“Horsewoman” is a painting by Russian artist Karl Bryullov, painted in 1832 at the request of Countess Yulia Samoilova. The artist even depicted the Samoilovs’ surname on the dog’s collar. The painting was first exhibited in 1832 at the Brera Gallery in Milan. Then the painting was kept by the Countess herself until her ruin in 1972, when the painting was sold.

Karl Bryullov
Rider.
Portrait of Giovanina and Amazilia Pacini, pupils of Countess Yu.P. Samoilova

Even before the painting “Horsewoman” was born, Bryullov already had universal recognition. The artist decides to bring the image of the beautiful equestrian to life at the end of his stay in Italy, when Countess Samoilova commissions a portrait of her adopted daughters from him. Without thinking twice, the artist makes a bold decision - to depict the eldest pupil, Jovanina, on horseback, as previously they decided to depict only generals and titled persons. The youngest, Amalicia, stands aside, watching the end of the horse ride.

Karl Bryullov
Rider.
1832. Oil on canvas. 291.5 x 206 cm.
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia

In 1896, “The Horsewoman” was acquired for the Tretyakov Gallery. At first it was assumed that the Countess herself was depicted on the canvas, but art historians, having studied Bryullov’s later paintings, were able to prove that this was not the case. The painting depicts Giovanina and Amalizia Pacini, pupils of Countess Yulia Samoilova. The artist called his painting “Giovanin on a Horse.” In Italy there are engravings of this painting, which are considered to be a portrait of the singer Malibran, who is quite famous and is the sister of Pauline Viardot

Karl Bryullov
Rider.
Portrait of Giovanina and Amazilia Pacini, pupils of Countess Yu.P. Samoilova, (fragment)
1832. Oil on canvas. 291.5 x 206 cm.
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia

The painting conveys the scene of a walk. The moment of returning home is captured when Jovanin rides up to the porch on a black horse. Bryullov’s composition “Horsewoman” is filled with dynamism - everything in it is in motion, frozen literally for a second so that the artist can capture it. The black horse beats its hoof, hot after a walk, and the dog, with a personalized collar, throws itself under his hooves, joyfully greeting Jovanin.

Karl Bryullov
Rider.
Portrait of Giovanina and Amazilia Pacini, pupils of Countess Yu.P. Samoilova, (fragment)
1832. Oil on canvas. 291.5 x 206 cm.
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia

The canvas also depicts Giovanin's little half-sister, Amalicia. She is dressed in a pink dress and green shoes. But what attracts attention most of all is her enthusiastic gaze, the way she looks at her half-sister Jovanin.

Karl Bryullov
Rider.
Portrait of Giovanina and Amazilia Pacini, pupils of Countess Yu.P. Samoilova, (fragment)
1832. Oil on canvas. 291.5 x 206 cm.
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia

Danny Wright *Wings Of Hope*

Karl Bryullov
Rider.
Portrait of Giovanina and Amazilia Pacini, pupils of Countess Yu.P. Samoilova, (fragment)
1832. Oil on canvas. 291.5 x 206 cm.
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia

The finished work was presented to the public in 1832, and caused a mixed reaction from critics. Many condemned the picture, pointing to the frozen, lifeless face of the horsewoman. Also, some critics pointed out that the rider’s position was too loose, which caused the feeling of speed and dynamics to be lost. One said: "She either doesn't notice the fast pace of the ride or is too confident to pull on the reins and duck like a skilled rider would."

Karl Bryullov
Rider.
Portrait of Giovanina and Amazilia Pacini, pupils of Countess Yu.P. Samoilova, (fragment)
1832. Oil on canvas. 291.5 x 206 cm.
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia

But, despite the criticism, the majority of the public received the picture positively, calling it a masterpiece. After the painting “Horsewoman” was presented to the public, Bryullov took a place next to such legends as Rubens and Van Dyck. (well, this is unlikely - my note.) The audience was simply captivated by the scale of the painting and the skill of the artist’s brush. As for the expression on Giovannina’s face, the creator himself explained this by the special task that he set for art at that time. At first, the painting was given to Samoilova’s collection, but when the count’s family went bankrupt, the painting changed hands. In 1896 it was bought for the Tretyakov Gallery.

