Portrait of Krylov in the works of Russian artists. Portrait of I. Krylov by K. Bryullov

Ivan Andreevich Krylov is a great fabulist who is always relevant. There are new words, quotes, citations. They will pause a little on hearing and disappear, and crow and cheese, especially after becoming plasticine, are always with us.

Many Russian artists have imprinted it on their canvases. The portrait of Ivan Ivanovich Krylov by Karl Bryullov, like the great fabulist himself (1769-1844), is known to almost every citizen of our country.

Loved by all

The fabulist, poet, playwright and publicist lived a long, calm and well-fed life, as evidenced by more than one portrait of Krylov. He was treated kindly and cared for by the royal family. According to some reports, Nicholas I in 1841 agreed to the transformation of the Russian Academy of Sciences, provided that the first academician would be Krylov. And the Empress, concerned about the illness of the fabulist, wanted to personally look after him. He retired with a boarding house of 6,000 rubles, and his total income was 11,700 rubles. Banknotes in a year.

First portraits

Actually, any portrait of Krylov, and there are quite a few of them, both famous and little-known authors, and even amateurs, has preserved for the descendants the face of a man of intelligent, thinking, but not disturbed and unconcerned, decent and calm.

Volkov Roman Maksimovich, a representative of academicism, painted a portrait of Krylov in 1812 (canvas, oil, size - 685 x 700 cm, stored in the Tretyakov Gallery). A full forty-year-old man leaning on books with a pen in his hand, with a smooth face without the famous whiskers, is very easily recognizable.

The famous Orest of Kiprensky also painted a fabulist. There is a portrait of Krylov's brush of this artist, dated 1816, and a pencil drawing called "Krylov and the Unknown".

Not very known to the general public portraitists

It should be noted that the joker and the glutton, witty mocker and generally gay man loved by others. His jokes were remembered, there were a lot of anecdotes from his life. Next in chronological order is a portrait of the work of Gippius Gustav Fomich (1792-1856), a beautiful artist. From the large canvases of his brush belongs a picture about Vladimir, who chooses religion for Russia. I.A. Krylov on the portrait still without whiskers.

Artist Egginck Ivan Egorovich, quite popular at that time, in 1834, too, painted a portrait of Krylov. This work is well known, as it is published along with the famous portraits of Karl Bryullov, who captured the academician in 1839 and the year of death in 1844.

Portrait painter I.E. Eggink for this work, which has long adorned the conference room of the Academy, was awarded the title of academician. The portrait is really very good: it shows a Russian gentleman in the best sense of the word, living in wealth, loving prosperity, which makes it possible to do what he likes. Looking at the face of a worthy person recognizable at first sight, you understand that he knew the value of his talent and his correspondence to the place occupied in society. A well-groomed face, framed by famous sideburns, silk clothes, a book with gold trim and a sheet in his left hand with the fable "Vasilek", which Krylov wrote in gratitude to the Empress. I.E. Eggink stressed in his work and immortalized the sympathy that exists between the great Russian fabulist and the house of the Romanovs.

In addition to the listed works, P.A. Venison in 1824 and N. Legashev in the year 1840.

National treasure

However, the most famous portrait of Ivan Krylov was created by the great Karl Bryullov, who at the time of his writing was already the most venerable and omnipotent painter of Russia, the most fashionable and in demand. The famous fabulist on the canvas of 1839 does not look as well-groomed as in the portrait of Egginka. You can say that you feel tired in this person's face, and the clothes look more sloppy, and the hand is not so polished. Obviously, the great Bryullov did not make a mistake against the truth: Krylov was a slut and a glutton, and he did not hesitate to do anything. And on the canvas is visible and a huge belly, and crumpled sleeves. But this is the most wonderful portrait of the great fabulist, especially good eyes, which look directly into the soul of the viewer. This is known to millions. This canvas, measuring 415 x 500 cm, belongs to the public domain and is kept in the Tretyakov Gallery.