An essay based on Tropinin's painting The Lacemaker is assigned in literature lessons in the 4th grade. To make the task easier for students, we suggest that you read a brief description of the painting and use the GDZ to write an essay on the reproduction of the painting.
The Lacemaker is a work created by the talented artist Vasily Andreevich Tropinin. Before we begin to examine Tropinin’s painting and begin to write a descriptive essay, I would like to note that the artist painted this painting after he received his manumission from the owner, because before that he was a serf. This was one of three paintings that Tropinin presented at the Academy of Arts to prove his skills and receive the title of a talented artist.
So, the work “The Lacemaker” was worthy of the highest praise, and we are convinced of this when we look at the artist’s painting. Everything is great here. Despite the fact that dim colors are used here, the color palette is close to gray, a lilac-gray tone is also used, but this solution does not deteriorate the painting at all, but on the contrary, adds richness to the image and more strongly emphasizes the flowing daylight depicted by the artist, which falls on lace maker
Lacemaker painting by Tropinin essay description
This work by the author is an image of a genre portrait, that is, the picture depicts not just a peasant worker, but presents us with a whole scene from the life of a lacemaker. When you look at the picture, it seems that the girl was weaving lace, completely concentrating on her work, but at some moment she was distracted, and not by someone, but by you, because it seems as if the lacemaker is looking into your eyes.
In his work, the author portrays the central figure as a craftswoman, a beautiful, young, modest girl who carefully does her work. Weaving lace in itself is a very difficult task, but you can’t tell, because the girl does the job so easily, she has so much happiness on her face and this enchanting, simply bewitching smile. It’s immediately obvious that the craftswoman loves her work and does it with love.
In the foreground we see a working machine, which is turned towards the craftswoman and here there is some disappointment in the viewer, because one really wants to look at the work itself, although in the lower part of the picture there is still a small fragment of a lace ribbon and it is beautiful. We don’t see the result of the girl’s work, but we clearly see the tools and these are bobbins, as well as needles, and there are a lot of them, and this tells us that before us is a girl who has a high level of craftsmanship.
The girl’s look is mysterious, somewhat mischievous, which gives the picture a romantic mood. The painting is beautiful and it’s not for nothing that it was recognized as a masterpiece of Russian painting; you want to look at the work again and again.
Essay based on the painting The Lacemaker by Tropinin, version 2
Tropinin Vasily Andreevich painted not only portraits of the nobility. In his works he often depicted ordinary people. There are children here, whose faces reflect their complex destinies, and people of different professions - seamstresses, craftsmen and laundresses. Of course, Tropinin also paid attention to lacemakers, creating the famous painting on which we are writing an essay.
Tropinin: The Lacemaker
Vasily Tropinin created a new type of genre portrait, where the main role was played by ordinary people with their simple human joys and everyday work. Among such paintings is the painting we are considering, The Lacemaker. This painting became a new phenomenon in art, because with its help the author glorified human labor.
The painter painted The Lacemaker in 1823. This was the year the artist received his freedom. As soon as the artist presented the painting to the public, it immediately gained fame and love from the public. The canvas, where the painter depicted a brief moment from the everyday life of a peasant woman, was well received by critics.
The artist’s painting is amazing; it demonstrates the girl’s happiness, despite the difficult living conditions. Thanks to the artist's skill, the Lacemaker combines successful lighting and reveals the soul of the main character. Let's dwell on the description of the picture in more detail in our essay on the Russian language.
So what does the viewer see on Tropinin’s canvas?
Description of the picture
In Tropinin's painting The Lacemaker we see a pretty girl busy with needlework. The girl is busy weaving lace, but at some point she raises her head and directs her gaze at us. She looks with a certain mystery and mystery.
Despite the complexity of her work, and lace making is not easy work, we do not see the girl’s fatigue; on the contrary, she continues to create her creation with great pleasure. She enjoys her work, and after a moment she will definitely return to it. In the meantime, she gives her light smile to the viewer and amazes with the depth of her eyes, which glow with a certain light and kindness. The peasant woman tied her hair in a bun, and only a couple of strands escape from her hairstyle, adding even more prettiness to her image. Thanks to Tropinin, we understand that not only noblewomen can be beautiful. Beauty can also be hidden behind the simple appearance of an ordinary girl who does not wear luxurious outfits, but is dressed in ordinary clothes.
The heroine attracts our attention so much that it is difficult to tear ourselves away from her face. She is not constrained by norms and rules, she remains herself. We see a friendly girl who is happy to talk and answer any questions. She is open and hardly ever lies. In the image of a lacemaker we see hard work and perseverance, will and patience.
In the foreground, the viewer sees a special device with many bobbins. With their help, miracles are created, giving birth to beauty in the form of delicate lace.
