“Secret Vespers”, Alexander Ivanov – overview of the painting 
- Posted by Alexander Andreevich Ivanov
- Museum: Tretyakov Gallery
- Year: 1850s
Overview of the painting :
Last Supper – Alexander Andreevich Ivanov. Watercolor on paper. 26.6 x 39.7 cm
Studying the work of the Russian artist, the author of the famous painting “The Appearance of Christ to the People” by Alexander Andreevich Ivanov, you come to the conclusion that his works should not be watched, but contemplated – it is leisurely, without fuss to penetrate the very essence of the canvas, try to solve the true idea of this deep artist.
Most of his life, from 1831 to 1858, Ivanov spent in Italy, where he not only worked, but also devoted a lot of time to spiritual development, reflection, disputes with friends and like-minded people about the spiritual transformation of a man of the Christian era.
In the same period, his famous “Bible plots” appear, representing a cycle of two hundred water sheets – sketches, sketches, sketches, as well as a huge number of drafts.
Art experts believe that some of the sketches, including the famous “Secret Evening”, are masterpieces, an independent artistic value in terms of semantic content and quality of performance.
Paper, watercolor, white, Italian pencil and here in front of us is “Taiple Vespers” by Ivanov.
The plot of the picture has been known for thousands of years: in a secret place gathered students, a round table, a huge hall with high columns, apostles listening to Christ, Judah, sold for thirty silver pieces. “Verily I tell you, Jesus, soon one of you will betray me.”.
Ivanov’s drawing is completely different from the work of other creators of the plot of the secret party. Jesus Christ is always the center, the peak, the main event. Each figure is expressive, the contour line of the picture is mobile and clear. At the same time, the whole group is united by depth and light.
Thanks to the talent of a painter in this small watercolor, performed in a completely unconventional style for the church plot, the impression of the presence of the author, a certain “historicity” of the moment, when all the images of the characters do not look canonical, but living, human, is created.