Vasnetsov is a poem of seven fairy tales. "Poem of Seven Tales" Viktor Vasnetsov

V. Vasnetsov. Sleeping princess, 1900-1926. Fragment | Photo: artchive.ru

Probably none of the Russian artists of the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. did not cause such controversial reviews about his work as Viktor Vasnetsov: he was either admired and called a truly folk artist, or accused of "retrograde and obscurantism." In 1905, he renounced the title of professor at the Academy of Arts in protest against the students' enthusiasm for politics rather than painting. During the revolutionary years Vasnetsov created his most magical series of paintings "Poem of Seven Tales"... In it, he tried to capture that lost old Russia, the person of which he considered himself.

V. Vasnetsov. The Frog Princess, 1901-1918 | Photo: artchive.ru

Viktor Vasnetsov was born into the family of a village priest in the Vyatka province, he grew up in a peasant environment and from childhood was immersed in the atmosphere of the primordial Russian folk culture. His first drawings were illustrations for proverbs. For him, folklore was the embodiment of the true essence and spiritual image of the entire people. “I have always been convinced that fairy tales, songs, epics reflect the whole image of the people, internal and external, with the past and the present, and maybe the future,” said the artist.

V. Vasnetsov. Tsarevna Nesmeyana, 1916-1926 | Photo: artchive.ru

V. Vasnetsov. Flying carpet, 1919-1926 | Photo: artchive.ru

Back in the 1860s. there was a surge of interest in folklore both in science and in art: it was during this period that fundamental historical research appeared, collections of oral folk art were published. Repin, Maksimov, Surikov wrote on historical themes, but Vasnetsov was the first among artists to turn to epic and fairy-tale themes. He created a whole series of works about "old Russia", which he contrasted in the revolutionary years to modern Russia, which he called "non-Rus", with a small letter.

V. Vasnetsov. Sivka-burka, 1919-1926 | Photo: artchive.ru

The painter turned to the folk epic in the 1880s, and from 1900 until the end of his days (especially intensively in 1917-1918) Vasnetsov worked on the cycle of paintings "Poem of Seven Fairy Tales". It includes 7 canvases: "The Sleeping Princess", "Baba Yaga", "The Frog Princess", "Kashchei the Immortal", "Princess Nesmeyana", "Sivka Burka" and "Airplane Carpet". In these fabulous plots, the artist was looking for the embodiment of the main features of the national character of his people, among which he singled out spiritual purity, courage and patriotism.

V. Vasnetsov. Baba Yaga, 1917 | Photo: artchive.ru

Vasnetsov's fairy-tale works were for him not an illustration of oral folk art, but "an act of poetic insight into the core of life, closed from people by the veil of reality." The artist did not accept the revolution and suffered as he watched the "old Russia" irrevocably disappear. Fairy tales were a kind of internal emigration for him. He poeticized antiquity, saw in it an ideal, the existence of which, in his opinion, had been forgotten by his contemporaries. Meanwhile, art magazines called Vasnetsov "a dilapidated retrograde and obscurantist."

V. Vasnetsov. Kashchei the Immortal, 1917-1926 | Photo: artchive.ru

Contemporary critics find in The Poem of Seven Tales a note of concern for Russia and its future. For example, the artist interpreted the fairy tale plot of The Sleeping Princess in a new way, hinting at the events of his contemporary reality. The girl sleeps on the Pigeon Book, famous for its prophetic predictions. And in this context, the image of the “sleeping princess” looks like a metaphor for the Russian state. Many critics agree that the main heroine of the "Poem of Seven Tales" was Russia - intoxicated and bewitched. And all its inhabitants fell asleep and do not know what is happening around.

House-Museum of V. Vasnetsov in Moscow | Photo: muzeyka.ru

He wrote “The Poem of Seven Tales” not to order, but for himself, it was his outlet and a way to isolate himself from the outside world. All the paintings have remained in the artist's studio, in his Moscow house, which resembles an old Russian tower (the people called it that - "little tower"). This house was built according to his sketches, F. Chaliapin said that it was "something between a peasant hut and an ancient princely mansion." In 1953, the Vasnetsov House-Museum was opened here. In addition to paintings and drawings, there is a collection of ancient objects and icons, which the artist collected all his life.

In the house-museum of V. Vasnetsov in Moscow | Photo: profi-news.ru

"Without poetry, without dreams, nothing can be done in life," the artist argued and embodied this principle in his work. His canvases are symbolic and contain many secrets. ...

Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov
(1848-1926)
"Poem of Seven Tales"
Viktor Vasnetsov

Probably not one of the Russian artists of the turn of the 19th century. did not cause such controversial reviews about his
creativity, like Viktor Vasnetsov: he was then admired and
was called a true folk artist, then accused of
"Retrograde and obscurantism." In 1905 he renounced the title
professors of the Academy of Arts in protest against
hobbies of students are more about politics than
painting.
During the revolutionary years, Vasnetsov created his most
a magical series of paintings "Poem of Seven Tales". In it he
tried to capture that lost old Russia, man
which he considered himself.

