Painting by Ulyanov “Stanislavsky at work”
Portrait of Stanislavsky Ulyanov wrote in 1947, when the famous theoretician of the theater was no longer alive. For this painting, the artist received a high state award – the Stalin Prize III degree. Stanislavsky is depicted in his office. The director of the Moscow Art Theater wears a black suit, a snow-white shirt is adorned with a bow tie. But in spite of the solemnity of the garment, this portrait is far from the ceremonial portraits, on which the depicted man froze in the position of a posing idol. Stanislavsky is sitting at half-turn halfway to the viewer in a large armchair, resting his foot on his leg and plunging into thought, probably even half-way. On his knees he has an open notebook, in his right hand a pencil or pen to write down thoughts that seemed successful.
On the left we see a fragment of a desk, to the right – a small round table covered with a tablecloth. On the desk there are two drawers, in the foreground there is a bell, on the far box, larger
Even the brows are gray, completely white. And at the same time, Stanislavsky, whom Ulyanov captured as he probably remembered him in the last years of the life of the great director (who died at the age of 75), does not at all appear to be the impression of a decrepit, feeble old man. Perhaps in a pose and there is some fatigue – it is known that in the old years Stanislavsky suffered from a variety of diseases, but it is worth looking at the face – it is the strong-willed
Most likely, with the help of this technique, the artist wanted to emphasize that during work the look of his model is directed not to the outside world, but “inside”, to the worlds visible only to creative people. It is worth touching a bit and the color scale in which the portrait of Stanislavsky is painted. The picture is made in black and white-blue-brown tones. Gloomy coloring is intended to emphasize the depth and strength of the designs of the person depicted on it. The artist used a common method of contrast: a black suit contrasts with a light armchair serving as a background for Stanislavsky’s figure, as well as with his white shirt and pages of an open notepad. Tan accents on both sides of the picture – a tablecloth on a round table and drawers on the desk. In the upper left corner of the picture the blue color predominates.
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