Exactly one hundred years after the most complicateda seven-day descent along the steep impassability that the Russian army under the command of Field Marshal A. V. Suvorov committed, wrote a large battle-historical painting Surikov: "Suvorov's crossing the Alps." The picture was bought by Emperor Nicholas II and transferred it to the State Russian Museum. This work was not appreciated by contemporaries. They ignored her.
Surikov, "The Transition of Suvorov through the Alps": the history of creation
The new canvas was conceived in 1895 in Krasnoyarsk. It continues the theme, which was developed by the painter in the picture about how Ermak conquered Siberia.
Surikov met with great difficulties atsearch for a prototype, which will be the image of Suvorov. He looked through all the lifetime portraits of the Field Marshal, who were weak in artistic terms. I read historical memoirs of contemporaries and archival documents, where there were descriptions of the appearance and character of the great commander. But all taken together did not give the artist a full-fledged portrait. As a result, he chose two types of appearance: an 82-year-old Cossack officer and a singing teacher in the Krasnoyarsk gymnasium.
Thus, first the sketch presented above was created, which, in a modified form, entered the painting, which Surikov wrote, "Suvorov's Crossing the Alps."
Alpine work period
It was equally difficult to imaginemore to show on the canvas, what the soldiers felt, descending into the unknown over the snow from a steep mountain. To find out, in 1897 Surikov went to Switzerland and rolled down the mountain. The snow under his feet turned into piles, and the spirit took over. Swiss sketches also helped the artist to recreate the movement of characters. But, basically, everything was thought through by Surikov himself. "The passage of Suvorov through the Alps" was complicated by the transfer of the movement of the human mass: the artist had no nature. It was necessary to think of how to depict soldiers in motion, and not just sitting on the snow.
Very successfully passed down the roll of a person tothe first plan, which broke away from the general mass and rapidly flies down, raising his hands above his head. His figure is deliberately circumcised and transmits his lightning glide.
Suvorov's campaign in Switzerland through the Kinzig Pass
Now we turn to the analysis of the work thatwrote Surikov: "Suvorov's crossing the Alps." We begin the description with the composition. The artist was not interested in the specific place of the transition. He set himself another task: to reveal the unity of the Field Marshal and his "miracle heroes".
Before us, sheer, shallow ledges,covered with icy snow, a mountain for which clouds cling. It takes 2/3 of the canvas. Mount ledges written wonderful. It is obscured, and gray clouds slowly crawl along it. Only a spot of light highlighted Suvorov himself. On the mountain to the left, the whole Russian army slides into the abyss. The painter deported the intrepid influence of depth through two cuts. The master cut off the top of the mountain, and it is not clear to us how high it goes up. The second cut is even more impressive: it does not show where the chasm ends. It seems infinitely infinite to the spectator and the soldiers, causing horror.
Commander-in-Chief
Suvorov on a white horse stopped at the veryedge of the cliff. His head is exposed as a tribute to the heroic deed of soldiers, and the blue raincoat flutters in the wind. To his left is the figure of an old campaigner, ready at any moment to hold the horse, if he stumbles. Suvorov stands here not by chance, because he understands that each of his brave soldiers will look at him before the descent, cross himself, say: "With God!" And will go down. On the face of the commander, complex feelings are written. He has a lot of attention, determination and courage, firmness and fearlessness, a slight smile, confidence in his people who will overcome everything.
"Miracle Bogatyrs"
The soldier's mass is heterogeneous.But on all faces there is a clear fear. He is overcome by faith in the commander and the will, which was tempered in battle. The first to descend are those who have gone with more than one hike with Suvorov and trust him. Although one of them, just in case, covered his face with a cloak. The commander does not look at them. He turned his attention to the "green youth", which is behind the old warriors. They need support most of all now. They need to instill confidence that the gap is at least terrible and dangerous, but it can and must be overcome, and on the faces of youth there are smiles. Near them is a serious, elderly drummer. Further, in the depths of the picture, facial expressions are hidden in shadows falling from the mountain. With such skill, Surikov transfers Suvorov's crossing the Alps.
27th Wanderers' Exhibition
After the painting was finished, the artistsent her to the exhibition of the Wanderers. As always, the artist's new work was in the center of attention of critics. Few people understood the folk meaning of the picture that Surikov created. "The passage of Suvorov through the Alps," the year of the end of which coincided with the centenary of this grandiose event, aroused in the liberal press the opinion that the artist did not work on the call of the soul, but on order. But time has shown that this epic canvas expresses the soul of the people.