Karl Bryullov
Rider.
Portrait of Giovanina and Amazilia Pacini, pupils of Countess Yu.P. Samoilova, (fragment)
1832. Oil on canvas. 291.5 x 206 cm.
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia

What does the viewer see when looking at the canvas? First of all, it is speed, movement, liveliness, which the artist conveyed in the best possible way. These traits are noticeable in almost all the characters: a lathered horse that clearly doesn’t want to stop, an enthusiastic girl on the balcony, and a shaggy dog ​​barking animatedly at the rider. It seems that even the dog hiding behind the girl will now take off and rush after the horse. Maybe she would have done this if the rider had not stopped the horse. And only the rider herself remains calm: it seems that she does not care at all about the world around her, in her thoughts she is somewhere far away...

Karl Bryullov
Rider.
Portrait of Giovanina and Amazilia Pacini, pupils of Countess Yu.P. Samoilova, (fragment)
1832. Oil on canvas. 291.5 x 206 cm.
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia

The most interesting thing that can be seen in the picture is, perhaps, little Amalicia. In every movement, animated face and enthusiastic eyes of the baby, you can read delight mixed with anticipation. The girl is waiting to become as old as her sister, to be able to saddle a black horse and ride it just as majestically in front of her enthusiastic relatives.

Karl Bryullov
Rider.
Portrait of Giovanina and Amazilia Pacini, pupils of Countess Yu.P. Samoilova (fragment)
1832. Oil on canvas. 291.5 x 206 cm.
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia

Karl Bryullov
Rider.
Portrait of Giovanina and Amazilia Pacini, pupils of Countess Yu.P. Samoilova, (fragment)
1832. Oil on canvas. 291.5 x 206 cm.
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia

The picture is full of joy from meeting after a short, but still absence. Watching her takes one’s breath away and the viewer seems to plunge into this joyful atmosphere depicted on the canvas of the Russian artist Karl Bryullov, who was able to so sincerely and honestly convey the atmosphere that reigned at that time in the countess’s estate.

Karl Bryullov
Rider.
Portrait of Giovanina and Amazilia Pacini, pupils of Countess Yu.P. Samoilova, (fragment)
1832. Oil on canvas. 291.5 x 206 cm.
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia

The painting “Horsewoman” by Karl Bryullov was painted in 1832 at the request of Countess Yulia Pavlovna Samoilova. The collar of the dog in this portrait is engraved with Samoylova. The artist himself called his work “Giovanin on a horse.” In 1832, the painting was exhibited at the Brera Gallery in Milan. In 1896, “The Horsewoman” was purchased for the Pavel Tretyakov gallery.

At first it was assumed that the countess herself was drawn in the picture. Art historians have proven that the painting depicts two pupils of Countess Samoilova - Giovanina and Amalizia Pacini.

Amalicia Pacini was the daughter of the Italian composer Giovanni Pacini, a friend of the Countess. The same Pacini, whose opera “The Last Day of Pompeii” prompted Bryullov to the theme of the future famous painting. Little is known about Jovanina. There is a version that her real name is Giovanina Carmine Bertolotti. It is believed that she is the daughter of Clementine Perry, the sister of Samoilova's second husband. Both girls were raised by Samoilova. They called her mom, but were not officially adopted.

"Horsewoman" decorates the gallery

Karl Bryullov wrote the famous “Horsewoman” in 1832, in Last year his first stay in Italy. He portrayed the modest pupil of Countess Yulia Samoilova, Jovanina, in the way that only titled persons or famous commanders had been portrayed before him.

The painting was exhibited in Milan. Then Yulia Samoilova’s guests could see it among other works of art. In 1838, the famous Russian poet and translator Vasily Zhukovsky admired the portrait.

