The People’s Artist of the USSR Vladimir Igoshev was born in 1921 in Bashkiria. The future painter studied in Ufa at the Arts Faculty of the Ufa College of Arts and at the Surikov Art Institute in Moscow. In 1954 Igoshev first visited the North, where he explored the local traditions and worked on his paintings.
Vladimir Igoshev worked in various genres: he painted portraits and self-portraits, worked on landscapes and genre paintings. In 1982 the artist won the State Prize of Russia named after I. E. Repin for the series Taiga People, which included the paintings Old Mansi, Portrait of Reindeer Breeder F. N. Tikhonov, Northern Girl’s Song, Young Hunter, Girl from the Taiga Village, Old Hunter.
The painting In the Harsh Land. Reindeer Breeder Tasmanov was created in 1984. The figure in the massive clothing shown against the dark background, the weather-beaten face with deep wrinkles and big work-weary hands embody the image of a typical Northerner. The light furry trimming separates the face from the background; at the same time the face is shadowed, which gives the image a touch of mystery.
Vladimir Igoshev once wrote that he knew his models not only by name. The years long close friendship bonded them.
The artist recalled: ‘I first met Osip Petrovich Tasmanov around thirty years ago in one of the northern villages while working on the material for the painting To the Camping Ground. He didn’t fit for the painting, but when I met him, I knew from the first glance that I’d need him someday, if not for a painting, then at least for a portrait. He was so good as a typical inhabitant of the northern taiga, a typical Mansi hunter. He could hardly speak Russian, but I managed to understand that he lived far from the village and was about to go back home to his camping ground at the Ovynye river not far from Suevat. I didn’t want to leave him before painting a sketch, he was literally supposed to be painted. I made a sketch, but the image of Osip Petrovich sank deep into my heart and haunted me. In the evening, when Osip Petrovich took a sangoldap from the shelf located in the depth of the plank bed, put it on his laps and started to play with it, my heart skipped a beat. I knew it was something I had been looking for, and my imagination painted the finished picture.’
Vladimir Igoshev worked in various genres: he painted portraits and self-portraits, worked on landscapes and genre paintings. In 1982 the artist won the State Prize of Russia named after I. E. Repin for the series Taiga People, which included the paintings Old Mansi, Portrait of Reindeer Breeder F. N. Tikhonov, Northern Girl’s Song, Young Hunter, Girl from the Taiga Village, Old Hunter.
The painting In the Harsh Land. Reindeer Breeder Tasmanov was created in 1984. The figure in the massive clothing shown against the dark background, the weather-beaten face with deep wrinkles and big work-weary hands embody the image of a typical Northerner. The light furry trimming separates the face from the background; at the same time the face is shadowed, which gives the image a touch of mystery.
Vladimir Igoshev once wrote that he knew his models not only by name. The years long close friendship bonded them.
The artist recalled: ‘I first met Osip Petrovich Tasmanov around thirty years ago in one of the northern villages while working on the material for the painting To the Camping Ground. He didn’t fit for the painting, but when I met him, I knew from the first glance that I’d need him someday, if not for a painting, then at least for a portrait. He was so good as a typical inhabitant of the northern taiga, a typical Mansi hunter. He could hardly speak Russian, but I managed to understand that he lived far from the village and was about to go back home to his camping ground at the Ovynye river not far from Suevat. I didn’t want to leave him before painting a sketch, he was literally supposed to be painted. I made a sketch, but the image of Osip Petrovich sank deep into my heart and haunted me. In the evening, when Osip Petrovich took a sangoldap from the shelf located in the depth of the plank bed, put it on his laps and started to play with it, my heart skipped a beat. I knew it was something I had been looking for, and my imagination painted the finished picture.’
