Ivan Kramskoy was a legendary Russian portraitist, a master of history and genre painting. His works reflect the ethos, spirit, and sentiments of his time. He always worked with equal care and attention regardless of whether he was portraying an emperor or a peasant, an actor or a hunter, Jesus or a general. Ivan Kramskoy created the portraits of the most prominent personalities of his period, including Alexander III, Ivan Aivazovsky, Leo Tolstoy, Pavel Tretyakov, Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, and Ivan Shishkin.
Ivan Kramskoy played an important role in the development of Russian culture in the second half of the 19th century. He initiated the Revolt of the Fourteen which marked the first time when graduate students of the Imperial Academy of Arts disobeyed its rules. After that, Ivan Kramskoy became a famous public figure and reformer. He organized the St. Petersburg Artel of Artists which was the first Russian cooperative association for artists that allowed them to take and fulfill commissions. Later, its participants founded the Society for Travelling Art Exhibitions and formed the famous group known as Peredvizhniki, or “The Wanderers”, the leaders of innovative art in Russia.
Ivan Kramskoy was born into the family of a scrivener in the village of Novaya Sotnya, Ostrogozhsky Uyezd, Voronezh Governorate. He graduated as the top student in his class, and later worked at the town council, an icon workshop, and as a retouch artist at a photo studio. The artist is commemorated by two landmarks in the town of Ostrogozhsk: the house-museum where he spent his childhood and the art gallery that was established in 1910 with the help of his son Anatoly.
“Portrait of Anatoly Kramskoy, the Artist’s Son” was created in the heyday of the painter’s career. Anatoly is depicted as a young man. Later, he became a mathematician and an official at the Ministry of Finance. Ivan Kramskoy often portrayed his children, especially his only daughter Sophia. Anatoly took the responsibility for managing the part of his father’s legacy that remained in their family. He also prepared the information for his father’s biography. Anatoly was the one who donated a collection of drawings and paintings by Ivan Kramskoy to the Voronezh Art Museum.
Ivan Kramskoy played an important role in the development of Russian culture in the second half of the 19th century. He initiated the Revolt of the Fourteen which marked the first time when graduate students of the Imperial Academy of Arts disobeyed its rules. After that, Ivan Kramskoy became a famous public figure and reformer. He organized the St. Petersburg Artel of Artists which was the first Russian cooperative association for artists that allowed them to take and fulfill commissions. Later, its participants founded the Society for Travelling Art Exhibitions and formed the famous group known as Peredvizhniki, or “The Wanderers”, the leaders of innovative art in Russia.
Ivan Kramskoy was born into the family of a scrivener in the village of Novaya Sotnya, Ostrogozhsky Uyezd, Voronezh Governorate. He graduated as the top student in his class, and later worked at the town council, an icon workshop, and as a retouch artist at a photo studio. The artist is commemorated by two landmarks in the town of Ostrogozhsk: the house-museum where he spent his childhood and the art gallery that was established in 1910 with the help of his son Anatoly.
“Portrait of Anatoly Kramskoy, the Artist’s Son” was created in the heyday of the painter’s career. Anatoly is depicted as a young man. Later, he became a mathematician and an official at the Ministry of Finance. Ivan Kramskoy often portrayed his children, especially his only daughter Sophia. Anatoly took the responsibility for managing the part of his father’s legacy that remained in their family. He also prepared the information for his father’s biography. Anatoly was the one who donated a collection of drawings and paintings by Ivan Kramskoy to the Voronezh Art Museum.