Subsequently, traces of the canvas are lost for a long time. Countess Samoilova became poor. From Italy she moved to Paris and took with her a portrait of her pupils. She broke up with him at the very end of her life, in 1875. Ilya Repin, while in Paris in the summer of 1874, wrote to Pavel Tretyakov that “some Countess Samoilova here sells several things by K. P. Bryullov...”. But then he did not have time to buy the painting.

For the second time, the work came to the attention of Russian art collectors in late XIX century. A French art dealer exhibited “The Horsewoman,” or “Amazon,” as it was also called, at the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. In 1896, Tretyakov acquired it for his famous collection of Russian paintings. Since then, “The Horsewoman” has been decorating the gallery’s halls and continues to captivate viewers to this day.

The artist’s plan happily combined the majesty of the ceremonial portrait and the simplicity, poetic spirituality of the living, spontaneous characters of the two heroines.

What critics said about the film

Looking at this work, you understand how right the Italian art connoisseur was when he called young Karl Bryullov a brilliant artist just for this portrait alone.

The portrait of Giovannina, exhibited in Rome in 1832, caused a lively exchange of opinions. Here is what was said, for example, in one of the articles published at that time: “The Russian painter Karl Bryullov painted a life-size portrait of a girl on a horse and another girl who is looking at her. We don’t remember having seen an equestrian portrait before, conceived and executed with such skill. The horse... beautifully drawn and staged, moves, gets excited, snorts, neighs. The girl who sits on it is a flying angel. The artist overcame all difficulties like a true master: his brush glides freely, smoothly, without hesitation, without tension; skillfully, with understanding great artist, distributing the light, he knows how to weaken or strengthen it. This portrait reveals in him a promising painter and, more importantly, a painter marked by genius.”

But some Italian critics noted the lifelessness of the young rider's facial expression. An article attributed to Ambriozodi that appeared in the same year said: “If anything may seem incredible, it is that a beautiful rider either does not notice the frantic movements of the horse, or, from excessive self-confidence, does not tighten the reins at all and does not bends towards her, as perhaps it would be necessary.”

Maria Malibran

In 1975, the famous Opera theatre La Scala published a book dedicated to the outstanding singers whose voices sounded from its stage. The “Horsewoman” in this edition was presented as “ Romantic portrait Malibran" from the La Scala Theater Museum.

Maria Felicita Malibran-Garcia, sister of Pauline Viardot, is called one of the brightest legends in the history of opera. The singer had a wonderful voice, a hot temperament and a great gift for acting. In addition, she had an appearance that corresponded to the romantic canon. Slender figure, pale face, blue-black hair and large sparkling eyes. Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Liszt, Gautier, Bryullov admired her, and dedicated poems to Musset and Lamartine. And it was her image that was included in George Sand’s novel “Consuelo”.

A passionate lover of horse riding, Maria Malibran died from bruises received when she fell from a horse. She was only twenty-eight years old. The untimely death cemented the legend that was born during the singer’s lifetime. One Milanese lawyer, who donated an engraving from the painting “The Horsewoman” to the La Scala Theater Museum, believed that it depicted Malibran.

The director of the Theater Museum, Professor Gianpiero Tintori, completely denied this assumption after visiting the Tretyakov Gallery. He, in particular, said: “... the fair-haired horsewoman (in Giovanina’s life she was a redhead) cannot portray the fiery brunette Malibran. I told about this to those who selected illustrations for the book, but they only added the epithet “romantic” to the word “portrait,” that is, they presented the picture as a kind of fantasy on the theme of the singer’s passion for horse riding.”

History of Javanina

In one Italian publication there is a reference to a deed of gift certified by a Neapolitan notary, according to which Samoilova’s house in Milan was supposed to pass after her death to “the orphan Giovanina Carmine Bertolotti, daughter of the late Don Gerolamo and Mrs. Clementina Perry,” whom the Russian countess “took in.”

Based on the fact that the maiden name of the orphan's mother is the same as Samoilova's second husband, opera singer Perry, it was assumed that Giovanina was his niece.

When Giovannina married an Austrian officer, captain of the hussar regiment Ludwig Aschbach, Samoilova promised to give her a dowry in the amount of 250 thousand lire in addition to the expensive wedding dress and a set of personal belongings, guaranteed by the Milanese house. According to the notarial deed, it was supposed to become her property after the death of the donor, but she never got it.

