Ilya Repin and Leo Tolstoy’s friendship lasted for 30 years. They met in the artist’s studio in Moscow, where Tolstoy once came to look at the “new luminary” of Russian painting. Repin was astounded by the writer’s visit, and soon they began meeting more often, spending evenings and having meaningful conversations. On such evenings, Repin and Tolstoy used to take long walks along Moscow’s boulevards — sometimes wandering off so far that they had to return by carriage.
Repin’s first portrait of Tolstoy was painted seven years after they met for the first time, by which time he knew the writer quite well. Summer days spent in Yasnaya Polyana gave the artist a lot: he saw Tolstoy at work, taking walks, and interacting with his family. Repin wrote Tretyakov:
Bust of Leo Tolstoy
Creation period
1891
Place of сreation
the Russian Empire
Dimensions
73x56x27 cm
Technique
bronze
Collection
Exhibition
0
Open in app #2
#3
My stay there was very useful and interesting. I accompanied him in his work and now I can clearly see the extent of the man’s brilliance. What power of the immortal spirit resides within him!
#4
In Yasnaya Polyana, Repin was awestruck by the writer’s tenacity and cunning, who, by then, was almost 60 years old. Tolstoy worked in the field from noon to sunset, plowing the hard ground with a plow or harrow, and the artist watched him with a sketchbook in hand. Later, based on sketches and memory, Repin painted “Plowman. Leo Tolstoy on Arable Land”, the name of which was banned by censorship, due to the fear of “stirring public conversation”.
In the Summer of 1891, Ilya Repin came for a long stay at Yasnaya Polyana and created many drawings of Tolstoy. The artist also made a bronze bust of the writer. Repin created 17 eloquent pencil sketches of Tolstoy playing chess, working, reading and being surrounded by relatives. The artist recalled Tolstoy with admiration: #5
What power! What a way to live! His liveliness shines through.
#6
In his book of memoirs “The Far Near”, Repin wrote the following about
Tolstoy:
#7
To me, the spiritual ambiance of Lev Nikolayevich has always been overwhelming and exciting. In his presence, as if hypnotized, I could only obey his will. Any opinion he expressed seemed indisputable to me.
#8
On the other hand, Tolstoy’s ideas inspired the artist:
#10
Thinking about your every word, the path of the artist’s true journey becomes more and more clear to me. I am beginning to sense an interesting and broad perspective.
#11
According to Repin, Tolstoy’s remarks always shined a new light on the artist’s intentions.
#12
Bust of Leo Tolstoy
#9
Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation
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Bust of Leo Tolstoy
Creation period
1891
Place of сreation
the Russian Empire
Dimensions
73x56x27 cm
Technique
bronze
Collection
Exhibition
0
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