Artist of the month: Viktor Vasnetsov

I love the above picture. Its called 'Snegurochka' and its by Viktor Vasnetsov. For a long time I saw it in a strange perspective where by the Snow Maiden is looking up into the sky and behind her is a cold icy lake reflecting the stars above. It was only when I realised that the small orange pin pricks of light behind her were the horizon that I realised she is standing on a hill side and staring past me. It was her shadow, and the shadows of the trees that fooled my eye. I'm a bit disappointed now that I see the picture properly for I liked my version better. It gave her a sadder, more isolated feel that better fits her character I think.

Viktor Vasnetsov was a Russian artist, born in 1848, and died in 1926. His work has out lasted him some what and if your well versed in the arts, or are a fan of fantasy art, then you've probably seen one or two of his paintings. His portrait of Ivan the Terrible is quite famous, but its these two paintings I most often come across. Vasnetsov was something of a romantic and many of his paintings reflect the deep sense of Russia's history. He was a seminal artist in the Russian revival and also an excellent draughtsman and as a consequence his work has that old fashioned perspective that lends itself so well to modern escapism.


Initially Vasnetsov wasn't big on historical or mythological themes, but after he'd studied in Paris, he broadened his horizons some what and in the 1870's he wasted his time on paintings no one was interested in. These paintings are today his most popular which just goes to show that its not worth bothering with all that over rated money and success business. Sooner or later the world will catch up.

Later, in 1885 Vasnetsov worked on costumes for Rimsky-Korsakov's opera, 'The Snow Maiden', which is based on the Russian folk lore character of Snegurochka (top image). I don't know why but I love this character (the opera's not bad either, Rimsky-Korsakov being my favourite Russian composer by far). Snegurochka reminds me of several other lonely female figures of northern European folk tales, HC Andersen's Little Mermaid and Tove Janssen's Lady Of The Cold being other examples, where the tale revolves around a lonely arcane figure yearning for an impossible mortality or companionship of humans.


Later in life, Vasnetsov got into more theatrical and costume design, architecture and the construction and management of one of Moscow's foremost gallery's, the Tretyakov He also went on to create the characteristic felt cap of the Russian army Bolsheviks, known as the Budenovka.

Through out his life, Viktor Vasnetsov worked on religious iconography and he was eventually made a noble by Czar Nicholas II. Its difficult to imagine that he was enthusiastic for the communist revolution, but one never can tell. He spent a lot of his own money buying things for Moscow's State Historical Museum though so its not hard to see that he was something of a nostalgic.

Two of his brothers were also artists, one of whom also became quite well known.