings of Yuri Alekseevich and the Dymkovo toys, you will notice a lot in common.
We suggest comparing the horse from the nursery rhyme “Ivanushka” with the Dymkovo horse.
Thousands of different designs for fairy tales, nursery rhymes and jokes gave us good storyteller Yu. A. Vasnetsov. The most famous books designed by him are “Ladushki” and “Rainbow-Arc” (slide 10).
On the pages of these books we meet Vasnetsov's heroes(slide 11).
Q. Look who’s walking down the winter street? (Answers children: black, mustachioed cat) What is he carrying? (Answers children: carries a golden bun).
V. I probably bought it so that there would be enough for all my friends. Do you remember the nursery rhyme for this illustration? The child is reading.
The cat went to market,
The cat bought a pie
The cat went into the street
The cat bought a bun.
Do you have it yourself?
Or demolish Borenka?
I'll bite myself
Yes, I’ll demolish Borenka too.
V. Guys, what a beauty! In winter it gets dark quickly - so the lantern lights up and illuminates the road. The light from the lantern comes fairy. Why fairy? (Children's answers.) Snowflake circles dance around the lantern. Illustrations by Yu. Vasnetsov is even told about, which is not written in the book. (Slide 12). The child is reading.
Grandfather Hedgehog,
Don't go to the shore:
The snow melted there
Floods the meadow
You'll get your feet wet
Red boots.
Q. Guys, the words in the nursery rhyme sound like a warning that Grandpa Hedgehog should not go to the bank, why? (Children's answers). But did he listen? Of course not! He went to the shore. But the artist Vasnetsov came up with what's his name help out: I drew Grandpa Hedgehog on a tree stump, in red boots, and a stick in his paws. What do you think he needs the wand for? (Children's answers). He uses it to measure the depth of the water. What else do we see in the illustration that is not mentioned in the nursery rhyme? (Suggested answers children: in the spring the sun warms, it becomes warm, different flowers appear, willows and buds bloom on the trees. Birds fly in and build nests).
Q. Who's that waving his paws over there on the right? Bunnies! They couldn’t stand it and also ran to the bank - they were surprised how much water was around!
V. How many interesting details Yu came up with. Vasnetsov for a nursery rhyme. He brought us joy with his imagination.
Slide 13. "Kitsonka-murysonka"
Kitty - Murysonka,
Where have you been?
At the mill.
Kitty-murysonka,
What were you doing there?
I ground flour.
Little kitten,
What kind of flour did you bake with?
Gingerbread cookies.
Little kitten,
Who did you eat gingerbread with?
Don't eat alone! Don't eat alone!
A dramatization game based on a nursery rhyme.
Slide 14. (The mice dance in circles)
P/n Mice dance in a circle.
V. A long time ago, when there were no books and they still didn’t know how to write, in the village they loved to compose for fun something that does not exist in the world. Slide 15. Fables were sung, people danced to them, and children played in them. And so it became customary, from century to century, to invent fables and act them out on holidays. And the artist Yu. Vasnetsov drew them. And the faces turned out to be fables.
Slide 16 (A bear flies across the sky.)
Slide 17 (I caught a bear.)
Very often in the illustrations of Yu. Vasnetsov we see a fairy forest.
Slide 18-20 (Three Bears)
B. Found out fairy tale? (Children's answers) Notice how huge the tree trunks and the small figure of the girl were drawn by the artist. You look at this forest and it immediately becomes somehow scary! Guys, who do you think you might meet in such a forest? (Children's answers)
How amazing the artist Yu.A. Vasnetsov painted flowers, bushes, trees, animals. (Slides 21 -29). In each illustration they are depicted differently, but everywhere they are elegant, bright, decoratively decorated with dots and circles.
Dresses Vasnetsov their heroes dressed up. Wolves, bears, foxes, which good animals are prevented from living, the artist tried not to dress them up - they didn’t deserve beautiful clothes.
