Composition based on the picture of the festival of the wedding contract Shibanov. Artist Mikhail Shibanov: biography and paintings Description of the painting by Mikhail Shibanov wedding contract festival
Composition based on the painting by M. Shibanov “Celebration wedding contract»
There is very little information about the life of Mikhail Shibanov, a Russian artist who lived in the second half of the 18th century. Neither the year of his birth nor his patronymic are known. It is known that he came from serfs, in 1783 he received his freedom. There are documents in which Shibanov is called the "painter of his lordship" of Count Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin, a favorite of Empress Catherine II. It is also known that the artist painted icons for churches in the southern cities of Russia - perhaps Potemkin took him there with him. In addition, Shibanov wrote for private clients in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Several paintings have survived to this day, in relation to which the authorship of Shibanov is beyond doubt. These are several portraits of contemporaries, including Catherine II, and two genre paintings from peasant life - "Peasant Lunch" and "Feast of the Wedding Contract". The theme of these paintings is unique for its time - then it was not customary to depict peasants on the canvas.
The latest surviving evidence of Shibanov's life dates back to 1789. This is the artist's request to the office of Catherine II for a salary. No response data has been preserved.
The painting "The Celebration of the Wedding Contract" depicts an agreement between two families about the wedding of their children. In the old days, parents made decisions about the marriage of children. Children were only to follow their will. A collusion is a final arrangement, and it was almost as impossible to break it as a marriage. The conspiracy took place in the house of the bride's parents, it determined the time of the wedding, discussed the dowry of the bride, the number of guests and the like. When the fathers entered into an agreement, they invited the bride, and the mother brought her to the groom with the words: “Here is your betrothed-mummer, I ask you to love and favor.” After that, the young people had to join hands, thereby sealing the agreement of the parents.
It was this moment that the artist captured. The figures of the bride and groom occupy a central place in the picture. And if the table partially obscures the groom from the viewer, then the bride is depicted in full growth, which allows you to admire her outfit without interference. The groom holds the bride's hand and gently looks at her - it is immediately clear that he liked the girl. The bride modestly lowered her eyes, as was the custom of a girl in those days. The woman behind the bride is probably her mother, who, according to custom, brought her daughter to the groom. The bride holds a handkerchief in her left hand - perhaps to wipe away the tears that were supposed to be shed, saying goodbye to the girl's "will".
On the left side of the picture, under the images in the red corner, sit the matchmakers and fathers of the bride and groom. One of the matchmakers got up and with a broad gesture invites young people to sit next to their parents - now that everything has been agreed, the feast will begin, and future spouses should also participate in it. There is already a treat on the table, including the traditional round loaf in the center. This loaf should be broken in two as a sign that the contract has been completed.
In addition to the direct participants in the conspiracy - parents, matchmakers and the bride and groom - there are many more people in the room. All of them are depicted on the right side of the picture, in the same place where the entrance is visible. Someone is sitting - probably the most honored guests, maybe close relatives - the majority is standing, looking at what is happening with curiosity. These are the people different ages- young and old, at the very bottom in the right corner is depicted Small child. In the old days, conspiracy was an event almost as big as the wedding itself, and they celebrated it widely, inviting not only close relatives, but also neighbors, if prosperity allowed, then the whole village. And the fact that the bride's family is wealthy is easy to guess from the girl's outfit. The artist painstakingly painted intricate patterns; the play of light suggests that the bride's clothes are made of brocade. The girl has a necklace around her neck, earrings in her ears, and socks of red boots peek out from under the hem of her dress. The girl's mother is also richly dressed, her headdress is decorated with pearls, and she has earrings in her ears.
The artist carefully depicted the headdresses of the women present at the conspiracy, and this is no coincidence. In the old days, a headdress could tell a lot about a woman. The headdress of married women was different from the headdress of a girl.
The action takes place inside a peasant hut. There is nothing particularly remarkable in the interior: dark walls, icons in the corner, a table and benches under them. But the diverse feelings that gripped those present are vividly shown. Near. the bride and her mother, an old woman in a checkered scarf knelt down, folding her hands in prayer and looking at the icons. According to the custom of conspiracy, after reaching an agreement, it was supposed to pray all together. But others are not in a hurry to do so. A man in a red caftan, sitting with his back to the viewer on a chair - probably an honored guest - is talking animatedly about something with a young woman sitting next to him in a kokoshnik. It's probably his wife. The man, depicted on the edge on the left side of the picture, holds a bottle of wine and a mug on his knees. His facial expression is joyfully peaceful, he is clearly pleased, everything turned out as he wanted. Apparently, this is the father of one of the young people who will soon become spouses.