Yes, and there were difficulties in obtaining money. Giovanina had to look for a lawyer to reach an “agreement with mom” to transfer the promised amount to Prague, where she moved with her hussar. There could be no malice on Samoilova’s part in this. Even Italian authors who were unkindly disposed towards the countess for her pro-Austrian sympathies recognized her extraordinary generosity. But with her large lifestyle, she often lacked cash, which came from numerous estates in Russia.

Amazilia

As for Amalicia, she was born in 1828. Her birth cost her mother's life. Pacini, in the mentioned autobiographical book, wrote: “At that time... a great misfortune befell me - three days after giving birth, my angelic wife died.” It is unknown when Samoilova took Amazilia into her upbringing, but judging by the painting “The Horsewoman,” painted in 1832, she lived with her for four years.

Then Bryullov painted her at the age of eleven in the portrait “Portrait of Countess Yu. P. Samoilova, leaving the ball...”.

Then Amalicia wrote to her father from St. Petersburg: “If only, dear dad, you could see this city, how beautiful it is! All these streets are so clean that walking along them is a real pleasure. Mom takes me to see the surroundings all the time. I can’t tell you anything about the theaters, because they are closed due to the death of the King of Prussia, but soon they will open again, and then I will tell you the details...”

In 1845, Amalicia married a certain Achille Manara. At first, Amalicia's family happiness was complete, but over time the couple separated. In letters to her father, she complained bitterly about loneliness and the fact that she had no children.

In 1861, her husband died, leaving the widow without funds, because, as she wrote, the deceased “wasted and spent.” One French memoirist recalled how in Paris during the empire of Napoleon III, Countess Samoilova, Countess de Mornay by her third husband, tried to “launch the pretty Madame Manara into the world.”

Amalicia remarried the French general de la Roche Bouette. But then, left a widow again, she had to return to Milan, where she spent the last years of her life in a nursing home at the monastery.

Ironically, the shelter was located not far from Samoilova’s former house, which the Countess once promised to bequeath not only to Giovanina, but also to Amalicia. She died shortly before the start of the First World War.

When “The Horsewoman” was created, Karl Bryullov was thirty-three years old. Ahead was the triumph of Pompeii, a series of famous portraits of his contemporaries, friendship with Pushkin and Glinka. There was a whole life ahead...

Image taken from the Internet

Essay based on the painting: K. Bryullova “Horsewoman”.
One of the masterpieces of world culture is the work of Karl Pavlovich Bryullov “The Horsewoman”. The painting was painted in 1832 in Italy. The artist lived there for the last year on his first trip to this country. At that time he was familiar with Countess Yu. Samoilova, whose pupils he depicted in his work. The rider is Jovanina, the eldest of the pupils. And Amacilia Pacini, the second pupil of the Countess, clung to the railing.
Young Giovannina occupies a central place in the picture. She has just returned from a horse ride. Stopping the hot horse at full gallop, the girl was not at all frightened by his behavior. She sits confidently in the saddle. Her face is calm. A light blush covers the cheeks. A transparent veil attached to a black hat flutters in the wind. A light blue Amazon with a large lace collar emphasizes the delicate features of a lovely face framed by dark curls.
Forced to stop abruptly after a strong run, the horse snores. He reared up slightly. A neigh bursts from my chest. And the girl sitting on horseback does not lose her presence of mind. She is graceful. Her upright posture, calm expression on her face - everything speaks of greatness combined with amazing modesty. But for all its calmness, the picture is full of movement. This is a rearing horse, ready to gallop again, and trees bent under a strong gust of wind, and thunderclouds flying quickly across the sky, and the fluttering veil of a horsewoman. Everything is dynamic. Even the dog, stopped at the horse’s feet, seems to be breathing heavily after running fast.
The dynamism of the plot is further emphasized by the little girl who ran out onto the balcony as soon as the clatter of hooves was heard. She is dressed simply: lace pantaloons, a homemade pink dress. The head is decorated with curls. The girl looks admiringly at the brave rider. She grabbed the railing with her hands. The little spectator’s face reflected a whole range of feelings that she experiences when older friend. Large light brown eyes express delight and adoration. She looks at the rider so devotedly that there is no doubt how much the girl loves her. It seems that she wants to be like her in everything. Even the young ladies' hair is curled the same way.
K. Bryullov’s painting “Horsewoman” evoked different feelings among the artist’s contemporaries. Someone admired the canvas, someone reproached the master for the fact that the rider had too lifeless an expression on her face. But everyone unanimously agreed that Bryullov was a talented, even brilliant, portrait artist. And the master proved this with his works, which made his name famous throughout the world.