Didactic game "Find drawings by Yu. Vasnetsova". (Children are divided into two teams, look at the illustrations Vasnetsova and Charushin and choose drawings Vasnetsova). The guys explain why they chose this illustration and design the exhibition.
There's a knock on the door. The young artist enters (child).
Artist. Hello, I wanted to give you a painting, but I ran out of paints. Unfolds a sheet of A2 format and, together with the teacher, attaches it to the easel. (On the sheet is an image of a swan on a river). My swan is sad to swim along such shores.
V. Don’t be upset, our children will help you. Guys, do you want to try to become artists yourself? I suggest drawing magic flowers. But to do this, we first need to warm up our fingers.
Finger gymnastics.
Visiting the big toe
They came straight to the house
Index and middle
Nameless, and last
Little finger himself
He knocked on the threshold.
Fingers together, friends -
They cannot live without each other.
Our fingers are masters
It's time for them to get to work.
Children go to the tables and decorate the silhouettes of shaded flowers. Music by K. Gott from the film "Three Nuts for Cinderella" is played.
At the end, everyone looks at the flowers and finds something interesting in each work.
V. Well done, you completed the task!
Children glue flowers.
Artist. Now the swan is happy, and she wants to play with you.
Educator. One, two, three - we turn into flowers. (Children sit opposite each other along an impromptu river, depicting flowers and grass.
The classical music of Saint-Sane "The Swan" plays, a swan appears (child in a swan costume).
Children read, a child in a swan costume performs the appropriate movements.
Along the river (waves with hands) swan (walk around, gently bending your arms) floats (wave "wings").
Higher (stretch your arms, spread your fingers) berezhka (handles one on top of the other in front of the chest) carries a little head (hands to cheeks, head tilted to one side and the other).
Flapping his white wing (flapping "wings")
For flowers (put your hands together with your wrists, spread your fingers) shakes off the water (shake hands twice).
Lesson summary: Guys, which illustrator’s work did you become familiar with? (Children's answers). Why Yuri Vasnetsov can be called a good wizard? Did you like his illustrations?
What painting elements did you use to decorate the magical flowers?
References
1. Kapitsa O., Karnaukhova I., Kolpakova N., Prokofiev A., Chukovsky K. Oh, winter-winter. - M., Labyrinth Press, 2014.
2. Kudryashova A. Fables in faces. - M., OJSC. Moscow textbooks and cartography, 2009.
3. Kurochkina N. A. Children about book graphics. - St. Petersburg, Aksident, 1997.
4. Kurochkina N. A. Introducing book graphics. - St. Petersburg, Childhood-Press, 2001.
Designing a children's book has always been and will be the most serious test for illustrators because of the incorruptible honesty of little critics. And the highest assessment of the artists’ creativity becomes the recognition of their illustrations, which the memory will keep from childhood, when emotions and first impressions had not yet been erased by life experience. April 4 marks the birthday of the artist who made the meeting with the book unforgettable for the child - Yuri Alekseevich Vasnetsov. Read about the work of the “fairy-tale” artist in our article.
The first day of April sets a major tone for the whole month—April Fool's Day. On April 2, the world celebrates International Children's Book Day - a holiday without an age limit (after all, “we all come from childhood”), with the obligatory smile, warmth in the chest and a heap of childhood memories. And April 4 marks the birthday of the artist, who made the meeting with the book unforgettable for the child— Yuri Alekseevich Vasnetsov(1900-1973). The creator of the magical world of fairy-tale images, so close and understandable to a child (after all, his drawings of animals and birds are so similar to toys), the artist was recognized as a classic in the field of children's books during his lifetime. Yuri Alekseevich, whose favorite reading until old age was fairy tales, defined the main task of his work as follows: “In my drawings I try to show a corner of the beautiful world of my native Russian fairy tale, which instills in children a deep love for the people, for our Motherland and its generous nature.”