The atmosphere of festivity, solemnity in the picture is to a large extent achieved thanks to lively, bright colors. The elegant clothes of most of those present contrast with the darkened walls of the hut. The main colors in the picture are brown, black, red, various shades of green. Brown is the background, the walls of the room and furniture, as well as the caftan of the man on the far left. This color unity seems to hint who is the owner of this house and, accordingly, the father of the bride. The red color is the caftans of the guest in the foreground and one of the matchmakers. Red is also present on the bride's shower jacket: red flowers in the pattern are intertwined with black leaves. The girl is wearing red boots, although not so bright. On men, black boots, a sundress and a headdress of the mother of the bride are also dark, almost black. Black rectangles stand out on the wall icons. The groom's clothes are dominated by greenish-gray and grassy-green colors. The hem of the bride's dress is greenish-gold, looks a little dull - probably due to lack of lighting in the hut.
The picture is saturated not only with action, but also vividly conveys the feelings experienced by its participants. The artist managed to show not only the solemnity of the moment, but also the flavor of the era, its spirit.
Searched here:
- essay on the picture of the celebration of the wedding contract
- composition based on the painting by Shibanov The Feast of the wedding contract
- wedding contract celebration essay
Canvas, oil. 199x244 cm.
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
Remarkable paintings are "Peasant Lunch" (1774) and "The Feast of the Wedding Contract" (1777). The high pictorial qualities of these paintings put them on a par with the most outstanding works of Russian art of the 18th century, and the thoughtfulness and originality of their design, apt observation, sharp psychologism and perfect ability to cope with a complex multi-figured composition testify to the great artistic experience and creative maturity of the master.
The themes of these paintings are completely unusual for 18th-century painting: both of them depict everyday scenes from peasant life.
In the aesthetics of that time, the everyday genre was given the lowest, subordinate place. The image of modern reality was not recognized as a task worthy of an artist's brush. Folk images were, in essence, expelled from the realm of official art. True, at the Academy of Arts in the 1770s and 1780s there was a so-called home exercise class, where they studied everyday painting. But scenes from the "rough" life of the common people, of course, were not allowed there either.
Shibanov was the first among Russian artists to turn to folk images and themes taken from peasant life.
What was done in this area before Shibanov hardly deserves mention. Russian peasants were portrayed by visiting foreign artists - the Frenchman Leprince, who in 1758-1762 made a number of drawings (later repeated in engraving) on Russian everyday topics, and the Dane Eriksen, the author of a group peasant portrait. Leprince perceived Russian life as "oriental exotic", incomprehensible and implausible, and Eriksen's naturalistic picture has neither cognitive nor artistic value. Foreigners who were not familiar with Russian life could not, of course, lay the foundations of a strong tradition. If Shibanov knew their work, then, in any case, he had the right not to reckon with them.
His only predecessor was A. Losenko, who used the peasant character in the historical painting "Vladimir and Rogneda". The bearded warriors in helmets depicted by Losenko give the impression of Russian peasants painted from nature. But, introducing folk images into his picture, the academic artist was forced to resort to "historical" motivation. And Shibanov, not bound by the norms of academic aesthetics, directly reproduced in his paintings the living scenes of modern folk life.
"Peasant Lunch" is an attentive and accurate sketch from nature, in which the characteristic types of peasants are truthfully and aptly conveyed. The artist strove here primarily for the living naturalness of the image.
The “wedding agreement celebration” is much more complex and significant. Here we have before us no longer a full-scale study, but a finished painting with a well-found type, with a thoroughly thought-out multi-figured composition, a painting in which moral descriptive and psychological tasks are consciously set and successfully solved.
On the reverse side of the painting, the author's inscription has been preserved, explaining the plot chosen by Shibanov:
“A picture representing the Suzdal provyntsy peasants. celebration of the wedding agreement, wrote in the same provshtsy all in the Tatars. 1777. year. Mikhail Shibanov.
We learn about the essence of this festival from the old descriptions of Russian peasant life: “Conspiracy consists in the exchange of gauge, and in small gifts. The groom comes to see the bride. This agreement is holy and indestructible.
This solemn moment in the life of a peasant family is shown in Shibanov's painting. The action takes place in a hut belonging to the bride's parents. In the very center of the composition is placed the bride, dressed in a rich national dress. She is wearing a linen shirt buttoned to the top, a white brocade sundress embroidered with flowers, and over it a gold brocade with red sewing of a shower warmer. On the head is a girl's dress, consisting of a gold embroidered bandage, and a veil. The neck is adorned with pearls, a necklace of large stones descends to the chest, earrings in the ears. Next to the bride is the groom in an elegant blue caftan, from under which one can see a greenish semi-caftan and a pink embroidered shirt.
