On May 23, the exhibition 'The Vasnetsovs. A Link Between Generations. From the 19th to the 21st Century' opened at the New Tretyakov Gallery. It is now one of the largest and most popular exhibitions in Moscow. The exhibition introduces visitors to the work of three outstanding artists: the brothers Viktor and Apollinary Vasnetsov and the elder Vasnetsov's grandson — Andrei. It is timed to coincide with the 175th anniversary of Viktor Vasnetsov's birth and the 100th anniversary of Andrei Vasnetsov's birth. More than two hundred works participate in the exhibition — paintings and graphic works, monumental canvases and sketches.
Entrance to the exhibition
The exhibition is not organized on a monographic principle, but according to the significance of the Vasnetsov artistic dynasty in Russian culture. By nature the Vasnetsovs were thinkers and humanists, innovators and pioneers, highly moral and deeply educated people with talents for literature, philosophy, science and art. In their works the artists pondered the mysteries of the universe, raised eternal questions and sought harmony.
The exhibition is very popular with Muscovites and visitors to the capital
The works of the three artists do not share a stylistic kinship. The brothers Viktor and Apollinary were united by a love of Russian folklore, but the themes of their works were diametrically opposed. Viktor painted folkloric pieces based on Russian legends and fairy tales, while Apollinary recreated, from chronicles and old plans, the landscapes of merchant and boyar Moscow. Andrei Vasnetsov was an artist of a different generation — one of the Sixties generation, a representative of the 'Severe Style', and a master of monumental and easel painting.
Apollinary Vasnetsov, 'Messengers. Early Morning in the Kremlin. Early 17th Century.' 1913.
The exhibition space is harmoniously organized and divided into thematic zones. In the first part of the exposition visitors are introduced to the biographies of members of the Vasnetsov family. In the center of the hall, in an isolated oval room, works by Apollinary are presented, and beyond it, around the perimeter of the entire hall, are placed Viktor Vasnetsov's most famous and monumental works: 'A Knight at the Crossroads', 'Alyonushka', 'Sirin and Alkonost. Song of Joy and Sorrow', 'Three Princesses of the Underground Kingdom' and 'The Flying Carpet'. Separately arranged are the exhibition of large-format painted cartoons by Viktor, created for St. Vladimir's Cathedral in Kyiv, and the exhibition of works by Andrei Vasnetsov. The large-scale exhibition will run until November 4, 2024.
Viktor Vasnetsov, 'Sirin and Alkonost. Song of Joy and Sorrow.' 1896.
Viktor Vasnetsov, 'The Flying Carpet.' 1880.
