In the universe of Russian literature, Alexander Pushkin is known as the "Sun of Poetry." The exhibition "A Great Poet, the Pride of the Nation: Pushkin and Eastern Echoes" is currently on display at the China Museum of Modern Press and Publication in Shanghai. In addition to heartwarming accounts of the poet's life from personal belongings, the exhibition hall showcases a wealth of prints, paintings, and sculptures, allowing the world to view Pushkin's work through the artist's perspective.
The exhibition "A Great Poet, the Pride of the Nation - Pushkin and Echoes of the East" features more than 100 precious collections from the All-Russian Pushkin Museum, including Pushkin's velvet vest, a seal with the Pushkin family emblem, and a top hat and a luggage box that Pushkin gave to his good friend, Prince Vyazemsky. Vyazemsky often carried them with him when traveling around Western Europe. On the mottled brown leather of the luggage box, one can still vaguely make out the green traces of the luggage tag.
In addition to the heartwarming narratives of the poet's life, captured in his personal belongings, the exhibition hall showcases a wealth of prints, paintings, and sculptures. These include Ilya Repin's "Eugene Onegin," Alexander Benoit's "The Bronze Horseman," Ivan Bilibin's fairytale scenes with a distinct Slavic flavor, Nikolay Kuzmin's relaxed, vibrant lines and colors, and Vladimir Favorsky's delicate and vivid woodcuts. Pushkin's themes have been absorbed and interpreted in diverse styles throughout the ages, finding a lasting and enduring life within the language of art.
Pushkin in painting and sculpture
Portraits of writers have always been a key theme in literary and artistic research. In an era before photography, portraiture served both as a record and a portrayal, showcasing both the sitter's individuality and reflecting the artist's attitude and understanding of the subject. The exhibition features several of Pushkin's most significant portraits, each reflecting different facets of his image: as a dignified poet driven by inspiration, as a warm and caring friend in everyday life, as a symbol and monument of Russian literature, and as a symbol of sincere and warm remembrance.
In 1827, upon Pushkin's return from exile in Mikhailovskoye, his high school friend, Delevingne, commissioned a portrait of Pushkin from the renowned portrait painter of the time, Orest Kiprensky. Today, this painting is considered one of the finest portraits of the poet. The composition and colors are rigorous and harmonious. Pushkin's arms are folded across his chest, and a tartan scarf draped over his shoulders pays homage to the English poet Lord Byron. In the background, a statue of the Muse holding a lyre is depicted. Pushkin's head is turned toward the statue, and the movement of his hair, the folds of his scarf, and the fingers of his right hand all point in the direction of the statue, creating a visual connection and a dialogue between the poet and the Muse.
Orest Kiprensky, Portrait of Pushkin, oil on canvas, 1827, Tretyakov Gallery
Nikolai Ivanovich Utkin, Portrait of Pushkin, copperplate engraving, 1827, in the collection of the All-Russian Pushkin Museum
In the same year, Nikolai Ivanovich Utkin, a professor at the Russian Imperial Academy of Arts, created a copperplate engraving based on this painting. In the literary yearbook Flowers of the North published by Delevingne in 1828, Utkin's engraving was used as a title page illustration. Since then, this picture has often been used in various publications about Pushkin. The master plate has gradually worn out after years of printing. In the display cabinet, you can see the steel master plate and the corresponding print work that the painter himself reproduced in 1838.
Another important portrait of Pushkin created during his lifetime was by Vasily Tropinin, a member of the Imperial Academy of Arts (the original is housed in the All-Russian Pushkin Museum; the one on display is a copy by Pavel Bryullov from 1899). While there is some debate about the commissioner, it is generally believed that the portrait was commissioned by Tropinin in 1827 by Pushkin's friend, Sobolevsky. Sobolevsky disdained excessive embellishment and beautification, preferring to preserve the poet's authentic image. The painting depicts Pushkin in his home robes, his hair and clothes slightly disheveled, his posture relaxed, his expression natural, capturing a moment in the poet's daily life.
