My favourite painter is Isaak Levitan (1860 – 1900). Levitan was born in the small Lithuanian town of Kibarty. His family was large and poor. That’s why the father took it to Moscow to improve matters.
When he was thirteen Levitan entered the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. At a student exhibition of 1880 Pavel Tretyakov bought the nineteen year old artist’s painting “Autumn Day at Sokolniky”. This was the first recognition of his talent. The work attemps to recreate the mood people have on a wet autumn day.
In 1880 – 1884 Levitan lived in Ostankino and painted a lot from nature. He painted such pictures as “Oak Grove in Autumn”’ (1880), “Oak – Tree” (1880), “Pines” (1880). In 1886 Levitan met the writer Anton Chekhov with whom he remained friends for the rest of his life. Among his wonderful works are: “Spring. Last Snow” (1895), “Apple-Trees in Blossom” (1896), “Golden Autumn” (1895), “Autumn” (1895) and others. All of them reflect lyrical beauty of nature. In 1898 Levitan was awarded the title of academician of landscape painting. His landscapes were exhibited at All-Russian Exhibitions and in Munich and Paris. “The Lake” (1899 – 1900) was the last picture he painted. He did not complete the picture as he wanted to.