The "Golden Age" of Russian painting is, of course, the 19th century. At that time, a whole galaxy of talented masters appeared. Many wonderful artists were presented to Russia by the "Silver Age" - the turn of the 19th - 20th centuries. It was then that works were created that can rightfully be called the best examples of Russian painting.
Romantic masterpieces
The first half of the 19th century was a period of romanticism in painting, marked by the flourishing of the art of portraiture. The best examples of a romantic portrait include Orest Kiprensky's Girl in a Poppy Wreath, The Lacemaker and Portrait of Arseny's Son by Vasily Tropinin, as well as two dissimilar portraits of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, created by Kiprensky and Tropinin. A special place in the gallery of portraits of the romantic period is occupied by Karl Bryullov's "Horsewoman". The characters are shown here in motion, rather than in traditional static poses. Karl Bryullov's brush also belongs to the first real masterpiece of Russian historical painting - the painting "The Last Day of Pompeii".
Famous canvases of the Wanderers
The work of the Itinerants opens a new era in the history of Russian painting. They create brilliant realistic paintings of various genres. Vasily Perov becomes one of the largest representatives of the genre genre. His famous "Troika" leaves a sad and at the same time touching impression. Historical painting is now developing on national material. Among its best examples are "The Morning of the Strelets' Execution" and "Boyarynya Morozov" by Vasily Surikov, "Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan" by Ilya Repin.
The landscapes of the Itinerants conquer with their beauty. Pictures of unpretentious Russian nature acquire newness and special charm under their brush. The first truly national Russian landscape is Alexei Savrasov's painting The Rooks Have Arrived. Savrasov's traditions are continued by his student Isaac Levitan. His many lyrical landscapes, including "March", "Spring. Big Water”,“Golden Autumn”.
The world of Russian fairy tales and epics is created in his work by Viktor Vasnetsov. Perhaps, in our country there is no person who would not be familiar with his wonderful works "Alyonushka", "Ivan Tsarevich on the gray wolf", "Heroes".
The best works of artists of the "Silver Age"
Mikhail Aleksandrovich Vrubel is rightfully considered the largest representative of Russian symbolism. The most famous and perhaps the best of his works is the fabulously beautiful Swan Princess. Among the best examples of Russian painting are wonderful, dissimilar female images created by representatives of the art association "World of Art" - "Lady in Blue" by Konstantin Somov, "Merchant's Wife at Tea" by Boris Kustodiev, "At the Toilet" by Zinaida Serebryakova. Boris Kustodiev unfolds delightful, bright and colorful pictures of Russian holidays on his canvases "Maslenitsa", "Trinity Day".
Russian painting is a whole world full of vivid images, poetic beauty and constant discoveries. And, of course, the list of the best examples of Russian painting is far from being exhausted by the named works.