Yu. A. Vasnetsov
"Fairytale" artist Yuri Alekseevich Vasnetsov born on April 4, 1900 in Vyatka in the family of a priest, where his grandfather and brothers were also of the clergy. Family Yuri Alekseevich was distantly related to the famous Russian painters Victor and Apollinary Vasnetsov, and another relative, folklorist Alexander Vasnetsov, collected more than 350 folk songs of northern Russia. This fact says a lot - both about the atmosphere in the family and about its “genetic” talent.
Illustration for the fairy tale by P.P. Ershov “The Little Humpbacked Horse” Yu. Vasnetsov
The Vyatka province earned its fame, first of all, for its handicrafts: toy, lace, furniture and chest making. Maria Nikolaevna, the artist’s mother, was a famous embroiderer and lacemaker in Vyatka. Such a cultural family heritage, a folk, as the artist himself said, “bazaar” cultural environment became fertile ground for the development of his talent. And the talent was truly multifaceted (vector of activity Jura was defined by the word “interesting!”): the boy sewed boots, bound books, painted the walls of his room, the shutters and stoves of his neighbors with intricate patterns and fantastic animals characteristic of folk art. Already at that time, his source of inspiration was folk art and folklore traditions. Later, the honored artist admitted:
“I still live what I saw and remembered as a child.”
Illustration for the fairy tale “The Three Bears” Yu. Vasnetsov
To the delight of many generations of children, the love of drawing took over: young Yuri Vasnetsov decided to become a professional artist. Logic suggested what to do next: in 1921. Yuri Alekseevich came to Petrograd and entered the painting department of the State Art Museum, which he successfully graduated in 1926. This was a time when society generated new revolutionary ideas, and Petrograd became an incubator of revolutionary artistic ideas. Among the Petrograd teachers of the young Vasnetsova were: the Russian “Cezanist” Osip Braz, the Russian “impressionist” A. Karev, Alexander Savinov, the leaders of the Russian avant-garde—Mikhail Matyushin and the Suprematist Kazimir Malevich. The question of what has been achieved Yu. Vasnetsov in painting, remained open for a long time. The individual characteristics of the master’s pictorial language (the artist sought to revive the traditions of Russian primitivism) in his “formalistic” works of the 1920s testify to his extraordinary talent as a painter.
"Lady with a Mouse" Yu. Vasnetsov
The campaign against formalism that began then, Yuri Alekseevich quite rightly perceived it as a warning (ideological persecution had already affected his book graphics) and transferred painting to the category of a hobby, which he trusted only to his family and close artist friends. His works (mainly landscapes and still lifes) were practically unknown to anyone and only after the artist’s death received worthy recognition at a personal exhibition at the State Russian Museum in 1979.
Book graphics have become a worthy alternative to painting. The young artist began to successfully collaborate with the department of children's and youth literature of the State Publishing House under the leadership of V.V. Lebedev. Yuri Alekseevich’s success was in his personal qualities, in his rich imagination, the direct consequence of which was a creative interpretation of the theme of images of Russian folklore—fairy tales. Already in the 1930s, Yu. Vasnetsov became a famous and recognizable illustrator of children's fairy tales by V. Bianki (“Swamp”), P. Ershov (“The Little Humpbacked Horse”), K. Chukovsky (“Confusion,” “Fifty Little Pigs”), L.N. Tolstoy (“Three Bears”) and the author of funny lithographic prints for children on the same fairy-tale themes. A trip to the North in 1931 confirmed the correctness of the chosen path. An appeal to folk origins, the successful combination of refined painting with the traditions of folk art gave rise to the phenomenon of “fairytale” painting by Yu. Vasnetsov, when illustrations acquire paramount importance, subordinating the text.
