Klavdiy Vasilyevich Lebedev (1852-1916) – Russian artist, occupying one of the prominent places among the Itinerant artists. The Russian realistic school of painting of the second half of the 19th century is rich in the names of remarkable masters. But we are also interested in lesser artists. In their paintings, they managed to capture various aspects of reality with amazing accuracy. Klavdiy Vasilyevich belongs to such modest, sincere servants of art.

Lebedev was born in 1852 in the family of a peasant, a church painter, which, of course, influenced his future work. He never lost interest in village life, its everyday life, its images.

Almost nothing is known about Lebedev’s adolescence and youth. In the mid-1870s, he entered the Stroganov School. From there, in 1875, he transferred to the School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, where he received a complete art education for six years (1875-1881). V.G. Perov enjoyed particular authority at the School. His paintings were a model, and his advice was carefully listened to. Apparently, at the same time, the artist became closer to Vladimir Makovsky. Close, friendly relations were maintained between them until the last days of his life. A brilliant draftsman, a representative of the academic school, E.S. Sorokin played a huge role in the development of the artist.

Thanks to his studies, Klavdiy Vasilyevich achieved great success in the field of graphics, became the best draftsman at the School, and later – one of the best draftsmen of his time, an excellent book illustrator. Several works by Lebedev are known, dating back to the time of his stay at the School. He is fascinated by historical painting, the bright colors of ancient Russian costumes, and the particularities of the setting: “Young Boyar at the Table” (1880), “Priest and Clerk at the Market” (1884). For the painting “The Exit of the Boyar’s Wife from the Church” the artist received the Large Silver Medal. In all these works Lebedev follows in the footsteps of V.G. Schwartz.

The 1880s in Russian art are a period of extraordinary success and widespread distribution of historical painting. Lebedev did not become only a historical painter; among his works, a large place is occupied by paintings on contemporary themes. What attracts Lebedev is his ability to see the past through the eyes of a man of his time.

At first, Lebedev fails to find himself; he only outwardly reproduces the old way of life, carefully copying costumes. Only in 1884, at the 12th exhibition of the Itinerants, his painting appeared, which attracted everyone’s attention, “Boyar Wedding”, 1883. The bright colors of the clothes create a mood of festivity and optimism.

The artist was attracted by the coloring of life in the 17th century, the brightness of the outfits, and the characters of the people of the past. A Russian wedding is an ancient ritual that, having passed through the centuries, retained its originality in the 19th century. The multi-figure composition in Lebedev’s work reaches its culmination: rhymes, pauses, color chords, the polar range of human emotions – all this creates a stereoscopic model of the world and time. Characters, things, clothes and elements of the subject environment are simultaneously combined into a fascinating story and a picturesque symphony of color. Despite the fact that Klavdiy Lebedev is rightfully considered a great draftsman, this work also shows a serious talent as a colorist. The painting is distinguished by its great picturesqueness and freedom of color play – the dark brown color of the interior space and the blue, yellow, and red clothes of the characters effectively correlated with it.

In 1883-84, the artist worked on a series of illustrations for some stories from Turgenev’s “Sketches of a Hunter”. Lebedev’s drawings, executed with great skill and understanding of the poetic nature of Turgenev’s prose, can be considered almost the best for “Sketches of a Hunter”. The artist created a gallery of vivid images of the Russian village. He is especially successful in types of peasants, whom he draws with invariable sympathy.

In 1894, Lebedev was invited to St. Petersburg as a professor of the life class of the Academy of Arts.

In 1897, for the painting “The Death of Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich” he was awarded the title of academician, but a year later Lebedev unexpectedly quit the Academy and left the capital to settle in Moscow forever. Leaving the Academy is explained by his disgust with the constant intrigues that were woven around him. This time was significant in Lebedev’s life also because he became a member of the Society of Traveling Exhibitions. Until the end of his life, he took an active part in the work of the Society. Lebedev did not stop working until his last days. When he died in 1916, an unfinished sketch for the painting “Ivan the Terrible” remained on his easel. Like most leading Russian artists, Lebedev was a tireless seeker of truth. His art was closely connected with the people, with their thoughts and hopes.