Description of the painting by K. P. Bryullov “Horsewoman”.
Karl Bryullov is the author of many wonderful portraits. Among them there are ceremonial, “story” portraits of luxurious beauties. Among the most famous portrait paintings is “The Horsewoman,” painted by Bryullov in Italy in 1832. In this work, the artist combined an everyday scene and a ceremonial equestrian portrait.
The picture has an interesting plot and amazes with its richness of shades. It depicts a young lady returning from a morning walk on a magnificent black horse, and a little girl greeting her on the balcony.
Bryullov with great skill draws a horse in motion - it tries to rear up, crosses its eyes, gets excited and snorts. The rider stops her with a graceful movement.
The agility of the Amazon excites the delight of a little girl in a smart dress. Leaning against the balcony railing, she looks at her older friend with adoration.
The shaggy dog ​​is also excited - she barks fiercely at the horse. Even the pre-storm landscape with cirrus clouds running across the sky and tree trunks leaning from the wind shares the excitement.
Depicting the horsewoman and her little friend, the painter showed himself to be a true master of painting. The canvas has a bold compositional solution, the depicted images are distinguished by their liveliness and completeness, and the palette amazes with the brilliance and freshness of the colors.
The painting "Horsewoman" is a romantic ballad about the delightful pranks of youth. The artist admires the extraordinary picturesqueness of the surrounding world, glorifies the charm and joy of the surrounding life.

