Maxim YUDOV

Now the question of the essence of truth sounds, perhaps, even somehow old-fashioned. And as if contrary to public taste, a large-scale exhibition of Nikolai Ge is being held in the Tretyakov Gallery, in the title of which the name of his famous painting is taken out - "What is Truth?"

Nikolai Ge had almost the last opportunity to ask this classic question so sincerely: the 20th century was ahead. Behind the brightly lit, smugly smiling Pilate, dressed in antique robes, it seems that there is all the power of classical culture, behind him is the Platonic-Aristotelian philosophy and a whole pantheon of Hellenic gods, and in front of him is Christ, immersed in the shadows. Someone with conviction says that Jesus is here turned into an ordinary person, someone insists on the opposite. Perhaps this antinomy is interesting for the image. But the main thing is that the problem of rational theory and life, truth and being, comes to the fore in the Gospel story.
This problem is deeply experienced by the artist, who endlessly ruled his works, rewrote, cut into pieces, destroying what he did not like without regret. Therefore, the public's rejection of his paintings (Emperor Alexander III ordered to remove the painting "What is Truth?" From the exhibition and forbade it to be carried around Russia) was unusually painful for the artist. The Tretyakov Gallery is proud of the X-ray studies of the paintings. In particular, the recollections of Tatiana Lvovna Tolstoy, daughter of L. Tolstoy, that the painting "What is Truth?" painted over another, famous, exhibited at the exhibition of the Itinerants in 1880 and not accepted by the public - the painting "Mercy". The picture was not accepted, Ge takes it to his farm and after a while writes it down. On the same canvas, he paints the crucifixion - the details of the cross and a crowd of people are preserved in the paint layer, but in the end he creates the plot of the meeting between Christ and Pilate. The artist paints the face of Jesus, changing the face of the girl who turned to Christ in "Mercy". The contrast of light has a dramatic effect. Particular attention to light is noticeable in the highly successful historical canvas "Peter I interrogates Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich in Peterhof". The longer you look at the picture, the more you feel how different the illumination of Peter's face, in whose image you can feel the power of European civilization, and the illumination of the pale, as if flattened by the twilight light, of the face of the traitor son, are.
In the paintings of Nikolai Ge, a person often appears as if he does not fit into the surrounding space, as if falling out of it. The artist came to this image at the very beginning, when in Italy he created his famous "Last Supper". In Roman style, the reclining Christ and the agitated apostles are confronted here by the dark figure of Judas, standing in a distorted, painful pose at the very edge of the picture.
It is said that Ge, who often created figures from wax and clay for his paintings, painfully tried to assemble them while working on The Last Supper. And one night, having come to the studio, put a candle between them, walked aside, and when he turned, suddenly froze: the figures of the apostles and Christ were brightly lit and only Judas found himself in the darkness, casting a gloomy shadow on the rest of the scene.
Contemporaries recalled with what enthusiasm Ge explained his work. And now, speaking of Nikolai Ge, they like to emphasize some speculativeness of his works. And at the same time, he was one of the first to follow the path of transformation of the classical form, the first to feel the approach of the Silver Age.

The painting was painted by Ge for the 1st exhibition ("Itinerants"), which was opened in St. Petersburg in November 1871. In particular, the relevance of the theme chosen by the artist was associated with the approaching 200th anniversary of Peter I (1672-1725). Even before the exhibition, the painting was bought from the author by Pavel Tretyakov.

Nikolai Ge painted several copyright repetitions of the painting, one of which was acquired by Alexander II - now it belongs to the collection of the State Russian Museum.

By the beginning of 1870, Nikolai Ge returned to Russia from Italy, where he lived and worked in 1857-1863 and 1864-1869. The final move took place in May 1870, when he and his family settled on Vasilievsky Island in St. Petersburg. During this period, Ge became close to progressive artists and writers, became one of the founders of the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions (TPHV). Plots related to the Russian history of the 18th-19th centuries began to appear in his work. One of the first works on this topic was the painting "Peter I and Tsarevich Alexei" - the plot associated with Peter I was relevant in connection with the approaching 200th anniversary of his birth.

As Ge worked on the painting, he studied historical documents related to the activities of Peter I. Apparently, he discussed them with his friends and acquaintances - in particular, with the historian and publicist Nikolai Kostomarov. As a result, the initial idealization of the personality of Peter I was replaced by a more realistic assessment associated with an understanding of the cruelty and suffering that paid for the successes of the transformations of Peter the Great's era. Nikolai Ge himself described this situation as follows:

Nikolai Ge prepared the painting "Peter I Interrogates Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich in Peterhof" for the 1st exhibition of the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions ("Itinerants"), the opening of which was postponed several times, but eventually took place in St. Petersburg in November 1871. Pavel Tretyakov bought the painting directly from the artist's studio, shortly before the start of the exhibition - this canvas became the first painting by Ge, acquired by Tretyakov for his collection.