Viktor Vasnetsov was born into a rural family
priest in the Vyatka province, he grew up in a peasant
environment and from childhood was immersed in the atmosphere of the primordially Russian
folk culture. His first drawings were
illustrations for proverbs.
Folklore for him was the embodiment of the true
essence and spiritual image of the whole people. “I've always been
convinced that fairy tales, songs, epics do not affect the whole
integral image of the people, internal and external, with the past and
the present, and perhaps the future, ”said the artist.

From 1900 until the end of his days Vasnetsov
worked on a cycle of paintings "The Poem of Seven Tales". Into it
included 7 paintings: "The Sleeping Princess", "Baba Yaga", "The Princess", "Kashchei the Immortal", "Princess Nesmeyana",
"Sivka-burka" and "Carpet-plane".
In these fabulous plots, the artist was looking for
the embodiment of the main features of the national character
of his people, among whom he singled out spiritual purity,
courage and patriotism.
Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov (1848-1926)
Self-portrait 1873
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, there were many artists in Russian art who developed the so-called neo-Russian style, which, in essence, was one of the variations of Art Nouveau.

Viktor Vasnetsov (with some reservations) can also be attributed to this category of artists.

The theme of Russian fairy tales, or rather, Russian folklore, has appeared in his work since the early 1880s. Before that, he was quite typical of the artist of his generation, a master of critical realism. For example, his first painting, shown at the exhibition of the Itinerants, was "Tea drinking in a tavern".

Tea drinking in the tavern (In the tavern) 1874
canvas, oil
Vyatka Regional Art Museum named after V.M. and A.M. Vasnetsov

However, he already had the groundwork for working on canvases of the historical genre (and the "fairy-tale" and "epic" paintings belong precisely to the historical genre of painting), since at the Academy Vasnetsov received a silver medal for the sketch "Christ and Pilate before the People."

The first canvas of the corresponding genre was "After the Battle of Igor Svyatoslavich with the Polovtsy", shown in 1880 at the VIII Traveling Exhibition. It was still not quite a fairy tale, or rather not a fairy tale at all, since on the one hand Vasnetsov used the motives of "The Lay of Igor's Campaign" as a plot, but on the other hand, Prince Igor's campaign was a completely real historical event.

After the slaughter of Igor Svyatoslavich with the Polovtsi
On a plot from "The Lay of Igor's Campaign" 1880
canvas, oil
205 x 390 cm

The painting, which depicts at least a dozen corpses, albeit quite pretty, dressed in artistically executed armor or draped in exquisite oriental fabrics, and who took a completely picturesque death without a single drop of blood, caused very ambiguous judgments in society. Kramskoy, Repin and Chistyakov admired, Myasoedov stamped his feet and demanded to remove the "carrion" from the exhibition. But in general, I suppose the audience was left at a loss, and the answer to the question "what was it?" nobody could give. Well, Vasnetsov went further.

Alyonushka 1881
canvas, oil
178 x 121 cm
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

A year later, "Alyonushka" appeared, then "The Knight at the Crossroads", "Ivan Tsarevich on the Gray Wolf" and "Bogatyrs". Why Vasnetsov so abruptly changed the direction in art and moved from critical realism to some not the most realistic folklore historicism could not be explained either by his contemporaries or by today's researchers of his work. Quite plausible versions were put forward enough: the artist's move to Moscow and rapprochement with Mamontov's circle ("Alyonushka" was written in Abramtsevo), the desire to return to some spiritual sources of the Russian people (critics wrote about the connection in Vasnetsov's paintings between the "Russian fairy tale and the Russian faith") especially since Vasnetsov was from a priest's family.

Bogatyrs 1881-1898
canvas, oil
295.3 x 446 cm
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

From 1900 until the end of his life (until 1926), and especially intensively, starting in 1917, Vasnetsov wrote a cycle of seven fairy-tale pictures, a kind of apotheosis of his creative and ideological views. This was the Poem of Seven Tales.

Koschei the Immortal. 1927-1926
canvas, oil
House-Museum of V.M. Vasnetsov

The Poem of Seven Tales by Viktor Vasnetsov includes pictures:
- "The Sleeping Princess";
- "Princess Frog";
- "Tsarevna-Nesmeyana";
- "Carpet plane";
- "Sivka-burka";
- "Baba Yaga";
-"Koschei the Deathless".

