Portrait of Pavel Tretyakov is a painting painted by Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy in 1876. The famous patron, admirer and collector of Russian art is depicted bust-length in ochre and olive tones. The high ethical qualities of the model and his noble simplicity come to the fore. The viewer sees a restrained, strong-willed, focused image, with a complex and rich spiritual world. His thin, intellectual face with a large high forehead and deep-set bright dark brown eyes has a special attractive force and expressiveness. There is something ascetic in the severity and inner purity of his appearance. Painted in dim diffused light, without obvious shadow contrasts, the portrait is enhanced by the poetic and intimate interpretation of the image. The compositional and coloristic solution is maintained with a subtle gradation of halftones, fresh and picturesque, which emphasizes the magnificent skill of the author.

The painting “Portrait of Pavel Tretyakov” by Ivan Kramskoy – the story of the mastery, nobility and modesty of two great people

Author: Ivan Kramskoy (1837-1887).
Year of writing: 1876.
Size: 59 x 49 cm.
Style: Realism.
Genre: Portrait.
Technique: Oil painting.
Material: Canvas.
Location: State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

Ivan Kramskoy is an outstanding Russian painter, founder of the Peredvizhniki society and a cultural figure of the second half of the 19th century.

In his views, he found a like-minded person in the person of the famous philanthropist and collector Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov. Upon closer acquaintance, in addition to great respect, he was imbued with true sympathy and love for him. Tretyakov, who was collecting for his gallery at the time, repeatedly asked Kramskoy to paint portraits of outstanding people.

The artist willingly fulfilled these orders. He was particularly successful in the portrait genre, painting realistically, reflecting the very essence of characters and moral aspects of individuals. But there was a hitch with the painting “Portrait of Pavel Tretyakov”. The collector showed extraordinary modesty and did not want to include himself among the great people whose images were to become the property of the nation. Not only did he not order his own portrait, but he also refused to have it created, and in every possible way shied away from posing.

However, Pavel Mikhailovich was a close friend of Kramskoy. And the master simply could not help but paint his portrait. Chance helped resolve the issue with posing. At the beginning of 1876, the collector fell ill with gout and was partially immobilized. Frequently visiting the Tretyakovs’ house, the artist enlisted the support of the patron’s wife, Vera Nikolaevna, and quickly painted a portrait of her husband. In a small work, he embodied all the strength, power, and nobility of this outstanding man. The artist did not embellish anything; he did the work, as always, truthfully and realistically.

The painting “Portrait of Pavel Tretyakov” by Ivan Kramskoy became almost the only image of the famous philanthropist, emphasized his virtue, and to this day reminds his contemporaries of his services to the Fatherland. Today, this work occupies a worthy place among the faces dear to the Russian nation.

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