To the right, behind the bride, the guests crowd. They are also richly dressed: women in sundresses and kokoshniks, men in long cloth zipuns. Shibanov showed great compositional skill, rhythmically arranging the figures of the participants in the festival and uniting them with a common movement. The group of invitees is closed by a figure young man, with a broad gesture pointing to the bride and groom. Strict rhythmic construction in no way excludes either the living naturalness of postures or their diversity.
On the left side of the picture is a table covered with a white tablecloth and laden with all sorts of food. At the table are four peasants, apparently the father of the bride and her older brothers. One of them stood up and addressed the bride and groom with a speech. The figure of this peasant, slightly inclined, with his hand outstretched forward, is necessary for the artist in order to connect two disparate groups of characters.
The light in the picture clearly highlights the central group (the bride and groom) and gradually dissipates in the right half of the composition; the entire left side of it is shaded, and only faint highlights flicker on the faces. With this technique, the artist has ensured that the attention of the audience is focused on the main characters.
With confident and impeccable craftsmanship, the fabrics of the clothes are painted. Their color and texture are conveyed with such accuracy that even the grade of matter can be recognized. The ethnographic fidelity of the festive peasant costumes of the Suzdal province, that is, the Moscow region, is confirmed by the samples that have survived to this day. But for Shibanov, not only accuracy, but also the artistry of the image mattered. The color variety of clothes is brought in the picture to a subtle color scheme, to a decorative unity, which well conveys a sense of festivity and solemnity of the ritual being performed.
Emphasized attention to the external, furnishing side of the scene, dictated by an impeccable knowledge of peasant life, did not divert Shibanov from the main artistic task - the creation of truthful and lifelike images.
Shibanov's realistic skill is inspired by a deep and genuine love for the people. The artist admires his heroes, revealing in them the typical features of the Russian character - courage and spiritual nobility, self-esteem, a bright, optimistic outlook on life. Shibanov's characteristics are expressive and apt. Especially attractive is the image of the groom, a young peasant boy, lovingly looking at the bride. In his masculine beauty there is nothing flashy, defiant, his whole appearance is marked by penetrating seriousness and majestic calmness.
With great subtlety, the central psychological theme pictures are the spiritual experiences of the bride. Her face is pale, her posture seems unfree and not entirely natural; but behind this outward compulsion one senses a deep inner tension, a barely restrained excitement, quite understandable in a peasant girl entering a new life.
The senile images created by Shibanov are fanned with genuine poetry. The majestic head of a gray-haired peasant, the father of the bride, is painted with great artistic power. The image of an old peasant woman on the right side of the composition is remarkable in its expressiveness and life truth. This is undoubtedly one of the deepest and at the same time democratic images in Russian art of the 18th century. The talent of a portrait painter-psychologist, revealed with such force in the later work of Shibanov, is clearly manifested already here.
But, along with the features of sharp and penetrating realism, in the “Celebration of the wedding contract”, there are undoubtedly features of the idealization of peasant life. They find their embodiment in the decorative structure of the composition itself, in emphasizing the elements of solemnity and festivity that permeate Shibanov's entire picture.
The contentment and even prosperity of the family depicted by him are by no means typical of the Russian village of the 18th century. We know that the position of the serfs in Catherine's time was truly appalling. The life of a peasant passed in poverty, in conditions of monstrous oppression, and Shibanov, himself a serf, could know about this better than anyone else. Meanwhile, Shibanov's painting can create completely different, erroneous ideas about the living conditions of the social environment depicted by him.
How could this happen? Why did the realist artist, depicting peasant life, not note in it the most important, defining one?
Some researchers have suggested that the Shibanov painting depicts not serfs, but the so-called state peasants, who were quite numerous in the vicinity of Suzdal. Their life was, of course, somewhat easier compared to the beggarly existence of serfs. But, I think, the key to this must be sought in the real historical conditions of Russian reality in the 18th century.
Shibanov's painting was painted just three years after the tragic end of the formidable peasant war led by Pugachev. In the memory of Russian society, the ferocious repressions and executions that fell upon all those involved in the peasant movement were still quite fresh. During these years, to tell the truth about the terrible reality of serfdom would mean to openly place yourself in the ranks of the Pugachevites. Let us recall the cruel repressions that befell A. N. Radishchev many years later for his truthful book.
After the crackdown on the peasant movement, government and landowner circles wanted to see in art images of "the villagers prospering under the wise control of the empress." In 1778, the academic artist Tonkov painted the painting "Country Holiday", which shows how noble gentlemen arrived in gilded carriages to admire the happy village life. In Tonkov's picture, "happy Arcadia" is presented, which has nothing to do with reality.