Vasily Tropinin, Portrait of Pushkin, oil on canvas, 1827, in the collection of the All-Russian Pushkin Museum
After Pushkin's death, Swedish painter Karl Maazel painted the poet's first posthumous portrait in 1839, commissioned by his close friend Nashokin. Maazel, who had never met Pushkin in person, visited Pushkin's wife several times and meticulously studied portraits and belongings of Pushkin, with Nashokin himself serving as the model. The painting depicts Pushkin, dressed in his favorite red plaid housecoat, reclining leisurely on a sofa piled with books. The painting, with its warm and relaxed tone, captures Nashokin's memory of Pushkin.
Karl Maazel (Sweden), Portrait of Pushkin, oil on canvas, 1839, in the collection of the All-Russian Pushkin Museum
Pushkin's image not only appears on canvas, but also in display cases, featuring sculptures depicting him. Between 1873 and 1875, a competition for the Pushkin monument was held. Renowned sculptors Alexander Opekushin and Marko Antokolsky both submitted proposals, with Opekushin ultimately winning the 1875 competition. The poet's right hand rests in his bosom, his left hand, holding his hat, droops naturally. By capturing his usual posture during his lifetime, the artist recreates a state of strolling and contemplative meditation. The commission deemed the sculpture "a perfect combination of simplicity, naturalness, and serenity in the pose." The statue now stands as a monument in Pushkin Square in Moscow.
Alexander Opekushin, Statue of Pushkin (miniature replica)
Monument to Pushkin on Pushkin Square in Moscow
In his essay "On Pushkin," writer Ivan Aksakov described his works as "an intoxicating first flame," "still bearing the scent of spring, a certain new-born joy." Contemporaries recalled Pushkin as a passionate and eccentric man with a clear distinction between love and hate, a life marked by passionate love affairs, disputes, and even duels. During his establishment as a spiritual and cultural symbol, and in early 19th-century monumental paintings and sculptures depicting Pushkin, the poet's image became woven into the style of his work. Like his creations, his image embodied an inner balance, brightness, and harmony.
Pictorial interpretation of Pushkin's works
Pushkin's literary legacy offers a rich repertoire of interpretations: In terms of linguistic form, his writings broadened the boundaries of the Russian language, becoming a model of elegance and harmony within Russian texts. Beyond formal aesthetics, he broke away from superficial imitations of Western European classical and sentimental literature, observing and writing about the unique anxieties and joys of the Russian people, lending his works a narrative depth and weight. Since the late 19th century, Russian art has evolved through multiple phases, from the literary explorations of the Itinerant Art School, to the book innovations of the "World of Art" group, to the practices of modernism and the avant-garde. These diverse aesthetic styles find echoes in Pushkin's work, entwining him with the very fabric of Russian art history.
During the last three decades of the 19th century, Russian Realist painting flourished, exemplified by the Itinerant School, which produced important artists such as Repin, Surikov, and Kramskoi. Russian Realist painting of this period had a close and profound connection with literature. Turgenev highly praised Kramskoi, and Benoît Benoua stated that Makovsky's work inherited Gogol's literary tradition, imbuing his work with a delicate humanistic care and exploration beyond pure realism. In addition to grand historical themes and poignant realist works, literary themes were also a key aspect of Repin's work. He painted several portraits of Pushkin, stating, "The face and the whole image of the young Pushkin in these paintings have become the joy of my life. I have never captured a face so vividly, powerfully, and truly." In addition to the oil painting "The Duel between Onegin and Lensky" (1901) on display, Repin returned to Pushkin's themes several times in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, creating numerous illustrations and character sketches for Eugene Onegin.
