Pavel
Petrovich Tchistyakov was born into the family of a serf, who served as
a manager of an estate. When the baby was baptized the family's owner gave
Pavel freedom for his father’s good work. At the age of 17 Pavel entered
the Academy of Arts; in 1861 he got Major Gold Medal for his picture
Great
Duchess Sophia Vitovna (1861) and in 1862 went abroad as a
pensioner of the Academy.
On his
return in 1870, Tchistyakov was awarded the title of Academician for 4
of his works (among them Roman Pauper 1867). The consequences
of a serious disease he had had in Italy made it difficult for him to paint.
Lots of his canvases remained unfinished. Only in 1876, he showed a new
picture Boyar (1876). This
portrait, fulfilled in Rembrandt’s style, was highly appraised by critics.
As a pair to this picture was his last finished work- Portrait of Mother
(1880).
In 1890-1912, he was head of the mosaic department in the Academy of Arts,
he was responsible for the main mosaic projects in Russia: in the Cathedral
of Christ the Savior in Moscow, St. Isaac's Cathedral and the Cathedral
of the Resurrection in St. Petersburg.
Tchistyakov was immensely popular as a teacher. He began teaching very
early, while still a student (fom 1850). “I think I was born with talent
and love for teaching”, he wrote to P.A. Tretyakov. In 1872, he was invited
to teach in the Academy. At the same time he organized classes in his studio,
gave private lessons. During many years of teaching he created his own
system of teaching drawing. Among his pupils are very different but bright
and talented artists: Victor
Vasnetsov, Mikhail Vrubel,
Vasiliy
Polenov, Ilya Repin, Andrey
Ryabushkin,
Valentin Serov,
Vasiliy
Surikov and others.
Notes
Great Duchess Sophia Vitovna,
the picture depicts a minor episode from Russian history. XII-XV centuries
is a period of small feudal states in Russia, which continuously fought
each other. In 1433 a group of princes gathered in Moscow for the wedding
of the Great Duke Vasiliy II. A young prince from Galich Vasiliy Kosoy
appeared at the wedding feast in a beautiful golden belt, decorated with
precious stones, a present of his father-in-law. One of the guests recognized
the belt, it had been presented to the Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy, grandfather
of Vasiliy II, but was then stolen from him. Vasiliy II’s mother Great
Duchess Sopia Vitovna rushed to the unsuspecting Vasiliy Kosoy and tore
the belt from him. It was an insult to a guest, besides prince Vasiliy
Kosoy did not know the story of the belt, this led to further complications
among Russian states.
Patriarch Germogen Refuses to Sign the Deed.
An
episode from Russian history of 1612, when a big part of Russia, including
Moscow, was captured by Poland. Kozma Minin and Prince Dimitry Pozharsky
gathered militia to liberate the country. As, at the moment, there was
no secular ruler in Russia, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch
Germogen was looked upon as an authority. The Poles had imprisoned him,
but when they found about about the army of militia coming to Moscow asked
him to sign an order to dismiss militia. Germogen refused and was executed.
Later he was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church.
