Graceful Rowan in paintings of Russian artists
In autumn, rowan leaves from yellow-orange gradually turn into purple, resembling a burning bonfire. No wonder the graceful rowan inspired so many artists and poets. To rowan devoted a lot of songs and poems, and its bright red berries – often compared with beads. And the truth is, small round berries resemble a scattering of brilliant beads.

Undoubtedly, Nature gave the rowan a rich decoration to become the main ornament of the autumn forest. And how beautiful the rowan alleys are at this time of year! And it is impossible to pass by and not admire this beautiful tree! During a long cold winter, its delicious fruits will save many birds from the hunger. Indeed, the flocks of loud-nosed bullfinches and waxwings become frequent guests.

And how beautiful can be ordinary ashberry, if you look at it through the eyes of the artist! Rowan scenes in the paintings of Russian artists have always enjoyed a success and popularity with buyers of landscapes and still lifes.
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Painting by Russian artist Anna
According to Moscow based artist Anna, she “from time to time” draws for the soul. Most of all she loves watercolor, for its arbitrariness, transparency and discipline, which this technique requires from the artist.
By embodying a plan or simply impressed by chance, she tries to transfer emotions onto paper, and to paint them in colors. As the artist herself explains, “so that the moment that touched me remained with me even after a lapse of time”. Therefore, her drawings contain a lot of personal, and each of them is dear to her and valuable.
Some of her works decorated the walls in her house, while others were just kept in a folder. So, one day she decided to show some of kept in a folder drawings to the public. Actually, she hopes to sell these drawings to people, whom they will also bring joy. After all, having a work painted in real colors is a wonderful feeling!
Thanks to the master, her pictures show the elusive grace of nature where the world of harmony reigns.
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Painting by Chinese artist Xu Beihong
The remarkable life and work of Xu Beihong (19 July 1895 – 26 September 1953) are well known in the homeland of the artist and beyond. Unlike many of his predecessors and even his contemporaries, he influenced not only the development of any of the genres of painting, but also the fate of Chinese art in general. His rebellious seeking spirit, embodied in unique artistic images, still attracts us with his unbridled, overwhelming energy.
Unfortunately, Xu Beihong lived a short life, however, it was bright and eventful. Born in the era of turbulent political upheavals and explosions experienced by his homeland, he became not only a witness, but also an active participant in its revolutionary events and political transformations.
Born in 1895 in a village in Yixing County, Jiangsu Province, his first teacher was his father Xu Dazhang, a teacher of drawing in a village school, an engraver and a poet. A subtle connoisseur of ancient Chinese literature and painting, who himself worked in the classical manner of “guohua”, he instilled in his son a love of art, and revealed to him the richness and originality of China’s ancient culture. A dreamy and impressionable youth set out to follow in the footsteps of his father. Years of childhood spent in close collaboration with nature, largely contributed to the formation of the personality of Xu Beihong.
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Bulgarian artist Vladimir Dimitrov Maistor
After Maistor became famous, he chose to live in poverty and gave away all of his possessions to poor people. Thus, he wore old clothes, gave up shaving and preferred only vegetarian food. In fact, many people thought him to be a saint and showed great affection for him even in his lifetime.
Born on February 1, 1882 in the village of Frolosh in the present Stankedimitrovsky district, just four years after the liberation of the Bulgarian people from the five-century Turkish yoke. Growing up in a poor peasant family, he learned early of poverty. One of his early works is a portrait of his father, created in 1907. All permeated with filial love, executed with picturesque ease, it gives an idea of ​​the impetuous nature and deep observation of a person close to nature. By nature, the spiritual world and temperament, Maistor has much in common with the father. Meanwhile, his father, an inquisitive and gifted man by nature, played several folk musical instruments. Subsequently, his son not only sang in the field with reapers, at weddings and other village festivities, but he himself liked to play the folk string instrument.
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Russian icon painter Simon Ushakov
In the history of Old Russian fine arts this name stands alongside with the names of Andrei Rublev and Dionysius. According to GD Filimonov, the author of the first monographic essay on Simon Ushakov (1873), Ushakov was the first to look at icon painting as art. Ushakov was both an educator and, apparently, an able organizer, who for more than thirty years headed the artistic activity of all Russian state. Simon Ushakov demonstrated a new attitude to art and to the artist. It was a broader and freer nature of the world perception, conditioned by the general process of the development of Russian culture. Noteworthy, the biographical information about Simon Ushakov can be compiled from the well-known detailed information in the archives of the Armory Chamber. Thus, according the signatures on some icons, the autographs show that the real name of the artist was Pimen, and Simon is only a nickname. Besides, the inscription of one icon makes it possible to establish that Ushakov was born in 1626, and it is known that he died in 1686.
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Russian painter Leonid Osipovich Pasternak
Rubinstein and Scriabin, Tolstoy and Gorky, Mechnikov and Einstein posed for him. He was famous for being a brilliant portraitist and master illustrator. His paintings are in the world’s largest museums and in galleries of hundreds of collectors. However, for many decades the name of Leonid Pasternak was forgotten. Perhaps the genius of his father overshadowed his brilliant son – the poet Boris Pasternak.

Born in April 1862 in Odessa, Leonid Pasternak was the youngest child in a large Jewish family, one of the oldest and most respected Jewish families, which comes from King David. Apparently, from an excess of feelings, his parents named him just two names – Abram and Isaac. However, the relatives called him exclusively Leonid. On this occasion, the artist even had to write explanations in official institutions. By the way, the name originally sounded not Pasternak, but Posternak.
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