Vasily Vereshchagin
When Vereshchagin was eight years old his family enrolled him at the elite Aleksandrovsky Junior Military School in Tsarskoe Selo in Northern Russia. From there he progressed to naval school at Saint Petersburg and made his first voyage in 1858. Over time his discontent with his military education festered and he left the service to devote himself to artistic pursuits. Shortly after he won a medal from the Saint Petersburg Academy of Arts for his work entitled Ulysses Slaying the Suitors. Vereshchagin also briefly trained in Paris at the esteemed École des Beaux-Arts in Paris under the renowned Orientalist, Jean Léon Gérôme. Gérôme's influence in Vereshchagin's works is readily apparent in the attention to intricate details and the skillful mastery of light. Vereshchagin became very well-known in the 19th century for his realistic depictions of war.
Vereshchagin travelled extensively for over 10 years and visited many exotic lands. The artworks are a chronicle of the incredible life and travels of this talented artist in the style of Orientalism. In 1874, Vereshchagin and his wife embarked on a two-year expedition to India. Although their journey was difficult and they were faced with many hurdles along the way, he found profound inspiration in the intensity of the natural Himalayan landscape and created over 150 sketches of this journey.
Though best known for his battle paintings, Vereshchagin was equally skilled at peaceful compositions such as this one. In this painting, Vereshchagin has masterfully rendered snow-capped mountains of the great Himalayan range in the background and serene green foliage in the foreground.
- Maya Tola
P.S. Read here about Vasily Vereshchagin's journey through India. <3