Vereshchagin apotheosis of war analysis. “Apotheosis of War” - the central painting of the Turkestan series by artist Vereshchagin

Vasily Vasilyevich Vereshchagin is one of the most famous Russian battle painters, which is not surprising, because he personally took part in many military campaigns and several major battles. In addition, Vasily Vasilyevich traveled quite a lot around Russia and Central Asia where enough always reigned cruel morals. And this was especially noticeable during times of uprisings, wars, riots and other bloody actions that required the obligatory death of many people. Vereshchagin was very impressed by the scale of bloodshed in Turkestan, where Russian troops, at that time, were “implanting democracy.”

The cruelty of the modern military and the legends about the cruelty of the military of the past, in particular - the legend about Tamerlane and his methods of suppressing uprisings. It was Tamerlane’s warriors who left behind pyramids of the severed heads of their enemies. In an effort to convey his own emotions, Vereshchagin created the painting “The Apotheosis of War,” the original title of which was dedicated precisely to the founder of the Timurid dynasty - “The Triumph of Tamerlane.” It is this work that, according to many experts, is Vereshchagin’s highest work, which in no way detracts from the merits of his other works. But Apotheosis of War is something special.

The painting was created by the artist as one work from the “Barbarians” series, but stands out from the rest of the paintings depicting warriors in peace and war time, but alive. And “Apotheosis” is a real portrait of death, an illustration of war, its true essence. Many are surprised to learn that the painting was created in 1871. Vereshchagin was then only 29 years old, in fact, he was still quite a young man, but it was his youth and the experience he had accumulated by that time that apparently allowed him to write his opus magnum.

Hot steppe, clear blue sky covered in smoke or dust. The silence hanging there is almost palpable. Only the cawing of crows circling over a pyramid of human skulls, and the flapping of their wings. If not for the bullet marks, the picture could have been classified as something completely different. historical period. But no. “These are our contemporaries,” the author seems to want to say. In the distance is a destroyed city, charred trees. Yellowness, lifelessness and a certain surrealism of what is happening. And you look at all this, but not a single thought arises in your mind, you only remember all the wars that are going on right now, in different parts of the world. And the blue sky, usually pleasing to the eye, covered with an incomprehensible haze, begins to seem as cruel and indifferent as the desert spreading beneath it. AND scary mountain made of skulls as a monument human cruelty, ambition and stupidity.

It’s scary to watch, but it’s also impossible not to watch. Because this picture, being a work of art for us, sitting behind monitors in peaceful sleepy cities, it is a reality for residents of Syria, Libya, Mexico, Iraq, Donbass, etc. And TV will never show you mountains of corpses the way Vasily Vereshchagin did, but the essence will not change. And the next time, turning on the news and listening about terrorists, separatists, rebels, militants and the “forces of peace and good” fighting them - remember this picture, because war always has the same result. And a bad peace is still better than a good war, no matter how you look at it.

"Dedicated to all great conquerors, past, present and future", — Vasily Vereshchagin, caption for the painting “The Apotheosis of War.”

(1842 - 1902) was one of the most characteristic Russian artists - painters, who in his paintings adhered for the most part to military themes. He avoided in every possible way depicting ostentatious bravado, ideally beautiful military pathos, shiny bayonets, and a brand new uniform on his canvases. Being a participant in several wars the second half of the 19th century century (Vasily Vereshchagin was awarded the Order of St. George for military merit), having seen all the horrors of wartime, he deliberately refused artistic pathos instead of cruel and harsh reality.
In the second half of the 19th century, Russia conquered Central Asia, and in 1867 Vereshchagin left to serve as an ensign in Turkestan. And it was there that he created his most striking and memorable works. At first, he depicted landscapes, nature and the life of the population of Central Asia in his paintings. Gradually his paintings began to acquire an increasingly harsh character.