K. P. Bryullova "Horsewoman".
“The Russian painter Karl Bryullov painted a real-size portrait depicting a girl on a horse and a girl looking at her. As far as we can remember, we have never seen an equestrian portrait conceived and executed with such skill... This portrait shows us the painter, who expresses himself immediately, and, more importantly, a brilliant painter."
This and other, no less flattering, reviews appeared in Italian newspapers in 1832. The painting "Horsewoman. Portrait of Amatsilia and Giovanni Pacini, pupils of Countess Yu. P. Samoilova" aroused the interest and admiration of art lovers. Now the canvas is stored in the State Tretyakov Gallery and still attracts spectators. The artist’s plan happily combined the majesty of the ceremonial portrait and the simplicity, poetic spirituality of the living, spontaneous characters of the two heroines.
Few know the history of creation and fate of the work. "The Horsewoman" was written in 1832, when Karl Pavlovich Bryullov lived in Milan, in northern Italy. The artist’s close friend, wealthy aristocrat Yulia Samoilova, commissioned the young master to paint a portrait of her students. These were the daughter and young relative of the deceased composer Giuseppe Pacini. The same Pacini, whose opera “The Last Day of Pompeii” prompted Bryullov to the theme of the future famous painting. The painter painted two sisters in a villa near Milan. In the center of the picture, Giovanni Pacini is depicted on a hot horse. The horse gets excited, but the rider sits straight and proud, confident in herself. To the left of the young Amazon is a balcony onto which her younger sister ran out, and in the depths is a shady park.
The overall silhouette of the rider and horse forms the semblance of a triangle - a stable, long-favored form of constructing a ceremonial portrait. This is how many compositions were solved by Titian, Velazquez, Rubens, and Van Dyck. Under Bryullov’s brush, the old compositional scheme is interpreted in a new way. The artist introduces the figure of a child into the picture. The little girl, hearing the horse's tramp, quickly ran out onto the balcony and stretched out her hand through the bars. Both delight and fear for the rider are expressed on her face. A note of living, direct feeling tempers the cold majesty of the portrait, giving it spontaneity and humanity.
The shaggy dog ​​depicted on the canvas helps to create the impression that in the painting the space unfolds not only in depth, but also exists in front of the characters.
The painting was exhibited in Milan, and then guests of Yu. P. Samoilova could see it among other works of art. In 1838, the famous Russian poet and translator V. A. Zhukovsky admired the portrait.
Subsequently, traces of the canvas are lost for a long time. Yu. P. Samoilova became poor, moved from Italy to Paris and took with her a portrait of her pupils. She broke up with him at the very end of her life, in 1875. Repin, while in Paris in the summer of 1874, wrote to P. M. Tretyakov that “some Countess Samoilova here sells several things by K. P. Bryullov...”. But he did not have time to buy the painting.
The work came to the attention of Russian art collectors for the second time at the end of the 19th century. A French art dealer exhibited “The Horsewoman,” or “Amazon,” as it was also called, at the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. In 1893, P. M. Tretyakov acquired it for his famous collection of Russian paintings. Since then, “The Horsewoman” has been decorating the gallery’s halls.
Today, looking at this work, you understand how right the Italian art connoisseur was when he called young Karl Bryullov a brilliant artist just for this portrait alone. The master boldly combines the girl’s pink dress, the velvety black color of the horse’s fur and the white robe of the rider. Bryullov gives a complex harmony of pink-red, bluish-black and white shades. The painter, as it were, deliberately chooses not close, but contrasting, especially complex in painting, combinations. But each tone was developed masterfully by the master, in many subtle gradations. The pictorial layer is not overloaded anywhere, and this enhances the sound of the paint on the light ground. Bryullov achieved a special tonal harmony here. There are no careless, sluggishly painted places in the portrait.
When “The Horsewoman” was created, Karl Bryullov was thirty-three years old. Ahead was the triumph of Pompeii, a series of famous portraits of his contemporaries, friendship with Pushkin and Glinka. There was a whole life ahead...

An essay based on the painting “Horsewoman” by K. P. Bryullov.
A wonderful painting by artist K.P. Bryullov “Horsewoman”;. There is a lot in it that is hidden from the eyes of an ordinary person, but for an art connoisseur it is a whole work!
I see many personalities in this picture, but the one that catches my eye the most is the girl on the horse. She is rather a lady from a noble family, wearing a beautiful white dress and a small hat that looks like a veil. She sits on a large black and powerful horse. This horse even stood up on his hind hooves and you can see him saying something majestic. The horse is wearing a leather harness that matches his black mane. If you look a little back, you can see a yard dog, which, upon seeing the horse, immediately ran after it. Now the dog is looking at the girl and is ready to start barking, but he restrains himself. The mongrel itself is all black and even looks aggressive due to the fact that it has spread its paws and opened its mouth. The painting also depicts a girl who ran out onto the balcony to see a young horsewoman. A domestic dog stands next to her. She looks at the girl and is perhaps ready for her command. This is a dog with a red collar with spikes on it. There is a black spot on her face that goes well with her white color. Their house itself already looks rich and large. This once again suggests that the girl and the horsewoman are the daughters of a nobleman.
To sum up the picture, it is very successfully painted and conveys the whole life of the nobles. When I saw this picture, I was very pleased that the artist painted exactly these moments in the life of the nobles.

