In sixth grade high school in Russian language lessons it is proposed to write an essay based on a painting by I. E. Grabar " February blue".
This article can be used as additional material during preparation for students to perform work. Biographical information about the artist, as well as the history of the creation of the painting “February Azure” will also be useful for teachers to compile lesson notes.
Childhood
Igor Emmanuilovich Grabar was born in Budapest into a family where both parents were engaged in diplomatic activities. IN early childhood The future artist, together with his father and mother, moved to Russia, to the Ryazan province. There Emmanuel Grabar received a teaching position French in a small town high school.
The boy’s first memories associated with impressions from artistic creativity. One day, Igor’s father took his son to visit his friend, a teacher who taught at the same gymnasium.
The child was so amazed by the beauty of the paintings that came from the pen of his older comrade, and the unusualness of the tools: brushes, easel and others, that he began to beg his parents to give him supplies for this activity. Soon, mom and dad bought their son the desired drawing set.
Choosing a life path
The future author of the painting “February Azure” graduated from the gymnasium where his father worked as a teacher. After that, he went to study in the capital. A career as an artist seemed like a pipe dream to his parents and himself, so the first education the young man received was legal.
But he was not destined to work in this field. Immediately after receiving his diploma, he entered the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts.
In this educational institution his mentor became the outstanding Russian painter, a talented teacher who trained many artists, Ilya Repin. A few years later, the young man moved to Munich for a while, where he continued to master various drawing techniques.
The history of the creation of the painting "February Blue"
Returning to Russia, the artist, living in St. Petersburg, often visits his friends from the Moscow region. Once, as a guest at one of my acquaintances, who was also related to fine arts, Igor Emmanuilovich became interested in long walks in the surrounding forests. This was facilitated by the mild, windless weather of the last winter month.
One day in mid-February a sketch was made of one of the most famous paintings Grabar. The painting "February Azure" was painted from life. The artist, who dropped his cane while walking, bent down to pick it up and saw winter birches in blue frost from an unusual angle.
Looking up from below, Igor Emmanuilovich was struck by the symmetry of the outlines of the most Russian of all trees, and how festive and elegant it looks against the background of blue snow, smoothly flowing into the sky of the same color. Admired by the beauty of the winter landscape, Grabar immediately ran to his room, where he made the first sketch of the future canvas.
A painting painted in a trench
In order to be able to observe the landscape from this particular point of view while working, the master had to make some physical efforts. He took a shovel from the utility room of his friend’s house and dug a hole half the size of a man. When the trench was ready, the artist moved there an easel, paints and other supplies necessary for working on the painting “February Blue”.
The air temperature at this time was not too low, so the painter could afford to spend several hours a day outdoors. He did not position the canvas in the traditional way, but placed it at an angle, so that the drawing looked down at an acute angle.
By this, the artist achieved constant shading of the canvas. With insufficient lighting, the colors seemed dull to him, and he was forced to use the brightest shades. For this reason, Grabar’s painting “February Blue” acquired festive, sparkling tones.
The master's favorite painting
The painter, who lived for almost 90 years and created numerous works of various genres, nevertheless, even in his declining years, admitted that he considered the painting “February Blue” his most successful creation.
In the foreground of the canvas there is a birch tree covered with sparkling frost framing delicate thin branches. Her relatives stand a little behind, as if Russian girls in a festive round dance, at the moment when one of them came to the center of the circle for a solo dance.
A description of Grabar's painting "February Azure" would be incomplete without mentioning the special role played by shades blue, predominant in the background of the canvas. This is how both the sky and freshly fallen snow appear before the viewer. It seems that if there were no forest on the horizon, it would be impossible to distinguish the earth from the clouds. The general mood of this landscape seems very joyful. It’s as if nature has dressed up, preparing to celebrate the arrival of spring. The predominant color on this canvas is represented by its numerous shades. At the top of the part of Grabar’s painting “February Blue” the sky is painted in dark tones, and that part of it that is closer to the horizon is depicted in soft blue.
Scientific and educational activities
The description of the painting “February Azure” suggests that the master who created this masterpiece was a great expert in Russian and Western artistic culture, mastered it perfectly various techniques drawings, both classical and modern. This assumption is confirmed by facts from the master’s life. Igor Emmanuilovich was engaged not only in the creation paintings, but also participated in the compilation and editing large number encyclopedias and manuals on fine arts. For many years he led Tretyakov Gallery y.
