24 July: Tribute to Arkhip Kuindzhi

OV Digital Desk
3 Min Read
Arkhip Kuindzhi

Image Courtesy: Google Doodle

Arkhip Kuindzhi (27 January 1842 – 24 July 1910) was a Russian Imperial landscape painter of Pontic Greek descent from the area of Mariupol (modern-day South Ukraine) active in the Russian Empire, especially in St. Petersburg. Kuindzhi was one of the best friends of Russian chemist Dmitry Mendeleev with whom he collaborated on color studies.

Life and Career

He was born on 27 January 1842 in Mariupol, Ukraine, and began his career as an apprentice to an icon painter. He later studied at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, where he was influenced by the work of the Barbizon school of French landscape painters.

Kuindzhi’s work is characterized by its use of light and color, and he is considered to be one of the most important representatives of the “mood landscape” style in Russian art. He was also a member of the Peredvizhniki, or “Wanderers,” a group of Russian painters who rejected the strict academic rules of the Academy and sought to create more realistic and emotional art.

Kuindzhi’s most famous work is “Ai-Petri. Crimea,” (1878) which features a dramatic view of the Crimean Mountains with a sunset behind them, and “Moonlit Night on the Dnieper” (1878).

Kuindzhi died on 24 July 1910 in 1910 in St. Petersburg, Russia. His works are held in many major museums around the world, including the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Award and Legacy

Arkhip Kuindzhi was a Russian painter known for his landscapes, particularly his paintings of Ukraine. He was a member of the Peredvizhniki movement, which sought to capture the beauty of the Russian countryside and the lives of its people. He received many awards throughout his career, including the title of “Academician” from the Imperial Academy of Arts and the Order of St. Vladimir. Kuindzhi’s legacy is that of one of the most important Russian landscape painters of the late 19th century, and his work continues to be admired and studied today.

On 27 January 2022, Google Doodle celebrated Arkhip Kuindzhi’s 180th birthday.

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