We, free researchers of our history, distortions of the official history, study the evidence of the past: paintings, sculptures, architecture that has come down to our days. Many interesting finds have already been made. And every opinion of a specialist is important, which will help to reveal intimate professional secrets.
We, free researchers of our history, distortions of the official history, study the evidence of the past: paintings, sculptures, architecture that has come down to our days. Many interesting finds have already been made. And every opinion of a specialist is important, which will help to reveal intimate professional secrets. I recorded our conversation with a young artist Alexandra Barkhanova, Shura Barkhanova, as she presents herself
Shura graduated from the Russian Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture of I. Glazunov. Her diploma work - "Cross of Hope" - about the beginning of the First World War in 1914.
Artist Shura Barkhanova.
Artist Shura Barkhanova.
Artist Shura Barkhanova.
Despite his young age, he is a strong and powerful artist and a person with his own inner core. I am passing on Alexandra's story on the theme "A Different History of Art"
Promotional video:
Artist Shura Barkhanova:
- It is not entirely clear how the Great Kremlin Palace was restored in Moscow. It is believed that the restoration was carried out according to old sketches, archival data, but at the same time, information from the artists who participated in this project was contradictory. The sketches were either asserted or not approved, and this can no longer be called a restored reconstruction of the past of the Palace.
Kremlin Palace.
Kolomenskoye after reconstruction.
Kolomenskoye after reconstruction.
The palace of the village of Izmailovo.
Similar work was carried out in the villages of Kolomenskoye and Izmailovo, where the palaces were reconstructed in the "a la Russian" style, too "fabulous gingerbread". It seems to me that the architecture several centuries ago was more elegant.
The same goes for Russian folk costumes. They look a little clumsy today. And it was more and more beautiful and graceful. We have artists who drove through the villages looking for old craftswomen. These grandmothers-craftswomen of very advanced age still have costumes, embroidery, kokoshniks, including pearls, of extraordinary beauty and delicate work. There was no brightness of color there! And where does the brightness come from?
Kokoshniks. Russian headdress. 17th century.
How can linen be dyed in bright colors? Linen paints are quickly washed off. Therefore, the old Russian costumes were of various gray shades. Therefore, the reconstructions of the Kremlin Palace and Izmailovsky, in my opinion, are not entirely true. We are now trying to present our history in a different way. This can be seen in similar examples.
The site “Culturology” writes: “The main fabrics used for peasant clothing are plain plain weave wool and homespun canvas. The richer strata from the middle of the 19th century could afford factory silk, satin, brocade with ornaments of lush flower garlands and bouquets, red calico, chintz, satin, colored cashmere. (Photos of the Shabelskys collection from the collection of the Russian Ethnographic Museum, which depict Russian beauties)"
The same applies to modern portraiture of past eras. An example is portraits of people from 1812 to the beginning of the 19th century. Some contemporary folk artists try to make them in the technique of that era, but with modern means. There are such paintings in the Hermitage, in private collections, and in museums. But why counterfeit that technique? At the moment, she is no longer so perfect. Today the paints are different and the means of conveying aerial perspective.
And portraits hang in the Kremlin Palace. It is believed that they are written according to old models, but there is no feeling of that time. It can be seen that this is a modern painting and a modern look.
Kremlin Palace, paintings.
Kremlin Palace, paintings.
The same is true for the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The people who found the real Temple are still alive. Not so long ago it was demolished (1931). And now the newly rebuilt looks still not so, a little clumsy. There is no feeling that he is inscribed in space, like the previous one.
Of course, it's good that it is newly built, it repeats all sizes and proportions. But there are already underground mines, elevators, a different composition of building material, everything else, new. This is a modern Temple, "remake".
The thread of art history is completely incomprehensible. Art history textbooks are written like fiction. There is a lot of "water", for example, about Paul the First: "Here, they burst in, here are terrible shadows, pounced on, strangled with pillows, etc." But these are not historical facts. At the same time, very little time is devoted to what is really important.
Today, after many historical finds, explanations of symbols, which were not previously voiced during training, you begin to perceive the plots of paintings by masters of the past differently.
There is such an artist Ingres. (Reference: Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres - French artist, adherent of neoclassicism. (1780-1867)) He was the court painter of Napoleon the First, Bonaparte. Ingres painted his portrait. The description of the painting says that the artist painted a portrait of the emperor in the pose of Jupiter.
Napoleon Jean Auguste Dominique Engrd. 1806.
There are a lot of symbols in this picture.
For example, behind the figure of Napoleon there is a semicircle in the form of a stained glass window, as in all Catholic cathedrals. (Cathedral of Notre Dame. Paris). Samsara wheel. The picture, behind Napoleon, is exactly the same.
Cathedral of Notre Dame. Paris.
There is a wreath behind this wheel. It is not understood why there are so many funeral symbols. Ingres painted this portrait in 1806 before all Napoleon's military operations.
The face of Napoleon drew attention to itself. It is white, as if written through a grisal (monochrome image). There the cheeks are slightly highlighted with pink. White hands of Napoleon - we can say that they are in gloves, but the gloves are not marked. Whether it is gloves, or white hands, but in this case it is not clear who Ingres portrayed, is it a living person? There is a question about dating. Despite the fact that the painting itself bears the date 1806, we, the artists, know that a painting can be signed at any time. It's not a problem to wash off one inscription and sign a new one.
There, according to the feeling, dating can be set in our time. You can illuminate the inscription with X-rays. Those who own the painting know the dates, but they will not be announced to us.