On his initiative there was research several hundred paintings. Detailed annotations were compiled for these paintings, including information about the persons depicted on them, as well as about the specific techniques of individual artists. In one of his letters, Igor Emmanuilovich admitted that he was happy to do this kind of work because of the opportunity to view great creations not from a distance, but being close to the masterpieces.
A true patriot
Grabar, as a man who truly loved his country, was always concerned about its fate. So, during the Great Patriotic War the artist laid the foundation for the creation of one of the tank columns, transferring a significant amount of money for this project.
For this initiative, the artist received thank you letter from state leaders. Grabar’s creative achievements were recognized with numerous prizes and awards.
The many-wise Litrekon understands that boys and girls write descriptive essays differently, so we offer you two essay options: one for the fair sex, the other for the stronger half of humanity. But if something still doesn’t suit you, you are welcome to comment and state the essence of the problem.
Option 1 (male)
(177 words) I. E. Grabar is a Russian artist and art critic. He wrote not only paintings, but also articles on art, and after the revolution he did a lot to preserve the creative heritage of artists and icon painters.
The painting “February Azure” was painted in 1904. The artist was at his friends' dacha. He was walking and suddenly noticed a beautiful landscape that impressed I. E. Grabar so much that he immediately ran home to make a sketch, and the next day he dug his easel right into a snowdrift on the street and began to paint. A large-scale painting has been released, which is now exhibited at the Tretyakov Gallery.
“February Azure” was created in the style of impressionism. Strokes of paint create a feeling of beauty, lightness and freshness. In front of the viewer is a birch grove, illuminated by the bright sun. On a February day, the sun shines especially brightly, it is already warming up so that the snow is gradually melting (in the picture you can see that it has already become grainy). Behind the trees you can see the blue, clear sky. It is immediately clear that spring is approaching. Looking at this picture, one becomes joyful and feels inspired.
I like this painting because the artist found beauty in the ordinary and showed it to his viewers. The painting gives a festive mood and inspires the search for beauty in everyday life.
Option 2 (female)
(203 words) I. E. Grabar did a lot for Russian painting. He not only created wonderful works, but also saved many paintings from destruction after the revolution, helped restore icons and monasteries.
The painting “February Azure” was painted before all the upheavals of the 20th century. At the beginning of 1904, the artist went to visit friends. He was walking down the street and suddenly dropped his stick. An ordinary person would have cursed and raised his cane in displeasure. But the talented artist suddenly looked around and saw incredible beauty, a picture of a very close renewal, an imminent spring holiday. And now the sketch is ready, and soon the landscape follows.
The canvas depicts a forest. It goes deep into the picture, its scale is immediately visible. The azure sky, grainy snow - all this says that winter is gradually leaving this place. In nature, every second and cyclical work takes place: revival, growth, maturation, withering. And so again and again. The moment of coming to life is the most festive; the picture conveys not a plot, but a feeling. Not solid lines, but strokes create the silhouettes of birch trees, which gives more tenderness and fragility to the coming spring beauty. The combination of blue, white and brown enhances this impression.
I like this picture for its feeling of happiness and joy, this is sometimes so lacking in life. The artist managed to show the beauty early spring, in which ordinary person All he sees is the slush under his feet.
- Introduction ( Interesting facts about the artist);
- Main part (History of the creation of the painting and description of the canvas);
- Conclusion (My opinion about the landscape of Grabar)
The painting “February Blue” by Igor Emmanuilovich Grabar, painted in 1904, has a special poetry. February is a month of struggle between winter, which does not want to give up its rights, and just a premonition of the approach of spring, its light breath. A long wait for the awakening of all nature after a quiet winter sleep.
Winter does not give up its position; it frightens us with frosts and snow blizzards. But even in February there is sunny weather, when you immediately pay attention to nature, which is always amazingly beautiful. It’s just that in our hectic world, we sometimes don’t find time to pay attention and look around. Grabar, how true artist, could not remain indifferent to such beauty and gave us this magnificent landscape.
