Historical Painting

Painting transmits visual images of events and phenomena by applying paint to a flexible or firm foundation. Historical painting is a popular genre of art devoted to various historical figures and events, as well as important phenomena in the life of entire states. Sometimes some pictures can distort the real face of time, while violating various principles of realism.

Very often historical painting can be represented by works in which different genres of this art are intertwined. So, for example, in such paintings there can be historical and everyday scenes (everyday genre), portrayed figures of past centuries, portraits of compositional subjects (portrait genre). Often in historical painting one can see landscapes of the past. Painting with the battle genre is very closely connected (historical military events are depicted). Any of these areas is unique and can occupy a special place in the visual arts.

Over time, the evolution of this genre occurred, which was due to the formation of a scientific view of history.

Historical painting began to develop in the Renaissance and included various subjects on mythological and biblical themes. Such paintings depicted important events of the past centuries.

The most famous representative of the historical genre is AP. Losenko (1737-1773). He created the first painting on the national theme "Vladimir and Rogneda" (18th century). The creation of any picture of this genre is preceded by the thought over of the subject canvas, history, and also the linking of the work itself to historical themes to various facts and events.

Any picture of this genre is considered a fantasy of the artist about the historical past. The events displayed on the canvas can be fictitious. Very often, artists take as their basis a historical fact and supplement it with their imagination. For the same event, different authors may have opposing views, so you can not study history from the paintings of artists. For this you need to read specialized literature.

At its core, historical painting prefers drawing. In the sketches of paintings there is a vibrant color. The volume of the figures is created by the means of light and shade. Uniqueness of works of a historical nature gives a special coloring.

In the painting of this genre an internal gradation of color is developed. Sculptural palpability in the paintings is given to almost all bodies. This technique is carried out with a mixture of olive, dark brown and gray colors, which allow you to recreate the most realistic images.

Depending on what subject is to be imprinted on the canvas, different genres of paintings stand out. In fine arts, there is a distinction between high and low genres. The first include the battle, religious, allegorical, mythological historical genres. Low displays different pictures of everyday life, for example, still life, portrait, animalism, landscape.

The most common in historical painting is the battle genre, in which scenes of military operations are present. It depicts military campaigns, battles, the triumph of victory, the glorification of military prowess, etc.

Especially popular is the mythological genre in painting, which tells about various myths and legends of ancient peoples. Religious genre is based on stories and small episodes from the Bible.

Separate attention deserves Russian historical painting, which includes a huge number of canvases of great artists who have shown increased attention to the heroic deeds of ordinary people and the fate of the people. A vivid representative of this genre can be considered Surikov VI, whose works rightly refer to immortal classical paintings.

Historical painting is considered a golden fund of culture and history.