№626

*** ABOUT THIS PAINTING ***

* TITLE: "Lubenskoye field"

* ARTISTS: Kravchenko Nikolay Ivanovich - folk artist

* SIZE: 50x70 cm/'19.68x27.55 inches'

* MEDIUM: oil, canvas, cardboard glued

* HAND PAINTED: Original painting from our collection

* CONDITION: we tried to convey the maximum information with the help of photos about this product

About the artist: Born in 1867 in the city of Simferopol. He studied at the Odessa Richelieu High School, the Odessa City Real School and the Odessa Art School of the Society of Fine Arts, which he graduated in 1888 with a silver medal. In the same year, Kravchenko moved to St. Petersburg and entered the Academy of Arts in the class of Professor Villevalde's battle painting at once for the 2nd year.

Clashes with old professors and a reluctance to obey their routine demands made the young artist aware that his further stay in the academy was in vain and he left for Odessa. In 1891, Kravchenko went to Paris, where he worked at two schools at once: in Julien and Colorossi. With the assistance of a fellow who studied at the École des beaux-arts, Kravchenko's drawings were shown to Professor Jerome, who readily accepted him as one of his students. Classes at the French Academy of Arts did not prevent the artist from working at home and performing several portraits, one of which (by Dr. Brisso) was received at the Salon Champs de Mars in 1892 and attracted the attention of the Paris press. In 1893, Kravchenko exhibited sketches of a Russian student in the same salon.

At the same time, he met in Paris with Alexei Suvorin and Konstantin Skalkovsky, who persuaded Kravchenko to move to St. Petersburg.

Returning to Russia, he performed a number of portraits of prominent contemporary figures in nature. Approaching St. Petersburg with the officer environment of the Guards Regiments, Kravchenko gained access to the camps and maneuvers and executed a series of drawings depicting the life and types of soldiers of the Pavlovsky Regiment Life Guard, which was succeeded by Emperor Nicholas II in 1900.

In early 1902 he went to Manchuria and China to collect material to illustrate the march of Russian troops to China in 1900-1901. He has visited Mukden, Liaoyang, Port Arthur, Taku, Tian Jin, Beijing, Tongzhou, Ginkou and some points in the Great Wall.