Victor Vasnetsov

Victor Vasnetsov played a principal part in the development of Russian art. Victor Vasnetsov embodies Russian historical painting. He studied draughtsmanship at the drawing school of the Society for the Encouragement of the Arts in St Petersburg. There he was trained by Ivan Kramskoy. Victor Vasnetsov mastered his skill at the Academy of Arts, St Petersburg. In the 1860s the young painter joined the Wanderers. The year 1878 was the watershed in Vasnetsov's creative activity. It divides it into two periods. The first period of Critical Realism was demonstrated at the Circulating Art Exhibition. At that'time Vasnetsov depicted little men. The best paintings of that time are "From Lodging to Lodging" and "Preference".

The last decade of the 19th century witnessed a powerful upsurge of public interest in Russia's ancient past. It was brough about by the Old Russian Revival. Vasnetsov became one of the founder-figures of the artistic movement. In March 1878 Vasnetsov left St Petersburg and settled permanently in Moscow. The first painting of the period was "After Prince Igor's Battle with the Polovtsy". "Ivan Tsarevich Riding the Grey Wolf, depicts scene from a popular Russian fairy tale. "The Legendary Heroes" is Vasnetsov's most outstanding work of art. Although the scene does not represent any actual movement, it gives a sense of force and dynamism. Vasnetsov was a brilliant portrait painter, a book illustrator and a stage designer. Vasnetsov drew up the decorative composition for the facade of the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.