Four s more than a year Karl Bryullov lived in Italy before reaching Pompeii in 1827. At that time he was looking for a plot for big picture on historical topic. What he saw amazed the artist. It took him six years to collect material and paint an epic canvas with an area of almost 30 m2.
In the picture, people of different genders and ages, occupations and faiths, caught in the disaster, are rushing about. However, in the motley crowd you can notice four identical faces...
In the same 1827, Bryullov met the woman of his life - Countess Yulia Samoilova. Having separated from her husband, the young aristocrat, a former maid of honor, who loved a bohemian lifestyle, moved to Italy, where morals are freer. Both the Countess and the artist had a reputation as heartthrobs. Their relationship remained free, but long, and their friendship continued until Bryullov’s death. “Nothing was done according to the rules between me and Karl.”, Samoilova later wrote to his brother Alexander.
Julia with her Mediterranean appearance (there were rumors that the woman’s father was the Italian Count Litta, her mother’s stepfather) was an ideal for Bryullov, moreover, as if created for an ancient plot. The artist painted several portraits of the countess and “gave” her face to the four heroines of the painting, which became his most famous creation. In “The Last Day of Pompeii” Bryullov wanted to show the beauty of a person even in a desperate situation, and Yulia Samoilova was for him a perfect example of this beauty in the real world.
1 Yulia Samoilova. Researcher Erich Hollerbach noted that the similar heroines of “The Last Day of Pompeii,” despite social differences, look like representatives of one big family, as if the disaster had brought all the townspeople closer and equalized.
2 Street. “I took this scenery from life, without retreating or adding at all, standing with my back to the city gates in order to see part of Vesuvius as main reason» , Bryullov explained in a letter to his brother the choice of location. This is already a suburb, the so-called Road of the Tombs, leading from the Herculaneum Gate of Pompeii to Naples. Here were the tombs of noble citizens and temples. The artist sketched the location of the buildings during excavations.
3 Woman with daughters. According to Bryullov, he saw one female and two children’s skeletons, covered in these poses with volcanic ash, at excavations. The artist could associate a mother with two daughters with Yulia Samoilova, who, having no children of her own, took in two girls, relatives of friends, to raise. By the way, the father of the youngest of them, composer Giovanni Pacini, wrote the opera “The Last Day of Pompeii” in 1825, and the fashionable production became one of the sources of inspiration for Bryullov.
4 Christian priest. In the first century of Christianity, a minister of the new faith could have appeared in Pompeii; in the picture he can be easily recognized by the cross, liturgical utensils - a censer and a chalice - and a scroll with a sacred text. The wearing of body crosses and pectoral crosses in the 1st century has not been confirmed archaeologically.
5 Pagan Priest. The status of the character is indicated by the cult objects in his hands and the headband - infula. Contemporaries reproached Bryullov for not bringing to the fore the opposition of Christianity to paganism, but the artist did not have such a goal.
8 Artist. Judging by the number of frescoes on the walls of Pompeii, the profession of painter was in demand in the city. Bryullov portrayed himself as an ancient painter running next to a girl with the appearance of Countess Yulia - this is what the Renaissance masters, whose work he studied in Italy, often did.
9 The woman who fell from her chariot. According to art critic Galina Leontyeva, the Pompeian woman lying on the pavement symbolizes death ancient world, for which the artists of classicism yearned.
10 Things, which fell out of the box, like other objects and decorations in the picture, were copied by Bryullov from bronze and silver mirrors, keys, lamps filled with olive oil, vases, bracelets and necklaces found by archaeologists that belonged to the inhabitants of Pompeii of the 1st century AD. e.
11 Warrior and boy. According to the artist's idea, these are two brothers saving a sick old father.
12 Pliny the Younger. An ancient Roman prose writer who witnessed the eruption of Vesuvius described it in detail in two letters to the historian Tacitus.
13 Mother of Pliny the Younger. Bryullov placed the scene with Pliny on canvas “as an example of a child’s and mother's love", despite the fact that disaster overtook the writer and his family in another city - Misenach (about 25 km from Vesuvius and about 30 km from Pompeii). Pliny recalled how he and his mother got out of Misenum at the height of the earthquake, and a cloud of volcanic ash was approaching the city. It was difficult for the elderly woman to escape, and she, not wanting to cause the death of her 18-year-old son, tried to persuade him to leave her. “I replied that I would be saved only with her; I take her by the arm and make her quicken her pace.”, said Pliny. Both survived.
