The museum of Vasily Andreyevich Tropinin has a unique exhibition of paintings by both the artist himself - a famous portrait painter, and other painters.
Faces of Moscow
Many people find boring historical facts in books difficult. The textbooks are dominated by dry information, crammed with dates and events. In order to somehow bring yourself closer to the ancestors, to imagine what people were in the past, it is worth going to the museum. And of course, the most suitable institution of such a plan is an art museum, where historical facts are described by their witnesses. People and events are as if captured in photographs.
Few contemporaries can instantly recreate in their minds what a noblewoman or nobleman of the 19th century looked like. And how to distinguish them in appearance from representatives of the merchant estate?
Were there any special features in the faces of Muscovites of this period? How did ordinary people live, how did peasants have fun and work?
The answers to all the questions asked are given by the museum of Tropinin and his contemporaries. For 150 years, Moscow has become completely different. Guides of the museum will tell about all the changes. The faces in the portraits of that time did not look like the faces of contemporaries.
About the museum
The Tropinin Museum in Moscow first opened its doors in 1969. It is considered quite new. Its founder was a certain Felix Vishnevsky, who decided to make a gift to his beloved city. Not only the mansion became the property of Moscow, but also the two hundred and fifty paintings that were attached to it.
The philanthropist made generous gifts not only to the city. During the period of Vishnevsky’s life, they were transferred more than eight hundred paintings to various museums in Russia.
Representatives of the art exhibition did not confine themselves to gifted masterpieces. They began to collect their own collection. Over the years, the museum of paintings has become ten times more.
Museum Basis
The main highlight of the gallery’s collection was Tropinin’s paintings. It was he who was called the founder of the style of “Moscow painting”. In the first half of the 19th century, the great artist was considered the favorite of the public. The whole city adored him.
Portraits created by the painter are still present in private collections around the world.
In addition to the works of Tropinin, the museum presents paintings by artists of the same period: Argunov, Vishnyakov, Antropov, Levitsky, Rokotov, Borovikovsky, Schukin, Shchedrin.
And in the museum collections you can find paintings by famous masters: Vasnetsov Viktor Mikhailovich, Aivazovsky Ivan Konstantinovich, Benoit Alexander Nikolaevich, Levitan Isaac Ilyich, Polenov Vasily Dmitrievich, Korovin Konstantin Alekseevich.
Thanks to the atmosphere of a residential old house, the Tropinin Art Museum fully illuminates the period of the first half of the nineteenth century. The gallery contains the best representatives of this time. Those that cannot yet be included in the current exposition will certainly appear before the public later.
V.A. Tropinin
Vasily Tropinin, an artist, became famous as the pioneer of the Moscow style of painting. For him, there were two areas that he was guided by - realism and romanticism.
The great artist was born on March 19 (30), 1776 near Novgorod, in a. Karpovo, and died on May 3 (15), 1857 in Moscow. He was buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery. Since Vasily Tropinin, whose paintings are now exhibited in the central museum of the city, was a native of a serf family, his life cannot be called easy. Although the owner released the painter's father, he presented his whole family to another count. The head of the family was forced to voluntarily be hired by the manager in the house of the current owner.
The new boss thought of making a young man a pastry chef, but his cousin insisted that the young man, who had high hopes in drawing, go to the Academy of Arts. He was taught in St. Petersburg by Tropinina Stepan Semenovich Schukin, who was a Russian portrait and watercolor painter, as well as a professor at the Academy of Arts.
His training had to be interrupted at the time when Count Morkov Irakli Ivanovich moved to Ukraine, and Vasily's father died. Tropinin (artist) became the manager in his place. In Ukraine, he meets the love of his life - the beautiful Anna Ivanovna, and marries her. Their son Arseny is born there.
In 1812, he, together with the Morkovs, went to Moscow, where he continued to live under the Count. When Vasily turned 47 years old, he became free. In the same year he was given the title of artist for his paintings. For the portrait of Leberecht, he receives the title of academician.
Having received freedom, he began to do what he liked, to teach art to young students.
Tropinin painted his self-portrait, already being a free man.
The portrait painter was awarded the title of Honorary Member of the Moscow Society of Painters.
During his life, Vasily Andreyevich painted over 3000 portraits.
Famous portraits
The artist, who managed to both be subordinate and feel the taste of freedom, was well versed in both the life of the poor and the life of the rich. He painted portraits of various people. Everything that Tropinin experienced, the paintings reproduced in reality. His drawings always conveyed emotions, a special atmosphere.
Among the artist’s most famous works, one can single out a portrait of Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin, Ustim Karmelyuk, Karamzin, Bera, a painting called “The Lacemaker”, for which he was awarded more than one award.
Museum building
Tropinin House Museum is of high historical value. It was owned by Felix Vishnevsky, who died in 1978.
The museum is located in its merchant estate, which was built in the early 19th century. Zamoskvorechye is proud of this house, one of the few buildings of that period that have survived to this day.
A wooden wing has been preserved here since 1883. On the maps of the city, it appeared in 1793. Alas, in 1812 the estate burned down. But they were able to rebuild it. Now a stone was laid at its base and a wooden mezzanine was built.
Inside, you can see the cast-iron staircase, preserved from the 19th century to the present day.
Around the museum
The Tropinin Museum is located in the very center of the city. From it you can go to the Kremlin. It is conveniently located between Bolshaya Ordynka and Bolshaya Polyanka.
Not far from the Tropinin gallery are also the Tretyakov Gallery, the Bakhrushin Theater Museum, the Ostrovsky House and so on.
The building is adjacent to the churches of the Resurrection of Christ, the Great Martyr Catherine, Nicholas the Wonderworker, the Assumption of the Mother of God.
Visitors recommend
In the reviews that Muscovites and city guests leave after visiting the museum, there are the following comments and tips:
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take a guide who will tell the fascinating stories of all the paintings and shed light on the secret signs and riddles of some works;
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pay attention to the interior of the rooms themselves, to the furniture that complements the atmosphere of the old merchant’s house of the 19th century;
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glass, porcelain, beadwork, bronze works exhibited in the museum - part of the exhibition on decorative and applied art of the nineteenth century;
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the portrait of the artist Tropinin is the starting point of the exhibition;
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it’s better to come to the gallery several times: due to the fact that the room is small and the collection of paintings is significant, museum employees change from time to time some works to others, taking them out of the fund.
