Finding the painting and Levitan Golden Autumn. Masterpieces of Russian painting: Levitan, “Golden Autumn”

Levitan is called the “poet of nature” because of his subtle, philosophical perception of the Russian landscape, a little sad, unpretentious, but possessing an irresistible appeal and modest, dim beauty. The painting that Isaac Levitan painted in 1895, “Golden Autumn,” is very different from his other works precisely in that it is permeated with sunshine, bright and relaxed.

Biography of the artist

Isaac Levitan was born into a poor Jewish family from a small Lithuanian town. Levitan's father was very educated, and in order to improve the family's financial situation, he moved his household to Moscow, where his eldest son Abel (Adolf) entered the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture to study. Two years later, Isaac followed in his footsteps, enrolling there in 1873.

As a Jew, Isaac Levitan repeatedly faced persecution and other manifestations of anti-Semitic sentiment, right up to graduating from college without an artist’s diploma. Because of this, an excellent and talented landscape artist was forced to give paid lessons and paint portraits to order. In the mid-80s, Levitan's financial situation improved, and he was able to devote himself to landscape painting.

Isaac Levitan, “Golden Autumn”: description of the painting

Isaac Levitan painted two paintings with the same title, just one year apart. Many art critics believe that the artist was not satisfied with the first option, so he painted a lighter and more “transparent” landscape depicting the same picturesque place. Both paintings were created in the Tver province, in the town of Ostrovno, and they depict the Syezha River.

The painting illustrates the time of year that Levitan loved most - golden autumn, that period when, on rare sunny days, everything around is saturated with light and gold. Thin white and yellow birch trees frame the bank of a small river, in the waters of which all the colors of autumn are mixed. Bright hills run towards the horizon, as if meeting a transparent blue-white sky. Bright colors and a light plot create an almost idyllic landscape, which, against the backdrop of Levitan’s gloomier and dull paintings, puts “Golden Autumn” in a special category.

Analysis of the picture

The canvas, which Levitan began to paint at the dawn of Russian impressionism (“Golden Autumn”), is both characteristic and uncharacteristic of the landscape painting of the great artist. On the one hand, thin, tall birch trees are a feature of Levitan’s landscapes, on the other hand, bright, major tones and careless strokes categorically contradict the traditional painting technique that characterizes the artist’s early paintings.

“Golden Autumn” is a painting by Levitan, which combines the features of impressionism and traditional academic painting. The outlines of trees, the shore, a river, hills and even a small village in the background do not remain blurry spots, as in most impressionist paintings, but have a completely distinguishable outline. The artist allowed free, careless impressionistic strokes to transform the foreground of the picture, where golden leaves and withered grass seem to come to life before the viewer’s eyes.

Plot

Perhaps the plot of the film is best described by the lines of Alexander Pushkin:

It's a sad time! Ouch charm!
I am pleased with your farewell beauty -
I love the lush decay of nature,
Forests dressed in scarlet and gold,

Levitan painted dozens of landscapes, but the most famous is “Golden Autumn”

In the distance you can see village houses and fields, and above all this is a blue sky with white clouds. Levitan loved to paint autumn, but usually chose gentle, soft tones. In the same picture there are bright, major colors. Apparently, for this reason it is classified as one of Levitan’s so-called optimistic series.

Portrait of Levitan. Valentin Serov, 1893

Context

Levitan worked on the painting in the Tver region. The owner of the estate was Privy Councilor Ivan Nikolaevich Turchaninov, senator and assistant to the mayor of St. Petersburg. By the way, Levitan had an affair with his wife, which did not end well for either the artist or the respectable lady. Especially for the painter, a two-story house-workshop was built on the estate, which was jokingly called a synagogue.

The public first saw the painting in 1896 at the exhibition of the Itinerants in St. Petersburg. Then she traveled around the country: Moscow (where Tretyakov bought her), Nizhny Novgorod, Kharkov. In the latter, the painting was almost destroyed: a copper visor of a wall heater fell on the canvas and tore through the canvas. Today, looking at “Golden Autumn” in the Tretyakov Gallery, you will not find a “wound” - it was skillfully closed by restorer Dmitry Artsybashev.

“Golden Autumn” was almost destroyed in Kharkov

Levitan considered the canvas, which was originally called “Autumn,” to be rough. Soon the artist painted another picture, which he called “Golden Autumn.” Ironically, history remembers the first version of the canvas and the second version of the title.

