Lecture: 'Repin. Why He Is Great'

In his memoirs, "Far, Close," Repin wrote: "For me, art is the most important thing in the world. Even more important than virtue. I love it secretly, passionately, and hopelessly—as an inveterate alcoholic." In the year marking Ilya Repin’s 175th anniversary, the entire art community is paying tribute to this master. A retrospective of his works will take place at the Tretyakov Gallery. The exhibition series will travel from the State Tretyakov Gallery in St. Petersburg to Petit Palais in Paris and will conclude at the Ateneum Art Museum in Helsinki. The Tretyakov Gallery on Krymsky Val will present the largest collection of Repin’s works, spanning more than 50 years of his career. The exhibition will be open from March 16 to August 18. In addition, we prepared a lecture on the master’s life and art. We will discuss why Repin’s personality is still shrouded in mystery, why he worked and slept in the cold, why friends brought meat to his estate, how the painting "Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan" is connected to corrida, which women were dear to him, and what "Repin’s Wednesdays," the "hanging palette," and the "Penates" are. We’ll also learn about Repin’s friends and opponents and examine many aspects of his famous paintings.