During the exhibition, the painting was liked by Emperor Alexander II, who also expressed a desire to buy it - while no one dared to inform him that the painting had already been sold. To solve this problem, Ge was asked to write an author's copy for Tretyakov, and give the original to Alexander II. Nevertheless, the artist said that without the consent of Pavel Mikhailovich he would not do this, and as a result, the original was given to Tretyakov, and an author's repetition was written for Alexander II, which later passed into the collection of the Russian Museum.

Despite the outward calmness of Peter I and Tsarevich Alexei, their inner state is full of emotions and emotional stress. Apparently, a heated discussion took place between them, as a result of which Peter I became even more convinced of the betrayal of his son, which is confirmed by documents spread out on the table (one of the papers fell to the floor). Before passing judgment, Peter I peers into the face of his son, still hoping to see signs of remorse on him. Alexey, under the watchful gaze of his father, lowered his eyes - confident that Peter I would not dare to sentence his own son to death, he is silent and does not ask for forgiveness.

The black and white solution of the composition emphasizes the difference between the characters. According to art critic Tatyana Karpova, the figure of Tsarevich Alexei is illuminated with a paler, "like moonlit, deathly light", which in this situation symbolizes that "he already belongs to the kingdom of shadows rather than real life with its passions and colors." At the same time, the face of Peter I, on the contrary, is “energetically sculpted with contrasting chiaroscuro”. The corner of the table and the red and black tablecloth hanging from it (“the colors of mourning”) seem to separate father and son and foreshadow the tragic denouement of this drama. The alternation of black and white floor tiles has several interpretations - "and the expression of the spirit of regularity of the Peter the Great era, and black and white in the characters of Peter and the Tsarevich, and the chessboard on which the final of the game lost by Alexei is played."

There is no evidence in historical documents that Peter I ever interrogated Tsarevich Alexei in the Monplaisir palace, which had not yet been fully completed by 1718 - on the contrary, there are claims that "in reality this did not take place in Monplaisir." It is also believed that it is unlikely that Peter I interrogated the prince one on one. Although Ge, apparently, knew about this, nevertheless, he decided to portray only Peter and Alexei in the picture in order to be able to focus on the psychology of their experiences.

The moment of painful search for a solution depicted in the picture indicates that Ge wanted to show in Peter I not an executioner, but a father who oversteps his personal passions for the sake of the interests of the state. Art critic Alla Vereshchagina noted that "for the first time in Russian historical painting, typical images of real historical figures were created, alien to idealization," since "psychologism determined the true historicism of the work."

The Tretyakov Gallery also houses a sketch of this painting of the same name (1870, oil on canvas, 22 × 26.7 cm, F-593), which was acquired from the heirs in 1970.

There are several full-length repetitions of the same name by the author. One of them is in the State Russian Museum (1872, oil on canvas, 134.5 × 173 cm, Zh-4142), where it came from the Hermitage in 1897. Another repetition, also dated 1872, is in the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan in Tashkent. It came there from the collection of Grand Duke Nikolai Konstantinovich (according to some reports, earlier this painting was in the collection of his father, the Grand Duke, "writer and critic Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin paid great attention to Ge's painting. In particular, he wrote:

The painting "Peter I interrogates Tsarevich Alexei in Peterhof" on a 2006 Russian postage stamp

Noting that “apparently, Peter's personality is extremely sympathetic to Mr. Ge,” Saltykov-Shchedrin, for his part, highly appreciates the role of Peter I in Russian history and his moral qualities. He positively assesses Peter's reforms, believing that the subsequent failures of some of them occurred not through the fault of Peter, "but because the successors of his work supported only the letter of the reforms and completely forgot their reason." Therefore, in the conflict depicted in the picture, the sympathies of Saltykov-Shchedrin are completely on the side of Peter, who feared that Tsarevich Alexei, ascending the throne as his heir, would destroy much of what he had created. According to Saltykov-Shchedrin, “the figure of Peter appears to be full of that luminous beauty that only undoubtedly his beautiful inner world gives a person,” while for Tsarevich Alexei, the meeting with his father was also “full of moral anxieties, but these anxieties of a different, undoubtedly base properties" .

