"Nikolai Krymov" by Valentina Bialik, summary Automatic translate

Valentina Bialik’s book, published in 2001, traces the creative path of Russian artist Nikolai Krymov. The most important detail of this biographical work is its analysis of the artist’s transition from his early fascination with symbolism to realism and his development of his own rigorous theory of tone.

Early years and family

Nikolai Krymov was born into a large family of a Moscow drawing teacher. His father, Pyotr Alekseevich, graduated from the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture, where he studied under Professor Sergei Zaryanko. Pyotr Alekseevich became a professional portraitist. He often painted portraits of his twelve children, passing on his love of art to them. His mother, Maria Yegorovna, had a strong character and fostered a creative atmosphere in the home. When their sons Vasily and Alexey became students, the family hosted musical evenings and staged theatrical tableaux vivants.

Studies and first successes

After graduating from a real school, the young man entered the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture. He initially chose the architecture department, but soon transferred to the painting department. His mentors included such renowned masters as Nikolai Kasatkin, Leonid Pasternak, and Valentin Serov. Serov presented his students with challenging tasks, which made them wary but developed their professional skills.

As a student, Krymov began participating in exhibitions. In 1905, he presented his works at an exhibition of the Moscow Association of Artists, along with Pavel Kuznetsov, Nikolai Sapunov, and Alexander Matveyev. At exhibitions, his paintings were often displayed alongside those of Martiros Saryan, and critics noted the paradoxical similarity between their search for luminosity (brightness and color intensity). In 1906, his painting "Roofs Under Snow" was purchased by Apollinary Vasnetsov, and it later joined the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery.

Symbolism and classical composition

The young artist associated with members of the "Blue Rose" group. He helped design the magazine "Golden Fleece," becoming friends with Nikolai Sapunov and Georgy Yakulov. In 1911, Krymov graduated from the school as an established artist. At the International Exhibition in Rome, his paintings hung alongside those of Alexandre Benois, Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin, and Igor Grabar. The renowned critic Yakov Tugendhold called these artists "quiet poets."

In the 1910s, the artist became fascinated with 17th-century art. He studied the ideal compositions of the French masters Claude Lorrain and Nicolas Poussin, with their three planes (clear divisions of space into near, middle, and distant backgrounds) and alternating illuminated and shaded areas. Long shadows and the appliqué (reminiscent of a flat silhouette) treatment of foliage created a theatrical classical quality in his paintings.

Working in the theater

In addition to painting, the artist dabbled in theater and set design. Together with Sapunov and Yakulov, he created stage sets for productions. Krymov painted the "Russian Tavern," where the actor Ivan Moskvin played a waiter and served champagne in teapots. This episode marked the beginning of their strong, lifelong friendship.

Later, the artist designed productions at the Moscow Art Theater. He created sets for Alexander Ostrovsky’s plays "Ardent Heart" and "Talents and Admirers." The theater stage became his happy place, where the characters’ lives unfolded organically against the backdrop of his recognizable sets.

Mature creativity and the theory of tone

Researcher Bialik divides the artist’s works into "quiet," pure landscapes and "loud" canvases featuring people. The painting "New Inn" is one of the artist’s noisiest works, conveying sounds through the dynamic movement of the figures. In "Yellow Barn," the color saturation is determined by a chord of warm evening tones. In "Summer Day," five bathers on a green bank blend into nature, their pink-golden bodies contrasting with the light grass. "Gray Day," 1923, depicts a modest, everyday scene that evokes direct associations with the poetry of Alexander Blok.

His winter canvases form a coherent narrative. Winter is a time of short days and long evenings. Winter is nature’s invisible respite. Winter is a time of celebration, but also a time of tireless labor.

In the 1930s, the artist developed his theory of tone. He argued that tone in painting is more important than color. When asked about priorities, he answered: "Which leg is more necessary for a person, the right or the left?" He considered Isaac Levitan, who conveyed the overall tone of nature and captured moments of the day, to be his main mentor.

Pedagogy and later years

Krymov became a strict teacher. When he first came to teach fourth-year students, he examined their work and declared, "You don’t know how to write. We have to start all over again." He made them construct a small accordion screen out of plywood, 80 centimeters high, with 15-centimeter-wide panels. He painted the panels different colors, and illuminated them from different sides with daylight and electric light. The students, among whom was Yuri Kugach, were surprised to discover that the white paint under the lamp was the same shade as the yellow seen through the window.

The artist lived by nature. He judged the weather by the behavior of flies and the direction of the wind. He painted his pictures in the morning, making numerous pencil sketches on scraps of paper. Trips to the Volga with Feodor Chaliapin and a trip to Crimea became mere passing episodes in his biography. The Ryazan region, Polenovo, Zvenigorod, and quiet Tarusa became his creative home.

Nikolai Krymov lived a long life. He endured three wars and three revolutions, yet he remained resilient. In 1942, he received the title of Honored Artist of the RSFSR. In 1954, he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, and in 1956, he became a People’s Artist of the RSFSR.