Shibanov's painting does not, of course, belong to this type of false depiction of peasant life. It is too truthful in its images, in its psychological content. But Shibanov did not dare to tell the full truth, and this undoubtedly reduces the cognitive value of his work. He deliberately chose a festive theme, behind which, as it were, contradictions and terrible aspects of peasant life are hidden.
And yet, despite this significant drawback, the historical and artistic significance of Shibanov's painting remains very great.
Shibanov acted as a bold innovator, paving the way for art in an area that had not yet been touched by anyone. The Russian peasant became the hero of a work of art for the first time precisely in the work of Shibanov.
The best traditions of the peasant everyday genre, subsequently widely developed in Russian realistic painting of the 19th century, date back to the "Feast of the Wedding Contract" and the "Peasant Dinner".
Shibanov is a mystery artist, because there are very few facts about him, including from him. Despite this, we can admire his works that are presented in art galleries. So, in the Tretyakov Gallery you can see one of his famous masterpieces called the Wedding Contract Festival. Let's paint pictures.
Shibanov painted his picture The Feast of the Wedding Contract in the eighteenth century, choosing the theme of serf life. This is why the canvas is surprising, because in 1777 it was not customary to draw niello, but in spite of everything, the artist depicted one of the peasant rites in his picture. In his picture, the artist decided to capture one of the most important events in the life of every young peasant couple - the rite of marriage. Young people meet when there is a discussion of the upcoming celebration.
Description of the picture
And now let's make the Feast of the wedding agreement in our composition.
Looking at the canvas, it seems that we are participants in this ancient custom. The viewer, like all guests, also gets into the hut, where the fate of young people is decided.
The central figure here is the bride. She is modest, but at the same time her proud posture is full of dignity and grace. The bride is dressed in a silver sundress, over which a warm jacket is thrown over. Red flowers scattered over the outer clothing. The head is covered with a long veil that falls to the floor. The process is exciting. The girl is worried, and in order to somehow support his beloved, the groom took her by the hand. He stands a little apart. He is dressed in a shirt, over which a greenish caftan is thrown over.
In the picture we also see matchmakers, both from the side of the bride and the groom. Some are on the left, others on the right. On the left, we see how a man carefully examines the bride, the other is trying to say something. Apparently he invites those present to the table to consolidate the decision made with a glass.
FROM right side pictures of a man in a red caftan. He is discussing something with a girl sitting next to him. An elderly woman sits with them. Maybe it's the mother of the bride. Next, we see the villagers who came to the hut, because no one wants to miss such an important event. The guests also dressed festively, taking out their best clothes, thereby emphasizing the solemnity of the event.
Author: Shibanov M.The painting by the serf artist M. Shibanov "Celebration of the wedding contract" occupies a prominent place in the development of Russian genre paintings of the 18th century.
On the reverse side of the painting, the author's inscription has been preserved, explaining the plot chosen by Shibanov:
"The picture representing the Suzdal province of the peasants. The celebration of the wedding agreement, wrote in the same province of the Tatars in 1777. Mikhail Shibanov."
We learn about the essence of this festival from the old descriptions of Russian peasant life: "The agreement consists in exchanging rings and in small gifts. The groom comes to watch
This solemn moment in the life of a peasant family is shown in Shibanov's painting.
The action takes place in a hut belonging to the bride's parents. In the very center of the composition is placed the bride, dressed in a rich national dress. She is wearing a linen shirt buttoned to the top, a white brocade sundress embroidered with flowers, and over it a gold brocade with red sewing of a shower warmer. On the head is a girl's dress, consisting of a gold embroidered bandage, and a veil. The neck is adorned with pearls, a necklace of large stones descends to the chest, earrings in the ears. Next to the bride is the groom in an elegant blue caftan, from under which one can see a greenish semi-caftan and a pink embroidered shirt.
To the right, behind the bride, the guests crowd. They are also richly dressed: women in sundresses and kokoshniks, men in long cloth zipuns. Shibanov showed great compositional skill, rhythmically arranging the figures of the participants in the festival and uniting them with a common movement. The group of guests is closed by the figure of a young man, with a broad gesture pointing to the bride and groom. Strict rhythmic construction in no way excludes either the living naturalness of postures or their diversity.
On the left side of the picture is a table covered with a white tablecloth and laden with all sorts of food. At the table are four peasants, apparently the father of the bride and her older brothers. One of them stood up and addressed the bride and groom with a speech. The figure of this peasant, slightly inclined, with his hand outstretched forward, is necessary for the artist in order to connect two disparate groups of characters.
