Features of the St. Petersburg image in watercolor painting

Se Yueyue Postgraduate, Department of Art History and Pedagogy of Art, Herzen State Pedagogical University 191186, Russia, Saint Petersburg, nab. Sinks, 48, room 6, room 51 efremenko.e@gmail.com

Introduction

St. Petersburg is a unique city, which is the center of cultural and artistic life of Russia, an architectural monument, a city with its own special character and charm. St. Petersburg inevitably attracts the attention of numerous tourists from all over the world, for each of whom a meeting with this amazing city becomes an indelible impression for a lifetime. The beauty of this Russian city, "northern Venice", as it is sometimes called, is beyond doubt, but it is extremely difficult to give a brief description of the image of St. Petersburg, since this image is complex and sometimes contradictory. The name of the city is associated primarily with well-known monuments of world culture: the Hermitage, palaces, monuments of landscape art – Peterhof, Pavlovsk, Gatchina, Pushkin. Also, such phenomena characteristic of St. Petersburg life as, for example, white nights, drawbridges and canals are widely known. All this invariably attracts visitors to the city.

The image of St. Petersburg is complicated for many reasons. First of all, because the architecture and spirit of the city keep the memory of many epochs, various events of Russian history, monuments of both the Soviet era and the imperial era coexist here, with which the revolutionary events of 1917 ended. The appearance of the city, familiar to us by its main symbols – the house of Peter I, the Peter and Paul Fortress, The Admiralty, the Hermitage, etc. – is constantly changing, is in constant motion – a movement that life itself dictates. The rhythm of the city sets a new time, the people living here, their ideas, their aesthetic and artistic tastes, their aspirations. That's why to capture the image of this Russian city means only to capture a moment of its life and the lives of its inhabitants. Finally, the diversity of the faces of St. Petersburg is explained by the fact that everyone who embodies it in his work, be it an artist, composer, poet, director or writer, transforms the image of the city through the prism of his perception, his attitude, personal experiences. The image of St. Petersburg in the works of watercolorists is also filled with emotional content, closely related to the artist's personal experiences, his attitude, and sometimes specific events and stages of his life: the Griboyedov Canal is the place where childhood passed, the Summer Garden reminds of first love… Accordingly, the image of the city can acquire a philosophical, mystical, realistic or nostalgic reading. Within the framework of this study, the analysis of the image of St. Petersburg in the works of watercolor artists and the author's approaches to its interpretation developed by them are carried out.

The variety of historical images of St. Petersburg and their artistic interpretation

The tradition of referring to the image of St. Petersburg in the works of artists is closely connected with the history of the city, artists, in particular, unconsciously act as historiographers, embodying in their paintings the image of the city of a particular era: the magnificent capital of the Russian Empire, Soviet Leningrad, and finally, New Petersburg. One of those who captured the northern Venice of the early period was E.P. Gau (1807-1887).  In the 50s of the XIX century, this outstanding watercolor artist, by decree of Emperor Nicholas I, wrote a series of paintings depicting the interior of the Winter Palace ^[4]. In St. Petersburg, by order of the imperial family, Gau creates "portraits of interiors" of the Hermitage and the Winter Palace, the Great Gatchina Palace, as well as the Mikhailovsky Castle. The artist's paintings depict in detail and realistically the life and atmosphere of the imperial family, the splendor, wealth, and luxurious decoration of palaces as symbols of the Russian Empire and its heritage. It is impossible not to note not only the aesthetic, but also the historical significance of the work of E.P. Gau. During the bombing of Leningrad during the Second World War, the Hermitage rooms were severely damaged, and some palace monuments were completely destroyed. When the restoration and restoration of priceless works of art and interior details began, it was the artist's watercolors that provided invaluable assistance. Thanks to them, the restorers managed to get a detailed and reliable idea of the lost interiors, in order, in the end, to restore the original Hermitage ^[4].

In many cases, looking at the paintings of watercolorists of different eras dedicated to St. Petersburg, you can see rare landscapes of the city that existed at a certain stage of its history, but today they are lost, and the trends of the New Time have come in their place. For example, the image of revolutionary Leningrad appears in I.A. Vladimirova's watercolors (1869-1947). This image contrasts sharply with the image embodied by E.P. Gau. In his work, I.A. Vladimirov developed the principles of realistic painting. His historical and revolutionary watercolor works are largely documentary in nature. The Russian people and historical events come to the fore in them, and Petrograd and then Leningrad becomes the scene where the drama of Russian history unfolds. It is possible to draw a parallel between the painting by I.A. Vladimirova "The Capture of the Winter" (Fig. 1) and the works of E.P. Gau: on the canvas we also see the interior of the Winter Palace, the stronghold of imperial power, but how sad this spectacle is now. Practically nothing remains of its former splendor: priceless interior items lie broken and trampled on the floor, under the feet of revolutionaries. The gaudy gold and colorful interiors of the Gau were replaced by a dirty gray-brown color.

