The Rooks Have Returned, an 1871 painting depicting birds arriving at the end of a Russian winter, serves as the primary achievement of Alexei Savrasov. This work shifted the landscape tradition away from strict academic rules, introducing a lyrical approach to nature that captured specific emotional transitions within the shifting seasons.
Formative years and academic training
Born in Moscow in 1830 to a merchant family, Savrasov began his artistic development early. In 1838, he enrolled at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, where he studied under Professor Karl Rabus. By his graduation in 1850, he focused his professional output exclusively on landscape painting. His career trajectory accelerated in 1854 when an invitation from the Grand Duchess Maria Nikolayevna, the President of the Imperial Academy of Arts, prompted a relocation near St. Petersburg.
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Savrasov returned to the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in 1857 to serve as a teacher. During his tenure, he influenced notable students including Isaac Levitan and Konstantin Korovin. His professional life involved significant collaborations, specifically with the artist Vasily Perov. The two assisted one another on technical aspects of their canvases, with Savrasov painting landscapes for Perov's works while Perov contributed human figures to Savrasov's depictions of the Volga river. In 1857, he married Sophia Karlovna Hertz, the sister of art historian Karl Hertz.
International influences and the Peredvizhniki
During the 1860s, Savrasov traveled through Switzerland and England to view the International Exhibition. He noted in personal correspondence that global exhibitions provided educational value that standard academies could not match. He drew stylistic inspiration from British painter John Constable and Swiss artist Alexandre Calame. By 1870, he aligned himself with the Peredvizhniki group, effectively distancing his work from government-sponsored academic standards.
Decline and final years
The death of his daughter in 1871 initiated a period of professional and personal instability. Savrasov struggled with alcoholism throughout the late 1870s, which eventually led to his dismissal from the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in 1882. His final years were marked by extreme poverty and displacement. He died in Moscow in 1897 and was buried at the Vagankovo Cemetery, with few individuals in attendance beyond Pavel Tretyakov, the founder of the Tretyakov Gallery.
Fast facts
- Born: 1830, Moscow
- Died: 1897, Moscow
- Movement: Realism
- Education: Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture
- Key Influences: John Constable, Alexandre Calame
- Notable Work: The Rooks Have Returned
- Burial Site: Vagankovo Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What is the lyrical landscape style?
It is a form of painting characterized by the use of simple, common natural subjects to evoke specific emotions, such as the transition from winter to spring.
Who were his most famous students?
His students at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture included Isaac Levitan and Konstantin Korovin.
Achievements
- Notable work: The Rooks Have Returned
- Movement: realism
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