Vasily Polenov

(b St Petersburg, 1 June 1844; d Borok estate [now Polenovo, Tula region], 18 August 1927). Painter. He began a systematic study of drawing in 1856, first with the landscape painter Pavel Cherkasov (1834-1900), then from 1859 to 1861 with Pavel Chistyakov (1832-1919). He also took lessons with Chistyakov, whom he considered his most important teacher, in 1871 and early 1872, after finishing his academic course. From 1863 to 1871 Polenov studied at the St Petersburg Academy of Art, where he met members of the progressive wing of the Russian artistic intelligentsia, and occasionally in the faculty of law at St Petersburg University. The classical education he received at home, his academic training and lessons with Chistyakov led Polenov towards an 'exalted' history painting, although he personally inclined towards landscape. This dualism remained in Polenov's work for the duration, and not until the late 1880s and early 1890s did he achieve a stable relationship between the two forms. The whole of his student career and the initial postgraduate, scholarship period was largely taken up with historical works: from academic compositions, for example the Resurrection of Jairus's Daughter (1871; Pskov, Mus. Hist., Archit. & A.), for which he received the Grand Gold Medal and a travel bursary (in Germany and Italy, 1872-3, and France, 1873-6), to numerous pictures and sketches on subjects from antiquity and medieval history, executed in France or shortly after his departure from there, under the perceptible influence of Paul Delaroche (e.g. The Master's Right, 1874; Moscow Tret'yakov Gal.). At the same time he produced his first independent works, in the 1860s and early 1870s: landscapes in the surroundings of the Imochentsy estate in Karelia (e.g. Mountains, 1870; Moscow Tret'yakov Gal.), and landscape studies and pictures executed from nature in Normandy in 1874 (e.g. Fishing Boat, Etretat; Moscow, Tret'yakov Gal.). In 1876 he became an Academician.

Part of the Polenov family

See the Abbreviations for further details.

Portrait by Ilya Repin.

Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov (Russian: Поленов Василий Дмитриевич; 1 June 1844, St.Petersburg, - 18 July 1927, Polenovo near Tarusa) was a Russian landscape painter associated with the Peredvizhniki movement of realist artists.

Polenov studied under Pavel Chistyakov and in the Imperial Academy of Arts from 1863 to 1871. He was the pensioner of academy of arts in Italy and France, where he painted a number of pictures in the spirit of Academism on subjects taken from the European history ("The Right of mister", 1874, Tretyakov gallery); at the same time he worked a lot in the open air.

Polenov took part in the Russo-Turkish War, 1877-1878 as the war artist. Returning from the war, he joined the Peredvizhniki, taking part in their mobile exhibitions. His works won the admiration of Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov, who acquired many of them for his gallery.

In the late 1870s, Polenov concentrated on painting landscapes in the realist tradition of Aleksey Savrasov and Fyodor Vasilyev. He attempted to impart the silent poetry of Russian nature, related to daily human life.

Polenov's celebrated painting of a traditional Russian courtyard (1878).

He was the one of the first Russian artists who achieved a plein air freshness of color combined with artistic finish of composition ("The Moscow courtyard", 1878; "The Grandmother's garden", 1878; "Zarosshy pond", 1879). The principles developed by Polenov had a great impact on further development of Russian (and especially Soviet) landscape painting.

Polenov's sketches of Middle East and Greece (1881-1882) paved the way for his masterpiece, "The Christ and the Sinner" (1886-87), an interesting attempt to update picturesque system of academism. In the works of the 1880s, Polenov tended to combine New Testament subjects with his penchant for landscape. Since the 1870s, Polenov also turned to theatrical decoration. Most notably, he decorated Savva Mamontov's mansion in Abramtsevo and his Russian Private Opera. In 1910-1918, Polenov was involved into a folk theatre project.

Polenov was elected a member of St.Petersburg Academy of arts in 1893, and named a People's Artist of the Republic in 1926. For many years, he coached young painters in the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. His pupils included Abram Arkhipov, Isaac Levitan, Konstantin Korovin, and Alexandre Golovine. Polenov's mansion in Borok has been designated a national art museum, and the village was renamed Polenovo to commemorate his name.

Polenovo

Polenov's House by the Oka River

Polenov's House

Polenov's country studio, nicknamed The Abbey

Trinity Church was designed by Polenov for local peasants.

External links

• Media related to Vasily Polenov at Wikimedia Commons

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