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 is 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, a 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 Arts (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, and 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 refined 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 Toy Institute, 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
“When I was a child, my mother read all the books and fairy tales to me. And so did my nanny. The fairy tale entered into me...
The publishing house gives me the text. I take the one I like. And sometimes there is no fairy tale in it. It happens that it is only four or even two lines, and you can’t make a fairy tale out of them. And I'm looking for a fairy tale... I always remember who the book will be for." Yu. Vasnetsov
One example of a combination of a book of remarkable quality + competent popularization of creativity and preservation of heritage is books about Yuri Alekseevich Vasnetsov, which are published by his daughter Elizaveta Yuryevna Vasnetsova.
A long time ago I showed the first book from Vasnetsov’s series “The Unknown Yuri Vasnetsov”. It was released in 2011. And a year later a sequel was released: “The Famous Yuri Vasnetsov”!
"The famous Yuri Vasnetsov." Materials for the biography of the great artist. 106 lifetime publications: description, official press, responses from readers and colleagues. Pskov regional printing house, 2012. 480 p. Under the general editorship of E.Yu. Vasnetsova.
The publisher's foreword is so good that I'm sorry to chop it up into quotes. Let it be in its entirety:
"This book is nostalgia. For all forty-year-olds and others who carefully preserve their children's books, books of their parents, grandparents; for collectors who, in search of Detgiz's masterpieces, spend hours on the Internet and spend time in used bookstores. A thin children's book - a perishable product. It has multi-million copies, a cheap price. When it gets into children's hands, the book gets spoiled, gets dirty, gets read, and rarely survives in the hands of children. and “Funny pictures”, tied with twine, are weighed on scales and go for processing for the so-called waste paper publications. Who among us did not have “The Boat Sails and Sails” with drawings by Konashevich, “The Stolen Sun” with drawings by Vasnetsov, “. Baggage" with illustrations by Lebedev! Do you remember the series "Kindergarten Library"? How many good, beautifully designed books there were! What a wonderful format, what colors, what paper!
And what magnificent artists! People involved in printing understand: what was printed on captured post-war equipment cannot be repeated on ultra-modern Japanese-German machines. The colors have changed, the paper has changed, the attitude towards the book has changed. All in the past. This book is dedicated to the work of one of the best children's book illustrators of the 20th century, Yuri Vasnetsov. We were prompted to work by a recently published book - materials for the biography of the great artist “Unknown Yuri Vasnetsov”. Since the title of the book was somewhat provocative, since the name of the artist is widely known, we had no choice but to call ours - “Famous Yuri Vasnetsov,” especially since this is a book about books, the first attempt in Russian book science to systematize the work of Yuri Vasnetsov as an illustrator of children's books. books. (A story about Yuri Vasnetsov - a painter, the creator of a series of magnificent prints and the author of drawings in children's magazines "Murzilka", "Funny Pictures", "Koster" - in the future.) This publication, as we see it, is the first attempt to systematize the entire work of one artist - from the first edition, the book “Karabash” in 1929, to the last lifetime edition, “What are we doing” in 1973. The publishers have conscientiously collected everything that they could find, but they rightly believe that there may be publications from the period of the Great Patriotic War and publications from the 20s and 30s that we have not taken into account. We will be grateful for the help of bibliographers and collectors - for additions, corrections and any information about unknown facts and lifetime publications of Yuri Vasnetsov. The appearance of such masterpieces of illustration as “The Stolen Sun”, “Three Bears”, “Cat House” and so on and so forth could not have taken place without a brilliant environment - his artist friends and teachers in the creation of children's illustrated books: V. Lebedeva , V. Konashevich, V. Tambi, V. Kurdov, A. Pakhomov, E. Charushin, N. Tyrsa. I would like to think that we will set an example for our colleagues to publish this kind of publications about the work of artists from the golden age of children's illustrated books. The history of children's books of the 20th century awaits its Karamzin. We publish materials for the biography of only one of the artists. The publishing principle is as follows:
A scientific description is given, the cover and back are reproduced (as a rule, if it contains an element of drawing);
- the best, in our opinion, illustrations are given, as well as
- sketches, sketches, drawings;
- the most striking critical articles are published, including abusive ones from the 30s and 40s;
- in addition, photographs are published;
- letters, memoirs, business documents related to the publishing process. Mostly previously unpublished materials were selected. To make the reading process easier, not all illustrations are captioned. In the “Lifetime Editions” section, which contains the required elements - cover, back, title page, illustrations from a specific book, these elements are presented without signatures. For other illustrations - photographs, sketches, letters, objects of applied art and others - captions are given. A bibliographic list of sources used with extended descriptions is presented in chronological order at the end of the publication. In-text and interlinear references to sources are given in abbreviated form.