Essay: K. P. Bryullov “Horsewoman”.
Karl Pavlovich Bryullov is one of the largest Russian artists of the second quarter of the 19th century. After graduating from the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, he became a brilliant painter with an impeccable command of drawing and watercolor. His talent developed in two directions: he created large historical canvases and small drawings, where virtuoso execution was combined with the spontaneity of a sketch. But the painter’s temperament and the gift of the psychologist Bryullov were most fully revealed in portraits; this is the most valuable thing in his legacy.
One of Bryullov’s brilliant portraits is “Horsewoman”. This is an image of the young pupil of Countess Samoilova Giovanni Paccini. The festive canvas amazes with the brilliance of its pictorial and compositional design.
Giovanina Paccini in a portrait by Karl Bryullov is shown in a fashionable, rich and elegant equestrian costume, a brocade blouse with puffy elbow-length and narrow wrist-length sleeves, a lace collar, a long skirt below the heels, which reflects the wealth and refined taste of its owner. Neatly curled curls, soft features of the face, only slightly turned to the side, contrast with the movement that filled the whole picture. A light cloud of a veil stretched by the wind, the horse’s front legs raised in a run, as if the hind legs were ready to jump; you can almost hear the neighing of a horse and the frightened barking of a dog on the right. Attracted by the clatter of hooves and the neighing of a horse, the little girl on the left who jumped out of the house is also all in motion - her right leg bent at the knee, her hands clutching the parapet bars. Even the static nature of the entrance arch, the parapet and the pedestal in which the parapet is mounted is disrupted by the image of pieces of earth flying out from under the horse’s feet and sticking to the pedestal. This whole genre picture seems to emphasize the seething emotions inner world horsewoman, but, shackled by the conventions of noble decency, she does not show this in her facial expression.
The contrasts of color schemes are striking, in which red is combined with brown-beige, dark brown, almost black - with bluish-lunar, lead-gray - with yellow-blue, white-pink - with blue-black, and black - with yellow . The school of the Academy of Arts left its mark on the picture: the figures of the girl, dogs and especially the horse are anatomically accurately depicted, the reflections of light on the chest and legs of the horse and the clothes of the female figures are clearly depicted.
Contemporaries called Bryullov “the great Karl.” His fame resounded throughout Europe. N.V. Gogol wrote an article about him, glorifying in the person of the artist the revival of Russian historical painting.

Rider

When you look at the canvas of the great painter Bryulov, your gaze immediately stops at the figure of a beautiful horsewoman who stops her horse. And then you just notice a girl who is standing on the balcony and does not hide her admiration for the rider. The dogs that have turned their attention to the horse and bark at it also experience great interest; one gets the feeling that all of nature has paid attention to this brave girl. Large clouds are moving across the sky, and the trees seem to be bending over to get a better look at the rider. Even the rays of the almighty sun descended to earth to see the beauty and audacity of the girl.

The peculiarity of this painting lies mainly in the fact that the painter painted a portrait of an ordinary girl in the style of portraits of great commanders. If you pay attention to the silhouette of a girl and a horse, you can easily notice a triangle. Previously, Titian, Rubens and other great artists resorted to this technique. But so that the image of the girl does not seem warlike, Bryulov adds a child to the canvas. The little girl heard the clatter of the horse's hooves and went out onto the balcony to look at him. Her face expresses delight at the beautiful horsewoman. But you can also see the emotion on the young face; the girl is surprised that the rider looks so arrogant when she rides a horse. Small child gives this picture liveliness, realism, the canvas ceases to be majestic.

You should also pay attention to the large shaggy dog, which is located closer to the horse. This dog also plays a special role on the canvas. When you look at it, you get the impression that the picture was painted not on a plane, but in three-dimensional space.

Anyone who has ever seen this painting in the Tretyakov Gallery at least once in their life immediately gets the impression that this is not a painting at all, but a window into life.

Essay description of the painting Bryullov's Horseman

Bryulov Karl Pavlovich - one of famous artists XIX century, author of many beautiful portraits. The main directions of his grandiose development were panoramic canvases on the theme historical events, and he also had a great interest in small works that masterfully combined effortless simplicity and skillful use of the brush. However, Bryulov revealed himself most in painting portraits, mainly with portraits of luxurious beauties of his century.

One of the most famous portraits painted by the painter is the painting “Horsewoman”. It was created in 1832 in Italy. In the portrait, the author perfectly conveyed all the beauty of the youth and grace of the young pupil of Countess Samoilova - Giovanni Paccini.

Contrast reigns in the whole picture - and only just a quick glance at it, and after some time, looking at all the little things depicted by a truly master of his craft.