"Golden Autumn", 1896

The fate of the artist

Due to his Jewish origin and the terrible poverty in which the family lived, Levitan had a hard time. The Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture from time to time provided Isaac and his brother, who studied there, with financial assistance, and then completely exempted them from paying. At the same time, they did not receive the title of artist upon graduation - only diplomas from art teachers.

"Over Eternal Peace" (1894)

The teachers looked snobbishly at the views of Ostankino and Savvinskaya Sloboda, performed by Levitan. In their opinion, a Jewish boy should not have encroached on the themes of indigenous Russian artists. Meanwhile, it was Levitan who introduced the fashion to Ples, to the Volga open spaces, forests and fields.

Due to melancholy, Levitan faked a suicide attempt

Levitan returned from a trip to France and Italy inspired by how the Impressionists worked. He dreamed of creating a “House of Landscapes” - a large workshop in which all Russian landscape painters could work. And yet from time to time he was tormented by intense melancholy. Once he even faked a suicide attempt and shot himself. But it turned out so awkward that there was no doubt that it was all a farce.

"Vladimirka", 1892

Isaac Levitan died very young, a month short of his 40th birthday. Dozens of unfinished paintings and hundreds of sketches remained in his studio.

The famous Russian artist I. I. Levitan became famous most of all as the creator of unique landscapes. In his painting “Golden Autumn,” he tried to convey that part of autumn, which is popularly called “Indian summer.” For nature, autumn is a difficult but very interesting period. The trees are dressed in beautiful outfits. The artist conveys the beauty of this decoration by mixing red and yellow colors.

In the picture we see a characteristic Russian landscape. A calm autumn day is full of light. The sun is shining, but not so bright. The Russian expanse opens before your eyes: fields, groves, a river. The blue sky with white clouds on the horizon converges with the line of the forest. A narrow river with low banks.

In the background of the picture we see a birch grove in copper-gold autumn decoration. On the left bank of the river there are slender white-yellow birches and two aspen trees with almost fallen leaves. Reddish branches of bushes are visible in the distance. The ground is covered with yellowing withered grass. But if you look closely, you can see that the grass in the foreground is still green, just starting to turn yellow. The far field, beyond which several village houses can be seen, is still green. And the grove on the right bank of the river is still cheerfully green.

In the depths of the meadow flows a narrow river with low banks. The river surface seems motionless and cold. A bright sky with white clouds is reflected on the surface of the water.

Autumn is a magical time. It is the yellow birch trees that attract attention. Their foliage flutters in the wind, shimmering like gold in the sunlight. There is no sadness in the picture. This is golden autumn. She captivates with beauty. And there are no sad thoughts about the long winter ahead.

“One of the few among Russian artists, Levitan knew how to enjoy the brush and paint, he knew how to paint not only correctly, but also beautifully. All his paintings are themselves phenomena of a purely pictorial nature. That is why it is so difficult to talk about them, but it is so easy to admire them, to surrender to their inexplicable charm... He felt in nature that he was living and praising the Creator; I heard with my sensitive ear how the heart of nature itself beats” (Benoit).

Revealing the “hidden secret” in nature, its great spiritual content, was Levitan’s constant desire throughout his short creative life.

Starting from , Levitan created many paintings dedicated to Russian autumn, which together form a unique “autumn suite” extremely rich in emotional shades. For autumn it is presented in all its diverse splendor. According to researchers, the artist’s creative heritage includes about a hundred “autumn” paintings, not counting etudes, sketches, numerous drawings and sketches. But perhaps the most popular among these works is the painting “Golden Autumn”.

In the mid-1890s, still living with his beloved Sofia Petrovna Kuvshinnikova in one of the picturesque provincial manorial estates, Levitan suddenly fell in love with Anna Nikolaevna Turchaninova, who was vacationing at the dacha next door. And even Sofia Petrovna’s suicide attempt out of jealousy did not cool the artist’s ardor. He began a stormy and passionate affair with Anna Nikolaevna, in which her eldest daughter Varvara was also involved. During this period, the artist creates a number of paintings that are in tune with his then state of mind.

Levitan was a frequent guest at the Chekhovs' house in Melikhovo. However, Anton Pavlovich, and especially his sister Maria, did not share their friend’s new ardent hobbies. The writer was also skeptical about the appearance of “bravura” in his latest films.