Fig. 1. I. A. Vladimirov. Taking the Winter. 1918

Other paintings by the artist recreate the atmosphere of a revolutionary city, showing the viewer recognizable urban landscapes. Park ensembles, canal embankments, squares – all this becomes a witness to bloody events and an object of abuse. In such paintings as "The Former" (1918), "The Famine" (1918), "On the Streets of Petrograd" (1918), it is like a shadow of old Petersburg before us: urban landscapes are dark, gray, gloomy, faceless, emphasizing the tragedy of the events taking place, hopelessness, fear, suffering of people. The works of I.A. Vladimirova vividly demonstrate the fact that the image of the city is entirely conditioned by the life and experiences of its inhabitants. That is why revolutionary Petrograd is a deeply popular image, combining deep emotional manifestations – pain, suffering, inhuman living conditions (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2. I.A. Vladimirov.  Hunger. 1918

Since the mid-1920s, the formation of Leningrad has been taking place. Along with the preservation of the historical center, the construction of new architectural objects and districts of the city is actively underway. Radical changes are taking place in the social and artistic life of Leningrad residents, which inevitably causes changes in the appearance of the city itself. "In the 1930s, the reputation of not only the cradle of the revolution, but also the leading cultural, scientific and industrial center of the country was firmly established outside the city."^[1] The working suburbs acquire their own unique style characteristic, unlike the style of old St. Petersburg, since it is formed by the possibilities and aesthetics of the new era, the needs and aspirations of society at that time. "The solutions used were extremely modest and functional, subordinated to the utilitarian purpose and design features of both residential and public buildings of that time – Palaces of Culture, factories, kitchens, schools" ^[1].

The image of Leningrad was artistically embodied in the works of many artists who worked in the watercolor technique – A.S. Vedernikov (1898-1975), A.P. Ostroumova-Lebedeva (1871-1955), etc. The image of the city generates diverse interpretations, watercolorists depict the central districts and suburbs of Leningrad. The image of the northern capital is given a new sound by such paintings by A.S. Vedernikov as "Industrial Landscape" (Fig. 3), "Neva. Ice harvesting (Pushkin House)" (1935), "Fog on the Neva at Tuchkov Bridge" (1947). In the artist's works, urban landscapes are depicted in a simple and ordinary manner, Vedernikov's attention is invariably attracted by fog and the water surface as the most important elements of the nature of the city, at the same time "the state of the city is poetized by the experience of the author creating a chamber lyrical image" ^[2].

Fig. 3. A.S. Vedernikov.  Industrial landscape. The 1930s.

Majestic imperial St. Petersburg in gold decoration and oppressive gray-bloody Petrograd are undergoing an extraordinary transformation towards the lyricism and spirituality of the city. And a considerable contribution to this process was made by the artist A.P. Ostroumova-Lebedeva. The painting "Leningrad. Fontanka and the Summer Garden in frost" (Fig. 4) depicts a frosty winter day: the urban landscape is wrapped in white snow, the sky is bright and piercingly tender in a combination of delicate pastel tones, fluffy snow on the branches of trees. The sky, the earth, the trees are about to merge together. Before us is a very airy, gentle, harmonious and spiritual image of northern Venice. As O.N. Filippova rightly notes, "[in] the image of a relatively small part of the city, its entire essence is guessed. The central part with beautiful architectural ensembles, streets and canals, city suburbs and parks A.P. Ostroumova-Lebedeva wrote all her life. Moreover, the most unassuming, secluded corners were reproduced by her with a penetrating feeling" [6. C. 77].

Fig. 4. A.P. Ostroumova-Lebedeva. Leningrad. Fontanka and a summer garden in frost. 1929

The work "St. Isaac's Cathedral" (beginning of the 1920s) shows a fragment of this expressive monument of St. Petersburg architecture. The monument is in the foreground, occupying the main part of the picture, as if hanging over the viewer, instilling a sense of monumentality and power. The liveliness and variety of color transitions give the cathedral a festive look that fascinates and attracts. The sky also occupies quite a lot of space in the picture. The artist paints it transparent, light. The walls of the structure are illuminated with light, also instilling a special poetic image. The cathedral seems to melt into the air, merging with the sky.