Further, according to the picture: the carpet depicts an eagle with its head turned to the east, similar to the German one. The question arises: why is it depicted? Napoleon is the head of the empire or some other appointment?
On the carpet around the perimeter, zodiacal symbols are depicted, as on all stained-glass windows of Catholic churches, as the "wheels of Samsara"
Napoleon Ingres, fragment of the picture.
In the hands - interesting scepters. In Napoleon's right hand, at the end of the scepter, is a little man, also with a scepter and in a crown, apparently, a symbol of royal power. And in the left hand, the top of the scepter is a hand with two fingers, which means “The path of the right and left hand.” (Note: the terms “left” and “right” referring to politics mean “liberal” and “conservative” and have an independent history - they come from the location of the deputies in the hall of the French Legislative Assembly in 1791.)
Napoleon. Ingres, Fragments of the painting - scepters in hands.
Stained-glass windows also raise questions. There is no particular need to do them this way. Moreover, it complicates the work technically and increases the cost of construction. Nevertheless, in many buildings of the 19th century, there are a great many such round and semicircular windows and arches.
Stained glass windows. Samsara wheel.
According to the history of art, it is believed that artists of past centuries were not allowed to paint historical pictures, reality, but only to use antique subjects. Therefore, when the Wanderers appeared, it was difficult for them to advance, since they wanted to paint only the truth, reality.
Surikov, painting "Boyarynya Morozova". There is an extraordinary winter flavor, but the main thing is that he took the cornerstone of history, which can be interpreted in different ways.
Boyarynya Morozova. Surikov.
Surikov had no government orders. He was in trouble with money, he was not "pro-king". Artists give us a “glimpse” of history. And the painting "Boyarynya Morozova" also creates in us a certain image of the time when the religious, the so-called Nikonian schism took place, the transition from the old faith to the new. Patriarch Nikon forbade the construction of tent-roofed temples, but only pillar temples with an odd number of chapters.
Vasily Ivanovich Surikov wrote several historical paintings and left us a "clue" for us to think about what happened during these periods of Russia.
In contrast to Surikov, Ilya Repin was a court artist and painted only to order. His famous painting "Ivan the Terrible Kills His Son" became the main argument for this version. Director Sergei Eisenstein (1898-1948) made a film, theaters staged plays, novels, essays, articles, textbooks were written.
Nevertheless, today it is known for certain that Ivan the Terrible did not kill his son. That he and his son were poisoned, like all the offspring of Ivan Vasilyevich. However, until now the official history has not refuted this fact, and many generations of people were convinced of this crime of the king, which he did not commit.
Ivan the Terrible kills his son. Repin.
- Does this mean that Repin could write "historical inaccuracy"?
Shura Barkhanova: - Yes, exactly, he painted pictures of meetings.
It turns out that the artists "give" us a "look". And we already believe that Ivan the Terrible killed his son, that Menshikov died in poverty in the city of Berezov, but is that so? And this is how the meetings were held, serfdom was abolished, this is how it looked. We judge precisely by the paintings of artists about historical events and personalities, since we were told that there were no photographs.
- At a subconscious level, we are programmed to perceive this historical reality in the right direction. An attitude is created, personal, emotional, evaluative.
Shura Barkhanova: - Yes. Many artists were involved in this falsification. I have a suspicion that the portraits of the war of 1812 were painted in modern times. Many researchers of alternative history have noticed: how can you fight in white leggings? If today, in ordinary life, having the means for washing, we women do not wear white tights in early spring, because they will instantly become dirty. And then military action, explosions, trenches, horses, earth, and in white leggings? Nice for a picture. What does this have to do with life?
Today, artists paint more generally, without the elaboration of details that artists of past centuries had. Yes. It is too long. But the quality of the drawing is the highest. And it is believed that the artists used aids such as the Camera Obscura, which works on the principle of the human eye. It is a small, dark room with a small hole in which the lens is located. The image is reflected upside down on the opposite wall of the room, just like on the retina.
Pinhole camera.
Perhaps artists worked like photographers now. Some paintings reproduce halftones to such an extent that this is possible only on digital film. Not so long ago, an American inventor became interested, as Jan Vermeer wrote. How could he even convey roughness on the wall, a color reproduction that the human eye cannot capture. He found all the things, created the scenery for the picture. Then, having improved the Obscura camera, placing a mirror in front of his eyes, at an angle of 45 degrees, where he saw the image and place of his canvas. Thus, he could compare this fragment and the color and the subtlest nuances, and restored the entire picture of Vermeer. He achieved amazing naturalness, right down to the partitions on the glass, folds of clothes. He painted the picture perfectly, which was recognized by the artists from England who were shown the picture.
(Reference: Physicist Charles M. Falco and pop artist David Hockney have produced a number of publications proving the use of optical media by the old masters, and the historical plausibility of such methods. The hypothesis has been critically accepted by both art and science historians.)
Music lesson. Jan Vermeer.
Today, many artists explain a more general interpretation of the drawing by the fact that time has changed, it is sorely lacking, family, worries. And what, there were other people before, or did they have less worries? Why don't we write like this today? As our teacher Ilya Glazunov says: “Do you think there was a different sky over Michelangelo? It was the same as above you!"
Artists of the past created such an incredible number of paintings, sculptures, most of which are masterpieces. In doing so, they traveled. How did they move then, if there were no trains or airplanes and at the same time created so many paintings of the highest level?
The conclusion is that there used to be technologies that helped artists a lot, to paint how many paintings with perfect detail and color reproduction.
Author: Galina Konysheva