Fedor Krichevsky is a gifted student of Repin and Klimt
Good night, co-workers, and community readers!
Today, my article will be an extraordinary painter and teacher Fyodor Grigorievich Krichevsky who plays an important role in the artistic life of Ukraine in the first half of the twentieth century.
Fedor was born on May 22, 1879 in the Swan. He spent his childhood in the village of Vorozhba not far from Lebedin, where his father worked as a zemstvo paramedic. The family had eight children, and each independently broke through life.
The boy graduated with honors from a four-year-old school in Vorozhba. Fyodor wanted to learn to paint, in which he supported Count W. Kapnist, the descendant of the poet Vasily Kapnist. On the estate of Count Krichevsky inspired by his collection of paintings and drawings, he uses a rich library. It was there that he began to copy portraits.
Then, his case helped. The young man showed his picture to artist friend Constantine Savitsky (the man who painted bears in Shishkin's painting "Morning in the Pine Forest"). Savitsky appreciated his talent, protected himself and prepared to enter Moscow's School of Painting, Statues and Architecture.
In 1896, Fedor became a school student. After 7 years, Krichevsky continued his art education at St. Petersburg, at the Academy of Art at the Ilya Repin workshop and Dmitry Kardovsky. He studied with Serov and Leonid Pasternak. However, after a while he was forced to drop out due to illness and deprivation.
The artist returns to his homeland and learns to paint himself, writing many things from life. In 1907, he continued his studies at the Academy, which he graduated in 1910.
In 1910, Krichevsky created a competitive picture of "The Bride", which was a great success, giving artists the right to travel abroad at the expense of the Academy in Western Europe. There he took lessons from Gustav Klimt.
The creative report of the trip is the painting "Wedding Rite in Ukraine" ("Woman"). The critics of Russia noted "his weakness to love all the original". Because of this, Krichevsky refused to retire.
Since 1913, Fedor has worked as a teacher in art school, and since 1914 he has been its director. Among his students at different times were famous artists such as Tatyana Yablonskaya and Sergei Otroshchenko.
Fedor Grigorievich devotes much of his time to pedagogical activities. He was a teacher, whose lessons the students remembered throughout their lives. The most important thing Krichevsky seeks out of his students is to develop color talents. He teaches students to look for colors in nature, in folk art, do not like lethargy and inactive paintings. However, he warned students of decoration and external elegance. "Do not violate the main principle of painting - harmony," he often told his students. Krichevsky demands that young people must be critical of innovation and, above all, seek to master the skills of drawing and painting.
Fedor Krichevsky's show is an event for his students.
"For us it was a real holiday," recalled his pupil, an outstanding Ukrainian artist, Tatyana Yablonskaya. - New production! Therefore, a new artistic task, which, along with new difficulties, promises us many new pleasures. "
In 1913, Fyodor wrote the famous painting "Three Ages." He remains faithful to a realistic way, seeing the master's value is not in the frequent changes of artistic orientation, but in constant demand for perfection.
In 1917, the artist took part in the creation of the Ukrainian Art Academy and was elected as its first rector. He devotes all his energy, all the organizational talents to the task of building up the work of the Academy.
"Build geometric shapes, cubic, separate into areas and faces, do not do a photo for me," says Krichevsky.
When famine came in 1919, many Academy professors, including Fedor Grigoryevich, went to the villages to survive. The artist lives in Shishaki village, where he once bought a small house and rebuilt it according to his brother's project. The house later became a branch of the Academy during the students' summer exercises.
In 1927 Krichevsky wrote a famous epic triptych "Life", which showed the external beauty of the common man, their generosity, strength and greatness. The triptych was exhibited at many exhibitions in Ukraine and abroad, in 1928 - at the International Competition in Venice, where it became a real sensation.
In June 1939, the artist was awarded (simultaneously with his brother Vasily) Doctor of Art Criticism, and in 1940 (also with his brother) - the title of the Honorable Artist of the Ukrainian SSR. They are the first in Ukraine, who received this title and rank.
In 1941, the artist completely avoided evacuation to Ufa and lived with his wife in the occupied territory. They are in Kiev destroyed, and the summer months - in Shishak.
After the war, Krichevsky was deprived of academic degrees and degrees, apartments and dachas did not survive the bombing. Khrushchev promised Fedor rehab, if he drew a portrait of Stalin. However, the artist refused, and admitted to his students: "I do not allow pictures of my favorite favorites, bastards and crooks."
Fyodor Krichevsky died in horses due to famine on July 30, 1947 at Irpin at the age of 68.