Illustrations Yu. Vasnetsova
In illustrations Yu. Vasnetsova color plays the main role, and this is a find that still has no equal. Color becomes the first alphabet—“color”—which the child easily and joyfully masters: wolf—gray, fox—red, goose—white. And to create the emotional mood of the drawings and enhance the perception of images, the artist uses background color. This artistic technique, when color becomes the medium of the action taking place, is called the “magic lantern principle.” Constantly focusing on his “Vyatka” world, the artist gave his fairy-tale characters special expressiveness, dressing them up in the costumes of his northern region: the kind Mama Goat and Mama Cat in elegant colored skirts with lace, the offended Bunny “warmed up” with a warm jacket. And, helping the kids to place the accents correctly, he left the evil wolf, fox and bear without clothes.
Illustration for the fairy tale “Three Bears” by Yu. Vasnetsov
Book graphics, although his most beloved, constituted only one facet of his work. During the war years, first in Molotov, and then in Zagorsk, Yu.A.Vasnetsov was the chief artist of the Institute of Toys, taught at the Leningrad School of Fine Arts, created costumes and scenery for performances based on A. Gorky's plays for Leningrad theaters. In 1971, the animated film “Terem-Teremok” was created based on drawings Yu. A. Vasnetsova. The artist's work was highly appreciated, he was awarded the titles: Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1946), People's Artist of the RSFSR (1966) and laureate of the USSR State Prize (1971).
But the artist’s highest reward remains the grateful memory of his descendants.
Vasnetsov Yuri Alekseevich (1900-1973)- graphic artist, painter, People's Artist of the RSFSR (1966). Studied at the Academy of Arts (1921-26) with A.E. Kareva, K.S. Petrova-Vodkina, N.A. Tyrsa.
Vasnetsov's work is inspired by the poetics of Russian folklore. The most famous are illustrations for Russian fairy tales, songs, riddles ("Three Bears" by L.N. Tolstoy, 1930; collection "Miracle Ring", 1947; "Fables in Faces", 1948; "Ladushki", 1964; "Rainbow- arc", 1969, State Ave. USSR, 1971). He created individual color lithographs ("Teremok", 1943; "Zaykina's hut", 1948).
After Vasnetsov's death, his exquisite pictorial stylizations in the spirit of the primitive became known ("Lady with a Mouse", "Still Life with a Hat and a Bottle", 1932-1934)
Word to the artist Vasnetsov Yu.A.
- “I am so grateful to Vyatka - my homeland, my childhood - I saw the beauty!” (Vasnetsov Yu.A.)
- “I remember spring in Vyatka. The streams are flowing, so stormy, like waterfalls, and we, guys, are launching boats... In the spring, a fun fair opened - Whistling. The fair is elegant and fun. And what not! Clay dishes, pots, jars, jugs. Homespun tablecloths with all sorts of patterns... I really loved Vyatka toys made of clay, wood, plaster horses, cockerels - everything was interesting in color. The carousels at the fair are all covered in beads, all in sparkles - geese, horses, strollers, and always an accordion plays" (Vasnetsov Yu.A.)
- “Draw, write what you love. Look around you more... You can’t explain everything terribly, or draw it out. When a lot of something has been done and drawn, then naturalism appears. Here, let's say, a flower. Take it, but rework it - let it be a flower, but different. Chamomile - and not chamomile. I like forget-me-nots for their blueness, with a yellow spot in the middle. Lilies of the valley... When I smell them, it seems to me that I am a king...” (Vasnetsov Yu.V. From advice to young artists)
- (Vasnetsov Yu.A.)
- “In my drawings I try to show a corner of the beautiful world of our native Russian fairy tale, which instills in children a deep love for the people, for our Motherland and its generous nature” (Vasnetsov Yu.A.)
- When asked what was the most expensive gift he received, the artist answered: “Life. Life given to me"
Yuri Vasnetsov was born on April 4, 1900 in the ancient city of Vyatka, in the family of a priest. Both his grandfather and his father’s brothers belonged to the clergy. Yu.A. Vasnetsov was distantly related to and. The large family of Father Alexy Vasnetsov lived in a two-story house next to the cathedral, in which the priest served. Yura loved this temple very much - the cast-iron tiles of its floor, rough so that the foot would not slip, the huge bell, the oak staircase that led to the top of the bell tower...
