Vladimir Egorovich Makovsky
(February 7, 1846 - February 21, 1920)
Russian Artist-Wanderer
The son of a prominent artist E.I. Makovsky, one of the founders of the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (MSPSA).
Makovsky's apartment was located on the embankment of the Moscow River overlooking the Kremlin. Since childhood, Vladimir was surrounded by an atmosphere of art. Famous people gathered in his father's house - Glinka, Gogol, Schepkin, Bryullov, Tropinin ... Makovsky took the first lessons of fine art from V. A. Tropinin. At fifteen, he painted the genre painting "The Boy Selling Kvass" (1861).
From 1861 to 1866 he studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture with the successor of the Venetian school S.K. Zaryanko and E.S. Sorokin. Vladimir graduated from college with a silver medal and the title of a class artist of the III degree for his work "Literary reading".
In 1869, for the painting "Peasant Boys Watch over Horses," Makovsky received the title of class artist of the first degree and the Vigee-Lebrenza gold medal expression. With the birth in 1869 of the first child, the son of Alexander, Makovsky shows an interest in childhood topics ("Peasant Boys", "Shepherdesses", "Night", "Return from the Night"). The painting "Playing Grandmas" was the first painting by Makovsky, purchased by P. M. Tretyakov for his gallery, which meant his recognition as an artist.
In 1872, he became a member of the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions. From the very beginning he was one of the most active members of the Partnership, participated in almost all exhibitions, and since 1874 he was elected a member of the board.
In 1873, for the painting "Nightingale Lovers" Makovsky was assigned the title of an academician by the Academy of Arts. The painting was exhibited at the World Exhibition in Vienna, where it attracted everyone's attention. Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote about it: "... if we have something to be proud of, to show something, then, of course, in our genre ... in these small pictures, in my opinion, you can spot even love for all the humanity, not only Russians in particular. "
At the same time, he painted 21 genre paintings for the album "Episodes of the Sevastopol Life of 1854-1855."
From 1882 to 1894, Makovsky taught at the Moscow School of Painting and from 1894 to 1918 in St. Petersburg at the Imperial Academy of Arts, where he was invited for the position of the head of the genre workshop. In 1895 he was appointed a rector of the academy. Makovsky's students were A.E. Arkhipov, V.N. Baksheev, E.M. Cheptsov, V.A. Kuznetsov. Since 1905, he was a State Councilor.
Vladimir Egorovich Makovsky died on February 21, 1920 and was buried in Petrograd at the Smolensky Orthodox cemetery.