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Russian landscape painter Arkhip Kuindzhi

Russian landscape painter Arkhip Kuindzhi on the island of Valaam

“On the Valaam Island”, the first artwork, which Pavel Tretyakov acquired for his art gallery. Russian landscape painter Arkhip Kuindzhi (January 27, 1842 – July 24, 1910)

Russian landscape painter Arkhip Kuindzhi
Born in 1842, Arkhip grew up in a poor family, and his father was a Greek shoemaker Ivan Khristoforovich Kuindzhi. Arkhip was six years old when he lost his parents, so he had to make his living, working at the church building site, grazing domestic animals, and working at the corn merchant’s shop. He studied painting in St.Petersburg Academy of arts. He was co-partner of Russian realist artists “Peredvizhniki”. During this early period Kuindzhi felt Ivan Aivazovsky’s influence.
Almost every painting of Kuindzhi inflamed passions: he was accused in the pursuit of cheap effects, the use of covert techniques like hidden illumination for paintings. In the prime of his years, the artist suddenly abandoned the exhibition activity, falling silent for almost 30 years, but continued to work alone on new paintings. It is possible that the reason for this sudden and strange act was the very grand, unprecedented success that hit him a little earlier. And for fear of being crushed by just this unnecessary fame, this noise and general worship, Kuindzhi decided to leave.

Arkhip Kuindzhi

After the rain. Painting by Russian landscape painter Arkhip Kuindzhi

Without Kuindzhi would not be what they were two landscape genius – Levitan, Serov. Subsequently Kuindzhi was invited to teach at St.Petersburg Academy of Fine Arts. A wonderful gift of teaching art lived in the wizard. This gift, however, was very simple, but powerful – Kuindzhi like a true artist, so passionately loved and so deeply understood the beauty of nature, that he did not have much difficulty to infect others with his passion, sharing his understanding with others. Under the direct influence of Kuindzhi formed such outstanding masters as N. Roerich, K. Bogaevsky, A.Rylov. In 1909, Kuindzhi organized the Society of artists, and bequeathed his paintings, money and land to it. The works of Russian landscape painter Arkhip Kuindzhi are stored in Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow), Russian museum (St.Petersburg).

Russian landscape painter Arkhip Kuindzhi

Arkhip Kuindzhi

After the rain. Painting by Arkhip Kuindzhi

Sunset in the winter. beach

Sunset in the winter. beach

The Steppe. Yaroslavl Art Museum

The Steppe. Yaroslavl Art Museum

The Volga

The Volga

tree trunks

tree trunks

Viktor Vasnetsov. Portrait of artist Arkhip Kuindzhi. 1869

Viktor Vasnetsov. Portrait of artist Arkhip Kuindzhi. 1869

Arkhip Kuindzhi

Portrait of Arkhip Kuindzhi

Autumn

Autumn

Birchwood 1879

Birchwood 1879

Daryal pass. Moonlight Night (painting by Arkhip Kuindzhi

Daryal pass. Moonlight Night

Elbrus

Elbrus

Ladoga lake

Ladoga lake

Moon spots in the forest, winter

Moon spots in the forest, winter

Moonlight above the Dnepr

Moonlight above the Dnepr

Night

Night

Pine tree

Pine tree

Rainbow

Rainbow

Rainbow

Rainbow

Sea. Crimea

Sea. Crimea

Sunrise. Russian landscape painter Arkhip Kuindzhi

Sunrise

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