Descending from peasant class, Nikolai Bogdanov-Belsky dedicated a significant portion of his work to rural schoolchildren.
His heroes hover indecisively at the classroom door, solve problems at the blackboard, read books or converse with the teacher.
The master's idealistic paintings upheld the notion that education was capable of improving public morality and overcoming the backwardness of the Russian countryside.
This lovingly painted and slightly sentimental canvas was possibly inspired by the personal memories of the artist, who attended Sergei Rachinsky's village school in Tatevo, Smolensk Province.
Author: Nikolay Petrovich Bogdanov-Belsky (Russian painter, 1868-1945)
Title: У дверей школы /At the Door of the School
Date: 1897
Medium: Oil on canvas
Current location: The State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
Nikolai Bogdanov-Belsky | Portrait of Fedor Chaliapin (Russian opera singer, 1873-1938)
Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky / Николай Петрович Богданов-Бельский (1868-1945) was an academic, portrait and landscape painter.
Bogdanov graduated from Petersburg Academy of Arts where he studied at J. Repin.
At the beginning of the XX th century the pictures of N. Bogdanov-Belsky are exhibited at the established museums of Russia and obtained by them.
He also had a flair for portrait painting-he painted the Russian tsar Nikolay II, prince Sergey Alexandrovich and Emperess Maria Fyodorovna.
The artist received the highest award for his contribution into art-the title of Academician full member of the Academy if Arts.
Bogdanov settled in Riga in 1921.
Organized a studio, where ethnic Latvians studied too.
He was very productive as a portrait and landscape painter.
In 1936 was awarded the highest award of Latvia, the Order of the Three Stars.
The collapse of monarchy and the bolshevik power made him move to Riga where he continued painting, especially rural landscapes, the peasants of Latgale.
From 1922 to 1940 there were held 7 exhibitions of the works of N. Bogdanov-Belsky in Latvia.
In 1936 the artist was awarded the order of Three Stars.
Many of his paintings are available in the Latvian Art Museum such as "Visit", "To school", "Dreamer".
The artist had t leave Latvia in 1944 and he died in Berlin in 1945.
Discendente da una classe contadina, Nikolai Bogdanov-Belsky dedicò una parte significativa della sua opera agli scolari rurali.
I suoi eroi si aggirano indecisi sulla soglia dell'aula, risolvono problemi alla lavagna, leggono libri o conversano con l'insegnante.
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