The great master of the Russian landscape, Isaac Ilyich Levitan, was born into a large and friendly Jewish family in a small Lithuanian town near the Polish border. His "non-Russian" origin will cause humiliation and deprivation for the rest of his life, but it will not force him to leave the country that has always been a source of inspiration for him, no matter what.
Financial difficulties forced the artist's family to move to Moscow, where at the age of 13 Levitan entered an Art school. The years of study were full of both success and trouble. Not all teachers liked that their student was Jewish. And Levitan's passion for the Russian landscape seemed to the masters to be feigned and insincere. Lucky master with the main teachers-Perov, Savrasov and Polenov. They were able to see the future talent in the first timid and uncertain strokes of the schoolboy, so they treated the student Levitan in a special way.
The early death of their parents almost ruined their plans for education. Teachers and friends helped. The young artist works tirelessly. In the late 70s of the 19th century, Levitan meets Chekhov. This acquaintance was important for both of them. It is difficult to imagine more spiritually close people, equally talented, equally sensitive to beauty.
During the student exhibition in 1879, one of the works of the student Levitan (Autumn day. Sokolniki.) for 100 rubles buys himself Tretyakov. It would seem that from this moment on, life should change for the better. But no, in the same year Levitan, like all Jews, is expelled from Moscow. Only a year later, thanks to the efforts of influential friends, he managed to return back.
In the period from 1880 to 1885, the artist creates his famous paintings "Autumn", "Pines", "First snow". The master becomes famous and his works are popular. In 85, instead of an artist's diploma, the school gives Levitan a diploma of "teacher of penmanship". Another humiliation affects the artist's health. He's going to the Crimea. The result of this trip was a series of landscapes that received rave reviews from critics.
The next success – paintings of the "Volga" period of life. Thanks to the numerous works created in the vicinity of the city of ples, Levitan finally gets rid of financial difficulties, becomes famous. Now the artist is going to Europe. There he gets acquainted with the best examples of the French landscape. The search for Impressionists turns out to be very close in spirit to the master.
In the early 90's Levitan joined the society of "Peredvizhniki". At the exhibitions of the Association, his masterpieces appear: "At the pool", "Summer","October". And then again the expulsion from Moscow. This time, so influential friends were working for the artist that the forced exile in the Tver and Vladimir provinces did not last long, but the humiliation further undermined his health. It is in his forced exile that Levitan writes one of his most profound and talented works – "vladimirka".
In 1894, the artist creates a canvas that is considered to be the pinnacle of his work - "Over eternal rest". None of the Russian artists, before Levitan, came close in their work to such a high poetry and sensuality in the image of nature.
In the following years, the artist works tirelessly – "March", "Golden autumn", " Fresh wind. Volga" - these are only those that were recognized as masterpieces during the master's lifetime. In 1898, Isaac Levitan received the title of academician and the right to teach at an Art school. But by this time his health was completely broken.
His latest work, filled with Sunny optimism and warmth – " Lake. Rus" - he never finished. The heart of the great Russian artist Isaac Ilyich Levitan stopped on August 4, 1900.