Review of the painting The Lacemaker
Continuing to work on the essay, we are writing a review of the reproduction of the painting The Lacemaker.
This is a wonderful painting that can be viewed in the Tretyakov Gallery. Everyone will like the portrait, because it radiates youth, purity, kindness and warmth. There is nothing superfluous here. Neither the light nor the background distracts from the main character, and even her work remains in the background. The gaze immediately stops on her, and the girl no longer lets go of the viewer. It would seem that she was a simple peasant woman, dressed in simple clothes. But there is something special about her.
These eyes are of amazing beauty, a slightly tilted head, thin eyebrows, a small nose, chiseled lips. Everything about the lace maker is fascinating and you want to keep watching the girl. And here we understand how young the heroine of Tropinin’s film is. The girl’s appearance is filled with warmth, her image is so realistic and moving that you want to talk to her. And this only once again proves the talent of the artist, who managed to skillfully combine light and shadow, tones and halftones.
I really liked the painting by artist Tropinin The Lacemaker.
Essay plan
1. An artist who paints ordinary people 2. A new type of genre portrait 3. Positive reviews of the painting 4. Description of the canvas 5. General review and our impressions
The essay plan and work on Tropinin's painting The Lacemaker can be used in grade 5 to write homework.
Who painted the painting The Lacemaker
The author of the painting “The Lacemaker” is the great Russian artist Vasily Andreevich Tropinin (1776-1857). The work became one of the best works in the artist’s work, and glorified him as a true master of painting.
Tropinin The Lacemaker - history of the painting
The painting was painted in 1823. Oil on canvas. Dimensions: 74.7 × 59.3 cm. Located in the State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
This work, along with such works as “An Old Beggar” and “Portrait of the Artist E. O. Sotnikov,” was presented by the artist to the Council of the St. Petersburg Imperial Academy of Arts in 1823. In the same year, Tropinin, who came from a family of serfs, received his freedom . At that time the artist was 47 years old.
The painting, which the artist presented to the Academy of Arts to compete for the title of artist, brought him real fame. Until now, Vasily Tropinin is considered one of the greatest masters of female portraiture.
The painting was included in Tropinin’s series of works about urban women workers, including “The Spinner,” “The Gold Seamstress,” and “Behind the Stitches.” “The Lacemaker” became truly iconic for him, which glorified him over the centuries and left a memory as an outstanding artist.
The picture was received with real delight. Vasily Tropinin created a completely unusual work for that time. This is no longer just a portrait of a woman, but a genre portrait, created in the spirit of everyday intimacy. The viewer seems to unexpectedly catch the girl when she is doing her needlework. She looked up for a second, and at this moment, which seems ordinary and momentary, the natural simplicity of the girl, her charming naturalness, was captured.
Essay on the painting The Lacemaker, 4th grade
Tropinin's painting The Lacemaker is one of the artist's most famous works, which depicts his love of work. In his work, the artist draws a girl at work. She is an image of purity and youth, hard work and perseverance. The lacemaker's eyes hide a smile and speak of her kindness and friendliness, her dreaminess and spontaneity.
In the painting, the author depicts a girl who, while distracted from work, became interested in the viewer. The girl braided her hair in a bun, put on a simple dress with short sleeves and threw a scarf over her shoulders, which gives the image coziness and warmth. The needlewoman looked up, but did not stop working. She is accustomed to painstaking work, which brings her income. In front of her there is a table, a special device, scissors and bobbins with linen.
Despite the fact that the artist uses soft colors and muted shades on the canvas, the painting still emits light and gives positive emotions. At the end of our essay, we can only say one thing. Tropinin managed not only to glorify the love of work, but also the beauty of women of simple origin.
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Description of the painting by A.V. Tropinina "The Lacemaker"
Option 1
One of the most famous works of the Russian artist V. A. Tropinin is the canvas “The Lacemaker”. The author created it at the age of 47, the year he received his freedom (1823). The picturesque painting “The Lacemaker” was warmly received by both critics and spectators. She has become a real pearl of Russian art.
Tropinin opened a new type of portrait genre to the gaze of contemplators. He masterfully portrayed the image of a needlewoman and her hard work. Only one moment from the daily life of a young peasant woman is captured: she is doing needlework.
The young face of the serf girl looks very pretty. She took her eyes off the lace and playfully looks at the person who entered the room. The whole appearance of the girl, her good mood indicates that such work brings her joy.
On this canvas the artist fully revealed his talent as a painter. We see an amazing picture with natural color and excellent lighting. When depicting the heroine, Tropinin uses a light palette, introducing shades of silver and lilac. The master meticulously details the lacemaker’s brushes and improvised objects – the canvas and bobbins.
