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by Magdalina Rakova, art critic
December 23 marks the bicentennial of Russian artist Karl Bryullov, Karl the Great, Tzar of Painting as some of his contemporaries called him.
Experts believe that the Bryullov phenomenon was a landmark in the history of Russian and Western European painting relationships, says Magdalina Rakova, a noted art critic, an expert at the Russian Academy of Arts' scientific research institute. Born in France, being of German descent, Karl Bryullov was the first Russian artist of Pan-European dimension, a member of Milan's Academy of Arts, Parma's Academy and the St. Luke Academy in Rome, and a fellow of the Art Academies in Florence and St.Petersburg. A huge press abroad, a gold medal at a Paris exhibition in 1834 - all this was the recognition of Bryullov as an outstanding master of his time. His mastership amazed contemporaries. He was seen as a perfect romanticist in temper and disposition, even though of a somewhat different nature than those of Gericault or Delacroix, for one.
Bryullov's education was partially tied in with Europe, too. Upon graduation from St.Petersburg's Art Academy with a gold medal in 1821, with a group of graduates, he was sent to Italy for further study. The professional art education in Russia was superb in quality. Professionalism was looked at not only as ability to make a picture a thing or a subject. What mattered most was to teach an artist think wide historically, philosophically, ethically, morally, and that did a huge service to the Russian art. Drawing - the main subject in the academy's curriculum - was Bryullov's speciality. When he painted something big, requiring encyclopedic knowledge and compositional skill, he worked with ease playfully.
I am convinced that all Russian art innovations in the second half of the 19th century came true because these innovators had been taught proper drawing skills in their time.
In 1822, in Italy, Bryullov often accompanied his brother, an architect, to the excavation sites of Pompeii, an ancient city in South Italy, destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. It was there that he began work on a huge epic 24 square meter canvass.
In the antique history plot, Bryullov discerned a profound feature, consonant with romanticism. This is the idea of the global end of civilization. Rich and splendid, this civilization dies so dramatically: palaces crumble, statutes fall, the sky with horrible black clouds catches on fire, clods mix into total black rain. At this horrible moment of disaster, the people are full of goodness and self-sacrifice. Their faces and postures are beautiful in their antique way.
Bryullov's picture caused quite a stir. According to Gagarin, the son of the Russian ambassador in Rome, "it can be said that the success of the painting 'The Last Days of Pompeii' is unprecedented in the life of artists. The Italian cities, where the picture has been displayed, gave the artist red-carpet receptions. Everywhere he was received with honor as a triumphant genius, understood and appreciated by all." The picture was admired by French writer Stendal. Danish sculptor Torvaldsen claimed that none of the painters living in Rome were unable to even arrange such a work. English novelist Walter Scott stood in the studio for a whole hour, after which he said "rather than a picture, it's a whole epopee."
The Italian journals with the description of Pompeii forestalled Bryullov's return homeland in 1835. He was welcomed back home as a hero. In the Academy, there was a resplendent fiesta near the earlier delivered picture. The crowd was jubilant, all dreamed of becoming his pupils. They put a wreath of laurels on Bryullov's head. But he took it off and crowned his teacher Andrei Ivanov with it. The great poet Pushkin dedicated a poem to the picture, and writer Gogol penned a brilliant article.
A victor, a romantic artist, and an irresistible character, contemporaries described Bryullov as "a shortish man with lovely plump little hands, beautiful little legs but with the antique head as beautiful as that of Apollo Belvedere." "The high forehead of a lion is crowned with free golden curls, the eyes radiated inspiration, wit, genius, and thought." That was how Bryullov imprinted himself on many self-portraits, that was how he remained in the portraits by other artists.
In portrait painting, Bryullov came close to psychologism, and that was a significant step toward realistic painting. The numerous portraits of his friends in Russia and Italy alike provide an insight into the very epoch and people of that time. The artist was particularly good at big parade portraits, on which he had no rivals. For instance, the portrait of the countess Samoylova, called "Leaving the Ball." The fascinating lady was surrounded by art people, as a free bird she traveled all over Europe. Life and merry making bustled around her. The countess was passionately infatuated with Bryullov. She was close to him in spirit, not to mention that she personified the type of the southern Italian beauty that the artist adored. This portrait is a hymn for women, beauty, and freedom.
But Bryullov has female images of a different type. They adorn, for instance, the canvass "Bakhchisarai fountain," inspired by Pushkin's eastern poem. The development of the eastern theme started during the tour of Greece and Turkey. As for Pushkin's plot, it attracted Bryullov by its Odaliska, a harem woman with a remarkable beauty and equally remarkable obedience. Odaliska was interesting for European man as a symbol of unfree personality.
Bryullov spent the last years of his life with the family of Garibaldi's loyalist Angelo Tittoni in Italy. His ancestors treasure the master's pictures and still-lifes, inherited from generation to generation The artist's grave stone at the Monte-Gistacco cemetery near Rome is adorned with an imprint of Nova and Tibere as symbols of Russia and Italy with Bryullov's profile in between.
The first half of the 19th century associated the artist with romanticists, then ideals changed, and Bryullov began to be called an academic. But in all times, he has been praised as a master. Bryullov is remarkable for his lucid artistic language and is understandable for. His clarity is matched by ideal.
Now, an impressive jubilee exhibition is under way in St.Petersburg, Bryullov's home city, where the bulk of his heritage is collected. The exhibit is expected to be shown in Moscow.
1. Self-portrait, 1848;
2. The Last Days of Pompeii, 1833;
3. Countess Y. P. Samoylova Leaving the Ball, 1842.
 
 
 
 

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