In the foreground of the picture there is a birch tree covered with the thinnest layer of lacy frost, shimmering and sparkling even under the dim rays of the sun. A little further away you can see younger and still “teenage” birches with thin trunks. It seems that with their branches spread out, they slowly spin in a smooth round dance, like young girls celebrating Maslenitsa and welcoming the arrival of spring. Only the forest in the background separates heaven and earth. If you stand in front of this picture for a while, it will suddenly seem that you can clearly hear Russian folk song about birch. After all, the birch tree is a symbol of Russia, its beauty, so people composed many songs about it, both funny and sad.
White-trunked beauties are depicted against the backdrop of an azure snow blanket and an almost identical color of the winter sky. These tones, which the painter so generously uses, carry coolness and purity, like the breath of the breeze and the smells of the still approaching silent light tread of spring.
Such shades of azure, turquoise, blue are like a gift from our Russian nature in the most blizzard winter month in the vastness of Russia. The entire canvas creates a feeling of an approaching holiday,
Igor Emmanuilovich also liked the painting February Blue. He often talked about how amazing inspiration suddenly came to create it. Grabar saw such a landscape in the Moscow region on a frosty sunny morning, going for a walk. He was struck by the color of azure, which seemed to envelop everything around, and only the birch trees, stretching out their branches, as if in a dance, diluted these incredible colors of pearls, coral, sapphire and turquoise. All together it looked like a fairy-tale island in the glow of precious stones.
The artist was amazed by the fantastic beauty of the birch branches in this chime of all shades of the rainbow, against the background blue sky. Against the background of the turquoise sky, last year’s foliage, which survived at the very top of the birch tree, seems golden. As if fulfilling the painter's wish, sunny days stood for almost two weeks, allowing Grabar to capture this miracle. It seemed like nature was posing talented artist, showing off her grace in winter attire. Fuzzy lines have the effect of filling the picture with light and air.
The artist uses very light pure shades, resulting in a crystal chime blue color– from delicate turquoise to sparkling ultramarine. The canvas is reminiscent of paintings by famous French impressionists.
Today, Grabar’s painting “February Azure” is in the State Tretyakov Gallery. Canvas size 141 by 83 cm
Artistic style is the handwriting of a master. The modulations of the shades of I. Grabar’s painting fascinate the viewer. The turquoise sky, the ringing silence of the frosty air and white-trunked birches create a fabulous mood. The snow blanket shimmers with multi-colored sparks under the sun. The winter landscape seems to be strewn precious stones- this effect was created on canvas by Igor Grabar. “February Blue” - the description of the painting must necessarily note the artist’s skill in using a wide range of shades, the master’s admiration for the power of Russian nature.
Artist I. Grabar
Igor Grabar amazingly knew how to convey the color scheme. His landscapes are known throughout the world for their unrivaled style and fantastic shades of snow. The artist knew how to find the right angle to convey sparkling frost or deep shadows of a cloudy day.
An experienced restorer, critic, art historian, museum activist - his tireless energy penetrated many areas of life.
The main genres for this artist are portrait and landscape. The theme of the Russian winter fascinated Igor Emmanuilovich so much that he dedicated many of his paintings to it. Grabar sought to convey nature in such a way that it would be impossible to distinguish between a painting and a nature.
“March Snow”, “Roof with Snow”, “ Winter evening" - the shades of his canvases are so natural and realistic that the viewer is immersed in magical world artist's paintings.
In 1904, at a dacha near Moscow, Grabar created an amazing masterpiece. “February Blue” - the description of the painting must necessarily tell you that the painting depicts this variety. Igor Emmanuilovich loved this variety most of all. During the walk, he was amazed by the incredible beauty of the sky, the harmonious lines of the branches and the entire composition of the birch grove.
Working on a painting
Grabar worked on the painting “February Blue” fresh air. He explained this by saying that the colors look different from the window. Only in the open air is it possible to capture the entire palette of natural shades.
The artist dug a trench in the snow. Nearby he placed an umbrella, repainted blue. Such tricks created a variety of shades that the artist transferred to the canvas. The master turned the painting itself with its front side towards the sky.
