11 February 2012

The Faces of Alexei Korzukhin

Alexei Korzukhin, Russian realist painter, 1835–1894. Wikipedia styles his portraits as "generally accepted as masterpieces of Russian portrait painting." Some highlights from a timeline on rusartnet:

  • Born to a family of gold panners at Uktussky Zavod near Ekaterinburg (1835).
  • One of the rebellious fourteen students who refused to paint the set topic in the competition for a major gold medal and resigned from the Imperial Academy of Arts with the title of second-class artist (1863).
[It isn't clear what the "set topic" was, but it seems the group was protesting the strict guidelines and divisions between high and low art that the Imperial Academy endorsed. They wanted to make art more accessible to the masses, and after leaving the Imperial Academy of Arts founded a collective called the Peredvizhniki, or The Wanderers, which later became the Society for Travelling Art Exhibitions. Evidently Korzukhin was a member of the society but did not participate in the exhibitions. More here, and, of course, here.]
  • Suffered from nervous shock and poor health after witnessing the assassination of Tsar Alexander II on the Ekaterinburg Canal in St Petersburg (1881).
Master of portraiture thought Korzukhin may be, the extent of his mastery is more clearly evident in his portrayal of faces in action. Examples below, with details. Click on the full paintings for large versions.


Separation, 1872



Alexei Korzukhin, Separation, 1872

Alexei Korzukhin, Separation, 1872, detail




Before Confession, 1877



Alexei Korzukhin, Before confession, 1877

Alexei Korzukhin, Before confession, 1877, deatil

Alexei Korzukhin, Before confession, 1877, deatil



Peasant Girls in a Forest, 1878



Alexei Korzukhin, Peasant Girls in a Forest, 1878

Alexei Korzukhin, Peasant Girls in a Forest, 1878, detail




In a Monastic Hotel, 1882



Alexei Korzukhin, In a Monastic Hotel, 1882

Alexei Korzukhin, In a Monastic Hotel, 1882, detail



The Sunday, 1884



Alexei Korzukhin, The Sunday, 1884

Alexei Korzukhin, The Sunday, 1884, detail



There Goes Petrushka, 1888



Alexei Korzukhin, There Goes Petrushka, 1888

Alexei Korzukhin, There Goes Petrushka, 1888, detail