Many travelers these days are quick to post travel photos on social media. 150 years ago, the main bloggers would have been artists, starting with Vereshchagin
“In our age of the development of shipping and railways, not using means of transportation, not learning from the living chronicle of the history of the world means tearing out the most interesting pages from the book of his being…” — wrote the artist.
In total, he visited 66 countries of the world. He fought in the Balkans, as well as in Central Asia. As a peaceful traveler, he traveled to Syria and Palestine, to the Philippines and Cuba, to Japan, twice to India and three times to the States, traveled all over Europe, not to mention the Russian Empire. And wherever he was, he made sketches. Moreover, the sketches are in many respects of a reportage nature – they fixed an object or an interesting person.
India
“I once shot a huge bat, just out of curiosity … A few days later I see this animal, already badly deteriorated, tied by the wing to the saddle of one of my pack horses. “Why are you carrying this muck?” I ask the Hindu servant. “I thought you were going to eat, sir,” the vegetarian replied.
Central Asia
Ivan Kramskoy about the painting “The Doors of Tamerlane”: “These heavy, terribly old doors with amazing ornamentation, these figures, sleepy, motionless, like buttons to the doors, like some kind of furniture, like the same ornament, they are so transferred to Central Asia … write as many books as you want, you won’t cause such impressions, like one such picture “.
Vereshchagin had conflicting feelings about the landscapes of Central Asia, where he participated in hostilities. “The specter of war still forces me to depict war, and if I want to paint the sun, then I must steal time from myself …” – he said.
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Japan
An artist's experience with an attendant at one of the Nikko temples: “”You can write as much as you like outside, but it is strictly forbidden to take any pictures inside,” – I did not like this answer and showed that the altar attendants would give in only before a large cash gift, or before pressure from influential people in Tokyo”.
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Traveler and battle-painter: 10 myths about Vasily Vereshchagin
The Himalayas
Vereshchagin about the Himalayas: the blue of the sky, it is something amazing, incredible, the color is stronger than any pure cobalt, it is almost ultramarine with a small dose of carmine. The pinkish-white snow against this background is a striking contrast.”.
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“In India. Snow of the Himalayas. 1874–1876
Vasily Vereshchagin
Artist, journalist, military man, traveler, actively collaborated with the Russian Geographical Society
< p>Years of life 1842–1904.
Studiedpainting at the Academy of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg and at the School of Fine Arts in Paris.
Exhibited < /strong> in Russia, Europe and the United States. For pictures about the war, the press predicted him to be the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1901.
Killed during the Russo-Japanese War on the battleship Petropavlovsk, blown up by the enemy, near Port Arthur. According to eyewitnesses, seconds before his death, he stood on the deck with an album and made sketches.The material was published in the magazine Vokrug Sveta No. 8, August 2015, partially updated in January 2023
