Rokotov Fyodor Stepanovich
Fyodor Stepanovich Rokotov is one of the most prominent Russian portrait painters of the second half of the 18th century, the largest Moscow master of the era of Catherine's classicism.
Biography
Years of life: about 1735-1736 — December 12 (24), 1808.
Place of birth: Vorontsovo estate (now in Moscow), which belonged to the princes Repnin.
The origin is still controversial among researchers. There are versions that he could come from the Pskov nobility, be the illegitimate child of Prince P. I. Repnin from an affair with a peasant peasant, or initially be a serf who received freedom in his youth.
In 1755, thanks to Ivan Ivanovich Shuvalov (patron of the arts, founder of the Academy of Arts), Rokotov moved to St. Petersburg. There he graduated from the Land Gentry Corps, and later became a student at the Academy of Fine Arts (1760-1762). His mentors included Louis-Joseph Le Lorrain, Louis-Jean-Francois Lagrenet and Pietro Rotary. It was Rotary who instilled in the young artist a love of intimacy, careful drawing of fabrics, jewelry and details.
In 1763, he was invited to Moscow to paint the coronation portrait of Catherine II. The Empress was pleased with the work and subsequently ordered other artists to use the Rokotov original as a basis for replicating her images (in particular, for the profile on coins).
In 1765, for a copy of Luca Giordano's painting Cupid, Venus and Satyr, Rokotov was awarded the title of academician of the Imperial Academy of Arts.
In 1766, he moved to Moscow. Here, from the late 1760s to the early 1790s, he created many portraits - in the words of researchers, "the whole of Moscow." He painted entire family galleries (for example, for the Counts Vorontsov), depicting representatives of several generations of the same family.
In 1772, he became one of the founders of the Moscow English Club. Since 1774, he was a member of the Moscow Masonic lodge "Clio".
In 1785, he bought a plot on the corner of Staraya Basmannaya and Tokmakov Lane, built a house with a workshop there, where he also taught students.
In 1776, having no family of his own, he got his nephews free, gave them to the cadet corps and made them his heirs.
In the last years of his life, the artist began to have problems with his eyesight, which affected his productivity. The last known works date back to the early 1790s.
He died in Moscow in 1808. He was buried by his nephews in the cemetery of the Novospassky Monastery, but the exact location of the grave was lost over time.
Creation
Rokotov took an important step in Russian portrait painting: he shifted the focus from a purely formal, status image to revealing the inner world of the model, her character and state of mind.
In his early works (1760s), he already demonstrated a desire for truthfulness and materiality of the image.
After moving to Moscow, a more intimate, intimate tone began to prevail in his work. He tried to convey not only the appearance, but also the "mystery" of the personality, sometimes creating an atmosphere of ambiguity and mystery.
In the 1780s, there were changes in his manner: that "rocaille haze" disappeared, there was a greater certainty of volume, elegance and impressiveness. The artist began to write out the details more carefully — lace, satin shimmers, the play of light on jewelry. However, in later works, the stiffness of facial expressions and intense gaze sometimes slipped through.
Among the famous works are:
"Portrait of Alexandra Petrovna Struyskaya" (1772, Tretyakov Gallery) is an example of a lyrical, subtle image where inner beauty is conveyed through color and light.
"Portrait of an unknown man in a cocked hat" (GTG) is one of the most mysterious works: there are different versions about the identity of the model (including the assumption that it is Catherine II in a fancy dress; the X—ray showed that the portrait was painted on top of the image of another woman).
Portraits of Peter III (State Duma), Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich (State Duma), Count G. G. Orlov (State Duma), A. P. Sumarokov (State Duma), V. I. Maikov (State Duma).
Some interesting details
Rokotov paid almost no attention to the background, concentrating on the model's face.
Sometimes critics called the characteristic faces in his portraits a "Rokotov mask."
A whole "Rokotov circle" has developed around the artist: his students and imitators created works in a similar manner, and because of this, there are still paintings attributed to Rokotov in provincial museums and private collections.