In 1884 Ilya Repin painted the portrait of Alexey Antipov, a mining engineer and privy councilor, sitting in a relaxed pose. The background is done with light, vibrating brush strokes, and on the face the brushwork is more restrained. The coloration is based on a combination of black and grayish blue which Repin favored as gracious colors. Sparing use of artistic devices allowed Repin to concentrate primarily on the person’s intelligent face, accentuating Antipov’s penetrating glance and faint smile.
Portrait of Alexey Antipov
Creation period
1884
Dimensions
71x58,3 cm
Technique
oil on canvas
Collection
Exhibition
13
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Ilya Repin
Portrait of A.I. Antipov
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Repin displayed the portrait at the 14th Peredvizhniki (‘Itinerants’) exhibition in 1886. Yelena Polenova, sister of painter Vasily Polenov, wrote to Praskovia, the wife of Alexey Antipov:
‘He [Vasily Polenov] says that among Repin’s portraits, the portrait of your husband is exceptionally good, pleasant and agreeable… and he especially speaks highly of the eyes and expression of the mouth’.
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Shortly afterwards Yelena Polenova herself visited the exhibition and left the following comment about the painting:
“Yesterday I went to see the Peredvizhniki. I agree with my brother that for now <…> this is one of the best portraits by Repin. But the background I don”t like at all, it may be even worse than in the previous version”.
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Initially Repin chose ochre paints for the background, however he did not like it when the work was complete, so he changed it for grayish blue. Instead of removing the earlier reddish ochre he used the brush to put the new layer over it. This fact was discovered in 2008 after restoration of the portrait was complete.
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It is known that Repin liked to make later adjustments to his paintings and, “as connoisseurs argued, sometimes to the worse”. Because of this habit he even had a conflict with gallerist Pavel Tretyakov. Once, while the art collector was away from town, the artist entered the exhibition hall with his sketch box, took a ladder and started to overpaint his own works in front of embarrassed attendants. He told them he was doing it with the owner’s consent. This is how he modified the paintings They did not expect him, Ivan the Terrible and his son, and Religious procession in Kursk Province. When Tretyakov returned he was infuriated and did not speak to Repin for a long time.
The painter always encouraged his students to be faithful to the model but never be enslaved by it. Repin adhered to this principle himself. In the Alexey Antipov portrait he did not only create an image of the particular person, but also a collective image of Russian intelligentsia. The painter always encouraged his students to be faithful to the model but never be enslaved by it. Repin adhered to this principle himself. In the Alexey Antipov portrait he did not only create an image of the particular person, but also a collective image of Russian intelligentsia.
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Yaroslavl Art Museum
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Portrait of Alexey Antipov
Creation period
1884
Dimensions
71x58,3 cm
Technique
oil on canvas
Collection
Exhibition
13
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