In the series of portraits that Ilya Repin did in the 1880’s the portrait of his patron Pavel Tretyakov (1832-1898) is especially notable. Tretyakov was one of Moscow’s biggest entrepreneurs as well as an amateur art collectors. He was the heir to the successful textile company operated by his father – and co-founder of the Moscow commercial bank and the Moscow trading company, as well as the owner of several other ventures – also part of the close circle around Vladimir Stasov where he was introduced to Repin.
Tretyakov and his younger brother Sergei, started collecting art, which they stored in a Moscow townhouse at the beginning of the 1850s when Pavel was just 20 years old.
This formed the third leg of a solid stool which supported the growth of Russian Realistic art which were: The artists-Itinerants, Wanderers, the very supportive art critic Vladimir Stasov and of course, the consistent purchaser of their works, Tretyakov. This troika formed the lynchpin of Russian painting in the later 1800s.
It should be noted that the Russian painters were inclusive of all disciplines of Fine Art. Deep open friendships were normal between the writers, the composers, theater artists, and the painters. They knew each other well and shared their love of their art and appreciated all of the art disciplines of their friends. (Quite a different attitude than Nicolai Fechin found when he arrived in Taos.)
In the course of several years they were able to accumulate a considerable fortune which they partially invested into the acquisition of paintings of paintings. With their growing collection to the focus and the idea behind their passion shifted from establishing a private collection to the establishing a comprehensive national collection.
Repin arranges his 50 year old patron to sit in front of several paintings in sumptuous golden frames which are cutoff by the upper border of the canvas so that their subject is not clearly determinable . Tretyakov is crossing his arms in front of his body, seemingly tired and lost in thought. Besides his small head with the receding hairline, his delicate, almost frail, hand is the center of attention in this painting.
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dickbellbookmaven March 2010
