- Date of birth: 30 August 1860
- Date of death: 4 August 1900
- Country: Russia
Biography:
The great master of Russian landscapes, Isaak Levitan was born in a large and loving Jewish family in a provincial Lithuanian town near the Polish border. His “non-Russian” origin to the end of life is the cause of humiliation and deprivation, but do not force him to leave the country, which has always been a source of inspiration, no matter what.
Financial difficulties forced the family of the artist moved to Moscow, where at the age of 13 Levitan arrives at the Art school. The College years were full of successes and troubles. Not all the teachers liked that their student was a Jew. And passion Levitan Russian landscape masters seemed feigned and insincere. Lucky master with master teachers pervym, Savrasovym and Polenov. They managed to see the first timid strokes of the scholar’s future talent, therefore, belonged to the student Levitan special.
Early death of parents were close to scrapping plans for education. Helped teachers and friends. The young artist is working hard. In the late 70-ies of the 19th century, Levitan met with Chekhov. This meeting was important for both. It’s hard to imagine a more spiritually close people, equally talented, equally fine sense of beauty.
During a student exhibition in 1879 one of the work of the student Levitan (Autumn day. Sokolniki.) $ 100 buys himself Tretyakov. It would seem, from this moment life has changed for the better. But no, in the same year, Levitan, and all the Jews expelled from Moscow. Only a year later, thanks to efforts of influential friends, he managed to come back.
In the period from 1880 to 1885, the artist creates his famous paintings, “Autumn”, “Pine”, “First snow”. The wizard is famous for his works popular. In 85-m to year, instead of the diploma of the artist, the school gives Levitan diploma “teacher of penmanship”. Another humiliation affects the health of the artist. He went to the Crimea. The result of this trip was a series of landscapes, which received rave reviews from critics.
Following the success of the painting “the Volga” period of life. Thanks to the numerous works created in and around the town of Plyos, Levitan finally gets rid of financial difficulties, becomes famous. Now the artist goes to Europe. There, he met with the best examples of the French landscape. The quest of the Impressionists are very close in spirit to the master.
In the beginning of 90-ies Levitan entered the society of the Itinerants. Exhibitions enterprises appear his masterpieces: “At the pool”, “Summer”, “October”. And then again the expulsion from Moscow. This time the artist was busy so influential friends that the forced exile in Tver and Vladimir provinces did not last long, but the humiliation even more undermined health. In their forced exile Levitan writes one of his most deep and talented work – “vladimirka”.
In 1894, the artist creates a painting that is considered to be the peak of his creativity – “eternal rest”. None of the Russian artists, to Levitan, is not approached in his work to such a high sense of poetry and sensuality in the image of nature.
In subsequent years, the artist working tirelessly – “March”, “Golden autumn”, “Fresh wind. Volga” – it is only those that were in the master’s life are recognized as masterpieces. In 1898 Levitan was awarded the title of academician and the right to teach in Art school. But his health by this time was completely frustrated.
His latest work, full of Sunny optimism and warmth “of the Lake. Russia” – he never finished. The heart of the great Russian artist Isaac Levitan stayed August 4, 1900.