The Ostrogozhsk Museum of History and Art houses four portraits of Ivan Kramskoy — three paintings (oil on canvas) and one drawing. Each image of the great painter, teacher, and public figure contributes to the understanding of his complex and many-sided personality.
Alexei Korzukhin depicted Ivan Kramskoy in 1867 as an energetic young man of 30 with a visible and perceptible vigor. Alexei Korzukhin studied at the Academy of Arts together with Kramskoy and in 1863, was one of the 14 rebels who left their alma mater as a sign of protest shortly before graduation. Along with his fellow students, Korzukhin joined the St. Petersburg Artel of Artists where they continued working on their artistic development.
Throughout their lives, Korzukhin and Kramskoy were like-minded artists who shared their views on professional development. Moreover, Alexei Korzukhin was one of the first artists invited by Ivan Kramskoy to work together on painting the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The construction of the church lasted 44 years. It was finally consecrated in May 1883 and soon received the status of a cathedral.
It is no wonder that graduates of the Imperial Academy of Arts were invited to paint the interior of the church. Although the artists who decorated it represented various generations and artistic movements, the interior was characterized by a stylistic unity based on following academic traditions. The honorary list of these 28 artists includes Ivan Kramskoy and Alexei Korzukhin. According to Ivan Nikolaevich, he worked on painting the dome of the cathedral for two years, which was hard but rewarding work.
Kramskoy and Korzukhin also had similar backgrounds. Unlike his more famous friend who was born into a petit-bourgeois family, Alexei Korzukhin came from serf peasants who worked at mining plants in Perm Governorate. However, just like Kramskoy, Korzukhin first demonstrated his talent as an artist at an early age and made his way into the world of art by working hard. The two talented painters were also united by participating in the same major exhibition project — the Society for Traveling Art Exhibitions.
Alexei Korzukhin depicted Ivan Kramskoy in 1867 as an energetic young man of 30 with a visible and perceptible vigor. Alexei Korzukhin studied at the Academy of Arts together with Kramskoy and in 1863, was one of the 14 rebels who left their alma mater as a sign of protest shortly before graduation. Along with his fellow students, Korzukhin joined the St. Petersburg Artel of Artists where they continued working on their artistic development.
Throughout their lives, Korzukhin and Kramskoy were like-minded artists who shared their views on professional development. Moreover, Alexei Korzukhin was one of the first artists invited by Ivan Kramskoy to work together on painting the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The construction of the church lasted 44 years. It was finally consecrated in May 1883 and soon received the status of a cathedral.
It is no wonder that graduates of the Imperial Academy of Arts were invited to paint the interior of the church. Although the artists who decorated it represented various generations and artistic movements, the interior was characterized by a stylistic unity based on following academic traditions. The honorary list of these 28 artists includes Ivan Kramskoy and Alexei Korzukhin. According to Ivan Nikolaevich, he worked on painting the dome of the cathedral for two years, which was hard but rewarding work.
Kramskoy and Korzukhin also had similar backgrounds. Unlike his more famous friend who was born into a petit-bourgeois family, Alexei Korzukhin came from serf peasants who worked at mining plants in Perm Governorate. However, just like Kramskoy, Korzukhin first demonstrated his talent as an artist at an early age and made his way into the world of art by working hard. The two talented painters were also united by participating in the same major exhibition project — the Society for Traveling Art Exhibitions.
