Narkiz Bunin captured himself at work in the Uninvited Critics painting. The artist depicted all the work accoutrements necessary for painting in the open air: a canvas, a stool, an umbrella on a high leg, which protects the painter and the picture from direct sunlight, a sketchbook, doubling as an easel and a box for storage of accessories. He also painted peasants who came close to the artist to observe the process of creating a painting. And, judging by the enthusiastic expressions of their faces, the ‘uninvited critics’ were more than satisfied with his creation.
Narkiz Bunin was born into a family of hereditary noblemen from the Voronezh province. He started his career as a military man - after graduating from the Voronezh Military Gymnasium in 1872 he went on to study at the Mining Institute. In 1877, he became a rank-and-file soldier and covered the path of an ordinary officer. In the rank of lieutenant, Narkiz Bunin served as a battalion and a regimental adjutant and commanded a company from 1893 getting promoted to captain in 1898.
While doing military service, Narkiz Bunin studied art. In 1881, with the permission of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, he entered the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts where he attended the battle class as a non-matriculated student until 1887.
The artist created the Uninvited critics presented in the exhibition, in 1884, when was still a student. Bunin knew a lot about the life and every day routine of the ordinary peasants and the experience enabled him to reliably depict the image of his ‘critics’: the ornamental embroidery on the shoulders and necks of the shirts, a scarf tied in a specific knot on the head, and other details typical of the peasant costumes of Russia’s southern provinces.
However, Narkiz Bunin’s main specialisation was battle scenes. He gave detailed descriptions of the way Russian soldiers lived in the second half of the 19th century. Bunin also painted pictures of battles, in which he had not taken part. However, his first-hand military experience helped him to portray the scenes as accurately and plausible as possible. Bunin’s works immortalised significant events of the Napoleonic War of 1812, the Russian-Turkish War, the Russian-Japanese War and many others.
Narkiz Bunin’s works received high praise from the critics and the viewers; they were displayed at academic exhibitions and even found their way to the collections of the Grand Dukes.
Narkiz Bunin was born into a family of hereditary noblemen from the Voronezh province. He started his career as a military man - after graduating from the Voronezh Military Gymnasium in 1872 he went on to study at the Mining Institute. In 1877, he became a rank-and-file soldier and covered the path of an ordinary officer. In the rank of lieutenant, Narkiz Bunin served as a battalion and a regimental adjutant and commanded a company from 1893 getting promoted to captain in 1898.
While doing military service, Narkiz Bunin studied art. In 1881, with the permission of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, he entered the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts where he attended the battle class as a non-matriculated student until 1887.
The artist created the Uninvited critics presented in the exhibition, in 1884, when was still a student. Bunin knew a lot about the life and every day routine of the ordinary peasants and the experience enabled him to reliably depict the image of his ‘critics’: the ornamental embroidery on the shoulders and necks of the shirts, a scarf tied in a specific knot on the head, and other details typical of the peasant costumes of Russia’s southern provinces.
However, Narkiz Bunin’s main specialisation was battle scenes. He gave detailed descriptions of the way Russian soldiers lived in the second half of the 19th century. Bunin also painted pictures of battles, in which he had not taken part. However, his first-hand military experience helped him to portray the scenes as accurately and plausible as possible. Bunin’s works immortalised significant events of the Napoleonic War of 1812, the Russian-Turkish War, the Russian-Japanese War and many others.
Narkiz Bunin’s works received high praise from the critics and the viewers; they were displayed at academic exhibitions and even found their way to the collections of the Grand Dukes.