The artist idealized the heroine of the picture so much that she does not at all resemble a serf peasant woman. It seems that there is too much tenderness in her hands, her gaze is cutesy, and her movements are too refined. Tropinin used this move to make the public believe in the girl’s modesty and good nature. All everyday problems remain outside the canvas, but from the timid movement of the peasant woman’s shoulders and some of her stiffness, the viewer can only guess about them.
In “The Lacemaker,” Tropinin exalted the beauty of human labor. He showed that no difficult living conditions can prevent a person from being happy while maintaining a sense of inner dignity.
Option 2
The artist Vasily Tropinin, at the stage of his creative journey, created a new style of painting, the highlight of which is the joys of everyday life. The painting The Lacemaker is the first one published by the author as a free artist.
The year is 1823. As a gift for Easter, the 47-year-old artist receives his long-awaited freedom. The joy of liberation is darkened by only one fact: his son is forced to remain a serf. In this way, Count Morkov hopes to keep the artist at his court, but he still chooses freedom. Tropinin moved to St. Petersburg, wanting to receive an artist's diploma at the academy, where he had previously received his education. To prove his skill, he must present to the commission several of his own paintings, among which the artist presented “The Lacemaker.”
The commission gives the artist the highest rating. Despite the presence of errors in other films, “The Lacemaker” leaves an indelible impression on the members of the commission. Tropinin was awarded a diploma with honor, honoring him with the title of academician of painting. Many contemporaries and art experts also spoke positively about his work; even the critic Svinin did not find any flaws in Tropinia’s work; he said this painting evokes genuine admiration.
He praises the color scheme, lighting, and character that can be easily seen in the painting. In addition, contrary to established fashion, Tropinin does not change any of the girl’s facial features, showing her as she is in reality. “The Lacemaker” is a painting by Tropinin, in which the artist managed to perfectly combine a soft brush, proper lighting, and most importantly - the soul, the character of the heroine.
Of course, there were those who were dissatisfied. In particular, the artist is reproached, saying that he idealizes a simple working woman. There are statements that the heroine does not look like a peasant woman at all: her hands are too gentle, her movements are too graceful, and her work comes too easily to her, and seems to bring pleasure. But this criticism is lost in the general mass of boasting, and looks more like envious attempts to denigrate the creator.
What does the average viewer actually see on the canvas? And he sees a girl bending over her work. Her gaze is directed towards the viewer, who seems to have just entered her room. The girl’s hands, almost completely naked, froze for a second, it seemed she was about to continue her work. She does not pose for the artist, but continues to weave lace. But the work not only does not spoil the artisan, but also makes her even more beautiful. With this picture, Tropinin wants to show that even a simple peasant woman can look a hundred times better than a noble noblewoman.
The beauty really does not look at all like either a noblewoman or a princess. She does not have exquisite clothes or expensive jewelry. This is just a simple girl, but there is a certain attractiveness in her image that makes your gaze stop. The peasant woman is not constrained by secular manners and norms - she simply remains herself, and this is... wonderful. You just want to talk to the lacemaker; you can guess from her look that she will not lie or dissemble. She is honest and open, that is, she reflects character traits that are rare in real life
“The Lacemaker” is a painting by Tropinin, which rightfully occupies a place in the history of Russian art. Now you can see this masterpiece of portraiture in the Tretyakov Gallery, the size of the painting is 75 by 59 centimeters.
Option 3
The painting “The Lacemaker” is one of the most famous paintings by V.A. Tropinin. It was written in 1823 - the year when the 47-year-old serf artist received his freedom. “The Lacemaker” was warmly received by both critics and the public, and became a great phenomenon in Russian painting.
Before us is a new type of genre portrait, it is dedicated to the image of a worker and her painstaking work. Tropinin captured one moment in the life of a young serf girl doing needlework.
The pretty face of the needlewoman, who interrupted her work for a moment to look at the newcomer, is welcoming and friendly. The whole appearance of the girl seems to say that work is not a burden to her at all.
In the film “The Lacemaker,” Tropinin’s artistic talent was fully revealed. We see a confident drawing, proper lighting, natural coloring. For his heroine, the artist chooses light colors, introducing silver and lilac-gray shades into them. The artist carefully and lovingly paints the objects of the needlewoman’s skill – bobbins and part of the lace fabric.
The artist idealizes his heroine, making her little like a peasant woman. It may seem that her hands are too gentle, there is coquetry in her eyes, and her movements are deliberately graceful. But the artist makes the viewer believe in the simplicity and modesty of the girl, in the nobility of her nature.
The prose of harsh everyday life remains behind the canvas, but it is, of course, discerned by the viewer - in the timid movement of the shoulders, in the certain stiffness of the pose of the young peasant woman.
