Valentin Serov

1865-1911

Portrait of the Actress Yermolova, 1905 Oil on canvas, 224 120 cm.

Valentin Serov painted the portrait of the great Russian actress Maria Yermolova in. 1905, when the events of the first Russian revolution enhanced his resolve to reveal man's romantic and heroic impulses. By this time Serov had already won recognition as the finest Russian portrait painter of the period. He had for many years striven to capture and evaluate the innermost being of his models, avoiding exaggeration or showy prettiness, judging a personality only from humanist, positions. In Yermolova's portrait the painter reveals above all, laconically and forcefully, the creative spirit of the actress, whose performance had deeply impressed him. Her figure, clad in an austere black dress, stands out in graceful silhouette against the background of the grey-blue wall. The folds of the dress, falling to the floor, seem to form a pedestal, while the upper part of the figure looks as if it is inscribed into a second frame - the gold border of a mirror which enlivens the smoothness of the wall. Yermolova's face and hands are set off by means of a linear rhythm, by colour and by modelling. The inspired face reflects an inner fire, the expressive gesture of her clasped hands emphasizes, by its restraint, the actress's inner feelings. The noble simplicity of unobtrusive jewellery underlines Yermolova's austerebeauty and unaffectedness. The portrait is perceived as a pictorial monument to the greatness of the human spirit, to the dignity and strength of the individual.

Questions:

1. What was Serov’s motivation for painting the portrait of Yermolova?

2. What were his views as an artist?

3. How does he reveal the creative spirit of the actress?

4. What is your impression of the portrait?

ISAAC LEVITAN

1860-1900

SPRING: FLOOD WATERS. 1897

Oil on canvas. 64.2 X 57.5 cm

The art of Levitan marks the zenith of Russian landscape painting. A pupil of Savrasov and Polenov, a younger contemporary of Shishkin and Kuinji, Levitan can be said to have summed up the basic tendencies in the development of nineteen I li century landscape painting, which found expression in the rare diversity of motifs and themes, in a va­riety of techniques and methods. The picture Spring: Flood Waters is justly consid­ered one of the best of Levitan's works, character­ized as it is by an exquisite, lyrical comprehension of nature. Its very subject of high spring waters arouses an intense lyrical emotive response, evoking poetical associations. And, moreover, this motif is treated in a masterly manner. The painter's choice of light, diaphanous colours is ideal for conveying the transparency of the water and the air, the light blue of the sky and the gentleness of the springtime sun. There is a village somewhere, just within sight; and the gleaming while trunks of the birches, along with their reflections in the smooth mirror of the waters, produce the effect of something shifting, changeable, transient. Only the strong trunk of a soli­tary oak-tree, rising straight among the swaying, vibrating birches, and the little boat at the edge of the water link the picture with the earthly, the ma­terial, hinting at the people who live amidst this beautiful, slill calm and untroubled nature. Such "humanization" of nature is quite characteristic of Levitan's art; it links the subjective emotiveness of his landscapes with their typically Russian charac­ter, evoking thoughts of one's native land. Levitan's landscapes captivate the viewers by their strong musical quality. Spring: Flood Waters, loo, is marvellously musical. The gentle juxtapositions of blues and golds, and the clear rhythmical sequels of swaying birch-trees create a sweet, pure melody — the enchanting melody of a Russian spring.

Questions:

1. What were the basic tendencies in the development of 19^th c. landscape painting?

2. Why is the painting “Spring: Flood Waters” considered one of the best of Levitan’s works?

3. How does the artist manage to convey the the transparency of the water and the air, the light blue of the sky and the gentleness of the springtime sun?

4. What features are characteristic of Levitan’s work?

VOCABULARY EXERCISES AND TASKS FOR DISCUSSION

Task 1. For questions 1-12, choose from the styles of art A-F. Some of the styles may be used more than once. When more than one answer is required, these may be given in any order.

Which style or styles of art:

first showed scenes from everyday life? 1.

is the oldest? 2.

shows scenes from mythology? 3. 4.

is directly influenced by a previous style of painting? 5.

tried to be very different from previous styles? 6.

makes people seem more beautiful than they really are? 7.

shows people having fun? 8.

began in the nineteenth century? 9.

may at first seem to be badly drawn? 10.

do not show objects clearly? 11.

is found in museums in most countries? 12.

A Cave Paintings

The cave paintings on the walls of caves in Spain & southern France are the earliest form of art we have. They show a wide variety of animals, such as bears, horses & deer. The pictures were painted in bright colours, which were made of various minerals mixed with animal fat, egg whites, plant juices & even blood. They were almost certainly connected with hunting. In one famous example, in a cave in Lascaux in France, a man is shown among some animals & there are several dart dots in the painting. The meaning of the painting is not certain, but it shows that the cave dwellers had superb artistic skills.

B Egyptian Paintings

More than 5 000 years ago, the Egyptians began painting the world around them on the walls of the Pharaohs’ tombs. The Egyptians believed there was life after death, so they painted pictures of mythological stories & of daily life. People & animals were shown involved in daily activities, such as hunting, farming & eating.

C Greek Art

The most artistic people of any age were, perhaps, the Greeks around 500 BC. Their aim in sculpture was the imitation of life, but life in its perfect or ideal form. We have many examples of Greek sculpture, which is characterized by the beauty of its forms & amazing knowledge of human anatomy. Most of the sculptures portray gods & goddesses from mythology.

Most Greek wall paintings have not survived, but we have a few examples by the Minoans of Crete in the ancient royal palaces of Knossos & Santorini. These pictures are very realistic & lively. The most common subjects are sports, celebrations, dolphins & beautiful young people.

D The Renaissance

The Renaissance is usually defined as the rebirth of painting & literature inspired by classical models, especially those of ancient Greece. The Renaissance lasted from the fifteenth to the sixteenth century & its center was Italy. The great artists of the period, who include Michelangelo, Leonardo & Botticelli, were able to paint nature & people with great accuracy. More than any other style, the works of the Italian Renaissance can be seen in museum collections throughout the world.

E Impressionism

The name comes from a picture by Monet, ‘Impression, Sunrise’ (1872). This painting shows Monet’s interest in analyzing tone & colour &, above all, the way light reflects on the surface of objects. As a result, the objects do not always have a clear outline. The first Impressionist exhibition was held in 1874 when Monet, Renoir, Cézanne, Degas & others announced that the aim of the movement was to achieve greater naturalism in painting. Most Impressionist pictures are of landscapes & the Impressionists liked to use bright colours, even when portraying shadows; this often gives their work a joyful, optimistic feel.

F Modernism

Following the Impressionist movement, artists such as Picasso & Braque tried to change the style of painting from naturalistic to more abstract. Instead of trying to make a realistic copy of an object, they wanted to show it from a variety of different angles. In their paintings, several views of an object or person are combined, which often results in such things as eyes & noses appearing in unusual places or at strange angles. Some people conclude from these paintings that the artists could not draw. On the contrary; Picasso & Braque were perfectly capable of painting naturalistic paintings, but this was not their aim in art.

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