The artist absorbed his love for colorful folk culture in his old native Vyatka: “I still live by what I saw and remembered in childhood.”
The entire Vyatka province was famous for its handicrafts: furniture, chests, lace, and toys. And Mother Maria Nikolaevna herself was a noble lacemaker and embroiderer, famous in the city. Little Yura will remember for the rest of his life the towels embroidered with roosters, painted boxes, multi-colored clay and wooden horses, lambs in bright pants, lady dolls - “painted from the heart, from the soul.”
As a boy, he himself painted the walls of his room, shutters and stoves in his neighbors' houses with bright patterns, flowers, horses and fantastic animals and birds. He knew and loved Russian folk art, and this later helped him draw his amazing illustrations for fairy tales. And the costumes that were worn in his native northern regions, and the festive dresses of horses, and wooden carvings on windows and porches of huts, and painted spinning wheels and embroidery - everything that he saw from an early age was useful to him for fairy-tale drawings. Even as a child, he enjoyed all kinds of manual labor. He sewed boots and bound books, loved to skate and fly kites. Vasnetsov’s favorite word was “interesting.”
After the revolution, all families of priests, including the Vasnetsov family (mother, father and six children), were literally evicted to the streets. “...Father no longer served in the cathedral, which was closed... and he didn’t serve anywhere at all... He would have cheated and resigned his rank, but it was then that his meek firmness of spirit was revealed: he continued to walk in a cassock , with a pectoral cross and long hair,” recalled Yuri Alekseevich. The Vasnetsovs wandered around strange corners and soon bought a small house. Then we had to sell it, we lived in a former bathhouse...
Yuri went to seek his fortune in Petrograd in 1921. He dreamed of becoming an artist. Miraculously, he entered the painting department of the State Art Academy of Art and Art (later Vkhutemas); successfully completed his studies in 1926.
His teachers were the bustling capital Petrograd itself with its European palaces and the Hermitage full of world treasures. They were followed by a long line of many and varied teachers who opened the world of painting to the young provincial. Among them were the academically trained Osip Braz, Alexander Savinov, the leaders of the Russian avant-garde - the “flower artist” Mikhail Matyushin, the Suprematist Kazimir Malevich. And in the “formalistic” works of the 1920s, the individual characteristics of Vasnetsov’s pictorial language testified to the extraordinary talent of the novice artist.
In search of income, the young artist began to collaborate with the department of children's and youth literature of the State Publishing House, where, under the artistic direction of V.V. Lebedeva happily found himself in the interpretation of themes and images of Russian folklore - fairy tales in which his natural craving for humor, grotesque and good irony was best satisfied.
In the 1930s The illustrations for the books “Swamp”, “The Little Humpbacked Horse”, “Fifty Little Pigs” by K.I. brought him fame. Chukovsky, “Three Bears” by L.I. Tolstoy. At the same time, he made excellent - elegant and fascinating - lithographic prints for children, based on the same plot motifs.
The artist made amazing illustrations for Leo Tolstoy’s fairy tale “The Three Bears”. The big, scary, enchanted forest and the bear's hut are too big for a little lost girl. And the shadows in the house are also dark and eerie. But then the girl ran away from the bears, and the forest immediately brightened in the drawing. This is how the artist conveyed a major mood with paints. It’s interesting to watch how Vasnetsov dresses his heroes. Elegant and festive - the nurse mother-Goat, mother-Cat. He will definitely give them colorful skirts with frills and lace. And he will take pity on the bunny who was offended by the Fox and put on a warm jacket. The artist tried not to dress up the wolves, bears, foxes that interfere with the lives of good animals: they did not deserve beautiful clothes.
Thus, continuing to search for his path, the artist entered the world of children's books. Purely formal searches gradually gave way to folk culture. The artist increasingly looked back into his “Vyatka” world.
