Audiotour Ilya Repin and the Tolstoy Myth

Ilya Repin created iconic portraits of Leo Tolstoy that influenced the writer’s image for several generations. How did Repin's paintings became the equivalent of “memes” still within the writer's lifetime? What role did Repin play in the creation of Tolstoy’s popular image? The exhibition will try to deconstruct the myth of Tolstoy and explain Repin’s part in it.

The masterpieces created by Repin are the result of a close friendship between the painter and Tolstoy, which lasted exactly thirty years (from 1880 to 1910). Their acquaintance was initiated by the critic Vladimir Stasov, who noted to Tolstoy that Repin's work in the fine arts paralleled Tolstoy's work in literature. Repin himself said that he was drawn to Tolstoy "according to the law of attraction that draws small bodies to large ones."

Workshop
Tolstoy made a personal visit to Repin's studio in Moscow. The writer and painter took a long stroll around the boulevards of Moscow discussing social issues and art, and returned home late on a horse-drawn carriage. Tolstoy denounced “all obsolete forms of life” and gave Repin advice on his art. But, most importantly, the scale of Tolstoy's personality shocked Repin, and Repin was infected by Tolstoy’s “inner fire.” The painter admitted that next to Tolstoy he felt as if he were hypnotized, and that it was impossible to disobey the writer's will.

For the first time, Tolstoy's image began to appear in a series of illustrations made by Repin to accompany the writer's article on the urban poor, “What is to be done?” Repin also illustrated books for the national publishing house "Posrednik" (Mediator) for free at the request of Tolstoy.

Yasnaya Polyana

Only seven years after they met did Repin finally paint a portrait of the great writer. He worked on this portrait for three days at Yasnaya Polyana. Tolstoy is pictured with a book in his hands, which gives him the appearance of a preacher. Later, in 1887, Repin spent a day with Tolstoy in the fields of Yasnaya Polyana and painted him as a plowman with a notebook in his hands.

Back at home, he painted “Portrait of Leo Tolstoy as a Ploughman on a Field”, which he then wanted to reproduce as prints. Despite Tolstoy’s initial permission, the writer and his family doubted whether it was worthwhile to reproduce this scene from private life for the whole world to see. However, after some hesitation, Tolstoy agreed, not wanting to upset the artist whom he loved and respected. Thus the prints depicting this scene were spread through the world.

Apart from paintings, Repin also wanted to immortalize Tolstoy in sculpture. In 1891 he completed a bust of Tolstoy, three variations of which can be seen at the exhibition. One was painted by Repin himself in polychrome technique and has never been exhibited before.

The Tolstoy Museum owns a large collection of Repin’s drawings. Repin never lost time with Tolstoy, and would capture the writer while at work or while playing piano or chess. 

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Repin's portraits of Tolstoy began to circulate widely as soon as they were painted. In the early 20th century “Portrait of Leo Tolstoy as a Ploughman on a Field” and “Leo Tolstoy Bknarefoot” could be seen on penknives, candy wrappers, plates, and perfume bottles. The large collection of such objects, as well as postcards, photographs and reproductions from the museum’s collections, reflects the scale of the distribution of Tolstoy's image in Russia and in the world.

For almost 30 years, Repin, who said about himself that he was “not talented, but hardworking,” enthusiastically and tirelessly worked on the image of Tolstoy. His paintings, stemming from a desire to create an accurate, profound image of the writer, became iconic and were reproduced in various forms.

The exhibition also presents Repin’s painting “On the Other Side of Life”, made after Tolstoy's death. This portrait was kept in storage for many years, but was recently restored for the exhibition. Repin, explaining the origin of this painting in an outline for an article on Tolstoy, wrote: "A messenger of God.”

Translated and narrated by Jake Hansen