14 Goldfinch. During a volcanic eruption, birds died in flight.
15 Newlyweds. According to ancient Roman tradition, the heads of newlyweds were decorated with wreaths of flowers. The flammei, the traditional veil of the ancient Roman bride made of thin yellow-orange fabric, fell from the girl’s head.
16 Tomb of Scaurus. Building from the Road of the Tombs, resting place of Aulus Umbricius Scaurus the Younger. The tombs of the ancient Romans were usually built outside the city limits on both sides of the road. During his lifetime, Scaurus the Younger held the position of duumvir, that is, he stood at the head of the city administration, and for his services he was even awarded a monument in the forum. This citizen was the son of a wealthy merchant of garum fish sauce (Pompeii was famous for it throughout the empire).
17 Building destruction. Seismologists, based on the nature of the destruction of the buildings depicted in the picture, determined the intensity of the earthquake “according to Bryullov” - eight points.
18 Vesuvius. The eruption occurred on August 24-25, 79 AD. e., destroyed several cities of the Roman Empire located at the foot of the volcano. Of the 20-30 thousand inhabitants of Pompeii, about two thousand were not saved, judging by the remains found.
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ARTIST
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1799 - Born in St. Petersburg into the family of academician of ornamental sculpture Pavel Brullo.
Canvas, oil.
Size: 465.5 × 651 cm
"The last day of Pompeii"
The Last Day of Pompeii is scary and beautiful. It shows how powerless man is in the face of furious nature. The talent of the artist is amazing, he managed to convey all the fragility human life. The picture silently screams that there is nothing in the world more important than human tragedy. The thirty-meter monumental canvas reveals to everyone those pages of history that no one wants to repeat.
... Of the 20 thousand inhabitants of Pompeii that day, 2,000 people died on the streets of the city. How many of them remained buried under the rubble of houses is unknown to this day.
Description of the painting “The Last Day of Pompeii” by K. Bryullov
Artist: Karl Pavlovich Bryullov (Bryulov)
Title of the painting: “The Last Day of Pompeii”
The picture was painted: 1830-1833.
Canvas, oil.
Size: 465.5 × 651 cm
The Russian artist of the Pushkin era is known as a portrait painter and the last romantic of painting, and not in love with life and beauty, but rather as an experiencer tragic conflict. It is noteworthy that K. Bryullov’s small watercolors during his life in Naples were brought by aristocrats from trips as decorative and entertaining souvenirs.
The master’s work was strongly influenced by his life in Italy, his travels through the cities of Greece, as well as his friendship with A.S. Pushkin. The latter radically affected the Academy of Arts graduate’s vision of the world – the fate of all humanity comes first in his works.
This picture reflects this idea as clearly as possible. "The last day of Pompeii" based on real historical facts.
A city near modern Naples was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Manuscripts of ancient historians, in particular Pliny the Younger, also speak about this. He says that Pompeii was famous throughout Italy for its mild climate, healing air and divine nature. Patricians had villas here, emperors and generals came to rest, turning the city into an ancient version of Rublyovka. It is reliably known that there was a theater, water supply and Roman baths here.
August 24, 79 AD e. people heard a deafening roar and saw pillars of fire, ash and stones begin to burst out of the bowels of Vesuvius. The disaster was preceded by an earthquake the day before, so most of the people managed to leave the city. Those who remained were not saved from the ash that reached Egypt and volcanic lava. Terrible tragedy came in a matter of seconds - houses collapsed on the heads of the inhabitants, and meter-high layers of volcanic sediment covered everyone without exception. Panic began in Pompeii, but there was nowhere to run.
This is exactly the moment depicted on the canvas by K. Bryullov, who saw the streets live ancient city, even under a layer of petrified ash, remaining the same as they were before the eruption. The artist collected materials for a long time, visited Pompeii several times, examined houses, walked the streets, made sketches of imprints of the bodies of people who died under a layer of hot ash. Many figures are depicted in the painting in the same poses - a mother with children, a woman who fell from a chariot and a young couple.
The work took 3 years to write - from 1830 to 1833. The master was so imbued with the tragedy of human civilization that he was carried out of the workshop several times in a semi-fainting state.