In particular, “Golden Autumn” is far from those elegiac and sad images of autumn nature that were characteristic of Levitan. In the bright and highly decorative work one can feel excitement and tense anticipation of happiness, which in no way fits with the painter’s own worldview and, therefore, according to Chekhov, should not be present in his work.

However, it is precisely this expectation of happiness that makes the painting a true masterpiece of a mood landscape. Doesn't it speak of that hidden power of life, which, in spite of everything, was still inherent in the artist? This power of life did not manifest itself often, and it fell on the canvases with an unearthly light.

Everything seems to breathe transparent bliss. The birches in the foreground are reverently pure and innocent. The artist’s brushstroke, a harbinger of impressionism, flows easily and naturally, enlivening the landscape with the play of light and the breath of a light breeze.

Golden autumn is, first of all, farewell beauty and “lush decay of nature” (Pushkin). Many artists convey all this on their canvases. But subtle lyricism and light sadness are characteristic only of Levitan. They run throughout the master’s work and illuminate his autumn works with a special power of mystical feeling.

In the story about Levitan, the writer Konstantin Paustovsky gave a very capacious, but surprisingly imaginative assessment of his autumn paintings:

“None of the artists before Levitan conveyed with such sad force the immeasurable expanse of Russian bad weather. It is so calm and solemn that it feels like greatness.

Autumn removed the rich colors from the forests, from the fields, from all over nature, and washed away the greenery with the rains. The groves were made through. The dark colors of summer gave way to timid gold, purple and silver.

Levitan, like Pushkin and Tyutchev and many others, waited for autumn as the most precious and fleeting time of the year.

Autumn in Levitan's paintings is very diverse. It is impossible to list all the autumn days he painted on the canvas. Levitan left about a hundred “autumn” paintings, not counting sketches.

They depicted things familiar from childhood: ...lonely golden birches, not yet blown by the wind; a sky like thin ice; shaggy rains over forest clearings. But in all these landscapes, no matter what they depict, the sadness of farewell days, falling leaves, rotting grass, the quiet hum of bees before the cold and the pre-winter sun, barely noticeably warming the earth, is best conveyed.”

Essay based on Levitan’s painting “Golden Autumn”

Isaac Levitan is one of those artists who managed to show in their canvases the beauty of modest Russian landscapes. Autumn is his favorite theme. The artist has a lot of paintings that depict different moments of this time of year. In the painting “Golden Autumn” we see the period that is popularly called “Indian summer”.

We see a birch grove. It is located on the left bank of a small river. The slender trees seemed to line up in a round dance. The painting uses many shades of yellow, brown and reddish colors. But still, autumn has not yet fully come into its own. All the trees are covered with foliage, the grass has not yet completely withered, and on the right bank of the river a small grove of some trees is cheerfully green. Nature is lush and solemn. But still, sad notes are subtly visible in this landscape. In the foreground, two aspen trees seem to run up one after another along the slope. They have already lost almost all their foliage and seem chilled. The mood of sadness is also created by the image of a lonely golden birch tree, which stands on the very edge of the right low but steep bank of the river. And the sky is no longer as bright as in summer. It is covered with clouds and seems heavy. The water in the river reflects the blue of the sky and shimmers with a cold shine.

The presence of a person is felt in the picture. In the background we see some buildings and a field where winter crops have already sprouted. This greenery seems unnatural against the background of autumn colors.

There is no horizon line. The edge of the sky is hidden behind the tops of the distant forest, and this creates a feeling of endless space.

In the film “Golden Autumn,” Levitan managed to convey the farewell beauty of Russian nature, its charm and uniqueness. When you look at this landscape, you understand that this state of nature is fleeting. Now dark clouds will roll in, the wind will blow and sweep away all this beauty. But the artist stopped the moment and saved it for us.

The famous Russian artist Isaac Ilyich Levitan became famous most of all as the creator of unique landscapes that create the mood of everyone who looks at the picture. His genius talent lay in his unusual ability to put so much soul and observation into his paintings that nature in Levitan’s paintings looks alive, real. The artist undoubtedly managed to convey the state, mood and beauty of the world around us.