In his film V.A. Tropinin glorifies the harmony and sense of inner dignity inherent in a working person and preserved by him throughout his life, regardless of any conditions of ugly life.
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Unfavorable life circumstances forced Vasily Andreevich Tropinin to lose 20 years of his artistic life, but despite this, he took his rightful place among the best Russian and foreign painters. V. A. Tropinin had never been abroad and developed his talent by studying nature, living mainly in Little Russia. And his talent and artistic skill were such that many mistook V. Tropinin’s portraits for works by Rembrandt, they had so much amazing color and power of lighting. The graceful female heads brought him the fame of the “Russian Dream”.
Vasily Tropinin. Lacemaker
The artist did not correct the nature of the model or embellish it with artificial effects; with all possible care he conveyed the almost elusive features of the face of the person depicted. The poses of people in V. Tropinin are natural and varied, the execution is impeccable, and the picturesque effect comes from the striking resemblance to the nature of the model.
In 1823, an event of great importance occurred in the life of V. Tropinin: a serf of Count Morkov, he finally received freedom from slavery. This happened on Easter, when “Count Morkov, instead of a red egg, gave V. Tropinin a vacation package.” But alone, without a son...
Then V. Tropinin was 47 years old, and in the same year he presented three of his canvases to the Council of the Academy of Arts (for the title of artist), including the famous “Lacemaker”. It was she who was especially warmly received by the public at the exhibition at the Academy of Arts and immediately became widely known.
Having become a free man, V. Tropinin could settle in St. Petersburg, but a metropolitan career did not tempt him. “I was all under the command, but again I will have to obey... first one, then another. No, to Moscow,” the artist often said and settled forever in his long-loved city.
With the resettlement to Moscow, a new period of V. Tropinin’s work begins, and the most poetic group of paintings here consists of images of young women at needlework (“Gold Sewing”, “For Stitching”, etc.). Who were all these “Seamstresses”, “Lacemakers”, “Goldseammakers”? Probably not noble ladies who took up needlework out of boredom. Were they street girls or Moscow needlewomen? In any case, they all go back to the artist’s Ukrainian impressions, and perhaps on his canvases he depicted serf needlewomen working in the landowner’s workshops.
Such is the “Lacemaker”, which became a new phenomenon in the pictorial art of that time. V. A. Tropinin created a certain type of genre portrait-picture in this work.
The pretty face of the “Lacemaker” with a slight smile is warmly addressed to the viewer, as if she had only stopped for a minute, pinning the pattern with her small hand... Everything about this girl is elastic: her face, her head, and her hands... The movement of these small hands, especially the left one, is elastic , not supported by anything, but stopped in the air with complete certainty. An enchanting charm shines through in these forms - nothing vague, unsaid, indefinite, foggy.
By this time, V. Tropinin’s shyness and uncertainty in drawing had already disappeared; now only conscious deviations from nature, and not student errors, were possible for him. He lovingly hands over the objects of his heroine’s craftsmanship—bobbins and a piece of linen with lace begun.
When choosing light colors for his “Lacemaker,” the artist constantly introduces gray into them. So, in the sleeves of her dress, blue and green shades shimmer against a background of gray, the lilac silk of the scarf comes to life next to this neutral background, and this iridescent range of lilac-gray tones of the scarf and gray dress gently caresses the viewer’s eye.
Tropinin’s “Lacemaker,” like his other needlewomen, was often called the sisters of “poor Liza,” the heroine of N. Karamzin’s story. Published for the first time in 1792 in the Moscow Journal, this story soon acquired such fame that only the popularity of Tropinin’s “The Lacemaker” can be compared. As if anticipating her appearance, N. Karamzin writes about his heroine that she, “not sparing her rare beauty, worked day and night.” Like Lisa, who lives in a hut but bears little resemblance to a peasant woman, V. Tropinin’s “The Lacemaker” is also idealized. But “such a tendency to transform young ladies into peasant women (or the discovery of a noble nature in peasant women),” as E. F. Petinova notes, “is only one of the characteristic signs of that time, captured by V. Tropinin.”
Depicted at work, the “Lacemaker” smiles coquettishly, and this “idealization” has been noted by many art critics. For example, N. Kovalenskaya writes in her study that “the hands of the “Lacemaker” are raised with grace, perhaps somewhat deliberate.” The graceful turn of her figure, the leisurely gesture of her gentle hands involuntarily suggest that her work is a pleasant game. But if this is a game, then V. Tropinin makes the viewer believe in the naturalness of this game, in the simplicity and modesty of his “Lacemaker”. No wonder P. Svinin, a contemporary of V. Tropinin, Fr.
