Ilya Repin painted the portrait of Aleksei Bogolyubov, a marine painter, in Paris in 1876. Bogolyubov was Repin’s teacher and a good friend of his. Repin described him:
Portrait of Alexey Bogolyubov
Creation period
1876
Dimensions
117x90 cm
Technique
Oil on canvas
Collection
7
Open in app#3
Repin I.Y.
Portrait of A. P. Bogolyubov
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“Bogolyubov —a great man, very easy and open of nature, full of youthful zeal and fire”.
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Repin follows the classic composition rules of a traditional grand portrait that is intended to show the high social status of the subject. He depicts the artist in a rich interior: Bogolyubov sits on a sofa covered with an Oriental carpet against a background of embossed wallpaper. The portrait sessions took place in Bogolyubov’s studio in Paris.
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Bogolyubov is looking directly at the viewer. There is a feeling that the artist is caught in the middle of his work: he is still holding brushes in his hands and wearing his dark brown smock, his right arm resting on the sofa cushion
smock, his right arm resting on the sofa cushion.
The portrait conveys Repin’s high regard and respect for the Master. He depicts Bogolyubov very focused and intense, his hands rigid and his expression stoic.
The portrait conveys Repin’s high regard and respect for the Master. He depicts Bogolyubov very focused and intense, his hands rigid and his expression stoic.
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As a narrative portrait, it tells the viewer a story through a detailed presentation of the subject’s clothing, the carpet pattern and the fabric. Repin wanted to achieve good likeness and give the viewer a glimpse into a specific moment in time by focusing on Bogolyubov’s surroundings, his studio and the elements of the interior space.
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When Repin was painting the portrait, Bogolyubov acted as a mentor to young Russian artists in France. Repin was among them. The graduates of the Russian Academy of Arts were usually awarded a scholarship to study in Europe as part of their education. The scholarship was called a pension (from the French word pension, financial allowance) and the students were called pensioners.
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The portrait was in Bogolyubov’s possession until 1885 when he gave it to the Radishchev Art Museum.
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This is not the only portrait of Bogolyubov by Repin. Six years later, in 1882, Repin painted another portrait of the Master, which is also part of the collection of the Radishchev State Art Museum in Saratov.
Portrait of A.P. Bogolyubov (1882) by Ilya Repin
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A. N. Radishchev State Art Museum, Saratov
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Portrait of Alexey Bogolyubov
Creation period
1876
Dimensions
117x90 cm
Technique
Oil on canvas
Collection
7
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