Nicholas was born February 27 Ge

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Nikolai Ge
painter, a master of portraits, historical and religious paintings
February 27, 1831 - June 13, 1894


The fate of his paintings evolved dramatically. Picture of "Mercy" (1880), he destroyed. The painting "Out of the Last Supper" (1889) became one of the best works of Russian art at the time, but it criticized the censorship of the church. Painting "," What is truth? Christ and Pilate "(1890) was removed from the show for blasphemy in the image of Christ. Picture of "Golgotha" (1892), Ge is not finished, and the audience I saw it only after his death.

Nikolai Ge was born (15) February 27, 1831 in the son of a landowner in Voronezh. For training, Nikolai first chose Physics and Mathematics Faculty, having studied a year at the University of Kiev and St. Petersburg in the year.

But the thirst for art and natural talent have its say. He entered the Academy of Fine Arts, he studied there for seven years, and in 1857 for his film "Saul was a sorceress Aendorskoy" received a gold medal and the title of class artist grade 1 and the right of foreign pensionerstvo.

For six years, Gay has visited Germany, Switzerland, France, and in 1860 settled in Italy. He worked tirelessly to: portraits, landscapes, and made sketches of historical pictures from the life of ancient Rome and medieval times.

In St. Petersburg, he returned in 1863 with the painting "The Last Supper." The picture was clearly outside the academic canon, but she liked Alexander II, Emperor and it was acquired. This success could not help but note the Academy of Fine Arts, appropriated the title of Professor Nikolai Ge historical and portrait painting.

The following year, Kye again went to Italy and spent several more years, continuing to work on the Gospel scenes, landscapes and portraits.

He returned to St. Petersburg in 1870, having joined in the artistic, social and spiritual life of the capital. In Search of Gay theme refers to the country's history. The painting "Peter I interrogates Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich at Peterhof" (1871) again brought him success. But the artist and the failure occurred, which he grieved. One time he even gave up the brush and began farming.

At the turn of the 1870s and 1880s, Gay returned to art. From now on, in his work prevailed evangelical themes. The exception he made for portraits. Among his portrait work gained popularity textbook picture of contemporary writers - the Saltykov-Shchedrin, Nekrasov (both 1872), Leo Tolstoy (1884).

Art of Gay undergone dramatic changes. She became feverish and frightening emotion, which subsequently gave the right to call it a precursor of Expressionism.

(1) June 13, 1894 the artist died on his farm.