Isaac Levitan

Isaac Ilyich Levitan (1860 - 1900) was a Russian painter.

His father was enough educational on that times and conditions person. He was the son of a rabbi; he not only completed Yeshiva, but also independently learnt the German and French languages, that became for him means of existence in Kovno where he gave lessons, and then worked as the translator at a construction of the railway bridge the French building company. In the beginning 1870 Levitan's family moved to Moscow in searches of earnings. But also here they had to lead a rather pitiful existence.

In September, 1873 thirteen-year Levitan entered in the Moscow School of painting, sculpturing and architecture where his senior brother studied. Here he was accepted in an original class where pupils did copies from originals - figures of masters. Levitan advanced in School that was caused favor of teachers. In September, 1874 he transferred in a naturalistic class, and soon he got in a landscape class under Savrasov?s management. Levitan's teachers were Savrasov and V.D. Polenov

Since 1888 he regular participated in the co-partner of mobile art exhibitions or Peredvizhniki and since 1891 he became a member of Peredvizhniki; from 1897 he was academician of the Academy of arts. During the study in the Moscow School of painting, sculpturing and architecture Levitan was close with K.A. Korovin, M.V. Nesterov, architect F.O. Shekhtel, N.P. Chekhov, with his brother Anton Chekhov who became the closest friend of the artist for all life. Levitan often visited Chekhov. He was in love with Maria Pavlovna Chekhova.

Strongly demanding money (in 1876-1879 Levitan was released from payment for the doctrine "in view of an abject poverty" and excellent successes), for earnings in 1881-1882 he did figures of the genre and fail-fantastic maintenance for an illustrated magazine "Moscow" (where brothers Chekhov also cooperated), in the beginning of 1880th he illustrated M. Fabritsius edition "Kremlin". In 1885-1886 together with Korovin he wrote scenery of performances of the Private Russian opera of S.I.Mamontov.

In the end of 1880th he visited drawing evening in Polenov?s house. The landscape writer, deeply feeling both lyrical-pathetically revealing unique charm and quiet greatness of Russian nature, Levitan practically did not write urban landscapes. Behind exception nowadays lost "View of Simonov monastery", mentioned by Nesterov, Moscow is present only in the painting "Illumination of the Kremlin". In the end of 1870th he worked a lot in vicinities of Moscow, he created the special variant of "landscape of mood" in which the shape and a condition of the nature are spiritualized, become carriers of conditions of human soul ("Autumn day. Sokolniki", 1879). During work in Ostankino, he embodied fragments of mansion?s house and park, but basically he was fond of poetry chamber places in forest or modest countryside. In Levitan's last works there was appeared greatness and dramatic nature of image of eternal life of the nature, an original result of Levitan?s art searches became the unfinished picture "Lake. Russia".

In the summer of 1890 Levitan went to Yuryevets (Юрьевец, in Russian) and among numerous landscapes and etudes he wrote "The View of Krivooserski monastery". So the plan of one of his best pictures "The silent monastery" was born, where the image of a silent monastery and planked bridges through the river, connected it with world around, expressed deep reflections of the artist about life. It is known, that this picture made strong impression on Chekhov.

Levitan met new 1900, last year of his life at Chekhov?s in Crimea.

He was unhappy in private life. He did not have a family, children. Who knows, maybe, unique strong feeling he felt to Maria Pavlovna Chekhova.

He died in 1900, was buried on Novodevichy Cemetery.

Isaac Levitan's art heritage is hugely: picturesque arts, watercolors, pastels, graphics, and illustrations.