Ilya Repin, Eugene Onegin (Duel between Onegin and Lensky), oil on canvas, 1901, in the collection of the All-Russian Pushkin Museum
Repin's works emphasize authenticity and accuracy in character portrayal, recreating the narrative plot of the original work. With the development of modernism in the early 20th century, painters explored new forms of artistic language, using their brushes to convey the lightness and agility of Pushkin's works. "World of Art" was Russia's most important artistic group in the early 20th century, dedicated to promoting the modernization of Russian art. Its works were influenced by both Western European Art Nouveau and drew elements and inspiration from ancient Russian mythology. Artists, led by Benuá, began exploring the book as an independent art form. Among the exhibits are Benuá's illustrations for The Bronze Horseman (1905), Bilibin's The Tale of the Golden Cockerel (1906), and Mstislav Dobzhinsky's The Stationmaster (1905).
"The Bronze Horseman" is a long poem of both imagination and tragedy. In 1703, Peter the Great built the glorious city of St. Petersburg on the banks of the Neva River, on swamps and gravel. In stark contrast, the protagonist, Eugene, experiences a humble fate: he drifts amidst the 1824 flood, ultimately capsizing in his own illusions. Benoît Benoît's delicate lines and atmospheric chiaroscuro bring the poem's tragic and epic qualities to life. In the fairy tale "The Tale of the Golden Cockerel," Bilibin draws inspiration from Russian folklore and ancient history, creating a unique visual language that combines flowing decorative lines, flat compositions, and traditional Slavic elements.
Alexander Benoît, The Bronze Horseman (The Bronze Horseman Chasing Eugene), watercolor on paper, 1905, in the collection of the All-Russian Pushkin Museum
Ivan Bilibin, The Story of the Golden Cockerel (Tsar Daton and the Astrologer), 1906, watercolor on paper, in the collection of the All-Russian Pushkin Museum
Alexander Malekin's illustrations for Ruslan and Lyudmila (1914-1930) are equally vibrant and decorative. The background features rolling pink hills, and a warrior's head is depicted wearing a feathered helmet. Ruslan gallops on a white horse, his red cape billowing. A bright moon hangs high in the sky. The rich, bold colors echo the beauty and fantasy of the fairy tale poem.
Alexander Malekin, illustration to Ruslan and Lyudmila, watercolor on paper, 1914-1930, in the collection of the All-Russian Pushkin Museum
Dmitri Mitrokhin was a master of woodcuts with a unique style, tending to depict lyrical scenes. His illustrations for The Caucasian Prisoner (1922) convey a sense of retro nostalgia and a touch of poetry. The painting incorporates the graphic expression techniques of Ukiyo-e. In the foreground, the painting depicts a shackled prisoner, mowers leading horses along a distant mountain path, and the background is a backdrop of towering peaks and the setting sun.
The exhibition features illustrations by painters Tatyana Mavlina and Nikolay Kuzmin, both founding members of the short-lived avant-garde art group "The Thirteen," which left a striking mark on Soviet art history. A special exhibition dedicated to the Thirteen is currently on view at the Museum of Russian Impressionism, and Mavlina has previously held a solo exhibition at the Tretyakov Gallery. Influenced by Post-Impressionism and Fauvism, they tended to capture fleeting moments, applying watercolors freely to wet paper without any revision or pause.
After a brief encounter in the 1930s, the artists of the "Thirteen" group pursued separate paths. Kuzmin and Mavrina, the group's most celebrated artist couple, worked together for nearly fifty years, becoming renowned as illustrators, art critics, and collectors of Russian iconography. Kuzmin illustrated a series of Eugene Onegin in the 1930s, which won a gold medal at the 1937 Paris Exposition. Beyond the relaxed colors and freehand brushwork, the artist meticulously emulates the linear qualities of Pushkin's manuscript scribbles, imbuing his paintings with a sense of intimacy and dynamism through the spontaneous nature of his work.
Nikolay Kuzmin, illustration from Eugene Onegin, "Me and the Characters of My Novels", ink on paper, 1930s, in the collection of the All-Russian Pushkin Museum
During the Thaw, artists rediscovered the avant-garde and modernist traditions of the 1920s and 1930s. In the latter half of the last century, Mavrina turned to folk fairy tale themes. The display case features her illustrations for The Tale of Tsar Saltan (1970s). Three girls sit at spinning wheels, a starry night sky shimmers, and smoke rises from cooking fires. In Mavrina's fairytale world, space becomes unconstrained, with foreground and background painted in the same rich, saturated colors, accompanied by cheerful and bright decorative patterns.
