Arkhip Ivanovich Kuindzhi was a famous Russian artist, one of the best masters of landscape painting.
The painter’s childhood was not easy, he was born in a poor family, his parents died early, from an early age he was forced to work, but even then he was interested in fine art.
In 1865, the young man decided to study at the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, in 1870 he received the title of “non-class” artist.
A great influence on the work of the painter had the work of artists of the Wanderers.
The flourishing of Kuindzhi's activity fell on the 1870s. It was in this period that he wrote his best works. In our article you can find out about the most famous paintings of A.I. Kuindzhi with original photos, titles and descriptions.
10. Evening in Ukraine
The work was created in 1878, but was finalized in 1901.
The viewer sees on the canvas a farm, a white Ukrainian hut under the rays of the setting southern sun. When painting, the painter actively used shades of raspberry color, which gives the landscape stillness, special peace.
Art critics believe that the main the strength of this work lies in the master’s attempt to understand the secrets and special lighting details, to convey the play of light and shadow.
Some researchers of the artist’s creativity note that in this work the author’s decorativeism manifested itself most ripe and clearly.
9. Snowy peaks
This work of the artist is in the Chuvash State Art Museum in the city of Cheboksary.
Researchers at Kuindzhi often said that the painter was able to give any landscape a sense of beauty and extraordinary world, this ability was reflected in his work “Snow Peaks”.
The picture differs from the works of the Wanderers, in it the author abandons all intentions to explore, he changes it to a simple desire to enjoy the views.
In this work, nature is interpreted by the artist as part of the cosmic forces that bring beauty and grandeur.
8. Moonlit night on the Dnieper
The work was created in 1880, exhibited in St. Petersburg.
Interesting fact: the artist doubted his success, so he invited to get acquainted with the unfinished version of the work in order to see the reaction of people, the picture was seen by Mendeleev, Kramskoy and Turgenev.
The canvas "Moonlit Night on the Dnieper" was an incredible success with the public, the painter created two copies of it.
The picture amazed the audience with the incredible silvery shine of the moon. Many began to ask the author about what paints he used to write it, not believing that such color and light can be transmitted with ordinary materials.
7. Night
The painting was painted in the last years of the painter’s life from 1905 to 1908, many art critics believe that it remained unfinished.
The viewer sees on the canvas a river lit by the moon and running away into the distance, near which horses graze. Art historians say that this artwork of Kuindzhi is perceived as his will.
It was on this canvas that the master managed to capture the mystery of dawn in the vast expanses of the steppe, on the banks of a wide calm river, where horses graze in silence, waiting for the sunrise.
6. Autumn thaw
The painting was created in 1872.
Interesting fact: a few years later, the painter painted a number of paintings that were dedicated to bad weather, among which are worth mentioning:
- The Forgotten Village (1874);
- "The Chumatsky Highway in Mariupol" (1875).
The late painting of the painter “Autumn. Fog ”serves as a kind of reflection of the canvas“ Autumn Thaw ”. The place where the work is written is unknown.
During the years of its creation, the author adjoined the society of Wanderers, therefore, in general, the painting was painted according to the principles that they used in painting.
Art critics call the landscape genre, it was he who brought Kuindzhi the title of a class artist.
It depicts a horse-drawn cart, trying to overcome a rain-washed road, a lonely tree, people, and in the distance you can see a settlement.
Drawing a landscape, the author used gray cold tones to convey the feeling of autumn weather as realistic as possible.
5. Birch grove
The painting was created in 1879, is still one of the most famous works of the painter. The canvas was written in the style of a romantic landscape.
As in many of his other works, the master achieves a special effect using unusual combinations of color and light, the picture is penetrated by the contrast of the sun and shadow.
The viewer does not see the tops of birches, only their trunks and some branches are depicted on the canvas, in the center of the picture the author painted a slowly flowing stream.
Thanks to this work, Kuindzhi gained fame, colleagues on the workshop were able to appreciate it, they said that he can freely work with color in the spirit of impressionists and post-impressionists, the painter was even called the “Russian Monet”.
Interesting fact: The prerequisite for the painting was the 1878 study “Pine Forest with a River,” the painter took his idea from Shishkin. But the canvas "Birch Grove" differs significantly from Shishkin's works, in it the artist managed to show the depth of space, summarized the crowns of trees, expanded the plane of the sky, conveyed a bright and joyful mood of nature.
4. Rainbow
The canvas is called by art critics a masterpiece of the artist’s late work, it was written from 1900 to 1905.
Kuindzhi in his works more than once turned to a unique natural phenomenon - the rainbow. This picture also depicts a rainbow after heavy rain.
The colors on the canvas are transferred correctly, therefore the viewer when looking at him can feel the lightness of the wind after rain, the smell of wet earth.
A bright and luminous rainbow in the sky is a symbol of hope and belief in the best. The work is written in bright light colors, which creates a feeling of joy and delight.
3. Lake Ladoga
The work was created in 1873 after a trip to the island of Valaam.
For reference: the canvas is part of a trilogy of paintings about northern nature, this cycle also includes the artist’s works “On the Island of Valaam” and “North”.
The painter liked the severity of Russian northern nature, cliffs, thickets of forests, clean and clear water of lakes.
In the painting “Lake Ladoga”, the viewer can see the shore of the lake, dotted with sand and stones, which go into clean and transparent water, like a tear. Also on the canvas is a boat with fishermen, in the distance you can see the sail of another boat, the horizon is low, most of the picture is occupied by the sky with thick dark clouds.
2. Darial gorge. Moonlight night
The canvas was created over five years, from 1890 to 1895. It depicts a gorge called Daryal, located on the Terek River, east of Mount Kazbek. A river flows along the bottom of the gorge, the rocks around it go up in height.
When writing the canvas, the painter used contrasting, bright strokes that visually create a volume of light and shadow.
Using this technique, the author of the work managed to convey the coolness of the night air of the gorge, to create an atmosphere of silence and peace.
Two bright spots are visible in the picture, this is the moon and its reflection in the still water of the river. They do not disturb the calmness of the image, on the contrary, balance the silence.
1. After the rain
The painting was painted in 1879. It depicts a farm in the steppe, whose houses are lit by the rays of the sun after heavy rain. Clouds still blacken in the background, but the sun is already illuminating the bright green grass in the foreground of the work of art.
Art critics believe that the painting is close in style to the author’s romantic canvases. Its plot conveys the stormy state of nature after a thunderstorm. The landscape has an increased psychologization, plays a special emotional role.
The master’s brush managed to convey the swiftness of the clouds, the richness of the greenery of the meadow. The artist himself does not seek to show his own perception of a thunderstorm, he only wants to capture it in a real state.