The light in the picture clearly highlights the central group (the bride and groom) and gradually dissipates in the right half of the composition; the entire left side of it is shaded, and only faint highlights flicker on the faces. With this technique, the artist has ensured that the attention of the audience is focused on the main characters.
With confident and impeccable craftsmanship, the fabrics of the clothes are painted. Their color and texture are conveyed with such accuracy that even the grade of matter can be recognized. The ethnographic fidelity of the festive peasant costumes of the Suzdal province, that is, the Moscow region, is confirmed by the samples that have survived to this day. But for Shibanov, not only accuracy, but also the artistry of the image mattered. The color variety of clothes is brought in the picture to a subtle color scheme, to a decorative unity, which well conveys a sense of festivity and solemnity of the ritual being performed.
Emphasized attention to the external, situational side of the scene, dictated by an impeccable knowledge of peasant life, did not divert Shibanov from the main artistic task - the creation of truthful and lifelike images.
Shibanov's realistic skill is inspired by a deep and genuine love for the people. The artist admires his heroes, revealing in them the typical features of the Russian character - courage and spiritual nobility, self-esteem, a bright optimistic outlook on life. Shibanov's characteristics are expressive and apt. Especially attractive is the image of the groom, a young peasant boy, lovingly looking at the bride. In his masculine beauty there is nothing flashy, defiant, his whole appearance is marked by penetrating seriousness and majestic calmness.
With great subtlety, the central psychological theme of the picture is revealed - the emotional experiences of the bride. Her face is pale, her posture seems unfree and not entirely natural; but behind this outward compulsion one senses a deep inner tension, a barely restrained excitement, quite understandable in a peasant girl entering a new life.
The senile images created by Shibanov are fanned with genuine poetry. The majestic head of a gray-haired peasant, the father of the bride, is painted with great artistic power. The image of an old peasant woman on the right side of the composition is remarkable in its expressiveness and life truth. This is undoubtedly one of the deepest and at the same time democratic images in Russian art of the 18th century. The talent of a portrait painter-psychologist, revealed with such force in the later work of Shibanov, is clearly manifested already here.
But along with the features of sharp and penetrating realism, in the "Celebration of the wedding contract" there are undoubtedly features of the idealization of peasant life. They find their embodiment in the decorative structure of the composition itself, in emphasizing the elements of solemnity and festivity that permeate Shibanov's entire picture.
Shibanov acted as a bold innovator, paving the way for art in an area that had not yet been touched by anyone. The Russian peasant became the hero of a work of art for the first time precisely in the work of Shibanov. The best traditions of the peasant everyday genre, subsequently widely developed in Russian realistic painting of the 19th century, date back to the "Feast of the Wedding Contract" and "Peasant Dinner".
Information about the work, and even less about the life of Mikhail Shibanov, is very poor.
Neither the date of his birth, nor the origin, nor the place of study are known.
The only fact is that he carried out private orders.
There is an assumption that he painted iconostases, and some of his works of the 18th century are also known.
In these works, the author depicted the life of ordinary peasants.
They are unique for their time precisely in terms of the subject of the image.
In those days, no one painted peasants.
These paintings include his canvas "Celebration of the wedding contract."
This picture took pride of place in the development of the Russian genre of the XVIII century.
On the other side of the picture, the author's inscription was preserved, which told about why the author chose such a plot.
You can learn about the celebration itself from the old descriptions of peasant life.
The bottom line is that the groom must come and look at the bride.
They exchange rings and small gifts.
And if everyone agreed on everything, and everyone liked everything, then no one had the right to violate this agreement, since it was “holy and indestructible”.
It was this solemn moment that Mikhail Shibanov showed us in his reproduction.
In the picture, in the very center, we see a very solemnly dressed bride.
She stands like a statue among people who are carefully examining her.
She is dressed in a colorful sundress, light in color.
The head is covered with a headdress embroidered with gold thread and a veil.
There are pearls on the neck.
Next to the bride, we see the suitably dressed groom.
He is wearing an elegant caftan.
The head is covered with a dark hat.
There are a lot of people around them.
They are also dressed in fine clothes.
Men are wearing long cloth zipuns, and women are in chic sundresses and kokoshniks.
On the other side of the picture, you can see a table and four men.
Apparently, these are native brides: father and brothers.
They kindly invite everyone to the table.
And if it were not for the preface to the picture, then at first glance you would not say that these are ordinary peasants.
With his work, Mikhail Shibanov shows us the faith of the common people in traditions.
No matter how hard it was for them, they always adhered to traditions and gave themselves with all their heart.