Very little is known about Alexander Andreevich Krasnoselsky, a 19th-century Russian artist, genre and portrait painter. His origin, occupation and personal life remain a mystery. It is known that Krasnoselsky was not a full-time academic. He probably combined his civil service with attending classes at the Imperial Academy of Arts, and was a non-matriculated student. Krasnoselsky studied at the Academy in 1859–1866 and, according to preserved archival materials, was a talented student. During his years of study, he received two Small and two Grand silver medals. One of the paintings created during his studies at the Imperial Academy of Arts, “By the Window, ” is kept in the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg. It dates back to 1864. Perhaps this was the work for which the artist received one of his medals.
Russian painting of the 19th century was characterized by frequent depiction of genre scenes. The classical trend was then replaced by realism, which sought to depict the private and public life of ordinary people. The social contradictions in Russia in the second half of the 19th century were so exposed that the plots on this topic seemed to ask for being captured on the canvas or on the pages of a novel.
The work of Krasnoselsky presented in the museum’s collection opens a series of everyday genre paintings. In the painting, one can see a street scene with a slight flair of theatricality. The artist depicted the lower floor of the house with a wide entrance to the shop, near which many people gathered. Each of them is occupied with their own business. The artist scrupulously paints a variety of character types, shows the emotional state of the people, and strives to work out in detail the various textures present in the painting.
In his work, the artist uses a speaking surname: the sign says, “The Vegetable and Junk Shop of the Merchant K.S. Obiralov (Fleecer).” Literary works of the 19th century often use such speaking surnames, reflecting the character of their owners or the personal attitude of the author towards them. Among other famous works by Krasnoselsky are “Collection of Arrears, ” “Abandoned, ” and “Portrait of Mr. Dodonov.”
The painting entered the museum’s collection in
1933 from the Voronezh Regional Museum of Local Lore.