Interestingly, the film contains themes of destruction and human sacrifice. The first moment you will see is the fire engulfing the city, falling statues, a maddened horse and a murdered woman who fell from her chariot. The contrast is achieved by the fleeing townspeople who don't care about her.
It is noteworthy that the master depicted not a crowd in the usual sense of the word, but people, each of whom tells his own story.
Mothers holding their children, who do not quite understand what is happening, want to shelter them from this catastrophe. The sons, carrying their father in their arms, looking madly into the sky and covering his eyes from the ashes with his hand, try to save him at the cost of their lives. The young man, holding his dead bride in his arms, seems to not believe that she is no longer alive. A maddened horse, which is trying to throw off its rider, seems to convey that nature has not spared anyone. A Christian shepherd in red robes, not letting go of the censer, fearlessly and terrifyingly calmly looks at the falling statues pagan gods, as if he sees God’s punishment in this. The image of a priest who, having taken a golden cup and artifacts from the temple, leaves the city, cowardly looking around, is striking. Most people's faces are beautiful and reflect not horror, but calm.
One of them in the background is a self-portrait of Bryullov himself. He clutches the most valuable thing to himself - a box of paints. Pay attention to his gaze, there is no fear of death in him, there is only admiration for the spectacle that has unfolded. It’s as if the master stopped and remembers the deadly beautiful moment.
What is noteworthy is that there is no main character on the canvas, there is only a world divided by the elements into two parts. Characters disperse on the proscenium, opening the doors to a volcanic hell, and a young woman in a golden dress lying on the ground is a symbol of the death of the refined culture of Pompeii.
Bryullov knew how to work with chiaroscuro, modeling three-dimensional and lively images. Clothes and draperies play an important role here. Robes are depicted rich colors– red, orange, green, ocher, blue and blue. Contrasting with them is deathly pale skin, which is illuminated by the glow of lightning.
Light continues the idea of dividing the picture. He is no longer a way to convey what is happening, but becomes a living hero in “The Last Day of Pompeii.” Lightning flashes yellow, even lemon, cold color, turning the townspeople into living ones marble statues, and blood-red lava flows over the peaceful paradise. The glow of the volcano sets off the panorama of the dying city in the background of the picture. Black clouds of dust, from which pours not saving rain, but destructive ash, as if they say that no one can be saved. The dominant color in the painting is red. Moreover, this is not the cheerful color that is designed to give life. Bryullov red is bloody, as if reflecting the biblical Armageddon. The clothes of the characters and the background of the picture seem to merge with the glow of the volcano. Flashes of lightning illuminate only the foreground.
Karl Bryullov. The last day of Pompeii. 1833 State Russian Museum
The phrase “The Last Day of Pompeii” is known to everyone. Because the death of this ancient city once depicted by Karl Bryullov (1799-1852)
So much so that the artist experienced an incredible triumph. First in Europe. After all, he painted the picture in Rome. Italians crowded outside his hotel to have the honor of welcoming the genius. Walter Scott sat in front of the painting for several hours, deeply amazed.
It’s hard to imagine what was going on in Russia. After all, Bryullov created something that raised the prestige of Russian painting immediately unprecedented height!
People came in droves to look at the painting day and night. Bryullov was awarded a personal audience with Nicholas I. The nickname “Charlemagne” firmly stuck to him.
Only Alexandre Benois, a famous art historian of the 19th and 20th centuries, dared to criticize Pompeii. Moreover, he criticized very viciously: “Effectiveness...Painting tailored to all tastes...Theatrical loudness...Crackling effects...”
So what struck the majority so much and irritated Benoit so much? Let's try to figure it out.
Where did Bryullov get the plot from?
In 1828, young Bryullov lived and worked in Rome. Shortly before this, archaeologists began excavations of three cities that perished under the ashes of Vesuvius. Yes, yes, there were three of them. Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae.
For Europe this was an incredible discovery. After all, before this, they knew about the life of the ancient Romans from fragmentary written evidence. And here are 3 cities, mothballed for 18 centuries! With all the houses, frescoes, temples and public toilets.
Of course, Bryullov could not ignore such an event. And he went to the excavation site. By that time, Pompeii was best cleared. The artist was so amazed by what he saw that he began work almost immediately.