“One Hundred Great Paintings” by N. A. Ionin, Veche Publishing House, 2002
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Vasily Andreevich Tropinin (19 [30] March 1776, village of Karpovo, Novgorod province - 3 [15] May 1857, Moscow) - Russian painter, master of romantic and realistic portraits.
Option 1 (male)
(180 words) V. A. Tropinin was a serf almost all his life. But at the age of 47, his owners released him. Soon he presented several paintings to the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, for which he received the official title of artist. He became the creator of a new type of portrait, drawing attention to ordinary people and their way of life. The canvas “The Lacemaker” was written in 1823 and presented to the Academy of Arts. Critics enthusiastically greeted this work by the novice author.
The painting shows a woman weaving lace. Just her and her lace loom, no more details. This is how the artist draws attention to his heroine. It's quite a difficult job, but she does it with a smile. The woman is attractive, her beauty is discreet, but noticeable. The craftswoman has dark hair, neatly tied up, dark eyes and eyebrows. In her image, the master showed the joy of work. The picture is dominated by soft, muted tones that evoke a feeling of softness and comfort. There is a lot of yellow and grayish tints here. The image of a lacemaker evokes joy and elation.
I liked the painting by V. A. Tropinin, because this artist was able to show hard work beautifully and festively. His heroine inspires optimism and hope that any effort will be rewarded with inner satisfaction.
Plan:
- Introduction (History of the artist and his work);
- Main part (Description of the painting);
- Conclusion (My opinion about “The Lacemaker”).
Description of the canvas
The painting “The Lacemaker” (genre portrait) depicts a sweet young girl bending over her work. She seemed distracted for a moment and met the eyes of the viewer who unexpectedly entered the room. The young lady's hands, almost completely naked, froze only for a second. It seems that in a moment she will again plunge into work and begin to weave ornate openwork patterns. The lacemaker doesn't pose - she lives.
It is impossible to describe the painting “The Lacemaker” without talking about the amazing appearance of the main character. On the one hand, she is a simple girl. She is wearing the usual peasant outfit and has no jewelry. But her face glows, and not only with beauty and friendliness, but also with intelligence. And the whole pose of the lacemaker is very graceful. In a word, any noblewoman of those times could envy such a sweet, sophisticated, and at the same time simple appearance.
The overall color of the picture, painted in soft, restrained and natural silver-greenish-olive tones, is very beautiful. All the viewer’s attention is immediately drawn to the heroine’s face, which seems to glow from within, to her eyes and barely noticeable smile. Tropinin also masterfully painted all the small objects: bobbins, part of the lace needlework, scissors on the work table, simple items of clothing for the worker. In this work, the painter poetizes the work and harmony of simple and honest everyday life.
This is the painting “The Lacemaker”. The artist, seeing how much love and popularity his creation enjoyed among his contemporaries, repeated the plot he and the public loved several times in different versions. Needless to say, after the success of the canvas, Tropinin was literally inundated with numerous orders for painting portraits.
Vasily Andreevich Tropinin (1776-1857) was born into a family of serfs who belonged to Count A. S. Minikh, in the count’s village of Karpovo in the Novgorod province. The father of the future artist was the manager of the count's estate and received his freedom for conscientious service, but his children remained serfs and became the property of Count I. I. Morkov, among other property, which Minikh designated as a dowry for his daughter, who married Morkov.Initially, Vasily Andreevich was apprenticed to a pastry chef. However, the young man’s ability to draw was so noticeable that the master allowed him to attend classes at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. The young man's talent quickly emerged. But for many years he remained a serf. He lived in Ukraine on one of Morkov’s estates, painted portraits of the master and members of his family, and painted the local church. .. Only at the age of 47 did he finally receive his freedom thanks to the intense efforts of art connoisseurs, such as General A. A. Tuchkov, hero of the war of 1812, and others.
Having become a free man, Tropinin presented three works to the Council of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, including “The Lacemaker.” These paintings earned him the official title of artist, and soon he was accepted as an academician.
It is noteworthy that Tropinin, contrary to the established ideas about the “ideal” model at that time, often depicted people from the people, ordinary workers, and the poor in his paintings. Thus, together with “The Lacemaker,” he submitted the painting “The Old Beggar” to the Academy’s judgement. And more than once he turned to the theme of labor, including painstaking women’s needlework, as in “The Lacemaker.” “Spinner”, “Gold seamstress”, “Behind the stitching”. . .
What attracted the artist so much to paintings of everyday work?..
It is obvious that Tropinin, who himself was a serf for a long time, felt like he belonged among ordinary people, in whose life the main component was work. That's why he wanted to paint such people - he saw in them and their activities a special beauty, often invisible to spoiled gentlemen.