A trip to the North in 1931 finally convinced him of the correctness of his chosen path. He turned to folk sources, already being experienced in the intricacies of modern pictorial language, which gave rise to the phenomenon that we can now call the phenomenon of Yuri Vasnetsov’s painting. The still life with a large fish fully demonstrates new bright trends in Vasnetsov’s works.
On a small red tray, crossing it diagonally, lies a large fish sparkling with silver scales. The unique composition of the painting is akin to a heraldic sign and at the same time a folk rug on the wall of a peasant hut. Using a dense, viscous mass of paint, the artist achieves amazing persuasiveness and authenticity of the image. The external contrasts of the planes of red, ocher, black and silver-gray are tonally balanced and give the work the feeling of a monumental painting.
So, book illustrations constituted only one side of his work. The main goal of Vasnetsov’s life was always painting, and he pursued this goal with fanatical persistence: he worked independently, studied under the guidance of K.S. Malevich in Ginkhuk, studied in graduate school at the All-Russian Academy of Arts.
In 1932-34. he finally created several works ("Lady with a Mouse", "Still Life with a Hat and a Bottle", etc.), in which he showed himself to be a very important master who successfully combined the sophisticated pictorial culture of his time with the tradition of folk "bazaar" art, which he appreciated and loved. But this late self-discovery coincided with the campaign against formalism that began then. Fearing ideological persecution (which had already affected his book graphics), Vasnetsov made painting a secret activity and showed it only to close people. In his landscapes and still lifes, emphatically unpretentious in their motives and extremely sophisticated in their pictorial form, he achieved impressive results, uniquely reviving the traditions of Russian primitivism. But these works were practically unknown to anyone.
During the war years, spent first in Molotov (Perm), then in Zagorsk (Sergiev Posad), where he was the chief artist of the Institute of Toys, Vasnetsov performed poetic illustrations for “English folk songs” by S.Ya. Marshak (1943), and then to his own book "Cat's House" (1947). New success was brought to him by illustrations for the folklore collections “The Miracle Ring” (1947) and “Fables in Faces” (1948). Vasnetsov worked unusually intensively, varying the themes and images dear to him many times. The well-known collections “Ladushki” (1964) and “Rainbow-Arc” (1969) became a unique result of his many years of activity.
In Vasnetsov’s bright, entertaining and witty drawings, Russian folklore found perhaps the most organic embodiment; more than one generation of young readers grew up on them, and during his lifetime he himself was recognized as a classic in the field of children’s books. In a Russian folk tale, everything is unexpected, unknown, incredible. If you are scared, then you will tremble; if you are joyful, then it is a feast for the whole world. So the artist makes his drawings for the book “Rainbow-Arc” bright, festive - sometimes the page is blue with a bright rooster, sometimes it’s red, and on it is a brown bear with a birch staff.
The artist's difficult life left an indelible mark on his relationships with people. Usually trusting and gentle in character, already being married, he became unsociable. He never exhibited as an artist, never performed anywhere, citing the upbringing of two daughters, one of whom, the eldest, Elizaveta Yuryevna, would later become a famous artist.
Leaving home and family, even for a short time, was a tragedy for him. Any separation from the family was unbearable, and the day when they had to set off was a ruined day.
Before leaving the house, Yuri Alekseevich even shed a tear from grief and melancholy, but still did not forget to put some gift or cute trinket under everyone’s pillow. Even friends gave up on this homebody - a man for great art has disappeared!
Until his old age, Yuri Alekseevich’s favorite reading remained fairy tales. And my favorite pastimes are painting still lifes and landscapes with oil paints, illustrating fairy tales, and in the summer fishing on the river, always with a fishing rod.
Only a few years after the artist’s death, his paintings were shown to viewers at an exhibition at the State Russian Museum (1979), and it became clear that Vasnetsov was not only an excellent book graphic artist, but also one of the outstanding Russian painters of the 20th century.