The publishers express gratitude to the custodians of the family archive - daughters Elizaveta Yuryevna and Natalya Yuryevna Vasnetsov, the library of the publishing house "Young Guard" and personally E.I. Ivanova and L.V. Petrov, as well as S.G. Kosyanov - for help in publishing this book.
Let's look at the book first. Horizontal layout, fabric binding, strap. The cover is completely consistent with the style of the series.
on the fabric there is a relief drawing by Vasnetsov: The Little Humpbacked Horse
And the endpapers are very interesting: they show a fragment of a tapestry from an unidentified factory based on illustrations by Yu. Vasnetsov. Counterfeit product of the early 21st century!
From the publisher
Erast Kuznetsov "About the book graphics of Yuri Vasnetsov"
Elizaveta Vasnetsova "How dad worked on a book"
Lifetime editions (the main part of the book from pp. 49-419)
Key dates of life and work
List of lifetime publications
Valentin Kurbatov "Knocking, strumming along the street..."
First, about what's around. There are a lot of interesting things around lifetime publications! These are photographs published for the first time, and not ceremonial portraits, which can easily be inserted into any publication, be it an article in a magazine or a book. And these are momentary, random ones, which do not seem to be suitable as a “title photo”, but for those who value every bit of information and memory about the artist, these photographs will bring joy, they fit perfectly here into the accompanying materials - like this photograph from the 1960s X
or a photograph from a small feast at home (not the noisy Vasnetsov celebrations, but together with Vladimir Vasilyevich, modestly. And then a masterpiece artistic telegram to the hero of the day from the Lebedevs:
Elizaveta Vasnetsova's articles are richly illustrated with archival materials: photographs, documents, sketches, sketches. Here, for example, are sketches for S. Marshak’s book “English Folk Songs”, 1943
and here is a sketch for it - and an excerpt from such a warm and sincere article by Elizaveta Yuryevna “How Dad Worked on a Book”
Or the “storyboard” of the illustration “A ship runs across the blue sea” for the book “Rainbow-Arc” 1965-1968: first a sketch of the illustration (glass, watercolor, whitewash)
then drawing (paper, graphite pencil)
and then the illustration itself (paper, watercolor, whitewash, ink)
Well, now the main part of the book is the reproduction of 106 lifetime publications, accompanied by press clippings, responses from readers and colleagues, as well as numerous additional materials. From the very first book “Karabash” to the last one in my lifetime. The artist’s career from 1929 to 1973, almost half a century!
Finally, there is an opportunity to look at the fantastic book “Swamp”, which Erast Davydovich Kuznetsov talked about so temptingly in “The Bear is Flying, twirling its tail”:
"...The book "Swamp" was published in 1931 - the third, but I would like to consider it the first, because Vasnetsov began, of course, not with "Karabash" and not with "How Dad Shot My Ferret", but precisely with "Swamp" .<...>
Indeed, this book is strange, some kind of monster, if you look at it impartially. You can't compare it with either the first or the second - it's all awkward and awkward. It is not clear what it is about and why. Doesn't fit into any genre. It would be hard to classify it as an “educational book about the life of nature”: the pictures are not very clear, jumbled, confused.<...>
Many people wrote with admiration about the originality of the “Swamp”. This admiration can be understood by anyone who was lucky enough to see Vasnetsov’s drawings at one of his exhibitions or in the collections of the Russian Museum, where they are stored, and appreciate their rare pictorial richness - richness of color, richness of texture.”
Each book has a cover, back
Sometimes - internal pages, sometimes - additional materials - sketches
toys and objects that Yuri Alekseevich held in his hands
The artist’s achievements are very interesting: for example, on the page of the illustration for the book “Shah-Rooster”
there are sketches by the artist: it is known that when Vasnetsov illustrated folk tales, he worked very carefully in museums and libraries, studied ethnographic sources
The imprint and description are given very fully: even information is included where the book was printed
In conclusion, I would like to draw attention to very important words from the publishers’ preface: “I would like to think that we will set an example for our colleagues to publish this kind of publications about the work of artists of the golden age of children’s illustrated books. The history of children’s books of the 20th century is waiting for its Karamzin. We publish materials to the biography of only one of the artists." I liked that the publishers are so welcoming to share their thoughts and invite everyone to follow them and start publishing similar books about other masters of the book. It’s great that they don’t put a bold patent and copyright mark on their idea of systematizing the artist’s publications.
A wonderful book, thanks to Elizaveta Yuryevna Vasnetsova!
Yuri Alekseevich Vasnetsov is rightfully considered an artist of Russian fairy tales.
One of the main features of his artistic method is the inextricable organic connection with folk art. Moreover, Yu. Vasnetsov reworks the principles of folk art, bringing them closer to contemporary art. The images he created are marked by optimism, a life-affirming force that is characteristic of folk art.