Tatyana Mavrina, Tales of Tsar Saltan ("Three Girls Under the Window..."), watercolor and gouache on paper, in the collection of the All-Russian Pushkin Museum
The woodcut illustrations by Favorsky (1886-1964) showcase a different style. He excelled at creating rich textures with varying angles of the chisel, and employed delicate lines and the contrasting black and white of the woodcuts to create strong tension and dramatic conflict. His works are also included in the collection of Soviet woodcuts compiled by Lu Xun, Yinyu Ji. The exhibition includes illustrations and woodcuts created by the artist for Boris Godunov (1954-1955) and Mozart and Salieri (1961).
Vladimir Favorsky, illustration from Mozart and Salieri, woodcut, 1951, in the collection of the All-Russian Pushkin Museum
Since the second half of the 19th century, most of Russia's leading illustrators have depicted Pushkin's works. "Pushkin themes in illustration" were a hotly debated topic in literary and artistic circles as early as the early Soviet era. The exhibition, centered around Pushkin, charts the course of the development of Russian illustration and printmaking, offering viewers a valuable and intuitive perspective on Pushkin's work—from the artist's perspective.
Pushkin's Works and Arts and Crafts
Sincere emotion, fluent language, and beautiful melodies are the hallmarks of Pushkin's style. The poet blended literary written language with the vibrant vernacular of the people, telling stories in a language accessible and understandable to the public. This is perhaps one reason why Pushkin themes are so popular in Russian folk art. In the 1930s and 1940s, Pushkin's fairy tales were frequently incorporated into decorative art.
The lacquer panels and two brocade boxes on display come from the small Russian villages of Mschora and Palekh, which are famous for their folk lacquer paintings and icon paintings. In the 1930s, craftsmen turned from icon paintings to handicraft production and painted colorful lacquer paintings on them. Pushkin's fairy tales became a popular subject, and the elements of the pictures were complex and diverse, usually surrounded by delicate plant patterns, with warriors and princesses, kings and guards, forest goblins and the Black Sea King depicted in the middle.
Grigory Dmitriev, Ruslan and Lyudmila, casket, papier mache, plaster, tempera, lacquer, 1936, in the collection of the All-Russian Pushkin Museum
Also incorporated into the plot of "Ruslan and Lyudmila" are an inkwell (originally created in the 1880s) and a chess set (1980) from the Russian Imperial Porcelain Factory. The inkwell uses the plot of the epic poem "Ruslan's fight with the warrior's head", and the chess pieces are all characters from the epic poem. The blue and purple tones echo the fantasy color of the epic poem. The character and chess piece designs are vivid and cute, and it is also an interesting attempt to make literary themes daily.
"Ruslan and Lyudmila" chess set, porcelain, 1890, in the collection of the "Inheritance" library of the Russian Imperial Porcelain Factory
Oscar Krevell, a renowned St. Petersburg artist, designed a series of toys based on "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" (1949). The characters and plots include Prince Gvedun and the Swan Princess, the city on Buyan Island, and the battle between the swans and the vultures. The vibrant colors and vibrant colors depict typical Slavic traits, such as a girl half-hidden by feathers, wearing a blue dress with wide sleeves and a typical Slavic shield-shaped headdress.
Oscar Krevial, The Swan Princess (from the series of toys from The Tale of Tsar Saltan), papier-mâché, plaster, and paint, 1949, in the collection of the All-Russian Pushkin Museum
Among the colorful handicrafts, the poet's creations enter people's field of vision in a more intimate manner. Pushkin's characters and plots can be found in cups, saucers, teapots, ink bottles in the study, and brocade boxes for storage. They appear in every corner of daily life and become part of the aesthetics of life.
The exhibition will run until October 9th.
(This article was written by Lei Shuwan of Saint Petersburg State University, with academic support from Irina Anatolyevna Shebetkova, Deputy Director of the All-Russian Pushkin Museum.)
