拍品專文
The son of a priest from the village of Lopial in Viatka province, V.M. Vasnetsov (1848-1926) entered its theological seminary in 1858. However, at an early age, he began drawing and was fascinated by Russian national epics. He left the seminary and entered the Academy of Arts in St.Petersburg where he studied from 1868 until 1875, exhibiting his works at the Society for the furtherance of the Arts in 1872-74. At the Academy he met the renowned art critic V.V. Stasov and became friends with Repin, Antokol'skii and Kramskoi.
In 1876 his friends encouraged him to travel and he settled for a time on the outskirts of Paris, but, drawn by his love of Russia, returned to Moscow in 1878, and started to paint subjects from Russian history and folklore. His first historical painting 'After Igor Sviatoslaviah's Battle with Polovtsi' (1880) was included in the Eighth Wanderers exhibition. He continued working on historical subjects and creating architectural designs for the Tret'iakov Gallery, where his monumental work 'The Bogatyrs' was hung, and for private houses.
In 1876 his friends encouraged him to travel and he settled for a time on the outskirts of Paris, but, drawn by his love of Russia, returned to Moscow in 1878, and started to paint subjects from Russian history and folklore. His first historical painting 'After Igor Sviatoslaviah's Battle with Polovtsi' (1880) was included in the Eighth Wanderers exhibition. He continued working on historical subjects and creating architectural designs for the Tret'iakov Gallery, where his monumental work 'The Bogatyrs' was hung, and for private houses.