Vorobev Maxim Nikiforovich - a famous Russian architect and painter who lived in the XIX century. He gained his fame thanks to the skillful drawing of landscapes that inspired many artists of that time. He was also remembered by the world as a brave traveler who dared to conquer the very heart of the Islamic world.
Maxim Vorobyov: biography of early years
The future artist was born in the family of a retired military officer. It happened on August 6, 1787. The love of art was instilled in Maxim from early childhood, because he grew up surrounded by many beautiful paintings. The thing is that his father worked as a janitor at the Academy of Arts, and therefore often took his son with him.
This led to the fact that all the teachers at the academy knew well who Vorobyov was. Every day Maxim brought them his works for verification, until the adults saw glimpses of real talent in them. Ultimately, the leadership came to the conclusion that the ten-year-old boy was worthy of studying in the walls of their institution, and took him to his place.
Teachers of a young artist
Maxim Vorobyov achieved great success in architectural matters. Therefore, it is not surprising that teachers did their best to develop this very feature in him. Thomas de Tomon himself, the famous French architect and painter, oversaw the youth’s education. No less contribution to Vorobyev’s training was made by F. Ya. Alekseev and M. M. Ivanov.
Thus, after graduating from the academy, Maxim Nikiforovich skillfully painted landscapes, as well as competently drafted architectural projects. Subsequently, this talent will determine his whole future fate and will glorify him as one of the best landscape painters of his time.
Work under the supervision of Fedor Alekseev
The former mentor highly appreciated the talent of his pupil. Therefore, it is not surprising that in 1809 he chose him as his assistant. Together they went to explore the historical places of Tsarist Russia, simultaneously sketching the most colorful of them. It was a very painstaking work that required maximum dedication from the artists, and they successfully coped with it.
Moreover, they were able to revive the paintings, painting on them the image of the king. This idea gave them the recognition of the sovereign, which subsequently glorified them throughout the country. Now Maxim Vorobyov was not an easy assistant, but a full-fledged artist, able to work independently.
Great journey to the Holy Land
The year 1820 was significant for the artist. The government of Tsarist Russia urgently needed architectural sketches of Jerusalem temples in order to build local shrines on them. But there were none of those in their archives, so someone needed to go to Palestine and sketch new projects there.
And then they remembered the talent that Maxim Vorobyov possessed. Naturally, no one could go against the will of the state, so the artist had to come to terms with their decree and set off on this dangerous adventure. It was difficult because in those days the territory of Jerusalem was completely under the control of Muslims, which means that Christians were not particularly favored there.
But, despite all the difficulties, Maxim Vorobyev went to such a distant country in order to fulfill the state’s order. Looking ahead, we note that the journey was completely safe. During the time spent in a hot country, the artist managed to draw more than 90 works, most of which were sketches of Christian shrines.
Works dedicated to the lands of the East
Staying in the Holy Land, Vorobyov painted many wonderful landscapes. So, his best works are paintings depicting the view of Jerusalem and Constantinople. He also managed to reliably capture nature around the city of Smyrna, Jaffa and the islands of Rhodes. Seen in these parts for a long time stuck in the soul of the artist, and even returning home, for a long time he depicted landscapes of distant overseas lands.
As for the state task, Maxim Vorobyov executed it with tremendous accuracy. Thanks to this, Nicholas the First was able to realize his brilliant plan for reconstruction in the vicinity of the capital of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ. The artist himself received unprecedented fame and recognition, thanks to which his name began to hang around everyone.
The value of creativity Vorobiev
Contemporaries highly appreciated the work that Maxim Vorobyov wrote. “The Russian Sea”, “The Eve of the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem”, “Sunrise over the Neva”, “View of Smyrna” - these and many other paintings became a real inspiration for artists of that period. Therefore, it is not surprising that young talent constantly revolved around the young master, suffering to receive instructive instructions from him.
Among his students, the most gifted should be distinguished. Such as the Chernetsov brothers, Mikhail Lebedev, Alexey Bogolyubov, Lev Lagorio and Ivan Shishkin. All of them subsequently glorified their teacher, giving the world more than a dozen fascinating landscapes. Moreover, many of them even today admire art lovers.
The last years of the great master
The sunset of Maxim Vorobyov’s work falls on 1940. This is due to the tragic death of his wife, which plunged the artist into the abyss of despair. In order to quench the bitterness of the loss, he immersed himself in alcohol and festivities, which over the years completely undermined his health. In conclusion, he caught an unknown disease that doctors could not cure. It was she who led Vorobyev to death in September 1955.
Today, many critics underestimate the work of Maxim Vorobyov, as they consider him too mundane. However, they should understand the fact that most of his paintings were government orders. And only a few of them were written by the maestro in a fit of real inspiration. But even so, his work still delights people, and isn't that the main indicator of talent?