Nikolai Fechin was one of the finest pupils of Ilya Repin, working at the crossroads of realism, impressionism, and Art Nouveau. His works quite literally 'breathe' with life and are painted in an emotional, passionate manner. The master's portraits are distinguished by subtle psychological insight and a unique free-brush technique that made the artist famous not only in Russia but also abroad.
Nikolai Fechin was born in Kazan to a family of icon carvers. As a child he often accompanied his father on trips to villages, absorbing the unique natural and rural color that later found expression in many of his works. His parents divorced when he was 14 and Fechin began to live independently. Only devoted drawing saved him from want and sorrow.
Nikolai Fechin – Self-Portrait (1940)
As a young man he graduated with honors from the Kazan Art School and entered the Imperial Academy of Arts, where he studied in the studio of Ilya Yefimovich Repin. For his diploma work 'The Cabbage Seller' the artist received a grant for a year abroad. Thanks to this, he visited many countries where he learned the foundations of European fine art. In 1909 his painting 'Lady in Lilac' was awarded a gold medal at a German exhibition. This is how Nikolai Fechin became known in the New World, and the artist gained patrons and admirers of his art across the ocean.
Nikolai Fechin – Lady in Lilac (1908)
The painting depicts a young, graceful woman. Her face is rendered with photographic precision, while her clothing and the surrounding background, despite their stylization, create a sense of movement and light. Detailed facial depiction, the subtlest color gradations and a certain 'sketch-like' abstraction of the surrounding reality were Fechin's favorite painting techniques.
Nikolai Fechin often painted his only daughter, Iya. The stages of her growing up are captured in a series of portraits spanning from early childhood to young womanhood.
Nikolai Fechin – Iya Fechin (late 1930s)
Fechin's still lifes are no less interesting. He painted bouquets with remarkable vitality, masterfully conveying the fragility and transience of flowers.
Nikolai Fechin – Lilies with a Shell (1934-1955)
In 1923 Nikolai Fechin emigrated to America. The move proved successful — in the New World the artist found recognition, high fees, and the status of a national painter. Portraits by Fechin could be afforded only by members of the American gentry and elite: politicians, military leaders, bankers and socialites.
Nikolai Fechin – Portrait of Lillian Gish as Romola (1925)
Nikolai Fechin – Walter L. Clark (1923-1926)
Nikolai Fechin never managed to return to his homeland, but, as in Russia, the master continued to paint ordinary people for his own satisfaction. The result of his explorations was numerous exotic portraits of African Americans, Mexicans, and Native Americans.
Nikolai Fechin – Taos Chief (1927-1933)
Nikolai Fechin – Mexican Girl (after 1936)
The largest collection of Nikolai Fechin's paintings is located in Kazan, at the State Museum of Fine Arts of Tatarstan. A permanent exhibition of Fechin's works is open at the Khazine Art Gallery in the Kazan Kremlin.