In the works of A.P. Ostroumova-Lebedeva, the landscapes of St. Petersburg are depicted quite realistically, however, in many of them one can observe the characteristic feature of the artist to give the landscape illumination with light. For example, Liteyny Prospekt in the painting of the same name is written sunny and airy. The image is full of space and light. The avenue slips away into the distance, its vertical is directed towards the vertical of the sky and it seems that it certainly meets it. The outlines of buildings, such bright colors in the foreground of the picture, blur and seem to dissolve, moving away from the viewer. The movement of transport informs the whole image of dynamism and impetuosity.

These examples of the work of A.P. Ostroumova-Lebedeva and A.S. Vedernikov, as well as the works of other artists of this time, reveal the unity of the creative method in the depiction of the Leningrad landscape of the 20s - 30s: "a broad vision of nature, the specific integrity of the pictorial image," which expresses not only nature itself, but also "the living attitude" of the artist to the depicted ^{[2, p. 32]}. The image of the city in watercolors of this time is characterized by simplicity and conciseness, blurred contours and soft, delicate tonal scales, transparent colors. The diversity of artistic embodiments of the image of Leningrad is developing due to the fact that watercolorists are driven by the desire to capture the various states of the city. This is evidenced, in particular, by the works of N.F. Lapshin (1888-1942): "Winter at the Sink" (1940), "Winter" (1940), "Dawn at Fontanka" (1939), "Kazan Cathedral in the evening" (1939), "Leningrad at night" (1939). In these paintings we see the living face of the city, not its symbols, but the usual conditions peculiar to it.

Military Leningrad is a new image of the city, which is formed during the tragic events of the Second World War. New realities are emerging on the streets of Leningrad. The works of 1941-42 paint a dull landscape, gray and gloomy. There is no place for sunshine and joy here. The city once again becomes the scene of a tragedy, and its landscapes convey fear, anxiety, and an oppressive sense of trouble. An example of such works can be considered a painting by P.P. Grigoryants (1899-1986) "On the 4th line of Vasilievsky Island" (1943). The urban landscape is dull: the house's crooked gates, its crumpled wall – everything testifies to the devastation. At the same time, there are people on the street who are all busy with some kind of work, hard, with hope and faith in the future. A marching regiment of soldiers is depicted in the foreground – the military on the streets of besieged Leningrad are becoming an important attribute of the image of the city of the war years.

In the paintings of this period, the fate of the city is felt especially closely connected with the fate of Leningrad residents. Inevitably, the task comes to the fore to display and capture the human tragedy by pictorial means as an eternal reminder of the horrors of war and the heroism of the inhabitants of besieged Leningrad. The urban landscape inevitably becomes part of a genre thematic picture with a plot basis. However, even here his role as an independent hero and the most important expressive means of human pain and suffering is exceptional. In this regard, the work of G.P. Fitingof (1905-1965) "Beyond the water to the Neva" (Fig. 5) deserves mention. The winter landscape conveys despondency, the leaden sky without a hint of a ray of sun inspires a sense of hopelessness and impending disaster. Unlike the bright and airy winter landscapes of peaceful Leningrad, there is no color, no spirituality and lightness. Buildings in the background, a fragment of a ship – everything seems to be bound by ice, snow and cold. If not for the drawn outlines of the buildings, they would have completely merged with the heavy sky, a faceless mass, almost illusory in the twilight of the day. The whole landscape is harmoniously combined with the condition of the people depicted in the picture: tired, numb, bent under the weight of the burden.

Fig. 5. G.P. Fitingof. For water on the Neva. 1942

Painting by A. Ermolaev (1900-1977) "Leningrad. Air Alert" (Fig. 6) is also part of the chronicle of the besieged city. The urban landscape is written schematically, with wide sweeping lines. Again, the distinctive feature is the use of shades of gray, brown. A gloomy sky, fog hiding the outlines of buildings, a tram, people. Everything turns into a chaotic movement of lines, conveying a general mood of anxiety, fear, and disorderly movement.

Fig. 6. A. Ermolaev. Leningrad. Air alert. The 1940s.

