Vasily Surikov | |
|---|---|
 Portrait byIlya Repin, 1877 | |
| Born | (1848-01-24)24 January 1848 Krasnoyarsk, Russia |
| Died | 19 March 1916(1916-03-19) (aged 68) Moscow, Russia |
| Resting place | Vagankovo Cemetery, Moscow |
| Alma mater | Imperial Academy of Arts (1875) |
| Known for | History painting |
| Notable work | The Morning of the Streltsy Execution (1881) Boyarynya Morozova (1887) |
| Movement | Realism, Peredvizhniki |
| Elected | Member Academy of Arts (1893) Full Member Academy of Arts (1895) |
| Patron | Pavel Tretyakov |
Vasily Ivanovich Surikov (Russian:Василий Иванович Суриков; 24 January 1848 – 19 March 1916) was a Russianrealisthistory painter. Many of his works have become familiar to the general public through their use as illustrations.
He was born to an oldYenisey Cossack [ru][1] family descending fromDon Cossacks that had settled in Siberia.[2][unreliable source] His father was aCollegiate Registrar, a civil service rank that often served aspostmasters. In 1854, as a result of his father being reassigned, the family moved to the village ofSukhobuzimskoye, where he began his primary education.[citation needed]
In 1859, his father died oftuberculosis so the family returned to Krasnoyarsk and were forced to rent the second floor of their house to survive financially. He began drawing while attending the district school and was encouraged by the local art teacher. His first formal work dates from 1862, but his family could not afford to continue his education, and he became a clerk in a government office. This brought him into contact withPavel Zamyatin [ru], the governor ofYenisei, who was able to find him a patron:Pyotr Kuznetsov [ru], a local merchant who owned several small gold mines.[3]
In 1868, he rode on horseback to Saint Petersburg but was unable to qualify for admission to theImperial Academy of Arts, so he studied at the drawing school of theImperial Society for the Encouragement of the Arts.[2] After a year there, he was allowed to audit classes at the academy and became a full-time pupil toward the end of 1869.
From 1869 to 1875, he studied withPavel Chistyakov,Bogdan Willewalde, andPyotr Shamshin, winning several medals.[2] His great attention tocomposition earned him the nickname "The Composer". In 1875, he graduated with the title of Artist, first degree.[citation needed]
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In 1877, he received a commission to paint murals at theCathedral of Christ the Saviour (then still under construction), and he moved to Moscow.[3] Unable to afford a house, he lived in rented apartments and hotels and visited Krasnoyarsk whenever possible. In 1878, he married Elisabeth Charais (1858–1888), a French woman who was descended from theDecembrist,Pyotr Svistunov [ru], on her mother's side.[2] They had two daughters.[citation needed]
After that, he chose to remain in Moscow and began the series of historical paintings that would establish his reputation, starting withThe Morning of the Streltsy Execution. In 1881, he had his first exhibition with thePeredvizhniki, an artists' cooperative.[2] In 1883,Menshikov inBeryozovo was bought byPavel Tretyakov for a sum that allowed him to take a European tour. In 1887, he added portraits to his repertoire, beginning with one of his mother.[3]
In 1888, his wife died, and he returned to Krasnoyarsk with his daughters for two years. There he painted his most lighthearted picture,The Capture of Snow Town. This was followed by a visit to his ancestral home in Siberia. There, on theOb River, he made sketches for one of his most familiar works,The Conquest of Siberia byYermak Timofeyevich (an event in which some of his ancestors had participated).[3] This brought him a full membership in the Imperial Academy.[2] In 1897, he visited Switzerland and paintedSuvorov Crossing the Alps, which was purchased by TsarNicholas II.[citation needed]
In 1907, he left the Peredvizhniki and joined the Union of Russian Artists. Three years later, he visited Spain, together with his son-in-law,Pyotr Konchalovsky.[3] That same year, he and the architectLeonid Chernishyov opened an art school. Four years later, he had an extended stay in Krasnoyarsk, painting landscapes.[citation needed]
By this time, he was suffering from chronic coronary disease. A trip toCrimea for treatment in 1915 failed to ameliorate the problem, and he died early the following year after returning to Moscow. He was buried atVagankovo Cemetery, next to his wife.[2]
In 1948, on the 100th anniversary of his birth, his estate in Krasnoyarsk became a museum. Two monuments have been erected there, in 1954 and in 2002. A biographical movie of his life (Vasily Surikov) was made byMosfilm in 1959, written byEmil Braginsky, and directed byAnatoly Rybakov [ru], withYevgeni Lazarev as Surikov andLarisa Kadochnikova as Elisabeth.[4] Numerous streets and squares throughout Russia have been named after him, as well as acrater on Mercury.[5]
