Makovsky Konstantin Egorovich: biography, the creative path

Makovsky Konstantin Egorovich (1839-1915) - happy darling of fate - grew up in an environment where everything breathed art. He loved beauty in all its forms and manifestations and hurried to capture it on his canvases.

The Makovsky family

The large family of Makovsky, consisting of the father of Yegor Ivanovich, who devotedly loved art and did much to create a school of painting and sculpture in Moscow, the beautiful mother of Lyubov Kornilievna, three sons and two sisters, lived in a large hospitable apartment on the Moskva River embankment. From the windows the Kremlin was visible. It was visited by Glinka, Gogol, Pushkin, Schepkin, and later KP Bryullov, V.A. Tropinin. All the children grew up viewing the father's collection, listening to talks about painting, music, theater and literature. Father reverentially treated art, believing that it inculcates humanity with humanity. He himself worked with his sons, teaching them to make copies of his rare engravings. But especially Tropinin did a lot for the children, who closely followed them. All of them later became painters, but they worked in different genres. Makovsky Konstantin Egorovich, starting painting at the age of four, began to receive a professional education at the age of twelve.

Years of study

In 1851, a talented boy entered Moscow in the school of painting. He was a teacher MI. Scotty and S.K. Zaryanka. But a great influence on him had and Tropinin, and Bryullov, who was then at the zenith of glory. Six years in the school ran like one instant, and now Makovsky Konstantin Egorovich In 1857 he went to continue his studies in St. Petersburg, the Academy of Fine Arts. He was interested in historical painting. And in the fifth year of training in 1862 he receives a reward for the painting "The agents of Dmitry Pretender kill the son of Boris Godunov." It is written as a historical romantic work. But a year later, refusing to write a picture on the topic proposed by the Academy, Makovsky Konstantin Egorovich Leaves the AH. He received the title of only artist of the 2nd degree. Much later he will become an academician.

Beginning of work

The young artist did not lose his head. He already gained fame by writing a portrait of the emperor-liberator for the Russian embassy in London for an extremely short time, in just one session. This attention to his work of the august name did not make waiting for orders from high-society customers. In the sixties the artist worked a lot on portraits of high-ranking officials. Naturally, his earnings are also growing. As a result, Makovsky Konstantin Egorovich Gets the glory of a brilliant portraitist. His ceremonial portraits are very beautiful, both in color and composition. Amazingly beautifully written out lightly smears of fabric and transparent, and velvety, sparkling jewelry on the hands, neck, in the ears, gold jewelery, medal ribbons and the medals themselves. The depth of disclosure of the psychology of the depicted character is not different. But this is not required by its customers.

Portraits of members of the imperial family and their entourage

From his youth to a very old age, Makovsky will remain a court painter. It was ordered by portraits of emperors and empresses, Grand Dukes and Grand Duchesses and their high-ranking entourage. All these paintings reflect the artist's increasing technical skill. Aesthetically, they just please the eye. The models and the surrounding entourage are also beautiful. "Portrait of Countess Maria Mikhailovna Volkonskaya" is executed against a background of deep burgundy color draperies. The chair itself, on which the countess sits, scarlet, trimmed with gold, and on it carelessly thrown a cloak with ermine trim. The head of the countess with a simple smooth hair decorates a dark diadem with precious stones, which in style coincides with the decoration on the neck. The white dress of the model competes with the delicate white skin of the hands and shoulders. Its rounded neckline is decorated with a blue bow, feathers and a brooch with emeralds. In the hands, decorated with bracelets and rings, is a half-opened fan. Embroidery from the flowers and leaves falling to the translucent hem complete the dress. The model is filled with quiet dignity.

Family life

For a while, Makovsky writes pictures in the style of realism. This is the period of rapprochement with the Wanderers. Makovsky Konstantin Egorovich, whose paintings sentimentally reflect on the canvases of the life of the St. Petersburg common people, for example, "Vdovushka" or "Seamstress", have nothing in common with critical realism . But it was in the 70s that Makovsky approached the musical world of Petersburg and married in 1866 with actress Elena Timofeevna Burkova. In their happy and hospitable home there are composers, musicians, singers and members of the "Mighty Handful". But the happiness of the young couple was short-lived - the wife fell sick with consumption and died in 1873. In 1874, "among the noisy ball" the artist Makovsky Konstantin Egorovich gets acquainted with a young girl of amazing beauty - Julia Pavlovna Letkova. She is not only beautiful as an angel, but musical. She has a soprano, and Konstantin Egorovich is not only handsome, well-groomed, charming, but also has a beautiful baritone, sings on a professional stage. This is how Makovsky Konstantin Egorovich looked before his marriage. The portrait was written by himself. In general, the wedding took place in 1875. The age difference of twenty years did not bother them. But in 1873 - 1876, the painter makes a trip to Africa, more precisely, to Cairo. From there, the artist Makovsky Konstantin Egorovich paintings and sketches brings exotic. Their color is oriental, the images created are full of life's persuasiveness. A fabulous in beauty and picturesque, conveying the spicy flavor of the East, the painting "Carrying the sacred carpet in Cairo" (1896), the emperor will acquire. The Makovsky family lives in Paris, meeting there with the Viardot family, then in Petersburg, communicating with Russian artists. In their marriage, which lasts until 1898, three children will be born. But the amorous artist drew attention to the charming beauty Maria Alekseevna Matavtina, who married after the divorce. In this alliance, four children appeared. The artist liked to draw both children's and family portraits. They are very many.

Paintings on historical themes

Makovsky from his father got a passion for collecting collections. He is everywhere looking for and acquiring objects of old life, decorations, clothes, which then will be used when writing pictures. They are compositionally reminiscent of theatrical stage, since the artist was always fascinated by the theater. Such a "staged" picture can be considered "Boyar wedding feast in the XVII century" (1883). This multi-figured canvas impresses with decorative, abundance of carefully decorated expensive household items (ivory products), overseas dishes and cups of various bizarre forms, exotic clothes and fabrics of brocade and burlap velvet. The feast comes to an end, and they bring in the crown dish - the swan. The picture, like many other works of the artist, "left" abroad, first she was in America, now - in the Netherlands. Also other works of the artist that followed later were colorful: "Dressing the Bride to the Crown" (1890), "Kiss Rite" (1895), based on the episode from the novel by A. Tolstoy "Prince Serebryany", and many others from this cycle. These works must be carefully considered, savoring details, details in all their beauty, enjoying their overall golden or silvery color. The exotic "boyar genre" was invented by Konstantin Egorovich Makovsky. The description of the pictures does not give much, only the eyes of the viewer will show him and the texture of the fabrics, and the furnishings of the rooms, and the delicate soft skin on the faces of the girls, their shyness, the splendor of the outfits. All this is extremely beloved by foreigners, and most of the works are in private collections abroad. The art of Makovsky anticipated the emergence of symbolism and modernity. It was also simply blinded by unreal beauty.

Women's and children's heads

These small paintings enjoyed constant popularity. Beautiful faces of hawthorn in kokoshniks just give you the opportunity to touch maiden cleanliness and beauty, framed by airy fabrics, multi-row beads, hanging earrings. The huge eyes in which you want to drown, the dark sable eyebrows, the scarlet with the raised corners of the sponge - everything is admired. No wonder they were repeatedly copied or published on postcards.

Death of the artist

Makovsky Konstantin Egorovich, whose biography as a whole developed happily, died shortly before the revolution, in 1915. He was seventy-six years old. He left a significant inheritance, part of which the widow sold. She buried the artist in Petersburg. But after the revolutionary events the grave was lost.