Painting Rzhevskaya “Music”
Antonina Leonardovna Rzhevskaya is a remarkable Russian artist who is a member of the “Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions”. Antonina Leonardovna – the second and last female artist, who became an exhibitor of this creative association, however, later she ceased to be his member, because of disagreement with their program. Rzhevskaya was born in a poor noble family in Shalepniki village, Tver Province. When the father of the Rzhevsky family died, a mother with three children moved to Tver. There, the young Antonina studied at the Mariinsky Women’s Gymnasium. Then she moved to Moscow, studied at the fifth gymnasium.
After that she got a job at the printing house, and also became a free-lover at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, where her head was a wonderful artist, an unrivaled master of genre scenes and everyday scenes, VE Makovsky. In 1890, Rzhevskaya began regularly exhibiting her works at the expositions of the Moscow Society
It is interesting to note the following: when the picture “Merry Minute” was shown at the XXV exhibition of the “Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions”, the authorship of the canvas was not indicated, since Antonina Leonardovna, because of gender prejudices of that time, was afraid to sign her work. Later, Rzhevskaya became a full member of the “Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions”. In 1903, Rzhevskaya created a wonderful picture, which was popular and had a great success – “Music”. This painting was supplemented by the collection of patron of art IP Sveshnikov. He presented the painting to the Rumyantsev Museum, a little later the canvas was in the Nizhny Tagil Museum of Fine Arts.
The art critic, the
Everyone, with bated breath, listens attentively and looks at what is happening on the stage. In the foreground we see a girl in a white dress with ruches, who, with her head bowed to one side and slightly succumbed, is absorbed in music. Behind her, with her arms crossed on her chest, is a young man, he also observes what is happening on the stage, and listens attentively to a musical concert. Next to them sits another girl, she is so engrossed in listening that she leaned her elbows on the balcony, her head on her arm, and dreamily looked at the stage. The other listeners are lost in the distance, only their vague silhouettes are visible, but there is no doubt that the music made an indelible impression on everyone in this hall.
The picture is made in warm, pleasant colors. Correctly placed accents, light falls on the faces of theater attendees, the rest of the details seem to drown in the dark, so the viewer immediately sees the composition center of the canvas. The folds on the characters’ clothes are very embossed, the shadows are deep and a bit chilly.
The picture leaves a pleasant impression, looking at it, the viewer imagines the music that the characters of the canvas listened to. In addition to the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions, Antonina Leonardovna was a member of the Moscow Society of Art Lovers, the Association of Artists of Revolutionary Russia, the Association of Realistic Artists, and also participated in various prestigious exhibitions. Time passed. Many forgot the name of Antonina Leonardovna Rzhevskaya.
We must admit that there is very little literature devoted to this remarkable artist. However, we know that the author lives in his creations, and let her name be forgotten, but her works continue to live and delight connoisseurs of art.
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