He worked very conscientiously. 5 years. Most of his time was spent collecting materials and sketches. The work itself took 9 months.
Bryullov the documentarian
Despite all the “theatricality” that Benois talks about, there is a lot of truth in Bryullov’s film.
The location of the action was not invented by the master. There is actually such a street at the Herculanean Gate in Pompeii. And the ruins of the temple with the stairs still stand there.
The artist also personally studied the remains of the dead. And he found some of the heroes in Pompeii. For example, a dead woman hugging her two daughters.
Karl Bryullov. The last day of Pompeii. Fragment (mother with daughters). 1833 State Russian Museum Wheels from a cart and scattered jewelry were found on one of the streets. So Bryullov came up with the idea of depicting the death of a noble Pompeian woman.
She tried to escape on a chariot, but an earthquake knocked out a cobblestone from the pavement, and the wheel ran over it. Bryullov depicts the most tragic moment. The woman fell out of the chariot and died. And her baby, having survived the fall, cries next to his mother’s body.
Karl Bryullov. The last day of Pompeii. Fragment (dead noble woman). 1833 State Russian Museum Among the discovered skeletons, Bryullov also saw a pagan priest who tried to take his wealth with him.
On the canvas he showed him tightly clutching attributes for pagan rituals. They consist of precious metals, so the priest took them with him. He does not look in a very favorable light compared to a Christian clergyman.
We can identify him by the cross on his chest. He bravely looks at the enraged Vesuvius. If you look at them together, it is clear that Bryullov specifically contrasts Christianity with paganism not in favor of the latter.
“Correctly” the buildings in the picture are also collapsing. Volcanologists claim that Bryullov depicted an earthquake of 8 points. And very reliably. This is exactly how buildings fall apart during earthquakes of such force.
Bryullov also thought out the lighting very well. The lava of Vesuvius lights up so brightly the background, saturates the buildings with red color so much that they seem to be on fire.
In this case, the foreground is illuminated with white light from a lightning flash. This contrast makes the space especially deep. And believable at the same time.
Karl Bryullov. The last day of Pompeii. Fragment (Lighting, contrast of red and white light). 1833 State Russian Museum Test yourself: take the online test
Bryullov - theater director
But in the depiction of people, verisimilitude ends. Here Bryullov, of course, is far from realism.
What would we see if Bryullov was more realistic? There would be chaos and pandemonium.
We wouldn't have the opportunity to look at every character. We would see them in fits and starts: legs, arms, some lying on top of others. They would already be pretty dirty with soot and dirt. And the faces would be distorted with horror.
What do we see from Bryullov? Groups of heroes are arranged so that we see each of them. Even in the face of death they are divinely beautiful.
Someone is effectively holding back a rearing horse. Someone gracefully covers their head with dishes. Someone is holding it nicely loved one.
Yes, they are beautiful, like Gods. Even when their eyes are full of tears from the realization of imminent death.
But Bryullov does not idealize everything to such an extent. We see one character trying to catch falling coins. Remaining petty even at such a moment.
Karl Bryullov. The last day of Pompeii. Fragment (Picking up coins). 1833 State Russian Museum Yes it theatrical performance. This is a disaster, as aesthetically pleasing as possible. Benoit was right about this. But it is only thanks to this theatricality that we do not turn away in horror.
The artist gives us the opportunity to sympathize with these people, but not to strongly believe that in a second they will die.
This is more of a beautiful legend than a harsh reality. It's breathtakingly beautiful. No matter how blasphemous it may sound.
Personal in “The Last Day of Pompeii”
In the film you can also see Bryullov’s personal experiences. You can notice that all the main heroines of the canvas have the same face.
IN different ages, with different expressions, but this is the same woman - Countess Yulia Samoilova, the love of the painter Bryullov’s life.
Karl Bryullov. Countess Samoilova, leaving the ball of the Persian envoy (with her adopted daughter Amatsilia). 1842 State Russian Museum They met in Italy. We even explored the ruins of Pompeii together. And then their romance dragged on, intermittently, for 16 long years. The relationship was free, that is, both he and she allowed themselves to be carried away by others.
Bryullov even managed to get married during this time. True, I quickly got divorced, literally after 2 months. Only after the wedding did he learn the terrible secret of his new wife. Her lover was her own father, who wished to remain in this status in the future.