One of these paintings, known throughout the world, was “The Apotheosis of War,” painted in 1871. This painting completes a whole series of battle paintings called “Barbarians”, which Vereshchagin created while serving in the Turkestan General Government. But it was “The Apotheosis of War” that, thanks to its bold and frank content, became known to the whole world.
Initially he called his painting “The Triumph of Tamerlane”, but later changed the title to “The Apotheosis of War”. According to one version, the picture hinted at famous legend, according to which two women turned to Tamerlane for help, complaining about their husbands, accusing them of sodomy. Then Tamerlane, deciding to help the poor women, gave the order to his soldiers to bring the heads of everyone who, one way or another, was immersed in debauchery and a sinful life. As a result, the soldiers laid out 7 such pyramids, each containing 100 thousand heads.
However, according to another version, the idea for the painting was given to Vereshchagin by the story of how the tyrant Valikhan, in the 50s of the 19th century, having captured the town of Kashgar, executed most population, and thus built a pyramid of their heads. Among them was a German traveler, whose head was placed at the very top of the pyramid. This made an indelible impression on him; being a foreigner himself, who by chance found himself on a foreign land, the artist absorbed the whole essence of the unjust and terrible death that awaited him at every step.
Be that as it may, “The Apotheosis of War” as a whole does not have a historical meaning, but rather a symbolic one. The first thing that immediately catches your eye when looking at the picture is the human skulls stacked in a pyramid in the middle of the yellow hot steppe. Black crows circle around the pyramid. There are dried out trees and dry grass around. In the background is a destroyed city. All details of the picture symbolize death and destruction. The yellow tint of the canvas indicates the deadness of the entire environment. And the bright blue sky only emphasizes the devastation and peaceful peace.
Vereshchagin’s painting “The Apotheosis of War” is more than just a painting. And above all, it carries a deep understanding of history and the value of human life.

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Not long ago it became known that two paintings by an outstanding Russian painter - “Pearl Mosque in Agra” and “Portic churches XVII centuries in Yaroslavl" were put up for auction at the London trading house Christie's. The estimated cost of the first painting reached 2 million dollars, and the second - 750 thousand dollars. Thus, the director of the Nikolaev Vereshchagin Museum noted in a comment that the painter's paintings are not sold at high prices only there. Moreover, the museum worker told what Vereshchagin’s creation he himself admires.

First of all, Roslyakov, having heard from an NL correspondent that Vereshchagin’s paintings are sold in London for almost $3 million, hastened to add that his paintings are popular and highly valued not only there.

Vereshchagin's paintings are sold not only in London. For example, they were sold two years ago in New York. They were very expensive - 1.5 million. True, there was very big job. From the Palestinian series. And now prices are rising even more. Yes, prices for such things rise over time. And this is far from the limit,” he smiled.

In addition, the museum worker spoke about his favorite painting by Vereshchagin.

Painting by Vasily Vereshchagin “The Apotheosis of War” (1871). The original creation is kept in the State Tretyakov Gallery, in Moscow. There is an inscription on the frame: “Dedicated to all great conquerors - past, present and future.” “The Apotheosis of War” is Vereshchagin’s protest against wars, violence and murder.

It's called "The Apotheosis of War." These are skulls. Skulls of people killed in the war. This is the most tragic picture, but, in my opinion, his most iconic one. It doesn’t attract me in any way, but it expresses a very deep idea: war is death. This is scary. And war brings nothing but death. He (note NL - Vereshchagin) was a pacifist, he was a man opposed to all wars, admitted Roslyakov.

The director of the museum himself believes that the confrontation between Russia and Ukraine, which is now on everyone’s lips, will in any case end peacefully.

I won’t guess with the tea leaves here. I think it won’t end in anything, because after all, last moment We must remember that we are related peoples. Therefore, fighting with each other is, in my opinion, something close to paranoia,” he added.

Let us remind you how the presentation of the film was not without an emergency and blood.

“All my life I have passionately loved the sun. And I would happily paint only one sun, if people didn’t kill each other.” Vasily Vereshchagin, who repeatedly participated in the campaigns of the Russian army, brought an honest report from the battlefield: people were dying, not only in battle with the enemy, but also because of stupid mistakes of the leadership; senseless cruelty and barbarity; difficult field conditions. Uncompromisingly honest in details and facts, Vereshchagin constantly heard accusations of slander against the Russian army. The artist himself wanted to say something completely different.