As for women's needlework, childhood memories may have played a role here - the artist grew up on a large estate, and at that time in the manorial estates, servant girls, and often the ladies themselves, diligently worked on a variety of elegant things. It is possible that the artist associated, to a greater extent, probably subconsciously, with women’s handicraft a feeling of home comfort and warmth. And this assumption only gets stronger, it’s worth taking a closer look at the painting “The Lacemaker”.
The painting depicts a young girl busy weaving lace. Now not everyone knows how this is done, and what kind of mysterious device the craftswoman is holding in her hands. Bobbins are small sticks with a pointed head on which threads are wound. Depending on the bobbin pattern, a lot of bobbins can be used. They are sorted out in a certain order, intertwining the threads, then everything is repeated - this is how the pattern appears. In the picture, a bunch of bobbins lies on the corner of a weaving stand.
Working with bobbins requires a lot of skill to ensure that the threads don’t get tangled, and that you don’t confuse which bobbin should be where. In Tropinin’s time, this craft began to be taught early. A little girl, becoming a girl, was often already a highly skilled craftswoman.
Apparently, it was precisely such a craftswoman who served as Tropinin’s model - in the lower part of the picture you can see a fragment of elegant lace, which was used to trim the fashionable dresses of noblewomen. The craftswoman herself is dressed very simply; there is no lace or embroidery on her bluish-gray dress with short sleeves, only a white scarf is thrown over her shoulders. But despite the modesty of the outfit, it is difficult not to notice the girl’s charm, her beauty and freshness. The hairstyle is simple, as is the outfit - the hair is combed smoothly and pulled into a knot at the back. No strands, curls - they only interfere with work. But how expressive the face is: large dark eyes under black eyebrows, smooth lines of the nose, lips, graceful contours of the face. A glance thrown to the side - maybe at the artist, maybe someone entered the room. The hands that continue to work are carefully drawn. The nails are neatly trimmed so as not to accidentally touch the threads or spoil the lace.
The picture is painted in golden-gray-brown tones. There is no variegation or excessive brightness in it. Lighting plays a significant role - the light falls on the lacemaker, and she and her work clearly stand out against the brownish background. An interesting solution: the lower left corner of the picture (the table and the back of the stand for weaving) and the upper right corner (above the head and left shoulder of the lacemaker) are made in brown. A light diagonal is formed by a white canvas on a stand, the girl’s face, hands and clothes.
Already Tropinin's contemporaries appreciated the painting. The famous collector P. P. Svinin expressed his general opinion about Tropinin’s “The Lacemaker”: “... both experts and non-experts come to admiration when looking at this picture, which truly unites all the beauties of pictorial art: the pleasantness of the brush, the correct, happy lighting, the clear coloring , natural."
Currently, V. A. Tropinin’s painting “The Lacemaker” is kept in the famous Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.
Description from the picture
The artist Vasily Andreevich Tropinin, like no one else, was excellent at characteristic female portraits. The clearest example of such portraiture is the painting “The Lacemaker”. Painted in oil, the image of a young, attractive and full of refined charm of a lacemaker, bending over her work, is remembered for its purity, freshness and incredible inner light.
Being a serf from birth, Vasily Andreevich knew firsthand about the hard, exhausting peasant labor. The artist was well aware of how tedious, complex, and at the same time, responsible and painstaking the work of lacemakers was. The apparent ease with which experienced craftswomen flew bobbins in their dexterous fingers was achieved through many years of effort and skill. A huge number of young, lovely girls lost their youth and beauty behind the endless weaving of airy, delicate patterns, turning into bent, half-blind old women. But the artist, possessing an endless love of life, chose to create a portrait in which, despite the passing years, the brief youth and beauty of the lacemaker would be captured and preserved forever.
In the picture, we see a pretty girl busy with her needlework, she is passionate about creating thin lace and only for a moment raised her head, turning her smart, lively eyes to the viewer, it seems that another second will pass and the lacemaker will bend over her work again. Dark hair is pulled back so as not to interfere with needlework, and only a couple of unruly, willful curls stand out from the simple hairstyle. A simple dress and a clean scarf pinned to the lacemaker’s bodice speaks of the girl’s modesty, hard work and decency. A bare arm, neck and velvety oval cheek with a gentle blush are illuminated by soft warm rays pouring from a window invisible to us.
The girl smiles tenderly and radiates peace and serenity. Anyone who looks at the portrait, it becomes clear that the girl likes her work, she is happy to devote herself to the art of lace weaving and enjoys silence and solitude. With what love and touching, the artist painted the wonderful image of this simple young peasant woman, how much inspiration, quiet delight and truthfulness he conveyed to every feature of his heroine! The portraitist's brush admires, admires and glorifies the beauty of a forced, but so whole, kind, and, undoubtedly, proud girl, showing that a simple peasant woman can be no less noble, charming and sweet than any recognized beauty from the most brilliant high society.
