Mikhail Nesterov created the painting The holy aged man. The servant of God Abramius in 1914-1916. Religious theme was the main one in the artist’s work. In his book Past Days Mikhail Nesterov wrote:
The holy aged man. Servant of the God Abramius
Creation period
1914
Dimensions
114x110 cm
Technique
Canvas, oil
Collection
Exhibition
9
Open in app#1
Mikhail Nesterov
The holy aged man. Servant of the God Abramius
#3
“I avoided portraying so-called strong passions, preferring to them our quiet landscape, a person living an inner life. And in my portraits I was attracted by those people whose path was a reflection of their thoughts, feelings, and actions”.
#2
Mikhail Nesterov painted this work during the First World War, a powerful crisis that shook the whole of Europe. In a letter written in 1914 to his friend Alexander Turygin, the artist mentioned: “I am painting a small picture: The servant of God Abramius. The only character in the picture is a bent old hermit, whose hair and beard are completely white, and his back is bent. According to the author' idea, the hermit retired to the forest from the worldly bustle to pray for forgiveness of human sins. The main character rests with his both hands on a wooden stick. He lowered his gray head and plunged into his thoughts. The old man is dressed in national Russian clothes: a homespun shirt, belted with a canvas rope, and bast shoes.
#4
The artist chose for the painting a rich cold color scheme. The basis of the composition is formed by dark green color. The only bright spots on the painting are the old man”s white shirt and his gray head. The predominance of greenish and bluish shades is typical of the genre of modern, in which the picture is painted. Due to flat shapes and specific color solutions, Mikhail Nesterov’s work resembles a decorative panel.
#5
Mikhail Nesterov was born in Ufa in 1862. He came from a patriarchal merchant family. The talent for drawing became evident in the future artist already during his studies at the gymnasium. When Mikhail Nesterov was fourteen years old, he moved to Moscow. There he entered the Moscow school of painting, sculpture and architecture. Nesterov’s teachers were well-known Russian painters: Vasily Perov, Alexey Savrasov and Illarion Pryanishnikov.
The first paintings of the starting artist were landscapes. Already in his early works he showed an interest in Christian themes. Mikhail Nesterov believed that the only salvation for Russia at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries could be the Orthodox faith. Apart from painting, the artist dealt with decoration of churches. In 1891-1895 he participated in the painting frescoes in the St. Vladimir Cathedral in Kiev and in the St. Petersburg Church of the Resurrection of Christ.
#6
The painting The holy aged man. The servant of God Abramius was acquired by the merchants Shikhobalovs, who lived in Samara. The head of the family Anton Shikhobalov was known for his love of art. After the revolution, paintings from their collection were transferred to the museum.
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The holy aged man. Servant of the God Abramius
Creation period
1914
Dimensions
114x110 cm
Technique
Canvas, oil
Collection
Exhibition
9
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