The rebirth of the image of St. Petersburg in the works of watercolorists

With the advent of a new historical era, a number of watercolor artists appear, who bring their own interpretation of the image of northern Venice. As before, the distinctive features of the city on the Neva remain fog, damp viscous air, the outlines of architectural structures are still melting and blurring in the fog. This indistinguishability of borders largely determines the appearance of the city. Typical examples here are the works of V.V. Proshkin (1931-) "Evening on the Neva" (1975), "In the Frost" (1979) or "Winter Day" (1970). In the paintings of D.A. Bekaryan (1940-), the St. Petersburg theme occupies a special place. In his works "Griboyedov Canal" (1971), "Lilac" (1974), etc. the artist conveys not only the views of the city, but also its atmosphere. The watercolor works of D.A. Bekaryan and V.F. Matyukh (1910-2003) trace the rhythm of the city, color transitions give a sense of a lively, dynamic urban environment.

If we talk about the modern image of St. Petersburg, the Petersburg of the New time, then first of all it is worth noting the complication of the image and the means of its expression in watercolor painting. So, in K. Kuzema (1962-), we see an urban landscape "dissolving in a whirlwind of colorful brushstrokes on a coarse-grained texture of paper" [7. C. 54]. These are fragments of the city, for example, the Kalinkin Bridge, the Mariinsky Palace, the Kazan Bridge or St. Nicholas Cathedral, realistically and spiritually embodied in delicate watercolor and conveying the artist's love for the city. On the other hand, such works of K. are associative and metaphorical. Kuzems like "Melodies of St. Petersburg" (Fig. 7.), "There is a Golden city" (Fig. 8), "Invitation to fly" (2005), etc. The image of Northern Palmyra in the artist's works is filled with grace, splendor, spaciousness, musicality, cold beauty in silver and gold tones, it is a changeable mirage, fragile and sublime, as if floating in a single water-sky surface.

Fig. 7. K. Kuzema. Melodies of St. Petersburg. 2002

Fig. 8. K. Kuzema. There is a golden city. 2012

Another attribute of the image of St. Petersburg in the works of modern watercolor artists is monumentality. This feature of the city in its landscapes is highlighted, for example, by K.Venerable (1955-). ^[7] In O. Litvinenko's paintings, St. Petersburg appears in all its festive splendor, bathed in the warm light of the sun or lights, with invariably masterly architectural ornaments drawn. This is a city in constant motion, a carnival city, a celebration of life in the elegant and expressive Baroque decorations of a bygone era. This is St. Petersburg, which has regained its former greatness and is bathed in the rays of glory and the eyes of admiring guests of the city, camera flashes. This is St. Petersburg, which is endlessly loved by its residents, extolled by them and glorified in art.

V. Kolbasov embodies a rather curious image of the cultural capital in his work. His works are permeated with light, which is achieved by applying several layers of transparent watercolor. The landscapes of the city familiar to Petersburgers are depicted by the artist in an unusual manner (Fig. 9): "How much would the cities say if they could speak?.. Vladimir Kolbasov magically brings his viewers back to the warmest moments of childhood, when the streets were our loyal and kind friends. His watercolors are like an illustration to a fairy tale, where every time-bent house has an amazing story that he can't wait to share. Where colorful roofs are curious about the life of passers-by, and curved lanterns wink at chatty windows. Original, but such a cozy watercolor St. Petersburg will inevitably fill the heart with light and warm nostalgia" ^[5].

Fig. 9. V. Kolbasov. City. Channel. 2000

Conclusion

Describing the nature of the watercolor art of St. Petersburg, the researchers note first of all such signs as "a variety of manners, styles, techniques, individual tastes of the authors from painterly emotional to rationalistic or associative metaphorical, realism of urban everyday life and abstraction of geometric forms." [7. C. 54]. All this diversity is connected, as this study has shown, with the complex and ambiguous fate of the city, which, as a result of various turns of history, then lost, then regained its greatness, beauty and attractiveness. The image of St. Petersburg is both the capital of the Russian Empire, and the crippled besieged Leningrad, and revolutionary Petrograd, and the renovated Petersburg of the New Time. The image of St. Petersburg, captured in watercolors by Russian artists, is alive and real, deeply feeling the life of the people and deeply felt by its singers in art. The constantly changing face of the city is connected not only with its history and the life of its inhabitants, but also with the artistic vision of watercolorists. In each case, it will have its own subjective attitude to the city, which gives real urban landscapes a unique expressiveness.