Plot

In the middle of the hot steppe stands a pyramid of sun-baked human skulls. Each of them is written out very clearly, you can even determine what the person died from - from a bullet, a saber, strong blow. Some of the skulls preserved the last emotions of people: horror, suffering, unbearable torment.

Behind the pile of bones, a ruined city can be seen on the horizon. Crows are circling nearby. For them, indifferent to the fate of the people of the destroyed settlement, this is a feast during the plague.

Vasily Vereshchagin always paid close attention to the design of the frame - each of his paintings has an individual frame. Often the artist asked for explanatory inscriptions that are reportage in nature - they explain the plot and convey the author’s emotions. For “The Apotheosis of War,” Vereshchagin asked to write on the frame: “Dedicated to all great conquerors - past, present and future.” With this phrase, the artist conveys the idea of ​​the canvas: it is important to remember at what price military triumphs come.

Context

“The Apotheosis of War” is the only picture in which Vereshchagin depicted something that he did not see in reality. The plot is based on the events of the 14th century associated with Tamerlane. His name terrified the rulers of East and West. He bled the Horde, brutally subjugated every village on his way. For example, having come to Iran and taken the Sebzevar fortress, Tamerlane ordered the construction of a tower, walling up 2 thousand people alive in its walls. And after the sack of Delhi, by order of the commander, 100 thousand civilians were beheaded. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, the towers made from Indian heads reached enormous heights. Tamerlane believed that such pyramids glorified his talent as a commander.

The painting is part of the Turkestan series, which Vereshchagin worked on after participating in the Russian campaign in Central Asia in the second half of the 1860s. The artist was invited to the site of military operations by the Governor-General of Turkestan and the commander of the Russian troops, K. P. Kaufman. Vereshchagin not only wrote, but also fought heroically, for which he was awarded the Order of St. George, IV degree. Based on the sketches he created, the artist worked for two years in Munich. The paintings included in the Turkestan series, as well as studies and sketches, were first shown in London in 1873, and then in 1874 in St. Petersburg and Moscow.

In Russia, the military, including Kaufman, called Vereshchagin a slanderer. Journalists wrote that the heroes of the Turkestan series are Turkmen triumphing over the Russian army, and “Apotheosis of War” supposedly glorifies their exploits.

Meanwhile, during the Turkestan campaign, Vereshchagin painted not only battle paintings. Among his works there are those that show the beauty of the world, the exoticism of places: the bustle of the bazaar with its colorful goods, carved minarets, local residents and their life. By showing such pictures, Vereshchagin opened up to the audience a wonderful new world, against the backdrop of which war, death, and cruelty looked like incomprehensible nonsense.

The fate of the artist

Vasily Vereshchagin was born into the family of a wealthy landowner in Cherepovets. His father insisted that each of his four sons become soldiers. Vasily graduated from the naval cadet corps and, upon receiving the rank of officer, retired, intending to become an artist. In response to this, the father said that if Vasily carries out his plans, he may not return home. This was their last meeting.

Vereshchagin was precise in every detail. The Wanderers admired his uncompromising truthfulness. But critics and authorities viewed him as an artist with doubt, saying that he was more of a photographer, but not a painter. To his contemporaries, Vasily Vasilyevich seemed terrible, bloody, exotically cruel. There were also those who suspected him of deliberately savoring the details - in order to tickle people's nerves. The artist himself said: “Tears come when I remember all this horror, and “ smart people“They assure me that I compose fables with a cold mind.”

As a professional military man, Vereshchagin knew true face war. He was outraged that people were dying in vain because of incompetent command. And at headquarters they drink champagne to the glory of the sovereign, believing that the more people died, the louder the glory.

He also took part in the Balkan Wars. His series of paintings show a huge number of wounded and dying people. At his exhibitions, he literally shouted about senseless victims. The audience did not believe it and continued to accuse the painter of slander.

