Nikolai Ledyaev was born in Orenburg in 1893. In 1912 he entered Penza School of Fine arts where his teachers were famous Russian artists — a painter and theatrical designer Konstantin Korovin and master of historic painting Ivan Silych Goryushkin-Sorokopudov. In the revolutionary 1917, Ledyaev returned to his native city and worked there until the end of his life.
Horses in the Steppe
Creation period
1930’s
Dimensions
50x66,5 cm
Technique
Oil on canvas
Collection
Exhibition
0
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Nikolai Ledyaev
Horses in the Steppe
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The genre painting ‘Horses in the Steppe’ was created in the 1930’s. He portrayed two boys in simple village dress, they are riding horses, a long-legged foal barely catching up with them. The artist specially painted it in the bottom left corner to attach compositional movement to the painting. The figures of the characters are surrounded by Orenburg steppe. Based on the burnt grass, one may assume that the time is mid-summer.
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The Skier, 1930’s
Despite its theme, this work is close in its dynamics to landscape painting — Ledyaev’s favorite genre. Nature also occupies the central place on another genre painting of the same period “The Skier'. People in both paintings are not the main characters but a part of landscape. The paintings are done in a neutral subdued palette — the painter avoided the artistic effects characteristic of romantic art.
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Ledyaev owed to his Penza teachers the mastery of creating ascetic but exact color composition. Korovin”s landscapes “In the North” of 1899 and Goryushkin-Sorokopudov’s ‘Monastery in Winter’ of the first third of the ХХ century were painted in similar somber palette. Clear composition and the overall calm mood makes them similar to Ledyaev’s art.
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Lukian Popov, Steppe River, 1890’s
Ledyaev was also greatly influenced by his older colleague Lukian Popov — a late Itinerant and one of the most famous artists in Orenburg. Although Popov won renown as the master of psychological painting, he also painted landscapes of Orenburg, with its ‘perpetually blue sky’ and ‘steppe expanses covered with flowers’. Examples of the local landscapes are his painting ‘Steppe River’ of the 1890’s or study “Steppe Landscape” of the 1910’s.
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Although Ledyaev lived in the dramatic period of the Russian history, his art did not reflect conflict subjects. He worked as a teacher of drawing in local schools and universities until his retirement, since 1926 he managed his own school of fine arts. His pedagogical work was recognized by Soviet awards and largely set the trend for Orenburg artists of the 1930’s-1960’s.
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Orenburg Regional Museum of Fine Arts
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Horses in the Steppe
Creation period
1930’s
Dimensions
50x66,5 cm
Technique
Oil on canvas
Collection
Exhibition
0
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