Nikolay
Egorovich Sverchkov

A painter of folk scenes and portraitist Nikolai Egorovich Sverchkov was born in St. Petersburg in the family of an employee, the court stables. Since childhood, able to draw, he was unable because of poor health to develop your talent in an Educational school at the Academy of fine arts. Still two years (1827-1829), conducted in the academic atmosphere, have become the basis of self-mastering the art of painting. In 1839, for their first work. Sverchkov was awarded the title of a free artist. For some time he combined painting with service in the Ministry of the interior. By 1852 the skill N.E. Sverchkova became apparent — this year, for the painting "the Landlord triple crossing to gallop all the chain of the convoy", he was awarded the title of academician. Children's experiences are largely determined by the artistic interests of a painter — his images of horses, including in the domestic scene, was unique. For the painting "Road. Heavy crew with passengers," the artist received in 1855 the title of Professor. Among friends N.E. Sverchkova was a well-known state and public figures. A close friendship linked the artist with N.. Nekrasov, whose name Karabikha he frequently visited and worked, among other things, writing a few paintings to the works of the poet. You know his painting of times of Karabikha — "Portrait of A. Y. panaewa on the horse." Creativity N.E. Sverchkova acquires a European reputation, his paintings were marked at the world exhibition in Paris (1863), the French government is awarding the artist the légion d'honneur (a rare event for the Russian culture). Over time, it expands the range of topics and classes N. E. Sverchkova: he deals with sculpture, writes battle scenes. In the memory of Russian painting artist will remain primarily as the Creator of swift, calm, graceful horses. On the canvas and paint, of course.

Father N. E. sverchkova was a native of the peasants, and served as a senior coachman and groom in the stables of the court. The boy soon began to draw horses and other animals, showing observation and ability to transfer the habits of his "models". Encouraging tendency of the son to the arts, his parents gave him in 1827 in an Educational school at the Academy of arts. However, weak health the child could not stand the harsh regime, and six months later was taken out and defined in the College of General type, after which, at the insistence of his father, joined the economic Department of the Ministry of internal Affairs. Career officials did not appeal the young man who in his spare time continued to work hard at drawing and painting. Gradually he developed his abilities to such an extent that in 1839 dared to send to the first academic exhibition of painting: "Portrait", "Rider", "Italian woman with a guitar" and "portrait of a girls Cricket". The success was evident, and he was awarded the title of free artist of portrait painting. In 1840, the Crickets decided to leave the service. The gift of the animal, the ability to be extremely truthful and freely depict scenes with horses helped Sverchkova to take the place of the artist Khrenovskaya and Chesmensky state horse plants, the largest in Russia. In this role, he has created a gallery that represents thoroughbred horses. Famous for his knowledge of breeds and the ability to convey their features, Crickets began to receive orders from well-known breeders. He traveled all over Russia from end to end, learned the customs of the province and bring them into the genre sketches. On the academic exhibition in 1844 presented his painting "Rest in the field" and "the horse fair." During this period, the Crickets, paid tribute to and lithographic art. In 1844, he created the lithograph "Cuirassiers", "Cossacks", "Lezghian escort", etc. Publishing house Datsiaro ordered him to a series of street and road scenes "Russian Sketches" (1845). Publisher Felten released the "album of the breeders with portraits of factory stallions and mares of the best factories of Russia, painted from nature and lithographed by the artist N. Cricket" (1846-52). This cycle consisted of 25 pages and was very popular. Proved the artist in the portrait genre, writing in the late 1840s, "Portrait of the couple in Amazonian dress on a horse" and "the Sculptor I. I. Yushkov sleigh rides on the Neva river", and "portrait of a whipper V. P. Voeykov Khariton." In 1852, for the painting "the Landlord three" Crickets received the title of academician "of folk art scenes", and in 1855 for his film "Traffic" - professorship. In the artist's life the 1850s were marked by friendship with N. A. Nekrasov, Yaroslavl estate which, Karabikha, he spent a lot of time. Together with the poet went hunting, went to the peasant feasts, participated in the domestic literary evenings. Crickets made a series of paintings and drawings on the subjects of works of Nekrasov: "frost, Red nose", "Man with a nail", and wrote equestrian portrait of A. Y. Panaewa. The plight coachmen dedicated to the artist's series of paintings of the late 1850s: "three in the wilderness" (1856), "In the Blizzard" (1857), etc. a Considerable place in his work took and scenes of hunting life: "Winter hunt", "hunting Berkutova, the former in Moscow" (both 1856), "Sketches of hunting" (1857-58). They differ in subtle understanding of Russian landscape. In the early 1860s Crickets have taken a foreign trip and visited Paris, London, Brussels, where his exhibitions were a great success. Back in 1864 in Russia, he received the official order for a series of historical paintings: "Departure of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich on the review of the troops in 1664" (1866), "the Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich with boyars on a Falcon hunt near Moscow" (1873) and "the train of the Tsar Ivan the terrible to pray" (1878). New genre in his work were the battle scenes, the most famous of them - "the Transition guard through the Balkans" (1879) - was devoted to the events of the Russo-Turkish war. However, neither the historical nor the battle painting Crickets are not distinguished himself as a master of subtle, it was in the animal genre.