The talented battle painter Vasily Vasilyevich Vereshchagin is known to the whole world as a man of extraordinary courage, courage and willpower. The famous Russian painter, career officer and traveler, he visited many wars and in many countries. In his works, he tried to convey to society all the horrors and catastrophic consequences of the war, its cruelty and inhumanity. At the same time, he was a wonderful landscape painter and painted exotic paintings.
The most amazing works of Vereshchagin V.V.
1
After Good Luck (1868)
Vereshchagin’s trip to Central Asia was organized for a reason. Territorial wars, which were on the schedule of military campaigns of the Russian Empire, called him as a career officer.
This first trip to Central Asia was decisive for the artist. The world saw stunning works, frank, truthful, without embellishment, describing the horrors of war. The highest authorities allowed to expose only a small part of the paintings of this series, since many of them did not fit into the life of the layman.
The picture depicts a terrible scene of a trade in the head of the "Urus". The brave thug, who is in the service of a local tsar, vehemently bargains for the severed head of a deceased soldier with a buyer of heads. Perhaps, you can earn money for this.
2
After failure (1868)
Continuation of the picture "After Good Luck" is the painting "After Failure."
In this picture, the viewer sees the thug from the previous picture as a victim. You can immediately recognize it by its bright suit. He lies at the walls of the fortress on top of other defeated eastern warriors. A Russian soldier stands next to the dead and calmly lights a pipe. Along the entire long adobe fortress wall lies many dead. The soldiers calmly stand in small groups and smoke, resting after the battle. Scavengers are already flocking to the walls of the fortress.
3
Politicians in the Opium Shop (1870)
Vereshchagin’s trip to Turkestan was very fruitful. He tried to fix everything that he saw around: life, customs, customs of local residents. The painting “Politicians in the Opium Shop” is filled with the truth of life and black humor. It is made with photographic accuracy and conveys a lot of details that can be viewed for hours.
Visitors to the opium shop are the dregs of society who spend the last money on the opium puff. Dirty, barefoot, ragged, in terrible rags, but how important they are debating! Their feet are black with dirt. Such people do not care about their appearance. This unusual community is discussing some serious issues. What they are talking about is unknown. Apparently, important world problems are being solved.
4
The Apotheosis of War (1871)
The author’s epigraph to the film “To All the Great Conquerors, Past, Present and Future” became a true dedication to all world figures seeking to resolve the conflict through war. This picture is still relevant. Death. This is the only result of all wars. A pile of gnawed skulls on the background of a lifeless desert.
When this picture was first exhibited, it aroused various opinions in society, but definitely did not leave anyone indifferent.
5
Doors of Timur (1872)
A huge series of paintings by Vereshchagin is dedicated to Central Asia. Canvas “Doors of Timur” is an unsurpassed masterpiece of realism. The huge old wooden palace door, decorated with inconceivable carved ornaments, impresses with how the artist wrote it. Two important warriors in exotic oriental outfits guard her with all seriousness. Their magnificent costumes in addition to exotic medieval weapons make this picture the entrance to an oriental scary fairy tale.
6
Mortally Wounded (1873)
The last moments of the life of a wounded soldier are captured by the artist, like a photographic shot. Now the Russian soldier will take a couple more steps, and will die on a foreign land. Arms are scattered around and the corpses of dead soldiers lie. Everything happens in Central Asia during the colonial wars of Russia. The dazzling sun of Turkestan illuminates the snow-white shirts of soldiers, smoke and sand envelop the entire space of the picture.
This picture is a cruel reproach to the ruthlessness of all wars. The lives of soldiers are worth nothing at the same time. War is a total ruthless destruction of people.
By the way, about the most beautiful pictures of the world, read an interesting article on our site most-beauty.ru.
7
Mountain Stream in Kashmir (1875)
Vereshchagin devoted to India many works describing the military operations of that area. The painting "Mountain Stream in Kashmir" strongly stands out from this series.
This wonderful realistic landscape describes the beauty of the Himalayas, its mountain rivers and beautiful vegetation. A rocky steep hillside is washed by a fast, bubbling mountain rivulet, tall spruce trees and small deciduous trees grow along the gentle bank. Water in stormy waves washes large stones in the river. This picture gives an idea of Vereshchagin as a talented landscape painter.
