Ilya Repin

Ilya Repin

Ilya Repin (Ilja Repin) was a Ukrainian-Russian realism painter who lived from 1844 to 1930. Repin was one of the most well-known Russian artists from his day. His notoriety was worldwide. He was part of the Peredvizhniki School along with such greats as Ivan Shishkin, Arkhip Kuindzhi, and many others.

Repin was born in Chuguyev, Ukraine to a military family. They were a poor family and at just 12 years old, he started an art apprenticeship working for a local icon painter to help bring in money. He worked at this until leaving to attend the Imperial Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg, Russia. During his studies, Repin traveled to both Italy and France to further his education. It was there that he was exposed to and influenced by Rembrandt van Rijn and other European masters.

Repin joined the Peredvizhniki art movement that was challenging the traditional academic approaches to art. He was commissioned to paint “Barge Haulers on the Volga” by Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich. His success and fame upon its completion solidified his place in art history and firmly established his art career. A constant and recurring theme in Repin’s work was to depict the working class and rural lifeways that he felt a close connection to. As his career progressed, he tackled the heavier subjects of religion, revolution, and class strife.

In 1898, Repin moved to an estate in Finland, which was part of the greater Saint Petersburg area. He supported the Russian Revolution of 1917, but after the revolution, the borders between Finland and Russia were closed. Though he was asked to return to Russia afterwards, he never returned. Ilya Repin died in 1930, at his home in Kuokkala, Finland, just north of Saint Petersburg. Soon afterwards, Kuokkala became part of the greater Saint Petersburg region and Russia. It was renamed to Repino in Repin’s honor.

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