Valentin Serov Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
Serov Valentin Alexandrovich (1865 - 1911) - the Russian painter.In the childhood he studied under Ilya Repin (in Paris and Moscow) and in the St.Petersburg Academy of arts (1880-1885) under Pavel Chistyakov. Serov’s creativity of the early period was formed under influence of realistic art of Repin and strict plastic system of Chistyakov. The big influence on Serov was rendered paintings by the old masters seen by him in museums of Russia and the Western Europe, friendship with Mikhail Vrubel, and later with K.A. Korovin and a creative atmosphere of Abramtsevo Colony circle to which he was closely connected. The maximum achievements of Serov’s early period were portraits-pictures ("The Girl with peaches" (1887), "The Girl covered by the sun" (1888; both in Tretyakov gallery). In these paintings Serov saw the main problem in spontaneity of perception of model and the nature. In development of light and color, in transfer of complex harmony of reflexes, in saturation of environment by air, in freshness of picturesque perception of the world there were appeared the features of early Russian impressionism. From the beginning of 1890th the portrait became the basic genre in Serov’s art, getting new features: psychologically pointed characteristic of the person and artistic beginning actively revealed in it. Favorite Serov’s models became actors, artists, writers (K.A. Korovin, 1891, Isaac Levitan, 1893, Nikolai Leskov, 1894, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, 1898, - all in Tretyakov gallery). Refusing from polychromatic, juicy on color of painting of the second half of 1880th, Serov preferred one dominating scale of black-grey or brown tones (though he transferred a plenty of different shades of color), used more free wide dab, promoting an acuteness of transfer of a nature. Impressionistic features affected sometimes only in composite construction of a portrait, character of movement of the model. Receiving wide popularity, becoming in 1894 co-partner of Peredvizhniki Serov was compelled to work much above custom-made, as a rule, smart portraits (portraits of grand duke Pavel Alexandrovich, 1897, Tretyakov gallery; S.M. Botkin, 1899, F.F. Yusupova, 1903, - both in Russian museum in St.Petersburg). In these truthful, accomplished on a composition and picturesque execution products, Serov more and more consistently used the linear-rhythmic beginnings and decorative color combinations. Simultaneously in his art opposite direction was developed: he frequently wrote intimate-heart-felt, chamber portraits, mainly children and women. In portraits of children Serov aspired typical of a pose and gesture, all color score he tried to reveal and emphasize a spontaneity of internal movement, sincere cleanliness and clearness of attitude of the child ("Children", 1899, Russian museum; "Mika Morozov", 1901, Tretyakov gallery). Serov frequently addressed to various graphic techniques - watercolors, pastels, lithographs and so forth. Figure of Serov’s portraits gradually became more and more refined and economical in use of graphic means that has especially affected during the late period (portraits V.I. Kachalov, 1908, Tatyana Karsavina, 1909; numerous figures to I.A. Krylov’s fables, 1895-1911, all in Tretyakov gallery, Russian museum and other collections). In 1890 - the beginning 1900 Serov frequently addressed to landscape-genre compositions on country themes. Further in pictures on country plots there was occurred active-romantic beginning revealed in the decorative decision. During the late period (the beginning 1900) Serov was connected with "The World of art" (a member of association Serov became from the moment of its occurrence). On a boundary of centuries there was a crisis in stylistic searches of Serov: in his creativity features of impressionism finally disappeared and more and more consistently principles of style "modernism” developed, but constant deeply truthful and realistic comprehension of the nature and the person was kept. In the middle of 1900 Serov created some heroic portrait images; having selected for them the genre of a smart portrait, Serov developed a former theme of the artistic person finding now big freedom in revealing of the talent, his public importance (Maxim Gorki's portraits (1904, A.M. Gorki's museum, Moscow); M.N. Ermolova (1905), Feodor Chaliapin (coal, 1905) - both in Tretyakov gallery).
Serov’s democratic beliefs were brightly showed within Revolution 1905-1907: he created a number of the satirical figures exposing chastisers; being the full member of the St.Petersburg Academy of arts (since 1903), in 1905 he left it as a token of the protest against execution on January, 9. The big place in his late creativity was borrowed with historical painting ("Peter II departure and Empress Elizabeth Petrovna on hunting", 1900, Russian museum), depth of comprehension of the historical maintenance of an epoch ("Peter I", distemper, 1907, Tretyakov gallery).
Last years Serov’s live were created with some variants of pictures on plots from antique mythology. Combining reserve of a mythological image with real supervision of a nature, addressing to traditions Greek archaic, Serov gave own, free from classic interpretation of antiquity.
The best products of Serov belong to tops of Russian realistic art. He taught in Moscow School of painting, sculpturing and architecture (1897-1909). His students were: P.V. Kuznetsov, N.N. Sapunov, M.S. Saryan, Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin, N.P. Ulyanov, and K.F. Yuon.
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