8
Mausoleum of the Taj Mahal in Agra (1874–1876)
The famous Taj Mahal is another peaceful canvas of Vereshchagin dedicated to a trip to India. The famous tomb shines against a blue-blue sky with a precious pearl, reflected in the dark waters of the Jamna River, a tributary of the sacred Ganges. The complex architectural landscape is executed with photographic accuracy and amazing knowledge of the perspective.
9
Winners (1879)
Diptych "Winners" and "The Vanquished. Memorial service "- two huge three-meter canvases showing the war from two sides: from the victors and the vanquished.
The picture "Winners" tells the audience about the outcome of the battle with the Turks near Teles. The field is strewn with the corpses of Russian soldiers and officers sent mercilessly to slaughter by their mediocre generals. Units of surviving Russian soldiers are captured. Turkish soldiers unceremoniously pulled off their uniforms and boots from the corpses, appropriated the values that are found in the victims.
10
Conquered. Memorial Service (1878–1879)
The terrible, depressing canvas “The Defeated. Memorial service ”is known to the whole world as a reminder of the price you have to pay for unleashed wars and mediocre command. In the city of Teles, a battle took place that cost the lives of an entire regiment of Russian rangers.
An endless field laid in even rows of naked, hastily sprinkled with earth, the corpses of Russian soldiers. After the massacre, the victorious Turks appropriated not only the uniforms of the dead, but even their underwear. A black thundercloud is looming on the horizon, through which the last rays of sunlight break through. Nature mourns for the dead.
A regimental priest in a mourning robe serves a memorial service, probably the worst in his life. The priest's face is sad and looks like the face of Christ. This picture from the "Balkan Series" has become a brilliant coverage of the consequences of the war.
11
Before the attack. Under Plevna (1881)
A huge four meter tall canvas in human height covers the moment of waiting for the attack to begin. The Balkan war was particularly cruel and mediocre command. Under Plevna thousands of Russian soldiers were killed. Vereshchagin was a witness to what was happening. He, risking his life, actively participated in hostilities. This is what made it possible to create a large-scale canvas, amazing in its psychological intensity.
The artist said that only by participating in events, shedding blood, recognizing cold and hunger, you can write a reliable picture of the war. Therefore, the paintings of Vereshchagin always had a tremendous impact on the audience.
12
White Horse (1883)
Vereshchagin was very fond of traveling in Egypt and the countries of the Middle East. During his wanderings, he made sparkling sketches and sketches. The light air sketch "White Horse" was written by the artist easily and juicy. The poor Arab in a ragged white shirt holds under the bridle of a snow-white thoroughbred Arabian horse.
The background of the picture is stony Egyptian sands. Because of the horizon, the top of one of the pyramids is visible. The bright scorching sun is conveyed by the sparkling whiteness of a horse and the ultramarine of a cloudless sky.
13
Letter to Mother (1901)
A seriously wounded soldier lies on a hospital bed and dictates a farewell letter to his mother. The letter is written by a young sister of mercy. The soldier is exhausted, and is clearly on the verge of death. Such paintings exhausted the artist to tears, but still, vowing to no longer paint such paintings, he again went on a military campaign.
Afterword
In the photo: Vasily Vereshchagin.
Vereshchagin lived and died like a real soldier. He died in a naval battle in 1904 during the Russo-Japanese War at the battleship Petropavlovsk. His legacy is counted by a huge number of paintings dedicated to a variety of topics. First of all, Vereshchagin is a fighter for peace, an ardent opponent of all wars. A poem by A. Kagan wrote about him
The war in its entire bloody form
Terrible and unsightly for people.
And do not understand the sovereign politicians,
The suffering and sorrow of mothers.
Only Vereshchagin, forgetting the glory,
The recognition and grace of the authorities,
He wrote that he saw that before us
The war appeared with grief of mothers.
14
Portrait of a Bachi Girl (1867)
15
Uzbek Boy (1868)
16
Mausoleum of Shah-i-Zinda in Samarkand (1870)
17
Beggars in Samarkand (1870)
18
In the mountains of Alatau (1870)
19
Nomadic road in the Alatau Mountains (1870)
20
Wealthy Kyrgyz hunter with a falcon (1871)
21
At the fortress wall. “Let them come in” (1871)
22
Triumph (1872)
23
Turkestan soldier in winter uniform (1873)
24
Uzbek seller of dishes (1873)
25
Uzbek woman in Tashkent (1873)
26
The Prisoner of War Road (1879)
27
Japanese beggar (1904)
Our article has come to an end. The editors of mopst-beauty.ru asks you to write in the comments which paintings of Vereshchagin you liked the most.