"Slavic Composers" - a large group portrait of a young artist I. Repin

Moscow businessman and philanthropist Slavophil AA. Porohovshchikov took part in the construction of an elegant and chic hotel and a luxurious restaurant "Slavianski Bazaar" (architect August Weber). It was decided to decorate it with the painting "Slavic Composers". Originally it was called "The Assembly of Russian, Polish and Czech Musicians". She had to convey to the viewer the idea that all the Slavs are brothers.

History of the painting

The list of composers who had to be written in the picture for AA. Porohovshchikova, was Nikolai Grigorievich Rubinstein. He was a virtuoso pianist, a remarkable conductor, founder and first director of the Moscow Conservatory. He did not approach the list comprehensively. In it, he did not include such geniuses as P.I. Tchaikovsky, M.P. Mussorgsky, A.P. Borodin, and C. Cui.

Porokhovshchikov wanted to see a large-scale multi-figured canvas written by the recognized master K. Makovsky. The price of 25 thousand rubles was unacceptable for the organizers. Other painters asked 15 thousand. The case ended with the work of I.E. Repin is a young graduate of the Academy of Arts, only for fifteen hundred rubles, which was financially very poor.

Beginning of work

Most of the musicians by the time of writing the picture in 1872 had already passed away. The work of I. Repin was helped by a music critic, who at one time supported the "Mighty Handful", Vladimir Vasilyevich Stasov. In the painting "Slavonic Composers" it was required to write like the musicians who lived at that time, and those who were already dead. Indefatigable V. Stasov, helping the artist, everywhere looking for their portraits. Repin practically did all the work in St. Petersburg. He was posed only by musicians who lived at that time: M. A. Balakirev, N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov and E. Napravnik. This was written by Ilya Efimovich himself in his memoirs. In Moscow, he brought an almost finished canvas, which he only finalized in the ancient capital.

Place of painting

The restaurant "Slavianski Bazaar" was opened in the late spring of 1872 in the business center of Moscow on Nikolskaya street. It united Russian cuisine (the chef studied in Paris) and European service. Only wealthy people could visit him regularly. It was a good idea to have breakfast in it and at this time talk about business and make a deal. Transactions were not a penny, but a million. Lunches and dinners in it were not popular. The restaurant had one feature, which was nowhere else. Having finished breakfast with champagne and coffee with liquor, the client demanded cognac. If the guest ordered expensive, excellent quality, worth 50 rubles cognac, then in the calculation he was presented with a crystal carafe from this cognac, painted with gold cranes. The merchants collected these, as they called them, "cranes", and competed among themselves in their numbers. The ceiling of the restaurant was glass, gable, and it was supported by metal structures in the form of gratings. They were reflected in the plates on the table.

In the concert hall of the restaurant, executed in Russian style, which had the name "Russian Chamber", among the other portraits was placed the canvas "Slavic Composers".

Who is written in the picture

In the center stand, talking, MI. Glinka (died in 1857), M.A. Balakirev and VF Odoyevsky (died in 1860). Behind them, Dargomyzhsky sits on the chair, who was no longer alive. He is followed by IF. Laskovsky. In the court uniform on the right - A.F. Lviv. He listens to what AN says. Verstovsky.

The group at the piano is formed by the brothers A. and N. Rubinstein. A.N. Serov (the father of the artist V. Serov) stands between A. Rubinstein and Lvov.

A separate group consists of the late AP. Guriliev, DS Bortnyansky and P.I. Turchaninov. Foreign Slavic composers are written on the back and left plane. To the left - Czechs: there is E. Napravnik, sit - B. Smetana, K. Bendel and V. Gorak. In the background IE Repin arranged the Poles. K.Lipinsky stands on the background of the door. Next to him, the far right - S. Moniuszko. Further F. Chopin and M. Oginsky.

The painting "Slavic Composers", the description of which was limited to enumeration of the depicted musicians, does not allow to say anything more. It is informative.

Oddities of intention

The very idea of mixing composers of different countries and peoples, living and dead, in one picture "Slavonic Composers" caused surprise not only for the young painter. I. Turgenev spoke about it as a "vinaigrette". He believed that worse than this story, nothing could be imagined.

It is difficult to speak about the artistic merits of a work. The painting "Slavic Composers" (Repin) surprises and is good only because you do not need to scroll through albums looking for portraits. However, the Moscow audience took her not only to be enthusiastic, but she had success.

Over time, the canvas "Slavic Composers" was moved to the Moscow Conservatory, as the restaurant was closed at one time, and later a fire broke out in it.

Strange and unusual design of Rubinstein lives his own life exactly where the pianist-virtuoso worked - at the Moscow Conservatory.