Princess Nesmeyana 1914-1926
canvas, oil
House-Museum of V.M. Vasnetsov

Undoubtedly, one of the sources of inspiration for Viktor Vasnetsov (in addition to childhood memories and impressions and certain ideological considerations about the fate of the Russian people) for the creation of the "Poem of Seven Tales" was the famous "Russian Folk Tales", a collection compiled by A. N. Afanasyev and published first edition in 1855-63, and the second, revised in 1873. It was a significant event in Russian cultural life of that time, which had a significant impact on many areas of Russian humanities (for example, Afanasyev made the first attempt in world history to classify fairy tales). But ordinary readers, to whom Viktor Vasnetsov belonged, could not fail to seize the wealth of Russian folklore.

Folk Russian sakzki A. N. Afanasyev

Now we often forget that folk tales (not literary ones created by writers for a specific readership, namely folk ones) were not at all intended for children's reading. For children, Afanasyev released a separate collection of specially selected and adapted fairy tales, and even of them the censors did not let all of them go to print, believing some of the stories to be dangerous for the fragile child's psyche or harmful from the point of view of education.

Sleeping princess 1900-1926
canvas, oil
214 x 452 cm

In fairy tales published for an adult audience, there are indeed a lot of violence, erotic motives, and so unloved by the 19th century censorship of free thinking. And if you carefully examine the paintings of Vasnetsov from the "Poem of Seven Tales", then you can understand that his paintings are also very far from the blissful illustrations from children's books.

The Frog Princess 1901-1918
canvas, oil
House-Museum of V.M. Vasnetsov

His Baba Yaga or Koschey the Immortal can provide a young viewer with nightmares for a long time. So fabulous, or rather, pagan Russia seems to be a rather gloomy country. It may well be that Vasnetsov subconsciously depicted pre-Christian Russia in his paintings as a rich country, but barbaric and lawless. It seems to me that researchers in vain admire the nationality of these canvases and attribute this admiration to the artist. Most likely, he is trying to convince the audience that paganism is savagery, and civilization is possible only in the Christian world.

Speech development lesson. Grade 5

"Poem of Seven Tales" by V.M. Vasnetsov and

preparation for writing an essay based on the painting "Alyonushka".

Purpose: 1) To acquaint students with the work of V.M. Vasnetsov

2) Prepare students for an encounter with the artist in the next 6th grade

3) Prepare students for writing an essay based on the painting "Alyonushka"

Equipment: computer presentation, computer, reproduction of the painting "Alyonushka", portrait of the artist V.M. Vasnetsov.

During the classes.

Vasnetsov is the best

And the most eloquent

Expression of the Russian soul.

(from an article in one of the French magazines)

(see slide # 2)

Teacher's word. Information about the artist V.M. Vasnetsov (slide number 3)

VM Vasnetsov was born in the town of Ryabov, Vyatka province in the family of a priest. He graduated from a religious school, received the highest marks for church painting and architecture. He entered the theological seminary, but did not finish it, came to his father and asked for his blessing to study at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. He firmly said: he wants to be an artist - that's all. He will serve his people in a favorite way. Mikhail Vasilyevich listened to his son, sighed and gave his parental consent.

Victor Vasnetsov left his father's house as a young man. Weighed down his lofty dreams, he wanted to go his own way.

“This young Vyatich has a special eye,” the teachers from the Academy of Arts note. “He sees right through a person.” Vasnetsov's drawings are sent to the London International Exhibition, and they receive two bronze medals. The Academy awards him with silver medals.

And he is embarrassed by praise and is silent, listens, absorbs the capital's wisdom. He is not a debater. He will listen to advice, think - and act in his own way.

In the evenings they gather at someone's apartment. Scream, noise, arguments until the morning!

The purpose of painting is to depict life as it is, without inventing anything! - some shout.

Art does not need bast shoes and unlubricated carts! - others think. - Deformities are disgusting to the eyes. Beauty is the purpose of art!

The Wanderers are close to Victor, but thoughts about beauty are very dear to him. “Of course, art is true, but nevertheless it is true, special, beautiful. What is beauty? Beauty is love, it is good, it lives in the soul of a person, in the soul of the people. And he reveals his soul in a fairy tale, in a song, in a legend. Maybe there he, an artist, needs to look for beauty and truth? "

Statement - slide number 4

Students' speech on the work of V.M. Vasnetsov.

(I distribute words to students in advance, children talk about the artist's paintings)

Enlargement of the painting "Baba Yaga" (slide number 5)

How disgusting is Baba Yaga, Rushing in a mortar through the forest! Her grin is terrible, sinewy hands and an ugly bone leg are dangerous. The laughter of an evil witch seems to penetrate the forest. The forest is enchanted, it is hostile to little Ivanushka, who is carried away by the old woman.

The forest's reds are eerily crimson. Only a bright spot of a rapidly flying magpie gives hope for the boy's salvation.