An article about the 1st traveling exhibition was also published by art critic Vladimir Stasov, who also considered Ge's painting as one of the best works presented. In particular, he wrote:

At the same time, unlike Saltykov-Shchedrin, Stasov was more critical of the personality of Peter I, considering him a tyrant and despot, and Tsarevich Alexei as a victim, and it was from this point of view that he criticized the composition of Ge's painting.

An art critic who studied Ge's work wrote that this painting is "one of the most striking evidence of the convergence of Ge's art with the art of his fellow Wanderers," since when assessing historical figures, "he is primarily interested in the internal, psychological motives of his actions," and the need to evaluate people and events in their moral sense "

Publications of the section Museums

Russian history on the canvases of Nikolai Ge

The painter Nikolai Ge became famous for his religious paintings, but his brushes also belong to works on historical subjects. Peter I and Tsarevich Alexei, the future Empress Catherine II and her husband Peter III, Alexander Pushkin and the Decembrist Ivan Pushchin - remember the famous canvases of Nikolai Ge.

"Peter I interrogates Tsarevich Alexei"

Nikolay Ge. Peter I interrogates Tsarevich Alexei in Peterhof. 1871. State Tretyakov Gallery

Monplaisir Palace. Photo: State Museum-Reserve "Peterhof"

Painting from an exhibition of the State Tretyakov Gallery: Nikolai Ge. Peter I interrogates Tsarevich Alexei in Peterhof. 1871

The son of Peter I and his first wife Evdokia Lopukhina, Tsarevich Alexei got along badly with his father. Peter reproached him for his inattention to state affairs, for his kindness to his mother, imprisoned in a monastery, and for much more. When the second wife, Ekaterina Alekseevna, gave birth to another son to Peter, Alexei's position became more painful. He fled abroad in search of allies. After a year and a half, the prince returned, but for his flight he was deprived of the right to succession to the throne in favor of his younger brother. And soon in the Secret Chancellery began an investigation into the case of Alexei - he was suspected of wanting to seize power. Tsarevich was interrogated by Peter I.

It was this episode that became the plot of Nikolai Ge's painting. Before starting work, Ge visited the Monplaisir palace in Peterhof, where the prince was interrogated, and sketched the interior and many details of the decoration. The restrained atmosphere depicted on the canvas corresponds to the gloomy mood of the scene. There are only two heroes in the picture, and both of them are in the center of the plot. No external effects, no luxury, no attributes of royal power. Only an angry king-father and a traitorous son who does not dare to look up at him.

“Peter the Great is not stretched out to his full height, he does not rush, does not shake his hands, does not sparkle with his eyes, Tsarevich Alexei does not kneel, with a face distorted with horror ... and nevertheless, the viewer feels like a witness to one of those amazing dramas that are never erased from memory. "

Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin

"Catherine II at the tomb of Empress Elizabeth I"

Nikolay Ge. Catherine II at the tomb of Empress Elizabeth. 1874. State Tretyakov Gallery

Nikolay Ge. Catherine II at the tomb of Empress Elizabeth. Sketch. 1871

Nikolay Ge. Catherine II at the tomb of Empress Elizabeth. Sketch. 1873

The title of the canvas is not entirely correct: at the moment depicted in the picture, its main character had not yet become the empress-autocrat Catherine II, but was only the wife of Peter III Alekseevich. After the death of Elizabeth Petrovna, relations between the spouses worsened. The new emperor did not hide that he was going to get rid of the unwanted wife, while Catherine was hatching plans for her own salvation.

The scene at the tomb of Elizabeth was remembered by many contemporaries. According to the recollections of one of the courtiers, "The emperor had no desire to participate in the ceremonies necessary for the funeral of the late empress, his aunt, and left this care to his wife, who disposed of in the best possible way, possessing quite political tact"... The subjects were offended by Peter's gaiety and negligence and highly appreciated the respect with which the memory of the Empress Catherine stood for long church services and prayed.

The artist carefully studied the notes of Catherine II, the memoirs of her conspiratorial friend Ekaterina Dashkova and other evidence of those events. Among them was a portrait of the Empress in mourning - it was painted in 1762 by Vigilius Eriksen. An interesting detail: in the portrait of Eriksen, the ribbon on Catherine is blue, of the order of St. Andrew the First-Called. Only an autocrat could wear it, therefore, the portrait was painted after the coup and overthrow of Peter III. And in Ge's painting, the mourning dress is the same, but the ribbon, as expected, is red - the Order of St. Catherine. It was granted to the spouses of emperors. The "Imperial" blue ribbon can be seen on Peter III. His figure stands out in the background with a white camisole inappropriate for a funeral. Dashkova described that the emperor did not come to the tomb to mourn his aunt, but "To joke with the ladies on duty, laughing at the clergy, and find fault with the officers about their buckles, ties or uniforms".

