06.08.1856 – 23.01.1933

Apollinary Vasnetsov, the younger brother of the well-known artist Viktor Vasnetsov, entered the history of Russian painting as a master of a monumental epic landscape, glorifying the beauty of the Urals and Siberia, but he was also attracted by the historical genre, many of his works are devoted to the life of ancient Moscow.

Appolinariy Vasnetsov was born on August 6, 1856 in Vyatka province, he lost his parents early, he moved to Petersburg to his brother, who became his mentor and inspirer, the first steps in painting Apollinarius Vasnetsov did exactly under the guidance of his brother.

Since 1882 Appolinarius takes an active part in the life of the Abramtsevo art circle, meets with famous masters, such as Ilya Repin, Vasily Surikov, Vasily Polenov, Valentin Serov, Konstantin Korovin, Mikhail Vrubel. Having experienced the influence of the already established masters of Russian painting at an early stage of creativity, Appolinari Vasnetsov was able to create his own unique emphasis, to develop his own language.

In 1890-1891, Apollinarius Vasnetsov made his first trip to the Urals, the discreet beauty and severe nobility of the north impressed the artist. In 1891 he created a picture of “Taiga in the Urals. The Blue Mountain. ” Without going beyond the landscape, it is filled with folk legends and bylinas, the mighty forces of nature. The picture simultaneously attracts, and frightens the viewer with its unbridled power. The landscapes of Apollinary Vasnetsov are characterized by philosophical overtones and the scale of the idea.

From 1901 to 1918 Vasnetsov taught at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, was the head of the landscape class. He demanded realism from students and a true transfer of nature both in painting and in drawing. However, naturalism did not recognize: “A work of art can not be an ideal mirror, only reflecting the object,” he wrote.

Apollinarius Vasnetsov died on January 23, 1933 and was buried at the Vvedensky cemetery in Moscow near his older brother.