At the first glance at the picture, one is struck by the strength and power of the beautiful black horse - a handsome man. Against the background of his temperament, the innocence of the girl, whom he holds firmly and securely in his saddle, seems even more vulnerable. The girl gracefully stops the horse's impulse to charge, slows down the fire and the pressure of his temperament.

She is met by a little girl on the balcony, just as cute, with curls on her head and in a smart light dress. Her skill in controlling a capricious animal surprises the little girl and instills in her a sense of respect for her older friend.
A small dog at the stallion’s feet barks fiercely at him. The strength and pressure of the picture is also given by the state of the weather - you can feel the approach of a thunderstorm, and even a storm.

The unusual combination of colors in the portrait created by Bryulov is striking. The author combines red shades with brown, almost black colors with soft blue and almost white. Such combinations influenced my perception of this picture – its strength and tenderness.

8th grade. 4th grade, 5th grade.

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  • Essay based on the painting by Rakshi Field of Kulikovo (description)

    Yuri Raksha - famous Soviet painter. During his life he painted more than ten paintings.

  • Essay based on Vasnetsov’s painting Snow Maiden, 3rd grade (description)

    The painting by Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov depicts a girl in winter clothes. She stands in a dense forest in a clearing. The forest clearing is covered with a thick layer of snow, as evidenced by the deep footprints left by the girl.

  • Essay based on Levitan's painting Fresh Wind. Volga

    Painting “Fresh wind. Volga" was painted by the famous Russian painter I.I. Levitan in 1895. This picture is one of best works artist, despite the fact that its creation was not easy for Levitan.

Even before the painting “Horsewoman” was born, Bryullov already had universal recognition. The artist decides to bring the image of the beautiful equestrian to life at the end of his stay in Italy, when Countess Samoilova commissions a portrait of her adopted daughters from him. Without thinking twice, the artist makes a bold decision - to depict the eldest pupil, Jovanina, on horseback, as previously they decided to depict only generals and titled persons. The youngest, Amalicia, stands aside, watching the end of the horse ride.

The finished work was presented to the public in 1832, and caused a mixed reaction from critics. Many condemned the picture, pointing to the frozen, lifeless face of the horsewoman. Also, some critics pointed out that the rider’s position was too loose, which caused the feeling of speed and dynamics to be lost. One said: "She either doesn't notice the fast pace of the ride or is too confident to pull on the reins and duck like a skilled rider would."

But, despite the criticism, the majority of the public received the picture positively, calling it a masterpiece. After the painting “Horsewoman” was presented to the public, Bryullov took a place next to such legends as Rubens and Van Dyck. The audience was simply captivated by the scale of the painting and the skill of the artist’s brush. As for the expression on Giovannina’s face, the creator himself explained this by the special task that he set for art at that time. At first, the painting was given to Samoilova’s collection, but when the count’s family went bankrupt, the painting changed hands. In 1896 it was bought for the Tretyakov Gallery.

What does the viewer see when looking at the canvas? First of all, it is speed, movement, liveliness, which the artist conveyed in the best possible way. These traits are noticeable in almost all the characters: a lathered horse that clearly doesn’t want to stop, an enthusiastic girl on the balcony, and a shaggy dog ​​barking animatedly at the rider. It seems that even the dog hiding behind the girl will now take off and rush after the horse. Maybe she would have done this if the rider had not stopped the horse. And only the rider herself remains calm: it seems that she does not care at all about the world around her, in her thoughts she is somewhere far away...

The most interesting thing that can be seen in the picture is, perhaps, little Amalicia. In every movement, animated face and enthusiastic eyes of the baby, you can read delight mixed with anticipation. The girl is waiting to become as old as her sister, to be able to saddle a black horse and ride it just as majestically in front of her enthusiastic relatives.

The painting “Horsewoman” is rightfully considered an example of portrait painting of the 19th century - Bryullov managed to create perfectly correct proportions, an unsurpassed riot of colors, and perfectly work out the details. At the moment, the painting can be seen in the Tretyakov Gallery, its size is 291 * 206 centimeters. The exhibition is at the Lugansk Regional Art Museum.