Vasnetsov Yuri Alekseevich
“Deep Legends of Antiquity” came to life thanks to the brush of Viktor Vasnetsov. Bogatyrs and princesses went beyond book lines and illustrations. The artist grew up in the wilderness of the Ural forests, listening to Russian fairy tales that sounded accompanied by the crackle of a splinter. And already being in St. Petersburg, I did not forget my childhood memories and transferred those magical stories to canvas. We look at fairy-tale paintings with Natalia Letnikova.
Alyonushka
Barefoot bare-haired girl on the bank of a forest river. With inexpressible sadness he looks into the deep pool. The sad picture is inspired by the fairy tale about sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka, and he drew the orphan from a peasant girl from the Okhtyrka estate, adding, as he himself admitted, the features of Verusha Mamontova, the daughter of a famous Moscow philanthropist. Nature echoes the girl’s sadness, intertwining with the poetry of folk tales.
Ivan Tsarevich on the Gray Wolf
Gloomy dark forest. And a gray wolf, quite expected for such a thicket. Only instead of an evil grin, the predator has human eyes, and on it there are two riders. Wary Ivanushka carefully holds Elena the Beautiful, submissive to fate. We recognize not only the plot of the Russian fairy tale, but also the image of the girl. The artist endowed the fairy-tale heroine with real features - Savva Mamontov’s niece, Natalya.
V.M. Vasnetsov. Alyonushka. 1881
V.M. Vasnetsov. Ivan Tsarevich on a gray wolf. 1889
Bogatyrs
Victor Vasnetsov. Bogatyrs. 1898
Vasnetsov devoted 20 years of his life to one of the most famous paintings in Russian painting. “Bogatyrs” also became the artist’s largest painting. The size of the canvas is almost 3 by 4.5 meters. Bogatyrs are a collective image. Ilya, for example, is the peasant Ivan Petrov, and the blacksmith from Abramtsevo, and the cab driver from the Crimean Bridge. The picture is based on the author’s childhood feelings. “And so it appeared before my eyes: hills, space, heroes. A wondrous childhood dream."
Song of Joy and Sorrow
Victor Vasnetsov. Sirin and alkonost. A song of joy and sorrow. 1896
Alkonost and Sirin. Two half-birds with illusory promises of a cloudless paradise in the future and with regrets about the lost paradise. Vasnetsov embellished asexual birds, giving the mythical creatures beautiful female faces and rich crowns. The singing of the Sirin is so sad that the leaves of the century-old tree have turned black; the delight of the alconist can make you forget about everything... if you linger with your gaze on the picture.
magic carpet
Victor Vasnetsov. Magic carpet. 1880
Painting for the Railway Administration. Not a train or even a postal service. Magic carpet. This is how Viktor Vasnetsov responded to Savva Mamontov’s request to paint a picture for the industrialist’s new project. The fabulous flying machine - a symbol of victory over space - puzzled the board members and inspired the artist himself. Mamontov acquired the painting, and Vasnetsov discovered a new world for himself. In which there is no place for everyday life.
Three princesses of the underworld
Victor Vasnetsov. Three princesses of the underworld. 1884
Gold, copper and coal. Three riches that are hidden in the bowels of the earth. Three fairy-tale princesses are the embodiment of earthly blessings. Proud and arrogant golden, curious copper and timid coal. Princesses are mistresses of mountain mines, accustomed to commanding people. There are two paintings with such a plot at once. On one of them, in the corner, there are figures of two men as supplicants, obsequiously looking into their beautiful, cold faces.
Koschey the Immortal
Victor Vasnetsov. Koschey the Immortal. 1917–1926
Rich mansions with chocolate, red and gold hues. The luxury of brocade and rare types of wood is a worthy frame for heavy treasure chests, and the main treasure that Koschey is not given into his hands is a young beauty. The girl is interested in the sword, which, however, cannot defeat Koshchei. Viktor Vasnetsov spent nine years writing the image of the main fairy-tale villain. Chronologically, the painting was the last for the artist.