“The Lacemaker” by Tropinin
Who served as the prototype for Tropinin’s beautiful “Lacemaker”? This remains unknown. But at the time when the portrait was painted, everyone was hearing N.M.’s story. Karamzin "Poor Liza". The heroine of the story, just like the heroine of the picture, “not sparing her rare beauty, worked day and night,” and the “Lacemaker” was called her sister. Vasily Andreevich himself did not answer anything to this, and, they say, he showed sketches and sketches from life of real lacemakers to those who were especially curious...
“The Lacemaker”, Vasily Andreevich Tropinin, 1823, Tretyakov Gallery. Moscow.
“The Lacemaker” by Vasily Tropinin (1776–1857) is a portrait painted by the artist in 1832. It’s essentially a portrait, but in spirit it’s also a genre painting. A girl with her head uncovered, a simple hairstyle, in a dress that can hardly be called elegant, is depicted at work. Tropinin painted quite a lot of portraits of scientists, artists, writers, statesmen and landowners, but in his work there are a number of female characters, peasant girls at work, who stand somewhat apart.
Their peculiarity is that the artist, a serf who received his freedom after forty, knew well what hard work without the possibility of choice meant. The occupations of serf women - goldsmiths, lacemakers, in contrast to yard work and work in the fields, may not seem so difficult to us. In any case, those beautiful images by Tropinin, which we now have the happiness of seeing in many Russian museums, do not seem to us either sad or unhappy.
The owner of Vasily Tropinin, the landowner Count Morkov, portrayed himself as a philanthropist, patronized the fine arts, had taste and, as they now say, the ability for strategic planning, because he realized quite early that his serf had artistic abilities that could be useful on the farm. Vasily Tropinin leaves to study at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, in the studio of Shchukin, a famous portrait painter at that time. He studies hard, makes acquaintances with his colleagues at the academy and with wonderful artists Sylvester Shchedrin, Kiprensky, Alexei Ivanov. Famous people petition the owner to give him his freedom. However, Morkov, having decided that “he needs such a cow himself,” calls him to his estate, where Tropinin paints, works on architectural projects, and conducts construction. Unfortunately, this is not all that the artist does - his life as a servant entails many more responsibilities that would have long seemed humiliating to any talented person. But, apparently, the habit of patience and the status quo, unchanged from birth, had almost no effect either on the character of the artist himself or on the character of the work itself. Perhaps the art of painting helped, inspired hope and, undoubtedly, imparted amazing integrity to his works. If the artist is not free - poverty, illness, slave status and the like, then he often seeks freedom in creativity - a space where only his own skill and talent remain the “limiting factors”.
As a forced person, Tropinin never traveled abroad, unlike many of his friends and associates. All of his vast wealth is ensured by the development of talent in a rather limited territory: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Little Russia. Nevertheless, in his paintings we see images that many critics called “Rembrandtian” - the color and play of light were so expressive. Without a doubt, Tropinin, with varying degrees of confidence, can be called the father of Russian romantic portraiture.
In 1823, on Easter, instead of gifts (Count Morkov gave gifts to all serfs on this day), Vasily Andreevich, at the age of 47, finally received his freedom. This allowed him to leave the estate forever. Thinking about where to settle, he decided to choose Moscow. We know his letter to a friend, where he complains that, having lived for so many years as slaves, in the capital, in the service, he will again have to serve someone, but in Moscow this seems to be easier: “I was all under the command, Yes, again we will have to obey... first one, then the other.”
In the same 1823, Tropinin presented three new canvases to the Council of the Academy of Arts, hoping to thus officially consolidate his fame and earn the title of a real artist.
One of the three paintings was our “Lacemaker”. The painting created a real sensation at the exhibition. Both critics and the public responded incredibly warmly to it, and to this day this discreet masterpiece does not leave anyone indifferent. In the hall of the Tretyakov Gallery, on Lavrushinsky Lane, there are always spectators near this painting. And now the portrait of a simple girl evokes the same lively response as it did almost 200 years ago.
The famous critic Svinin O.
The lacemaker looks at us in such a way that it is immediately clear that this is a fleeting glance. She looked up from her work for just one second, smiled and perhaps nodded in greeting. After a second, she will lower her face again and begin to work on her lace. Her whole appearance, friendly and calm, suggests that the serf girl loves her job. It is possible that “hiding” from life’s adversities in creative work is an unconscious message of the artist himself, his veiled credo.
