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Future monk
Nikolay Petrovich Bogdanov-Belsky • Painting, 1889
Description of the artwork «Future monk»
"Future monk" – painting by Bogdanov-Belsky, written as a thesis when graduating from the Moscow school of painting, sculpture and architecture, where he studied for 5 years. The painting brought him not only the title of "class artist" and a Large silver medal, but also a wide recognition.
The reason for the painting was an incident in the village Tatevo, where the folk school Professor Raczynski – protector Bogdanov-Belsky (this teacher is depicted in a famous painting "Oral account"). It was here the young artist met a young man who caught his eye sad, immersed in gloomy thoughts look.
This teenager of fourteen years, under the impression from stories about the famous Orthodox ascetics, one left his village and went into the forest right in the dead of winter. There he built himself a hut and within two weeks was eating bread, wanting to become a hermit. Not having asked beforehand neither the Council nor the blessing of an experienced spiritual father, he did not calculate the forces, but fortunately was found and rescued from certain death by the villagers.
Such a cocky and ripping on the exploits of the boy depicted Bogdanov-Belsky on his graduation work. Monk – a synonym to refer to a monk in the Orthodox tradition. It seems the young ascetic in the picture, determined at once to go to the monastery, and he absolutely does not care obeyed the old man, trying to share with an inexperienced neophyte with their instructions. The eyes of the "future monks" burn: he's already dreaming of monastic life and spiritual feats.
The theme of the spiritual quest was closest to him, and in consequence again and again manifest in his work in the form of stories, peeped in the Orthodox churches (1, 2). "A little boy I drew a sample of our bell tower, and then deacon, recalled Bogdanov-Belsky. – Said the deacon, and the bell tower just like the real thing". Thirteen teenager he enrolled for training in icon-painting workshop at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Here was fond of painting icons and portraits of the monk fraternity.
In 1890, after graduating from the Moscow school, with the assistance of a patron of the Bessarabian landowner Christie, the painter was lucky to make a pilgrimage to the Holy places of Constantinople and on mount Athos. He met artist by Malawinetwho at that time worked in icon painting workshop at the Russian St. Panteleimon monastery. Stay on the Holy mountain is so impressive Bogdanov-Belsky that he even thought about the same: being a novice and painter at the monastery.
In the letters he shares with Rachinski the impressions were present on the vigil and literally stood in a daze, when during a Church service in the middle of the Cathedral lined up a few dozen Athonite elders with burning candles in their hands. But monk, the artist was not destined to become, and in memory of the journey, he left only a few sketches.
The fate of the painting by Bogdanov-Belsky was expecting difficult. The artist labored over its creation during the Great lent, and whether from stress, whether from prostration, he even fainted. Raczynski immediately appreciated the finished work appreciated, but for some reason the author was not satisfied to such an extent that even wanted to lose her on the way to Moscow.
Dream Bogdanov-Belsky almost came to life: "the Future monk" still fell off the wagon in the snow. But when the coachman came back for her, to the great disappointment of the artist found her unharmed.
In 1890 the painting was exhibited in the exhibition of the Itinerants where it highlighted a respected critic and art historian Vladimir Vasilievich Stasov. It was then bought for the huge sum of 300 rubles a large Moscow businessman and patron of the arts Kozma Soldatenkov. But his work did not stay long: "the monk of the Future" laid eyes Empress Maria Feodorovna.
"The e-mail themselves happy, if the Empress got a picture Bogdanov-Belsky"– answered Soldatenkov telegram at the request of Raczynski. But the artist expressed the same personally his disappointment about the loss of a leaf: "Well, God will forgive you, and all of the picture, I'm sorry!"
The interest of the Empress to "Future monk" provoked a sensation, and its author began to receive orders for copies. One of them was written for Pavel Tretyakov. In 1992 the painting was presented as a gift to the Latvian Art Museum of the Hamburg society of the Baltic Germans according to the will of Gustav Carnevali, formerly a resident of Riga.
Author: Natalia Azarenka
And left my grandmother...
The reason for the painting was an incident in the village Tatevo, where the folk school Professor Raczynski – protector Bogdanov-Belsky (this teacher is depicted in a famous painting "Oral account"). It was here the young artist met a young man who caught his eye sad, immersed in gloomy thoughts look.
This teenager of fourteen years, under the impression from stories about the famous Orthodox ascetics, one left his village and went into the forest right in the dead of winter. There he built himself a hut and within two weeks was eating bread, wanting to become a hermit. Not having asked beforehand neither the Council nor the blessing of an experienced spiritual father, he did not calculate the forces, but fortunately was found and rescued from certain death by the villagers.
Such a cocky and ripping on the exploits of the boy depicted Bogdanov-Belsky on his graduation work. Monk – a synonym to refer to a monk in the Orthodox tradition. It seems the young ascetic in the picture, determined at once to go to the monastery, and he absolutely does not care obeyed the old man, trying to share with an inexperienced neophyte with their instructions. The eyes of the "future monks" burn: he's already dreaming of monastic life and spiritual feats.
Not by bread alone
The theme of the spiritual quest was closest to him, and in consequence again and again manifest in his work in the form of stories, peeped in the Orthodox churches (1, 2). "A little boy I drew a sample of our bell tower, and then deacon, recalled Bogdanov-Belsky. – Said the deacon, and the bell tower just like the real thing". Thirteen teenager he enrolled for training in icon-painting workshop at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Here was fond of painting icons and portraits of the monk fraternity.
In 1890, after graduating from the Moscow school, with the assistance of a patron of the Bessarabian landowner Christie, the painter was lucky to make a pilgrimage to the Holy places of Constantinople and on mount Athos. He met artist by Malawinetwho at that time worked in icon painting workshop at the Russian St. Panteleimon monastery. Stay on the Holy mountain is so impressive Bogdanov-Belsky that he even thought about the same: being a novice and painter at the monastery.
In the letters he shares with Rachinski the impressions were present on the vigil and literally stood in a daze, when during a Church service in the middle of the Cathedral lined up a few dozen Athonite elders with burning candles in their hands. But monk, the artist was not destined to become, and in memory of the journey, he left only a few sketches.
The adventures of the "Future monks"
The fate of the painting by Bogdanov-Belsky was expecting difficult. The artist labored over its creation during the Great lent, and whether from stress, whether from prostration, he even fainted. Raczynski immediately appreciated the finished work appreciated, but for some reason the author was not satisfied to such an extent that even wanted to lose her on the way to Moscow.
Dream Bogdanov-Belsky almost came to life: "the Future monk" still fell off the wagon in the snow. But when the coachman came back for her, to the great disappointment of the artist found her unharmed.
In 1890 the painting was exhibited in the exhibition of the Itinerants where it highlighted a respected critic and art historian Vladimir Vasilievich Stasov. It was then bought for the huge sum of 300 rubles a large Moscow businessman and patron of the arts Kozma Soldatenkov. But his work did not stay long: "the monk of the Future" laid eyes Empress Maria Feodorovna.
"The e-mail themselves happy, if the Empress got a picture Bogdanov-Belsky"– answered Soldatenkov telegram at the request of Raczynski. But the artist expressed the same personally his disappointment about the loss of a leaf: "Well, God will forgive you, and all of the picture, I'm sorry!"
The interest of the Empress to "Future monk" provoked a sensation, and its author began to receive orders for copies. One of them was written for Pavel Tretyakov. In 1992 the painting was presented as a gift to the Latvian Art Museum of the Hamburg society of the Baltic Germans according to the will of Gustav Carnevali, formerly a resident of Riga.
Author: Natalia Azarenka
