Arkady
Alexandrovich Plastov

(1893, p. Glusk, now Ulyanovsk region,-1972).

Famous Soviet painter. Continued in his work the tradition of the Itinerants and of the "Union of Russian artists". His work is characterized by the effortless simplicity of composition, major brightness warm colors. Most significant works: "Collective herd" (1938, Sverdlovsk picture gallery); "Fascist flying" (1942), "Haymaking" and "Harvest" (both - 1945; Tretyakov gallery); "Dinner tractor" (1951) (Irkutsk regional art Museum); "Victor-shepherd boy" (1951) (RM); "Spring" (1954) and (TG). After graduating from theological school and Seminary, he studied at the Moscow Stroganov school of industrial art (1912-1914) and at the sculpture Department of the school (1914-17). Attended classes by Abram Arkhipov, Alexey Korin. In the 1920's-early 1930-ies – poster artist and book Illustrator. Full member AH the USSR (1947), people's artist of the USSR (1962). He was awarded two orders of Lenin. Stalin prize (1946), Lenin prize (1966), State prize of the RSFSR. I. E. Repin (1972). Works are in state Tretyakov gallery, state Russian Museum, in the most important museums of the former USSR.

Son of a peasant of the reader and the grandson of a local icon painter. He graduated from Seminary and Seminary. From his youth dreamed of becoming a painter.

In 1914, managed to enter the Moscow school of painting, but was received only at the sculpture Department. In parallel, he studied painting.

In 1917-25 years Plastov lived in his native village; how "competent", was engaged in various public Affairs. Only in the second half of the 1920s he was able to return to professional art work.

In 1931, have Plastov's house burned down, lost almost everything created by this time. The artist for nearly forty years, and he was almost in the position of novice. But forty more years of tireless work and his works number close to 10 000. Some of the portraits - a few hundred. This is mainly portraits of villagers.

In its own way an equally unique series, "disappearing Russia" P. Korin. After all this Russia had to disappear in the crucible of socialist construction.

Layers is a natural realist. Modernist pride, searching for something brand new and unseen was totally alien to him. He lived in the world and admire its beauty. Like many Russian artists-realists, convinced of the Layers: the most important thing for a painter to see this beauty and be very sincere. It is not necessary to write beautifully, one should write the truth, and she will be more beautiful than any fantasy. Every shade, every detail in his paintings repeatedly checked in the working with nature. Nepravilnosti, the complete absence of what is called "manner", distinguished by Plastov, even those great masters, the heir to the picturesque principles which he was, A. Arkhipov, F. A Malyavina, K. A. Korovin.

Layers aware of himself as a successor of the entire national artistic tradition. The character of Russian nature, he sees the enchanting paint our old icons. These colors live in his paintings: the gold wheat fields, the green of the grass, in red, pink and blue peasant clothes . The place of the Holy ascetics take up Russian peasants, whose labor and serious, and Holy, whose lives are about to embody the harmony of man and nature.

The artist fruitfully works in the 1930s, but the first masterpieces he creates in the war years. War as a national tragedy as an attack on the natural and sacred laws of life - "Fascist flying" (1942). And the inviolability of these laws, the inviolability of the foundations of people's lives - classically restrained and beautiful "Harvest" (1945). The tragedy of war is hidden here, it is the absence of fathers and older brothers of kids sitting next to an elderly peasant. It is impossible to stop and defeat the natural course of life. Her triumph in the glow of sunlight, a riot of herbs and flowers, expanse of the Russian landscape, simple and eternal joy of working one's own land - "Haymaking" (1945).

And subsequently, in best his works Plastov kept the achieved level: "Spring" (1952), "Youth" (1953-54), "Spring" (1954), "Summer" (1959-60s), "Dinner tractor" (1951). Not a coincidence in the names of many of them is something generalizing. Plastov was given the rare ability events of real life, often the most mundane, to turn into a perfect image of how to access their hidden, true meaning and value in the overall system structure of the universe. He therefore modern Russian realist, so naturally continued the classical artistic tradition. Here is a young woman for a moment ran out of the bath, to more tightly wrap her daughter ("Spring. In the bath", 1954). But not sister if she beauties "Spring" and "Birth of Venus" by S. Botticelli? Here dreaming, staring into the distance, the boy-shepherd boy ("Vic-shepherd boy", 1951). But not brother whether he is the young man from "Breakfast on the grass" by E. Manet? And that girl that stopped at a spring with a yoke on his shoulders ("Spring"), not did it as an eternal source of harmony, and that lovely young lady from the "Source" D. Ingres? Lasting happiness of being inexplicably sweet feeling of the Motherland is literally poured on us from the paintings by Plastov. But... that Russia, which was so fond of Layers, part of which he was already in his eyes were gone. "From the past" (1969-70) - and the name of one of the last major works of the artist. Peasant family in a field, during a short rest. All so natural and just so much. Peasant Holy family. A world of harmony and happiness. A bit of heaven on earth.