In one hand the lacemaker holds a bobbin, a wooden spool with a handle on which threads for lace are wound, and in the other hand there is a pin for pinning and limiting the pattern. The lacemaker has beautiful, dexterous—even graceful—brushes with clean, neat fingers. The head, coquettishly bowed in greeting, is simply dressed, with a few cheerful strands hanging out at the neck. Jewelry includes thin earrings, a silver dress is set off by a white neckerchief. Arms are bare to the shoulders. All details emphasize the natural beauty of the young girl. It’s as if she’s not one of the peasants - she’s so elegant and refined that in these qualities she’s in no way inferior to the numerous images of Tropinin’s aristocrats. Many critics even noticed that the author embellishes the model, that a serf cannot look like that. In my opinion, her image even has some Italian features: delicate, transparent skin, a chiseled nose, sensual lips, dark hair - all this vaguely resembles the Bryullov beauties that were fashionable in those days. Apparently, the lacemaker embodies the idealized, standard image of those years, the collective face of the era.
It is unknown who served as the prototype for the pretty worker. But at that time, everyone was hearing Karamzin’s story “Poor Liza,” who, like our heroine, “not sparing her rare beauty, worked day and night,” and the lacemaker was called her sister. Vasily Andreevich himself did not answer anything to this, and to those who were especially curious, they say, he showed sketches and drawings from life of real lacemakers - half-blind, hunched over by hard work. The especially talented and diligent of these gentlemen were not allowed to get married, so as not to distract them from their work. Those slave girls who worked in the fields looked with envy at the clean and well-fed craftswomen, deprived of the hardships of physical labor, and they, in turn, envied the family peasant clans and mourned their lonely lot. “Such is a forced life,” the artist said bitterly. But his paintings tell us not about this side of existence, but, first of all, about the beauty of the soul, youth, which nourishes strength and hopes for the best, about the beauty of work and about an active life, and therefore beautiful.
The working part of the machine is raised and facing the craftswoman, so the result of her work is mostly hidden from us, focusing our attention on the heroine. Only below, in the central part, we see a small ribbon of finished, very elegant lace. The more bobbins are involved in the work, the more complex it is, and we see that there are a whole handful of them, which means the result is of very high quality. Most likely, the girl is working on a men's or women's undershirt intended for gentlemen. But she is unlikely to be sad that she herself cannot afford such things - she has no need to embellish herself, she is beautiful without effort. In the foreground we also see small scissors for fine work - all needlewomen around the world still use something similar. Here is a small piece of paper, most likely a drawing-scheme, on the basis of which the pattern is woven.
Russian lace art has deep roots. It appeared a very long time ago, but became widespread in our country at the moment when Peter I forced the old aristocracy and merchant people to “dress like a foreigner,” in a Dutch dress, in which lace was mandatory. Due to the lack, distance and high cost of overseas Brussels and Mecheln lace, local businessmen began to fill market niches with products of their own production. Such import substitution was very useful for the development of many local lace schools, many of which are still alive and have successfully become local attractions and a source of pride in cities and towns of our country. Snow-white Vologda, Yelets, Mtsensk, Vyatka, and colored Mikhailovsky lace became widespread not only as a decoration for the master’s dress. Peasants also traditionally used elements of lace and embroidery for clothing, and the brightness and beauty of folk patterns provided decorative value in many areas of life.
The portrait is characterized by calm colors - silver-gray, green, olive, seasoned tones. The integrity of the entire image is not destroyed by the many details we observe. Light is very important in this picture. It is very soft, golden, softly outlines the contours of the workplace, brings out facial features, details the hands and forces us to prioritize our viewing. The viewer's eye slowly glides over the surface of the painting, and its light and color really remind us of the best examples of Dutch painting from its heyday. The image of a girl sitting at a table close to a light source brings to mind Vermeer’s young ladies, laughing, playing music, sleeping, pouring milk with the same even concentration with which the lacemaker continues her work. Tropinin's world is calm and quiet, there is no place in it for passions or dramatic experiences. The picture reflected only a moment, a line behind which hides a lot of things that one would not want to see.
As we have already said, during his long, dramatic and eventful life, Vasily Andreevich Tropinin created many portraits. But, perhaps, three of them go beyond mere talent, taking their author to more significant heights: a portrait of Pushkin, a portrait of the artist’s son, and “The Lacemaker.” These works reflect moments of supreme insight, in which human nature makes it possible to feel the divine nature in man, the artist’s unshakable faith in beauty and truth. The innocence of Tropinin, who experienced various forms of humiliation on his own skin and learned the highest meaning of human existence in love, in friendship, in the realization of his many abilities and talents, is incredibly expensive. And we, people who know too much and sometimes have too many opportunities, cannot help but appreciate him.
