Art Chowder January | February 2018, Issue 13 | Page 33

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
I
n 1863, the same year that disaffection
with the Paris Salon reached such a pitch
that Napoleon III felt obliged to mount
the Salon des Refusés, concurrent with
the official Salon, a minor insurrection
took place in the Imperial Academy in
St. Petersburg, but one that would go
down in the annals of Russian culture
as a turning point and a milestone in
the history of Russian art. A group of
art students at the Academy, largely led
by Kramskoi, refused to take part in a
competition for a gold medal, which
included the prize of a scholarship to
study abroad, in Paris or Italy. The
reason given had to do with certain rules
of the contest and wanting the freedom
to select one’s own subject matter. This
was the first time the students stood
up to the authorities, though the real
upshot was rather indefinite. Eight of the
rebels would go on to become officially
acknowledged Academicians, including
Kramskoi. In fact, the Russian Academy
seems largely to have been much more
kindly and encouraging to gifted artists
with fresh ideas than their Parisian
counterparts.
One example is Vasili Pukirev (1832-
1890), best known for The Unequal
Marriage. There were lots of scenes
of daily, often peasant life (“genre”
paintings), being done at the time but
this representation of a marriage between
a leering old man of station and a young
woman who was less than thrilled at
the match broke new ground for its
reflections on some unhappy results
of social conventions. The artist was
awarded an Honorary Professorship by
the Academy for his efforts.
Described as charismatic, vocal and a
prolific writer, Kramskoi was also an
organizer of artist’s collaboratives, most
notably The Company of Traveling Art
Exhibitions, or the Peredvizhniki. 2 Usual
English translations—the Itinerants or
the Wanderers—are misleading because
By Melville Holmes
Vasili Pukirev (1832-1890)
The Unequal Marriage
1862
oil on canvas
68.5 х 54”
Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
The figure on the far right is thought to be Pukirev.
they weren’t wandering or traveling
artists. The group was founded as a
cooperative venture in order for members
to exhibit their works apart from the
auspices of the Academy, and one of
their main intentions was to bring their
work to the awareness of audiences in
provincial cities, not just St. Petersburg
and Moscow. In other words, the
artists didn’t travel, their works did.
These artists were not ideologically
or stylistically bound together and the
endeavor was basically economically
motivated.
Nevertheless, a persistent myth grew
up around them. The prominent and
influential critic Vladimir Stasov
(1824-1906) was an ard ent proponent
of the idea that Russian artists should
eschew European modes and influences
in favor of specifically Russian ones.
(He also played a major role as advisor
and encourager to the Russian Five
composers.) In his mind the “Revolt
of the Fourteen” was a “protest against
the classical subjects…in the brave
resolution of the tiny handful of poor,
weak youngsters.” They simply could not
bear to succumb to the ludicrous ways of
the school, to the silly choice of good-
for-nothing subjects. They protested
against the old for the sake of the new.
January | February 2018
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