Vasily Tropinin painted the picture Adolescent with a Book in 1825. He performed the work in oil on the canvas. Another title of this picture is Boy with a Book. His son Arseniy posed for the author. At that time he was roughly 13-14 years old.
The artist used to portray children on his pictures; however, due to paternal tenderness this particular painting is notable for its special warmness. The master painted each detail of the portrait with love. Arseniy has a thoughtful and serious look. His dark expressive eyes stare dreamily away. It seems that the child’s attention was deflected from the book and he obediently posed his father – though in his thoughts he was still in reading. The master managed to convey the spirituality of a young personality.
A special place is given to Vasily Tropinin in the Fine Arts of early 19th century. Until the age of 47 he was under serfdom. In the Academy of Arts the master studied as an “outsider apprentice”. The artist received a letter of enfranchisement as late as in 1823. The heroes of his canvasses were representatives of different social layers. He painted the portraits of noblemen, merchants, peasant serfs, villain regardants and handcraftsmen. His works where people are preoccupied with daily routines in the surroundings of customary articles are of special interest. The art of Tropinin is highly appreciated by the contemporaries. He is considered to be the founder of independent Moscow School of Painting.
The hero of the portrait Arseniy Tropinin also started painting over time. The son replicated father’s works and even gained the title of unclassed artist from the Academy of Arts. However, he didn’t become a renowned artist.
Until the revolution of 1917 the painting Adolescent with a book belonged to the public officer Guchkov. The Soviet authorities expropriated the canvas in 1918. In 1925 the portrait was handed over to the Chechen-Ingush Museum of Local History and in 1961 it became an exhibit of the Republican Museum of Fine Arts.
During the hostilities in 1994-1995 the painting was lost. It was discovered by the law enforcement bodies of Moscow during investigative action in 2008. In the same year it was transferred for temporary storage to the State Memorial Estate “Ostankino”. In 2016 the canvas returned to Grozny.
The artist used to portray children on his pictures; however, due to paternal tenderness this particular painting is notable for its special warmness. The master painted each detail of the portrait with love. Arseniy has a thoughtful and serious look. His dark expressive eyes stare dreamily away. It seems that the child’s attention was deflected from the book and he obediently posed his father – though in his thoughts he was still in reading. The master managed to convey the spirituality of a young personality.
A special place is given to Vasily Tropinin in the Fine Arts of early 19th century. Until the age of 47 he was under serfdom. In the Academy of Arts the master studied as an “outsider apprentice”. The artist received a letter of enfranchisement as late as in 1823. The heroes of his canvasses were representatives of different social layers. He painted the portraits of noblemen, merchants, peasant serfs, villain regardants and handcraftsmen. His works where people are preoccupied with daily routines in the surroundings of customary articles are of special interest. The art of Tropinin is highly appreciated by the contemporaries. He is considered to be the founder of independent Moscow School of Painting.
The hero of the portrait Arseniy Tropinin also started painting over time. The son replicated father’s works and even gained the title of unclassed artist from the Academy of Arts. However, he didn’t become a renowned artist.
Until the revolution of 1917 the painting Adolescent with a book belonged to the public officer Guchkov. The Soviet authorities expropriated the canvas in 1918. In 1925 the portrait was handed over to the Chechen-Ingush Museum of Local History and in 1961 it became an exhibit of the Republican Museum of Fine Arts.
During the hostilities in 1994-1995 the painting was lost. It was discovered by the law enforcement bodies of Moscow during investigative action in 2008. In the same year it was transferred for temporary storage to the State Memorial Estate “Ostankino”. In 2016 the canvas returned to Grozny.