Fantastic, fabulous landscapes are based on living impressions of real Russian nature. Birds and animals that appear in fairy tales acquire special expressiveness from Yu. Vasnetsov precisely because the artist gives them movements and habits that are vigilantly noticed in reality. A specific feature of Yu. Vasnetsov’s artistic method is the rare ability to create as if on behalf of his future viewer, the ability to relive a child’s enthusiasm for a fairy tale and, as it were, to pass through the prism of a child’s perception of the traditions of folk art.
One of the artist’s favorite compositional techniques is repetition and roll call of motifs. At the same time, each Vasnetsov book represents a new version of the figurative, compositional, coloristic solution.
The emotional structure of Yu. Vasnetsov’s drawings is organized by color, which plays a special role. It does not lose the decorative quality characteristic of folk art; it simultaneously becomes the bearer of the intense poetic feeling invested by the artist in the theme of the fairy tale.
The color of Vasnetsov’s illustrations is like a color alphabet for a child. The color of the characters is defined, simple, easy to name: gray wolf, white geese, red fox, etc. At the same time, Yu. Vasnetsov surprisingly accurately achieves proportionality between real and fantastic colors, which contributes to the child’s correct perception of the image. In the book "Ladushki" the artist boldly and inventively uses background color. Color here becomes like the medium in which the action takes place. Art critics conventionally called this technique the “magic lantern principle.” Joyfully and festively illuminating funny scenes with yellow, red, blue or pink “light”, the artist attracts the viewer’s attention with the surprise of the color background of the page, using a technique familiar to children of quickly changing impressions. But each color spot of the illustration, “tuned” in accordance with the sound of the color background, also lives its own life, being included in the overall composition.
Yuri Alekseevich illustrated and designed books by V. Bianki, S. Marshak, K. Chukovsky, Russian folk tales, etc.
Books designed by Yu. A. Vasnetsov are easily recognizable. The illustrations in them are of paramount importance, the text is subordinate to them. Yu. A. Vasnetsov designs the book as a whole, while the strict constructiveness and logical completeness of all its elements do not fetter the creativity and inexhaustible imagination of the master.
Picture books by Yu. Vasnetsov introduce a child to life through art (L. Tolstoy “Three Bears”, P. Ershov “The Little Humpbacked Horse”, S. Marshak “Teremok”, etc.). The artist's best works are illustrations for the collections "Ladushki" and "Rainbow-Arc".
Chukovsky K. I. Fairy tales/ K. I. Chukovsky. ; rice. Yu. Vasnetsov, A. Kanevsky, V. Konashevich, V. Suteev.-M.: Art, 1982.- 164, p. : color ill.
Vasnetsov Yu. A. 10 books for children/ Yu. Vasnetsov. ; [author preface L. Tokmakov; ed. V. I. Serebryannaya; comp. G. M. Vasnetsova; issued D. M. Plaksin] .-L.: Artist of the RSFSR, 1984.- 173, p. : ill., color. ill.
Ladushki: poems, songs, nursery rhymes, fairy tales/ artist Yu. Vasnetsov. .-M.: Samovar, stove. 2005.- 76, p. : color ill.; 23 cm - (Thirties Tales)
Russian tales/ rice. Yu. A. Vasnetsova. .- [Ed. 3rd].-L.: Children's literature, 1980.- 84, p. : ill.:1.20 82.3(2Ros)-6R15
Rainbow: Russian folk tales, songs, nursery rhymes/ [rice. Yu. Vasnetsova]. .-M.: Children's literature, 1989.- 166, p. : color ill.
Bianki V. Karabash.- M. - L.: GIZ, 1929.
Bianchi V. Swamp. - L.: Mol. Guard, 1931.
Ershov P. Little Humpbacked Horse. - L.: Detizdat, 1935.
Tolstoy L. Three Bears. - L.: Detizdat, 1935.
Chukovsky K. Stolen sun. - M.: Detizdat, 1936.
Children's folk tales. - L.: Detizdat, 1936.
Marshak S. Teremok.- M.: Detizdat, 1941.
English folk tales.- M.: Detgiz, 1945.
Bianki V. The Fox and the Mouse. - L.: Det. lit., 1964.
Okay. Russian folk tales, songs, nursery rhymes. - M.: Det. lit., 1964.
Rainbow-arc. Russian folk songs, nursery rhymes, jokes. - M.: Det. lit., 1969.
Chick-chick-chickalochki. Russian folk songs and nursery rhymes. Collected and arr. N. Kolpakova. - L.: Det. lit., 1971.
Artist's works
“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.
Carpet plane
Victor Vasnetsov. Carpet plane. 1880
Painting for the Railway Administration. Not a train or even a postal service. Carpet plane. 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 routine.
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 petitioners, obsequiously looking into their beautiful, cold faces.
Koschei the Deathless
Victor Vasnetsov. Koschei the Deathless. 1917–1926
Rich mansions with chocolate, red and gold shades. 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.