Alexander Mikhailovich Gerasimov (1881-1963) - Russian artist, who wrote paintings in the style of socialist realism, numerous portraits of Soviet leaders, for which he was four times received the Stalin Prize. However, he was not a complete opportunist, pure creativity attracted him more than the desire to please the powers that be, and the ideas of socialism he sincerely shared, the more so that the Soviet government gave him everything that can only be desired at that time.
Alexander Gerasimov. Self-portrait.
Alexander Gerasimov was born in the town of Michurinsk (Kozlov), Tambov Province. From childhood he loved to draw, although his parents could not even imagine that he would suddenly become a famous artist. They were simple people, former serfs, Alexander's father earned a living trading cattle, which he bought in the south, personally distilled it and already resold in his native Michurinsk. But one day Sasha thought of showing his drawings to Krivolutsky, an artist who had come to the province and had graduated from the Academy of Arts, and he said: "drop everything and enter an art school, you have a clear talent".
"In the garden. Portrait of N. Gilyarovskaya". 1914
But only three years later, Gerasimov was able to enter the Moscow School of Painting. He was lucky to study there with really excellent artists - Korovin, Vasnetsov, Serov and others. From Korovin and Serov he was "infected" with the love of impressionism, and began to write "folk" landscapes, painting the beauty of his native Kozlov, yet Gerasimov, despite 12 years of study in Moscow, at heart remained a simple country boy.
Three
His works were a success and he became known as a promising landscape painter, but in 1915 he was drafted into the army. It was good that he managed to get a job at the Intendant's warehouse, where he served safely until 1917. Gerasimov returned to his native Kozlov, until 1925 he wrote simple impressionist landscapes, got married and had a daughter, Galya.
Midday. Warm rain
Everything was going to have to live a quiet and peaceful life of a provincial artist, but ambition and a sense of unrealized talent in Gerasimov prevailed, he returned to Moscow to build a great career.
After the rain. Wet terrace.
A year later, Gerasimov's paintings were already enthusiastically praised by Lunacharsky, but the living conditions were still difficult - he and his family had to squat in communal rooms and rented corners, and it was difficult to count on good regular earnings. But one day Gerasimov was invited by Voroshilov and offered to write his portrait. He liked the work, and the approval of the omnipotent Kliment Efremovich was worth a lot.
Portrait of K.E. Voroshilov
In 1929, Gerasimov will write one of his most famous paintings - "Lenin on the rostrum". The attitude to her in different years was diametrically opposed. At first it was openly admired, and after they said that Gerasimov simply copied a successful photograph of Lenin.
Lenin on the rostrum
And in 1933, Gerasimov and several other artists were invited to the dacha by Stalin. Of course, it was an offer that was impossible to refuse. Gerasimov knew perfectly well with whom he was dealing and in what time he lived, but at the same time and probably admired Stalin, as many people at that time - yet the propaganda worked very thoroughly and only a few could resist the image of the "father of the peoples" created by it.
Portrait of Stalin
This admiration is evident in his numerous portraits of Stalin, they are written sincerely, with obvious respect, although, of course, there was also some subservience in them and a desire to conform in every possible way to the canons laid down by propaganda - Stalin in Gerasimov's works is not a simple man, but the leader of a huge country, all-powerful, all-understanding, without the usual human weaknesses. By and large, Gerasimov's work is a competently created image, not documentary evidence, and for this he was later accused of wanting to indulge the authorities and called "Stalin's court painter". But Gerasimov had no other choice, he could not tell the responsible comrades and Stalin personally: "I am not too interested in your portraits, I'd rather paint impressionist landscapes and everyday scenes, for example, women in a bathhouse":)
In the bath
By the way, landscapes, and absolutely wonderful and washing in the bath women Gerasimov still wrote, his creative legacy is truly multifaceted and to assess his work only on the official portraits of Stalin is a big mistake.
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