After such a shock, only Samoilova consoled the artist.
They separated forever in 1845, when Samoilova decided to marry a very handsome opera singer. Her marital happiness also did not last long. Literally a year later, her husband died of consumption.
Samoilova married for the third time only with the goal of regaining the title of Countess, which she lost due to her marriage to the singer. I've been paying all my life great content to your husband without living with him. Therefore, she died in almost complete poverty.
Of the real people who existed on the canvas, you can also see Bryullov himself. Also in the role of an artist who covers his head with a box of brushes and paints.
Karl Bryullov. The last day of Pompeii. Fragment (self-portrait of the artist). 1833 State Russian Museum Summarize. Why “The Last Day of Pompeii” is a masterpiece
“The Last Day of Pompeii” is monumental in every way. A huge canvas - 3 by 6 meters. Dozens of characters. There are many details by which you can study ancient Roman culture.
“The Last Day of Pompeii” is a story of disaster, beautifully and effectively told. The characters played their roles selflessly. Special effects - on top level. The lighting is phenomenal. This is a theater, but a very professional theater.
No one else in Russian painting could paint a disaster like that. In Western painting, “Pompeii” can only be compared with “The Raft of the Medusa” by Gericault.
Theodore Gericault. Raft of Medusa. 1793 The picture has long been familiar to us Karla Bryullova THE LAST DAY OF POMPEII, but we didn’t look at it in detail. I wanted to know its history and look at the painting in detail.
K. Bryullov. The last day of Pompeii. 1830—1833
BACKGROUND OF THE PICTURE.
In 1827, the young Russian artist Karl Bryullov arrived in Pompeii. He did not know that this trip would lead him to the pinnacle of creativity. The sight of Pompeii stunned him. He walked through all the nooks and crannies of the city, touched the walls, rough from boiling lava, and, perhaps, the idea arose in him to paint a picture about last day Pompeii.
It will take six long years from the conception of the painting to its completion. Bryullov begins by studying historical sources. He reads letters from Pliny the Younger, a witness to the events, to the Roman historian Tacitus.
In search of authenticity, the artist also turns to materials archaeological excavations, he will depict some figures in the poses in which the skeletons of the victims of Vesuvius were found in hardened lava.
Almost all the items were painted by Bryullov from original items stored in the Neapolitan museum. The surviving drawings, studies and sketches show how persistently the artist searched for the most expressive composition. And even when the sketch of the future canvas was ready, Bryullov rearranged the scene about a dozen times, changing gestures, movements, and poses.
In 1830, the artist began working on a large canvas. He painted at such a limit of spiritual tension that it happened that he was literally carried out of the studio in their arms. Finally, by mid-1833 the canvas was ready.
Eruption of Vesuvius.
Let's take a short digression to get acquainted with the historical details of the event that we will see in the picture.
The eruption of Vesuvius began on the afternoon of August 24, 79 and lasted about a day, as evidenced by some surviving manuscripts of Pliny the Younger's Letters. It led to the destruction of three cities - Pompeii, Herculaneum, Stabiae and several small villages and villas.
Vesuvius wakes up and rains down all sorts of products of volcanic activity on the surrounding space. Tremors, flakes of ash, stones falling from the sky - all this took the inhabitants of Pompeii by surprise.
People tried to take refuge in houses, but died from suffocation or under the rubble. Death overtook some in public places - in theaters, markets, forums, churches, others - on the streets of the city, others - already outside the city limits. However, the vast majority of residents still managed to leave the city.
During the excavations, it became clear that everything in the cities was preserved as it was before the eruption. Under many meters of ash, streets, fully furnished houses, and the remains of people and animals that did not have time to escape were found. The force of the eruption was such that the ash from it even reached Egypt and Syria.
Of the 20,000 inhabitants of Pompeii, about 2,000 people died in the buildings and on the streets. Most of the residents left the city before the disaster, but the remains of the victims are also found outside the city. Therefore, the exact number of deaths is impossible to estimate.
Among those killed by the eruption was Pliny the Elder, who, out of scientific interest and a desire to help people suffering from the eruption, tried to approach Vesuvius on a ship and found himself in one of the centers of the disaster - at Stabia.
