Peredvizhniki (Russian: Передви́жники [pʲɪrʲɪˈdvʲiʐnʲɪkʲi]), often called The Wanderers or The Itinerants in English, were a group of Russian realist artists who in protest at academic restrictions formed an artists' cooperative; it evolved into the Society for Travelling Art Exhibitions in 1870.
In 1863 a group of fourteen students decided to leave The Imperial Academy of Arts. The Academy kept an eye on the students' work style. The teachers were conservative and there was a strict separation between high and low art. 14 students did not want to follow the rules of the Academy, because they wanted to bring art to the people. They formed an independent artistic society which was called «Peredvizhniki». After 7 years, in 1870, «Peredvizhniki» created the Association of Travelling Art Exhibits. There were 2 main purposes of Travelling Exhibits. The first one was to give a chance to people from provinces to follow the achievements of Russian Art; the second was to teach people to appreciate art. The society maintained independence from state support and brought the art, which illustrated the contemporary life of the people from Moscow and Saint-Petersburg, to provinces.
From 1871 to 1923, the society arranged 48 mobile exhibitions in St. Petersburg and Moscow, after which they were shown in Kiev, Kharkov,Kazan, Orel, Riga, Odessa and other cities.[1]
Peredvizhniki were influenced by the public views of Vissarion Belinsky and Nikolai Chernyshevsky. Vissarion Belinsky and Nikolai Chernyshevsky were literature critics at that time. Belinsky thought that literature and art should attribute a social and moral responsibility. He had liberal ideas. Like most Slavophiles, Chernyshevsky was a liberal and ardently supported the emancipation of serfs, which was finally realized in the reform of 1861. He viewed press censorship, serfdom, and capital punishment as Western influences. Because of his political activism, officials prohibited publication of any of his writing, including his dissertation; but it eventually found its way to the artworld of nineteenth-century Russia. In 1863, almost immediately after the emancipation of serfs, Chernyshevsky’s goals were realized with the help of Peredvizhniki. They took the pervasive Slavophile-populist idea that Russia had a distinguishable, modest, inner beauty of its own and worked out how to display it on canvas.[2]
Peredvizhniki portrayed the many-sided aspects of social life, often critical of inequities and injustices. But their art showed not only poverty but also the beauty of the folk way of life; not only suffering but also fortitude and strength of characters. Peredvizhniki condemned the Russian aristocratic orders and autocratic government in their humanistic art. They portrayed the emancipation movement of Russian people with empathy (The Arrest of Propagandist; Refuse from Confession; Not Expected by Ilya Yefimovich Repin). They portrayed social-urban life, and later used historic art to depict the common people (The Morning of the Execution of Streltsy by Vasily Surikov).
During their blossoming (1870–1890), the Peredvizhniki society developed an increasingly wider scope, with more natural and free images. In contrast to the traditional dark palette of the time, they chose a lighter palette, with a freer manner in their technique. They worked for naturalness in their images, and the depiction of people's relationship with their surroundings. The society united most of the highly talented artists of the country. Among Peredvizhniki there were artists of Ukraine, Latvia, and Armenia. The society also showed the work of Mark Antokolski, Vasili Vereshchagin, and Andrei Ryabushkin. The work of the critic and democrat Vladimir Stasov was important on the development of Peredvizhniki's art. Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov showed the work of these artists in his gallery and gave them important material and moral support.[3]
Landscape painting flourished in the 1870s and 1880s. Peredvizhniki painted mainly landscapes, but for instance Polenov used «plain air» technique. Two painters: Ivan Shishkin and Isaak Levitan, painted only landscapes of Russia. Shishkin is still considered to be the Russian «Singer of forest», while Levitan's landscapes are famous for their intense moods. The Russian landscape gained importance as a national icon after «Peredvizhniki». The main reason why «Peredvizhniki» used to paint landscapes is that they wanted to explore the beauty of their own country and encourage ordinary people to love and preserve it. Levitan once said : «I imagine such a gracefulness in our Russian land – overflowing rivers bringing everything back to life. There is no country more beautiful than Russia! There can be a true landscapist only in Russia».5 «Peredvizhniki» gave a national character to landscapes, so people of other nations could distinguish Russian landscape from other country’s' landscapes. The landscapes of «Peredvizhniki» are the symbolic embodiments of Russian nationality.[4]
«Peredvizhniki» made the first step to popularize paintings. Even though the number of travelling exhibition visitors from the provinces was increasing during the years, the main audience was the urban elite. Local photographers created the first reproductions of «Peredvizhniki's» works, because it was profitable. The reproductions could be bought at exhibitions. The «Niva» Niva_(magazine) magazine also published illustrated articles about the exhibitions.3 Since 1898 the landscapes of the society have been used in the postcard industry. Various books of poems were published with the illustrations of landscapes. Ordinary Russian people at that time could not afford to go to Moscow or Saint Petersburg, so popularization of Russian Art made them familiar with a number of Russian Art masterpieces. Even now publishers use the reproductions in textbooks as a visual icon of national identity.[5]
As the authority and public influence of the society steadily grew, government officials had to stop their efforts to repress the members. Attempts were made to subordinate their activity, and raise the falling value of Academy of Arts-sanctioned works. By the 1890s, the Academy of Arts structure was including Peredvizhniki art in its classes and history, and the influence of the artists showed in national art schools. At the turn of the 20th century, Peredvizhniki began to lose their depth as a reflection of a life. The influence of the society waned, and some of the artists began showing socialist ideas, which reflected the development of a working-class movement. Many of the Peredvizhniki entered the Soviet art culture bringing the realistic traditions of 19th century to the Socialist realism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_realism). In 1898, their influence began to be superseded by Mir iskusstva, which advanced modern trends in Russian art. Some of the members of Peredvizhniki became more conservative, but some remained radical as their predecessors. The 48th exhibition of Peredvizhniki in 1923 was the last one. Most members joined the Association of Artists in Revolutionary Russia (AKhRR). Its members built on the traditions of Peredvizhniki and aspired to create works of art accessible to the common people and faithfully reflecting the righteousness of Soviet society.[6]--Kukushkina (talk) 20:14, 12 October 2011 (UTC)
Peredvizhniki artists include:[6]
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