Konstantin Korovin. Our Impressionist

Before us is a portrait of Konstantin Alekseevich Korovin. Wrote it Valentin Serov. In a very unusual way.

Look at the artist's hand, the one on the striped pillow. A couple of strokes. And everything else, except for the face, is written in the manner of Korovin himself.

So Serov either joked, or, on the contrary, expressed admiration for the style of Korovinskaya painting.

Konstantin Korovin (1861-1939) is less familiar to many than let's say Repin, Savrasov or Shishkin.

But it was this artist who brought a completely new aesthetics to Russian fine art - aesthetics impressionism.

And not only did he bring it. He was the most consistent Russian impressionist.

Yes, we can see in other Russian artists a period of passion for impressionism. The same Serov and even Repin (a staunch realist, by the way).

But only Korovin was a faithful admirer of impressionism all his life. Moreover, his way of coming to this style is very interesting.

How Korovin became an impressionist

If you do not know the biography of Korovin, then you will probably think: “It is clear that the artist visited Paris, was imbued with French impressionism and brought it to Russia.”

Surprisingly, this is not the case. His first works in the impressionist style were created a few years before his trip to France.

Here is one of his first such works, which Korovin himself was very proud of. "Chorist".

Ugly girl painted outdoors. As befits all impressionists. Distinct, not hidden strokes. Carelessness and ease of writing.

Even the pose of the girl is impressionistic - relaxed, she fell back a little. It is difficult to pose in this position for a long time. Only a true impressionist will write it quickly, in 10-15 minutes, so that the model does not get tired.

But it's not all that simple. Please note that the signature and date are different from each other. Art critics have always doubted that Korovin could have created such a masterpiece in 1883. That is, at 22 years old!

And they suggest that the artist deliberately misleads us by putting down an earlier date. Thus, having staked out for himself the right to be called the first Russian impressionist. Who began to create similar works long before the experiments of his colleagues.

Even if this is so, the fact remains that Korovin created his first works in the style of impressionism before his trip to France.

Lucky with a difficult fate

Korovin's friends have always admired the "lightness" of the artist. He was always in a good mood, joked a lot, had a sociable character.

“This person is doing well,” people around him thought ... And they were so much mistaken.

After all, the life of the master consisted not only of creative victories, but also a series of real tragedies. The first of which broke out in childhood - from a rich merchant's house, the impoverished Korovins moved to a simple village hut.

The father of Konstantin Alekseevich could not survive this and committed suicide when the artist was 20 years old.

In the Korovin family, the passion for fine arts was welcomed - everyone here drew well. And so the admission of the young man in 1875 to the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture looked quite logical.

Alexey Savrasov was his first teacher here. And a very loyal teacher. He did not interfere with the experiments of his student at all. Even when he wrote “River in Menshov”.

A wide space, light spilling over the canvas and ... not a single clear line. No narrative - just mood.

It was very unusual for Russian painting of that time. After all, the realists - the Wanderers "ruled the ball". When detailing, a well-balanced drawing and an understandable plot were the basis of all the foundations.

The same Savrasov wrote very realistically, meticulously writing out every detail. Remember at least his famous "Rooks".

But there was no persecution of Korovin. It's just that his works were perceived as etude, intentional incompleteness. Which may well be liked by the public.

Korovin and theater

Most of Korovin's works are impressionistic. However, he tried himself in another style.

In 1885, Korovin met Savva Mamontov, who invited him to design performances. Scenography, of course, will be reflected in his painting.

So in his famous painting "Northern Idyll" you can see that the figures of the heroes are devoid of three-dimensionality. They are like part of a flat scenery, inscribed in a wide three-dimensional landscape.

"Northern Idyll" is, of course, a masterpiece. Which was created under the influence of work in the theater.

However, Alexander Benois (art historian) believed that Korovin wasted his talent on secondary works in the form of theatrical scenery. That he would be better off focusing on his unique style.