Pliny the Younger describes what happened on the 25th at Miseno. In the morning, a black cloud of ash began to approach the city. Residents fled in horror from the city to the seashore (probably residents of the dead cities tried to do the same). The crowd running along the road soon found itself in complete darkness; screams and crying of children could be heard.
Those who fell were trampled by those following. I had to shake off the ashes all the time, otherwise the person would instantly fall asleep, and those who sat down to rest would no longer be able to get up. This went on for several hours, but in the afternoon the ash cloud began to dissipate.
Pliny returned to Miseno, although the earthquakes continued. By the evening the eruption began to decline, and on the 26th everything calmed down in the evening. Pliny the Younger was lucky, but his uncle, the outstanding scientist and author of natural history Pliny the Elder, died during the eruption in Pompeii.
They say that the curiosity of a natural scientist let him down, he stayed in the city for observations. The sun is above dead cities- Pompeii, Stabia, Herculaneum and Octavianum - it seemed only August 27th. Vesuvius has erupted at least eight more times to this day. Moreover, in 1631, 1794 and 1944, the eruption was quite strong.
DESCRIPTION.
Black darkness hung over the earth. A blood-red glow colors the sky at the horizon, and a blinding flash of lightning momentarily breaks the darkness. In the face of death, the essence of the human soul is revealed.
Here young Pliny persuades his mother, who has fallen to the ground, to gather what remains of her strength and try to escape.
Here the sons are carrying their old father on their shoulders, trying to quickly deliver the precious burden to a safe place.
Raising his hand towards the collapsing skies, the man is ready to protect his loved ones with his chest.
Nearby is a kneeling mother with her children. With what inexpressible tenderness they cling to each other!
Above them is a Christian shepherd with a cross around his neck, with a torch and censer in his hands. With calm fearlessness he looks at the flaming skies and the crumbling statues of former gods.
And in the depths of the canvas he is contrasted with a pagan priest, running in fear with an altar under his arm. This somewhat naive allegory proclaims the advantages of the Christian religion over the outgoing pagan one.
A man with his hand raised to the heavens is trying to protect his family. Next to him is a kneeling mother with children who are looking to her for protection and help.
On the left in the background is a crowd of fugitives on the steps of the tomb of Scaurus. In it we notice an artist saving the most precious thing - a box of brushes and paints. This is a self-portrait of Karl Bryullov.
But in his eyes it is not so much the horror of death as close attention artist, aggravated by the terrible spectacle. He carries on his head the most valuable thing - a box of paints and other painting supplies. It seems that he has slowed down and is trying to remember the picture unfolding before him. The model of the girl with the jug was Yu.P. Samoilova.
We can see her in other images. This and a woman who fell to her death, stretched out on the pavement, with a living child next to her - in the center of the canvas; and a mother attracting her daughters to her in the left corner of the picture.
The young man holds his beloved, in his eyes there is despair and hopelessness.
Many art historians consider the central characters in the canvas to be a frightened child lying next to his dead mother. Here we see grief, despair, hope, the death of the old world, and perhaps the birth of a new one. This is a confrontation between life and death.
A noble woman tried to escape on a fast chariot, but no one can escape Kara; everyone must be punished for their sins. On the other hand, we see a frightened child who against all odds he survived to revive the fallen race. But what is it further fate, we certainly don’t know, and we can only hope for a happy outcome.
The baby mourning her is an allegory of the new world, a symbol of the inexhaustible power of life.
There is so much pain, fear and despair in people’s eyes.
"The Last Day of Pompeii" convinces us that main value in the world - this is a person. To the destructive forces Bryullov contrasts nature with the spiritual greatness and beauty of man.
Brought up on the aesthetics of classicism, the artist strives to give his characters ideal features and plastic perfection, although it is known that residents of Rome posed for many of them.
The first time seeing this work, any viewer is delighted with its colossal scale: on a canvas with an area of more than thirty square meters, the artist tells the story of many lives united by disaster. It seems that what is captured on the plane of the canvas is not a city, but an entire world experiencing destruction.
HISTORY OF THE PICTURE
In the autumn of 1833, the painting appeared at an exhibition in Milan and caused an explosion of delight and admiration. An even greater triumph awaited Bryullov at home. Exhibited in the Hermitage and then at the Academy of Arts, the painting became a source of patriotic pride. She was enthusiastically greeted by A.S. Pushkin:
Vesuvius opened its mouth - smoke poured out in a cloud - flames
Widely developed as a battle flag.
