"Travel blogger" Vasily Polenov: where he was, what he saw, what surprised

In 1872, as a pensioner at the Academy of Arts, he again went on a European journey. This time the artist visited Florence, Naples, Rome, Venice, Vienna, Munich. He stayed in Paris for a long time. Between the case, he painted there the painting "The arrest of the Countess d'Etremont." Then he will receive the title of academician for her. At the invitation of his friend I.E. Repin, he went to visit him in Normandy.

The fate of Polenov is eventful. At 32, he will take part in the Serbian-Montenegrin-Turkish War in 1876. Yes, not just take part, but receive orders and medals. He will be awarded the silver medal "For Courage", the golden order "Such a Cross" and the "Certificate of Courage".

In the early 1880s, Vasily Dmitrievich went on an expedition to the Middle East. He is interested in Bible places - Istanbul, Palestine, Syria, Egypt. He will bring from there a huge number of paintings written from nature. Then he will come to Italy and write there his "Christ and the sinner."

Polenov revealed himself not only as a great artist, but also as a talented writer. We look through his diaries. On January 5, 1874, while in Paris, he left this note: "Despite all the Parisian comforts of life, this, of course, is pure nonsense abroad to work!" The artist describes how he settled in his workshop, bought furniture - chairs, a bed, a table - and was left without money. Repin also sat penniless. They did nothing, they had nothing to pay for the work of sitters. They were afraid that they would be left without food.

February 17, the artist in his notes admires the performance of the French: "They have so many shops and shops! Galleries and exhibitions open every week. Wonderful things are presented on each. The Salon will soon be held.". Moreover, Polenov did not yet know that at the Salon, which he described, the first exhibition of the Impressionists would be held, which would turn the whole history of art.

He also noticed unpleasant moments: "The French have no good cigarettes. Those that are sold are five times more expensive than ours. However, there is a good Caporal herb (don't think anything bad, it's black tobacco)".

With special trepidation, he visited Rafael's Madonna, wandered around old castles in Germany, talked with peasants, danced at the Pauline Viardot ball in Paris, talked with peasants. In one of the letters he described an old custom - "the right of the first night." On a certain day, the wedding day, all the brides who were married that day were brought to the house of the baron. They came to give him a debt - the right of the first night belonged to the feudal lord. Polenov then painted on this subject the painting "The Right of the Master."

On April 16, the artist noted in his notes that the French, unlike us, in each person, first of all, try to find good sides, respect him. "With us, either you are a genius and you are extolled, or insignificance, and then your place in the garbage can".

But we will be transported from Paris to London after our heroes. Repin and Polenov, taking with them a Polish friend, went there through the English Channel.
All the way the artist stood on the bridge of the ship and watched the raging sea.

When traveling across England, he was greatly impressed by the bright green meadows "strewn with thick rams." In contrast to the democratic mercantile France, England seemed to him aristocratic, but cold. In London, Polenov saw low houses, barely exceeding three or four floors, similar to each other, above which factory pipes stood in the distance. Everywhere smoke and soot. The streets are boring, dirty and crooked. Whether our business is St. Petersburg! In a word, everything is gloomy and businesslike.

He was struck by the English subway. Imagine a railroad underground. Trains arrive every two minutes, rush at high speed and stop quickly. In England, Vasily Dmitrievich had a tight time. He knew French, but the British, even knowing the French language, did not want to speak the language of the "paddlers" in any way.

In Serbia, the artist did not like the kitchen. There is a lot of pepper in all dishes! The throat is tearing. But the Balkan women made a wonderful impression. Especially their beautiful clothes: colored shawls, monistos made of silver and gold coins, gold bracelets.

But such impressions he wrote about Jerusalem in 1882: “Everything is at a glance, and how much is interesting and beautiful; but the best thing is the Solomon’s Temple Square, now the Omar Mosque. I didn’t see anything more solemnly, except Eski-Sarai Hill in Istanbul. Olive gardens are also very good. Weather in these two days was also special: it was soft wet snow all the time, so Jerusalem turned into a Russian city. One peasant in a sheepskin coat stands and is baptized: "Thank God, just like ours" ".

All this is reflected in the work of the artist.

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