Mikhail Vasiliev. On the 240th anniversary of his birth

In 2024, it would have been 240 years since the birth of Mikhail Andreevich Vasiliev (1784–1827), an artist and icon painter. The exhibition “Mikhail Vasiliev. On the 240th Anniversary of His Birth” is dedicated to this anniversary. It features 14 paintings from the collections of the Irkutsk Regional Art Museum named after V. P. Sukachev and the Irkutsk Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Today, Mikhail Vasiliev’s artistic legacy consists of 6 painted portraits in the collection of the Irkutsk Regional Art Museum named after V. P. Sukachev ("Portrait of Bishop Veniamin", "Portrait of M. M. Speransky", paired portraits of the merchant couple Basnin), as well as 4 painted portraits of members of the Basnin family in the collection of the State Historical Museum (Moscow), taken from Irkutsk along with other works of art from the famous collection of Siberian merchants. Several works in the collection of the Irkutsk Art Museum may belong to the brush of M. A. Vasiliev and are subject to further study. They will be presented at the exhibition to complement the story about the first professional artist of Irkutsk.

A special place at the exhibition and in Vasiliev’s work is occupied by the painting "Transfer of the relics of St. Innocent from the Church of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God to the Ascension Cathedral of the Irkutsk Ascension Monastery on February 9, 1805." The painting depicts an important event in the spiritual life of the Irkutsk diocese, which took place in the presence of the first clergy and civilians of the Irkutsk province and the city of Irkutsk. For the first time, Vasiliev’s "Irkutsk" works are shown together at the exhibition.

The exhibition "Mikhail Vasiliev. On the 240th Anniversary of His Birth" will be open in the Main Building of the Irkutsk Regional Art Museum named after V. P. Sukachev (5 Lenin St.) until February 2, 2025. Information phone: 34-01-46. The exhibition is accessible via the Pushkin Map: https://vmuzey.com/event/postoyannaya-ekspoziciya-irkutskogo-hudozhestvennogo-muzeya