Color saturation, dense layer brushstrokes, voluminous tree trunks, patterns of branches, pure enamel of the sky - this is the description of the picture that Grabar created. “February Blue” conveys the entire range of shades of blue. Sapphire shadows, ultramarine sky, lilac tints on the snow. A reproduction is not always able to convey the unimaginable beauty of a painting. The original can be seen in the State Tretyakov
Grabar, “February Azure”: description of the painting
The winter landscape is frozen in anticipation of the coming spring. Glimpses of thawed patches, blue-lilac shadows of birches - the viewer is created in this birch grove. The azure, spring-like bright sky seems to blind the eyes. The sun is clearly not present in the picture, but its light envelops the tops of the birches. Their patterned branches circle in a whimsical dance, waiting for the first warmth.
As if enchanted, the birch trees lined up. Lacy frost fantastically sets off the branches and the azure sky. The frosty transparency of the air creates a joyful feeling. All the charm and elegance was reflected by Igor Grabar. “February Blue” - the description of the painting tells about the stunning palette of colors and their harmony.
Essay for 5th grade
The artist’s style is so unusual that his paintings are filled with a vibration of freshness and transparency. The sparkling snow and the endless blue of the sky encourage you to write your own feeling and vision of the picture.
It is best to write an essay following a small plan. Then the structure of the text and the description of the painting will be subordinated to the general scheme (Grabar, “February Azure”). 5th grade for writing an essay can follow this approximate plan:
- brief information about the author of the picture;
- genre of the painting, time of year;
- objects depicted in the picture (describe what is in the foreground and what is in the background);
- image methods and color palette, used by the artist;
- what is the title of the painting related to?
- the general mood of the landscape.
The first essay for I.E. Grabar’s painting “February Blue” - 4th grade.
February days are famous for severe snowstorms and strong winds. But there are also wonderful sunny days. The artist Grabar captured one of these days in his painting “February Azure.”
In the foreground is a slightly curved birch tree. It is covered with a thin layer of frost. From bright sun the frost shimmers. It seems that pearl beads are hanging on the widely spread branches of the birch tree. A little behind there are many thin young birch trees, as if dancing in a circle around the old birch. They are wearing the same luxurious outfits. All the birches stand on a snow-white blanket, sparkling from the sun, lightly casting bluish shadows on it. The old foliage on the tops of the birches appears fiery gold. Birch Grove wrapped in warmth sunlight, you can feel the approach of spring.
Above, above the birch grove, there was a cloudless azure-blue sky. Closer to the horizon it brightens.
A solid wall of dark forest can be seen on the horizon. There, in the thicket of the forest, there is still the kingdom of winter.
The picture is wonderful, done in light colors, evokes joyful feelings. It is filled with the freshness of the sun frosty day and the imminent awakening of nature.
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The second essay for I.E. Grabar’s painting “February Blue” - 5th grade.
Azure- azure, azure, pale blue.
Pearl- mother-of-pearl.
Coral- bright red.
Sapphire- blue-green.
Lilac- soft, light purple.
Plan.
1. Introduction.
2. Main part.
A. sky
b. Sun
V. snow
g. shadows
d. birch tree: trunk, branches
e. other birch trees
and. horizon
3. Conclusion. Impression.
The painting “February Azure” by I.E. Grabar depicts a frosty February morning. Everything around is filled with a blue glow. Sparkling snow shimmers under the sun. Birch trees are riddled sunlight. This is a celebration of the azure sky and pearl birches, a celebration of nature itself.
The cloudless blue-azure sky brightens towards the horizon and becomes sapphire. Despite the fact that it is still winter, the sun is already warming well. But there is a lot of snow. In the sun pure snow casts a white-blue color. Blue and purple shadows fall from the birches. In the foreground is a tall birch tree. The trunk is not straight, but as if bent in a magical dance. It's dark below. The higher the trunk, the whiter it is. The branches are snow-white, covered with frost, which shines in the sun. At the very top of the birch tree last year's foliage has been preserved. Covered with frost, it glows coral in the sun. The artist looks at the birch from the bottom up, so its top and side branches are not fully depicted. Behind the old birch tree there are many young birch trees. They seem to be dancing around her. Pearl branches of birch trees intertwined and against the background of the azure sky it turned out to be a fancy lace. A narrow strip of forest darkens in the distance. If not for her, heaven and earth would have merged into one inseparable space.