Personal life of the Russian impressionist

And what about Korovin's personal life? All his life he was married to Anna Fidler. It can be seen in the painting "Paper Lanterns". But the history of their family life cannot be called happy.

Their first child died in infancy, and the second boy became a cripple at the age of 16. Having fallen under a tram, he lost both legs.

Since then, the whole life of Alexei Konstantinovich (and he was also an artist) was a series of depressions and suicide attempts. The last of which, after the death of his father, reached the goal.

All his life, Korovin was exhausted in order to ensure the treatment of his son and wife (she suffered from angina pectoris). Therefore, he never refused secondary works: wallpaper design, signage design, and so on.

As his friends recalled, he worked without rest from day to day. It's amazing how he managed to create masterpieces.

The best masterpieces

Korovin liked to visit the dacha in Zhukovka with the artist Polenov.

A wonderful work “At the Tea Table” appeared here, where we can see members of the Polenov family and their friends.

See how impressionistic everything is here. We see on the right an empty chair pushed back. As if the artist stood up and immediately captured what was happening. And those sitting did not even pay attention to it. They are busy with their own affairs and conversations. On the left, the “frame” is completely cropped, as in a photo taken in a hurry.

No posing. Just a moment of life snatched and immortalized by the artist.

The painting “In the Boat” was painted in the same place, in Zhukovka. The painting depicts the artist Polenov and his wife's sister Maria Yakunchenkova, also an artist.

This is a unique example of the image of the unity of man and nature. The picture can be viewed endlessly, feeling the unhurried movement of water and the rustle of leaves.

Fyodor Chaliapin was a great friend of Korovin. The master painted an amazing portrait of the great operatic bass.

Of course, Impressionism suits Chaliapin very well. This style conveys his cheerful and energetic character in the best possible way.

Konstantin Alekseevich traveled extensively in Europe with the Mamontov troupe. Here he found new unusual subjects.

What are his "Spanish women Leonora and Ampara" worth. Having depicted two girls at the balcony, he was able to convey the whole national essence of Spain. Love for bright and ... black. Openness and ... modesty.

And here Korovin is quite an impressionist. He managed to stop the moment when one of the girls swayed and leaned on her friend's shoulder. Such instability makes them alive and at ease.

Paris in Russian

Korovin wrote Paris selflessly. So, not every French artist succeeded.

Its strokes seem to fall into a whirlwind, forming a colorful mass. In which we barely distinguish figures, shadows, windows of houses.

Literally one step to abstraction, pure emotions without any admixture of the real world.

See how differently Claude Monet and Korovin wrote Boulevard des Capucines. The colors are especially different. Monet is restraint, calmness. Korovin - courage, brightness.

Once Korovin stood with an easel on the streets of Paris and drew. A Russian couple stopped to watch the artist at work. The man commented that the French are still very strong in color. To which Korovin retorted “Russians are no worse!”

Unlike many impressionists, Korovin never abandoned black paint. Sometimes using it very abundantly. As, for example, in the painting “Italian Boulevard”.

Like impressionism, but very black. Such a Monet or even Pissarro (who wrote a lot of Parisian boulevards) you will not see.

Without Russia

There was no place for Korovin in post-revolutionary Russia. On the convincing advice of Lunacharsky, the artist left his homeland.

There he still worked hard, painted pictures, was at the center of secular society. But…

Eugene Lansere (Russian artist, brother of the artist Zinaida Serebryakova) recalled that once he met Korovin at one of the Paris exhibitions.

He stood by some kind of Russian landscape and shed tears, lamenting that he would never see Russian birches again.

Korovin was insanely sad. Having left Russia, he could not forget her. The artist's life ended in Paris in 1939.

Today, art critics appreciate Korovin for impressionism in Russian art, and the viewer ...

The viewer loves the artist for the magical combination of color and light that makes one stand at his masterpieces for a long time.

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English version

Main illustration: Valentin Serov. Portrait of K. Korovin. 1891 The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.