Among other characters in the canvas, one can recognize Ekaterina Dashkova, and other conspirators - Kirill Razumovsky and Nikita Panin. An elderly courtier following Peter, but turning after Catherine, is Nikita Trubetskoy. During the coup, Trubetskoy will go over to her side.

“A picture is not a word. She gives one minute, and in this minute everything should be, but no - there is no picture. "

Nikolay Ge

"Pushkin in the village of Mikhailovsky"

W. Berne. Portrait of Ivan Pushchin. 1817. All-Russian Museum of A.S. Pushkin

Nikolay Ge. A.S. Pushkin in the village of Mikhailovskoye. 1875. Kharkov Art Museum

Unknown artist. Portrait of Arina Rodionovna. 1st even. 19th century All-Russian Museum of A.S. Pushkin

Nikolai Ge's painting "Pushkin in the village of Mikhailovskoye" is known to many: it was often printed in textbooks. In the center of the plot is a visit to the exiled Pushkin of his lyceum friend Ivan Pushchin. However, there is also a drama here - a drama of faithful friendship. It was dangerous to visit the disgraced poet in exile, and his uncle Vasily Pushkin dissuaded Pushchin from going. However, that member of the secret society, in January 1825, was not afraid to come to Mikhailovskoye. Later, Alexander Pushkin wrote about the meeting:

My first friend, my invaluable friend!
And I blessed fate
When my yard is lonely
Brought in by the sad snow,
Your bell has sounded.

For the sake of artistic effect, Ge, usually attentive to detail, deviated a little from the historical truth when he painted the interior. According to the testimony of Catherine Fok, who in her childhood visited the poet's house more than once: “Ge wrote the study in his painting“ Pushkin in the Village of Mikhailovskoye ”completely incorrectly. This is not Alexander Sergeevich's office, but his son, Grigory Alexandrovich "... From the further description it is clear why the real study of the poet was not suitable for a large-scale canvas: “Alexander Sergeevich’s room was small and pitiful. There was only a simple wooden bed with two pillows, one made of leather, and a dressing gown was lying on it, and the table was a ombre, tattered: he wrote on it, and not from an inkwell, but from a fondant jar. ".

Depicted on the canvas, Alexander Pushkin reads aloud to a friend - most likely, Alexander Griboyedov's comedy "Woe from Wit". It was Pushchin who brought him a list of the fashionable play. She delighted the poet so much that he recited while standing. In the background is written the nanny Arina Rodionovna, who looked up from knitting to listen to the pupil.

Ivan Pushchin recalled a short visit to Mikhailovskoye: "We still clinked glasses, but we drank sadly: as if it was felt that we were drinking together for the last time, and we were drinking for eternal separation!" The visit did not last long, but Pushchin managed to tell his friend about the secret society and his plans. In December of the same year, he went to Senate Square, after which he was convicted and sentenced to 25 years in hard labor. The friends never saw each other again.

Multimedia film
Year of publication: 2015
Russian language

A film about the famous painting by N.N. Ge reveals the circumstances of the tragic confrontation between Peter I and Tsarevich Alexei (1690-1718), Peter's eldest son by his first wife Evdokia Lopukhina. Not being a supporter of his father's reforms, in 1717 he fled to Vienna, where he negotiated with the Austrians and Swedes. Alexei was able to return to his homeland with cunning and promises of forgiveness.

The investigation showed that high treason is evident. The prince was put on trial and sentenced to death. However, there are many mysteries and ambiguities in this story.

It is not surprising that in the 19th century the personality of Peter I was often associated with the image of the "tsar-filicide". Diametrically opposite judgments on this issue were well known to N.N. Ge. The artist was worried about something else: by immersing his characters in the authentic subject environment of the Monplaisir Palace in Peterhof, he recreated in the painting the psychological acuteness of the conflict between the consciousness of the state debt and paternal feelings. N.N. Ge, as it were, expands the framework of the problematic of a banal dispute between the old and young generations, emphasizing the irreconcilable antagonism between the former boyar Rus and the new Petrine Russia.

The painting was a great success at the First Traveling Exhibition in 1871, and then was shown in 1872 in Moscow at an exhibition dedicated to the 200th anniversary of Peter I.