Vereshchagin decided not to write about the war anymore. He devotes several years to traveling around India, Japan, and the Middle East. He also studied the personality of Napoleon, about whom he created not only several paintings, but also books.

With the beginning of the Russo-Japanese War, Vereshchagin received an offer to accompany Vice Admiral S. O. Makarov. On March 31, 1904, they, while on the battleship Petropavlovsk, died when the ship hit a mine.

(1842-1904) - great Russian artist. He is best known as a battle painter. During his life, he painted many real masterpieces of painting, including: Napoleon in Russia, Attacking by surprise, In the Turkish mortuary, Walking into the zindan in Samarkand, Triumphant, After failure, Doors of Timur and many others. Most famous work Vereshchagin, which can be called " business card"The artist's painting is "The Apotheosis of War".

Apotheosis of war

Painting " Apotheosis of war"Painted in 1871, oil on canvas, 127 × 197 cm. Currently located in the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. Original name paintings " Triumph of Tamerlane" There are several versions about what inspired the artist to create this painting. According to one version, with his work he wanted to show the history of Tamerlane’s wars, after whose campaigns only piles of skulls and empty cities. According to another version, still associated with Tamerlane, the artist depicted a story in which the women of Baghdad and Damascus complained to the leader that their husbands were mired in debauchery and infidelity. Tamerlane ordered each of his warriors to bring the head of their depraved husbands, as a result of which 7 pyramids accumulated. The second version is less plausible, since it weakly echoes both the first and second titles of the picture. According to the third version, Vereshchagin created this picture after he heard about Valikhan-tor from Kashgar, who put the heads of executed people in a huge pyramid. “The Triumph of Tamerlane” or “Apotheosis of War” is part of the Turkestan series of paintings by the artist, which he created during a trip to Turkestan, where he saw many deaths and the most terrible events. These experiences prompted him to create a work that, in a vivid symbolic form, talks about the horrors of war, which brings only grief and destruction.

The painting “Apotheosis of War” shows a pyramid consisting of skulls. Some skulls have obvious damage from sabers and bullets. The pyramid is located on the lifeless lands of the endless desert, which once again emphasizes the devastation of war. Against the background of the pyramid stands an empty, dilapidated city. There are charred trees around. Only crows live here - symbols of death in art.

Why did I remember this picture?
I often take virtual trips. Today I wandered into Presnya. I wandered around Roshydromet and remembered my work at the State Hydrometeorological Committee. Not far from the Committee building there was a log house on a stone foundation. Someone told me that this is the house of the artist Vasily Vereshchagin. Behind a solid fence, an abandoned house was chosen by homeless people. And soon the house burned down. Today there is no solid fence, all the firebrands have been removed, but the foundation has been preserved.

Foundation of a house in Novovagankovsky Lane

Whose was he? It's hard for me to say. I didn't find the answer on the internet.
But this house, judging by the artist’s biography, was not the house of Vasily Vereshchegin. Big house Vereshchagin was in the Big Cauldrons. Vasily Vasilyevich Vereshchagin bought a plot of land on the bend of the Moscow River, in the village of Nizhnie Kotly in 1892, on which own project built a house and a workshop.

Vereshchagin's estate in Nizhnye Kotly

The construction of the house was associated with his marriage in 1890 to twenty-three-year-old Lydia Vasilievna Andreevskaya. Soon children appeared, and with them a family “nest”. Vereshchagin became the owner of a spacious house with a huge workshop. The address sounded like this: “Moscow. Behind the Serpukhov outpost. Village of Nizhniye Kotly.
Vereshchagin died in 1904 during Russo-Japanese War on the battleship Petropavlovsk, which was blown up by a Japanese mine. Admiral Makarov also died at the same time.
After the death of her husband, Vereshchagin’s widow sold the house and land, and the new owner scrapped it.
It is possible that the burned house on Presnya belonged to someone from the Vereshchagin family. [Later I found out that the house really belonged to Vereshchagin, but he had no relationship with the artist]
And the picture also reminded me of the war in Syria...