The earth is agitated - from the shaky columns
Idols fall! A people driven by fear
In crowds, old and young, under the inflamed ashes,
Runs out of the city under the rain of stones.
Indeed, the world fame of Bryullov’s painting forever destroyed the disdainful attitude towards Russian artists that existed even in Russia itself. In the eyes of his contemporaries, the work of Karl Bryullov was proof of the originality of the national artistic genius.
Bryullov was compared to the greats Italian masters. Poets dedicated poems to him. He was greeted with applause on the street and in the theater. A year later, the French Academy of Arts awarded the artist for the painting gold medal after her participation in the Paris Salon.
In 1834, the painting “The Last Day of Pompeii” was sent to St. Petersburg. Alexander Ivanovich Turgenev said that this picture brought glory to Russia and Italy. E. A. Baratynsky composed a famous aphorism on this occasion: “The last day of Pompeii became the first day for the Russian brush!”
Nicholas I honored the artist with a personal audience and awarded Charles a laurel wreath, after which the artist was called “Charlemagne.”
Anatoly Demidov presented the painting to Nicholas I, who exhibited it at the Academy of Arts as a guide for aspiring painters. After the opening of the Russian Museum in 1895, the painting moved there, and the general public gained access to it.
K. P. Bryullov
The last day of Pompeii. 1830—1833
Canvas, oil. 465.5 × 651 cm
State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg
The Last Day of Pompeii is a painting by Karl Pavlovich Bryullov, painted in 1830-1833. The painting had unprecedented success in Italy, was awarded a gold medal in Paris, and was delivered to St. Petersburg in 1834.
Karl Bryullov first visited Naples and Vesuvius in July 1827, in the fourth year of his stay in Italy. He had no specific purpose for the trip, but there were several reasons for taking this trip. In 1824, the painter’s brother, Alexander Bryullov, visited Pompeii and, despite the restraint of his nature, enthusiastically spoke about his impressions. The second reason for visiting was the hot summer months and the almost always accompanying outbreaks of fever in Rome. The third reason was the recently rapidly emerging friendship with Princess Yulia Samoilova, who was also traveling to Naples.
The sight of the lost city stunned Bryullov. He stayed in it for four days, going around all the nooks and crannies more than once. “Going to Naples that summer, neither Bryullov himself nor his companion knew that this unexpected journey would lead the artist to the highest peak of his creativity - the creation of a monumental historical painting“The last day of Pompeii,” writes art critic Galina Leontyeva.
In 1828, during his next visit to Pompeii, Bryullov made many sketches for a future painting about famous eruption Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD e. and the destruction of this city. The canvas was exhibited in Rome, where it received rave reviews from critics, and was sent to the Louvre in Paris. This work became the first painting by the artist to arouse such interest abroad. Walter Scott called the painting “unusual, epic.”
Classic theme, thanks artistic vision Bryullov and the abundant play of chiaroscuro, resulted in work that is several steps ahead from the neoclassical style. “The Last Day of Pompeii” perfectly characterizes classicism in Russian painting, mixed with idealism, increased interest in plein air and the passionate love of that time for such historical subjects. The artist's image in the left corner of the painting is a self-portrait of the author.
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The canvas also depicts Countess Yulia Pavlovna Samoilova three times - a woman with a jug on her head, standing on a raised platform on the left side of the canvas; a woman who fell to her death, stretched out on the pavement, and next to her a living child (both were presumably thrown out of a broken chariot) - in the center of the canvas; and a mother attracting her daughters to her in the left corner of the picture.
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In 1834, the painting “The Last Day of Pompeii” was sent to St. Petersburg. Alexander Ivanovich Turgenev said that this picture brought glory to Russia and Italy. E. A. Baratynsky composed a famous aphorism on this occasion: “The last day of Pompeii became the first day for the Russian brush!” A. S. Pushkin also responded with a poem: “Idols fall! A people driven by fear..." (this line was prohibited by censorship). In Russia, Bryullov’s canvas was perceived not as a compromise, but as an exclusively innovative work.
Anatoly Demidov presented the painting to Nicholas I, who exhibited it at the Academy of Arts as a guide for aspiring painters. After the opening of the Russian Museum in 1895, the painting moved there, and the general public gained access to it.