Artist of the day, May 25, 2020: Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov, a Russian landscape painter (#1003)

Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov (1844 – 1927) was a Russian landscape painter associated with the Peredvizhniki movement of realist artists. His contemporaries would call him the “Knight of Beauty” as he embodied both European and Russian traditions of painting. His vision of life was summarized as following: “Art should promote happiness and joy”. As a painter and a humanist, he would truly believe in the civilizing mission of Art, Culture and Education.

Vasily Polenov was born in St. Petersburg and studied at the St. Petersburg University and the Academy of Arts (1863–1871). As a pensioner of the Academy of Arts he lived and worked in Germany, Italy, and France (1872–1876).

Polenov was a painter, a graphic artist, decorative and applied arts designer, a scene-painter, a stage designer, an architect, a composer and a pedagogue. He was a member of the Society of Traveling Art Exhibitions (since 1879), the Union of Russian Artists (since 1903), a full member of the Academy of Arts (1906) and People's Artist of Russia (1926). Polenov was a participant of the Abramtsevo Colony since the very beginning (1878).

Since 1878 he stayed and worked in Abramtsevo for long periods, created pictures and drawings, participated in the amateur performances as a scene-painter, an actor and a stage director, collected items of folk art, worked at the Abramtsevo pottery.

Polenov made the project for the Church of the Savior (together with Viktor Vasnetsov, 1881–1882), participated in its construction and designed the interiors, created the images "Christ of Edessa" above the portal and the "Annunciation" for the iconostasis (both in 1882).

At that time a separate cottage was built specially for the young couple in the Abramtsevo park and it is still called Polenov's Dacha. In 1895–1899 he designed costumes and sets for the Russian Private Opera of Savva Mamontov. In 1894, the artist worked at the cover of the anniversary edition of the Abramtsevo Colony – "Chronicle of Our Artistic Circle".

The Abramtsevo Museum retains pictures and graphic works of Vasily Polenov as well as decorative articles designed by the artist.

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Mr. Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov  Self-Portrait, 1901

 Portrait of V. N. Voeikova, the grandmother of the artist 1867

 The Raising of Jairus’ Daughter, 1871

 Crossing of the River Oyat 1982

 Forest Pathway 1874

 In the Park, The Village of Veules in Normandy 1874

 Montenegrin girl 1874

 Cityscape 1875

 Grandmother’s Garden 1878

 Moscow Courtyard 1878

 The Crippled Serf 1878

 Entertainment for the Emperor 1879

 Overgrown pond 1879

 Old mill 1880

 Winter Imochentsy 1880

 The Parthenon, Temple of Athena Pallas 1881

 Beirut 1882

 Fountain of the Virgin Mary in Nazareth 1882

 Pond in Abramtsevo 1883

 The ruins of Tiberias 1883

 Turgenevo Village 1885

 The ill woman 1886

 At the Genisaret Lake 1888

 Christ and the Adulteress 1888

 Hellas 1890

 Early snow 1891

 Chapel on the banks of the Oka 1893

 Golden Autumn 1893

 head of old jew 1895

 Dreams (On the Hill) 1900

 River Svinka near Aleksin 1900

 Oka Valley 1902

 Railway near Tarusa station 1903

 The mosque in Jenin 1903

 The river Svinka 1905

 The River Oka 1918