I consider the landscape “Golden Autumn” to be one of Levitan’s best paintings. It depicts a birch forest, falling leaves, which autumn has decorated in various bright and pleasing colors. Shrubs grow in the background, and yellowing foliage is visible on the ground. The quiet and calm surface of the river pleases the eye. On one of its banks there are still green willows, which seem to be trying to resist the impending decline. The golden autumn in Levitan’s painting of the same name is a real “Indian” summer, full of colors, light and warmth.

It is not for nothing that this time is considered to be a very lyrical time of year. All poets, writers, and creative people in general loved and continue to love this time. Golden autumn creates a thoughtful mood, with light and bright sadness. And Levitan, of course, was able to feel and understand this extraordinary time. Moreover, he managed to paint a picture in such a way that we begin to understand everything that happens in nature. At the same time, a tender joy arises in the heart, and even the imminent onset of winter and cold weather does not darken this mood.

Levitan's landscape “Golden Autumn” makes you look at nature and its beauty differently.

Essay based on the painting “Golden Autumn” by Levitan

From the artist’s paintings you can determine where he finds inspiration and what the image of what brings him joy. Even if he draws different plots of works, he only puts his soul and a part of himself into his favorite ones. For Levitan Isaac Ilyich, such paintings were images of Russian nature. In her beauty he found peace, faith and inspiration. His canvas “Golden Autumn” perfectly shows the author’s love for nature.

The whole picture shines with golden yellow hues. Although it is autumn outside, the day shown by the author is very sunny and, it seems, even warm. A small river flows quietly through most of the picture. On both sides of it there are steep banks covered with grass. It has already turned yellow and even acquired reddish shades. A little further along the shore there is a beautiful view of a birch grove. All the leaves have already turned yellow, but have not fallen off. As a result, the trees have been transformed and amaze with their golden glow in the sun’s rays. In the distance the picture shows fields cultivated by people. The plants on them are still green. And behind them there is a barely noticeable view of a small village. The bright sky is slightly covered with snow-white clouds.

The picture amazes everyone who looks at it. It did not leave the famous collector Tretyakov indifferent, who purchased the painting for his gallery. There it is today and delights viewers with its radiance, beauty and richness of nature.

For many people, autumn means mud, slush and the first cold weather. However, Levitan in his painting “Golden Autumn” shows us this time of year from a different perspective. He tried to convey that part of autumn, which is popularly called “Indian summer”. This part of autumn is characterized by warm days. Sometimes it’s so warm outside that for a moment it seems like summer is back. The only thing that reminds you of the approaching cold weather is the freshness of the night, which comes suddenly. And then you have to take out warm clothes from your wardrobe.

For nature, autumn is a difficult but very interesting period. The trees are dressed in beautiful outfits. The artist conveys the beauty of this decoration by mixing red and yellow colors. True, in some places the unusually bright greenery hurts the eye, which will soon go away. But the water in the river becomes so dark and deep that it becomes a little uneasy. It seems to fascinate the casual observer - and it is difficult to resist this dark pool.

Autumn is a magical time. Levitan was able to convey this magic and beauty very successfully. Thanks to the painting “Golden Autumn” you can touch the mystery, feel the hidden breath of the earth.

Essay based on the painting “Golden Autumn” by Levitan

Many creative people treat the autumn theme in a special way. They see in this time of year not only slush, dirt, frequent changes in weather and mood, but also its beautiful palette. A.S. describes this time of year unforgettably. Pushkin in his famous works and I.I. Levitan.

In the painting “Golden Autumn” I see a wonderful landscape. It is clear that the artist was very inspired while painting this work. I noticed that Levitan used a rich palette of golden and yellow colors. These are the colors of nature that characterize everyone’s favorite “Indian summer.” It's a sunny, cloudless day. The weather gave us a few more warm, truly summer days.

It is clear that there is not even wind, because the author shows the surface of the water like a mirror. Some trees have already shed their golden attire. At a distance we see a separate birch tree. It is amazingly beautiful because the leaves on it have not yet fallen. Here and there the artist depicts crimson, burgundy shades of leaves, showing all the imagination of nature. We see a clear sky, but it is no longer as bright as in summer.

In general, I liked the picture for its sunshine, special energy, which energizes me for the long winter months and improves my mood.

Searched on this page:

1. essay on Levitan's painting Golden Autumn
2. essay on the painting Golden Autumn by Levitan
3. essay on the painting golden autumn
4. golden autumn essay on painting 5. 6th grade