Self-portrait with brushes and a palette against the background of a window overlooking the Kremlin Vasily Tropinin (1776-1857)

Description of Vasily Tropinin’s painting "Self-Portrait against a Window with a View of the Kremlin".

Such a legendary figure has never yet been discussed. But this artist is entitled to much, if only for such a small story. His fame came to him too late at forty-seven, but it was not at all because he wanted to, but because fate had so decreed.

Tropinin was not a simple citizen of the Russian Empire, he was a serf, the son of a serf. True, he was still given freedom when he was young. But only him, not his whole family. He had to give up his freedom and serve his master again. True, with one, but... he could have left at any moment.

But he was lucky then, one of the master’s relatives noticed the boy’s predilection for art and suggested he try to enter an art school. Which, in general, and it happened, he studied there. But the continuation did not work out: in the baron’s estate his father died, and the future genius was called to the estate, to take up his father’s post. And the post was not an easy one - manager of the estate. The estate was in the Ukraine, so the guy forgot about everyday life in the capital for a long time.

And only with the owners’ move to Moscow, his fate changed abruptly. He finally gets real freedom, along with his family, and then he’s what they call a breakthrough. In the Ukraine, he did not leave his skill - did sketches, portraits of the peasants and masters. And in Moscow he did not arrive empty-handed. He presented at the Academy of his three great paintings - "Lacemaid", "The poor old man" and "Portrait of Skotnikov. For these submitted canvases he was elevated to an appointee. And when he presented another portrait - he was awarded the title of academician. That’s the takeoff!

During his creative fate, the artist performed more than three thousand portraits. Three thousand! Not without reason he entered the golden age of our Russian painting and his paintings are the gems of Russian art.

As for the self-portrait itself, there is a bit of vanity and gratitude in it. He was given free rein, he was given the opportunity to go out to people with his talent. Yes, standing in front of the Kremlin, but in his hand is his tool, which he did not abandon until the last minute of life - a palette and brushes.