Enlargement of the painting "Kashchei the Immortal "(Slide number 6)

But Kashchei is in the dungeon. The same clawed hooked nose and toothless sunken mouth as Baba Yaga. There seems to be no way out of this dungeon for the beautiful princess.

Enlargement of the painting "The Frog Princess "(Slide number 7)

But the sound of music seems to be heard. Sounds are cheerful, cheerful, clean. It was Vasilisa the Wise, the frog princess who danced. She waves her handkerchief. Shakes his hand. The slender waist is deflected back, the hair streams down the back, the heels of the shoes are tapping fractionally.

How beautiful the fairytale princess is in her old Russian headdress with dark green, ancient-style loose sleeves flying away from movement! Everything is in motion, everything is in tune with her bold dance!

The musicians only have time to pluck the strings, speed up the rhythm, and look, they start dancing. Gusli, balalaikas, domra, horn - a whole orchestra of folk instruments!

Light colors of a painted tower, swans on a pond, distant birches, a peasant round dance on the lawn - everything lives in beauty and harmony.

Enlargement of the painting "Flying carpet" (slide number 8)

And Ivan Tsarevich appears as a loving groom.

The bride and groom float, embracing, across the morning sky on an airplane carpet, and they do not need more happiness. The earth is cleared of the morning fog, its melodious, discreet distance opens.

And the carpet doesn't look like a proud bird. Sailing across the sky is no longer a miracle. Man's dream has already come true: the plane has been invented.

The painting "Flying Carpet" is a dream of happiness. But the artist did not manage to finish it ...

Enlargement of the painting "The Sleeping Princess" (slide number 9)

In the meantime, until better times, the fabulous kingdom sleeps with a deep sleep.

The princess in a brocade sundress and a gold crown sleeps on a high bed, threw back her white hand. A seven-year-old girl dropped her head on the ancient book. The young ladies are sleeping, the hay girls are sleeping, the court jester is sleeping, they overcame the insidious spells of the bear and the cat. Ancient Russia sleeps in all its bright glory.

But the red poppies have not withered, the spruce forests have not withered, the birches are green. Nature lives, so the fairy tale is alive.

Touch her with a magic wand - she will wake up. To live on earth Beauty, Good, Joy ...

Isn't that why the old artist wrote his fairy tales? And he was convinced that in any work of art "the whole, integral image of the people, internal and external, is reflected, with the past and the present, and perhaps the future."

Enlargement of the painting "Princess Nesmeyana" (slide number 10)

Enlargement of the painting "Sivka Burka "(Slide number 11)

III. Teacher's word

Enlargement of the painting "Alyonushka"

We draw the attention of students to the statement on slide number 12

“Each nation is interesting in its own way. Each has its own character, its own temperament, its own customs and its own history. V.M. Vasnetsov wants to understand the Russian national character, wants to express the best features of his people "

Viktor Mikhailovich said that on the Khotkovskaya road, along which the beggars went on pilgrimage to the monastery, he saw a strange girl. She walked alone, and there was a terrible longing in her eyes. I would like to tell him about the fate of this girl in my picture "Alyonushka".

The artist likes this melodious Russian name. Reminds of a sad tale about two orphans - Alyonushka and her brother Ivanushka.

Viktor Mikhailovich draws village girls for the album. He finds Alyonushka who looks like her and asks to sit patiently. He has already completed many drawings and sketches - everyone is looking for the right mood, conveying the sadness and pain of a person offended by fate. He finishes the picture itself in Moscow in the winter of 1881.

(slide number 13)

In the sketches - delicate Christmas trees at the edge. Young aspen with bent branches by a dark pond. Coast with sedge. The water is gloomy, dangerous, and the forest on the shore stands like a blank wall.

A barefoot peasant girl sits on a stone by the water. She curled up into a ball, dropped her head to her knees. Behind her is a dark spot of the forest.

What despair in the pose of a girl perched on a boulder! The hands, hardened from work, are wearily clasped. The red hair was disheveled. The legs are exhausted from the long walk. The faded sundress is tattered. She ran to the dark pond alone with her grief.

In the same movement as Alyonushka's hands, a branch of an aspen bent over the water. Thickets of sedges in dangerous water seem to protect the girl from a wrong step. White-breasted swifts are sitting on a birch branch, bent in harmony with a bent figure. And behind the sentinels stood young ate. Nature sympathizes with the girl and tries to help her.

And in the modest color scheme of the picture, a sad tune is heard. It seems that the air itself is permeated with the quiet melody of the village song "Oh, grief, longing - great sorrow." The grief in the song flies like a gray duck, a dove. And the tone of the picture is so dim, grayish-faded. Green. Yellow, blue, pink paints seem to be touched by a light silvery haze.

Together the girl is sad. And an aspen, and birds on a branch, and the sky, merging into a pensive fairy tale.