Portrait of Lermontov and his significance for Russian painting

Historians know a lot of biographical stories, where people equally talented manifested themselves in various areas of art. For Russia, one of these characters is the famous poet Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov.

Comprehensively developed personality

The personal portrait of Lermontov can not be compiled without emphasizing the giftedness that nature awarded him. Mikhail Yurievich had an unusually good musical ear and a propensity for playing the instrument. He masterfully performed parts on the violin, piano, sang and even, according to some sources, composed music. However, if the poet's skills listed above were used only in his own pleasure, then his artistic experiments gave him a talented painter.

There is information that Lermontov was easily given a solution to complex mathematical problems, and he was also known as a successful chess player. Among its advantages is the possession of several foreign languages, as well as reading and literacy. He achieved world fame due to his poetic contribution to the history of culture. This young genius (he died at the age of 27) was so desperate to create something as literally valuable as AS Pushkin, that he worked hard and eventually left an unshakable legacy in the form of poems, poems and pictures.

Lermontov is an artist

Traditional gentry education provided comprehensive education, including training in drawing. Of course, this did not mean that all the students invariably became artists. Many were destined to become amateurs in this field, but not to Lermontov.

The drawings of the poet preserved in the archives indicate his confident possession of the pencil drawing technique and his compositional flair. Lermontov's portrait in pencil could masterfully convey all the emotions of a person, without deviating from the canons of classical graphics.

In his first artistic experiments, Mikhail Yurievich refers to the themes of the Spanish Revolution. On his canvases there are dramatism and romanticism inherent in the young men of his age, the artist's attachment to the ideals of a free personality is felt. In parallel with painting Lermontov worked tirelessly in the literary genre. So, in 1830, the poem "The Spaniards" appeared, which the author himself illustrated, and by 1833 the first known and fundamental art work "Portrait of the Duke of Lema" was coming out from under the brush of the poet. It is interesting that the prototype for this character was the legendary ancestor of the poet, and on closer examination it can be noted that his image is like a portrait of Lermontov.

It should be noted that Mikhail Yurievich owned a watercolor technique, and also wrote oil well. His artistic style is reminiscent of romanticism. For his short creative, let him independently illustrated many of his works, including the famous poem "Sail".

Portrait of Lermontov

If in his younger years of life Mikhail Yuryevich gravitated toward landscape painting and graphic sketches, then at a more mature age, his attention was drawn to portrait painting. In most cases, he portrayed his acquaintances. Among the most significant paintings Lermontov are a portrait of Muravyov, Kikin and Stolypin (the latter written in watercolors).

In the history of Lermontov's artistic search, his self-portrait, dated 1837, plays a great role. It is worth noting that the artist somewhat romanticized his image, portraying himself as a warrior against the backdrop of the Caucasus Mountains. However, such a composition is not devoid of historical meaning, since he carried officer service and participated in the battle against the mountaineers (1840). These events left an imprint on the creative manner of the artist. The sketches gained momentum: Lermontov's portrait was filled with pencil strokes, as if the author was rushing to fix the image.

Famous images of Lermontov

Among the eminent figures of Russia, perhaps, Lermontov lived the shortest and most intense life. Portraits, whose photos seem to depict absolutely different people, survive to our days only in the amount of 15 pieces, which increases their value and at the same time points to the high popularity of Mikhail Yurievich in artistic circles.

Given the fact that the life of the poet was cut off at the age of 27, he simply could not undergo significant external changes. It is obvious that, according to the idea of artists, each portrait of M. Lermontov pursues the goal of fixing the poet's multifaceted inner world, and not his appearance. For example, one of the paintings depicting Mikhail Yurievich shows it in the period before the battle with the mountaineers, while AI Klyudner displayed on his canvas the spiritual state of the poet after.

There are many images depicting Lermontov (portraits, photos), but the most valuable of them belong to FA Budkin, PE Zabolotsky, AI Klyunder. The only image on which the poet appears in front of the viewer in his childhood, belongs to the serf's hand, who performed the work commissioned by the grandmother of the boy. The last lifetime portrait of Lermontov M. Yu. Was written by KA Gorbunov and made with watercolor.

Young genius

No portrait of Lermontov could convey the grandeur of his nature. His whole life flew by in an instant, and regardless, he, like Byron, was able to embody the whole romanticism of a tragically deceased person of genius.

Of course, comparing the contribution of Mikhail Yurievich to literature and painting, I want to note that he did not have time to master the technique of artistic transmission. However, no one can deny that the life of a young man broke off unjustly early, and it may well be that he would have managed to develop his talent to more significant heights.

To date, its artistic heritage includes 13 oil paintings, 44 watercolor works, 4 hundreds of graphic sketches, which are stored in national museums of Russia, the State Library, as well as abroad.