A Birch Grove
History
History
-------

### Previous events

[left\|thumb\|Arkhip Kuindzhi. *Pine Forest with River* (1878, State Russian Museum of Fine Arts)](/wiki/File:Kuindzhi_Pine_forest_with_a_river_1878_grm.jpg "Kuindzhi Pine forest with a river 1878 grm.jpg")

From 1866 Arkhip Kuindzhi lived in [St. Petersburg](/wiki/Saint_Petersburg "Saint Petersburg"). He worked in a photo studio as a retoucher, then began attending classes at the [Academy of Arts](/wiki/Imperial_Academy_of_Arts "Imperial Academy of Arts"), and in 1868 received the title of [non\-class artist](/wiki/%D0%9A%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%81%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D1%85%D1%83%D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%B6%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA "Классный художник").*М. Ф. Киселёв.* [Куинджи Архип Иванович](https://old.bigenc.ru/fine_art/text/2119754) (HTML). [Большая российская энциклопедия](/wiki/Great_Russian_Encyclopedia "Great Russian Encyclopedia") — bigenc.ru. Дата обращения: 8 June 2020\. [Archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20200507044947/https://bigenc.ru/fine_art/text/2119754): 7 May 2020\.Летопись жизни и творчества Архипа Ивановича Куинджи // Архип Куинджи / Т. Л. Карпова, О. Д. Атрощенко, А. А. Ефимова. — М.: [Государственная Третьяковская галерея](/wiki/Tretyakov_Gallery "Tretyakov Gallery"), 2018\. — pp. 318–347\. — 360 p. — pp. 318–319\. — . From 1868, Kuindzhi exhibited his works at the Annual Exhibitions of the Academy of Arts, as well as at the exhibitions of the [Society for the Encouragement of Artists](/wiki/Imperial_Society_for_the_Encouragement_of_the_Arts "Imperial Society for the Encouragement of the Arts").Летопись жизни и творчества Архипа Ивановича Куинджи // Архип Куинджи / Т. Л. Карпова, О. Д. Атрощенко, А. А. Ефимова. — М.: Государственная Третьяковская галерея, 2018\. — pp. 318–347\. — 360 p. — pp. 319–321\. — . In 1872, he was awarded the title of artist of the 3rd class.Летопись жизни и творчества Архипа Ивановича Куинджи // Архип Куинджи / Т. Л. Карпова, О. Д. Атрощенко, А. А. Ефимова. — М.: Государственная Третьяковская галерея, 2018\. — pp. 318–347\. — 360 p. — P. 320\. — . Kuindzhi made his debut at the Peredvizhniki exhibitions in 1874, at the 3rd Society's of Travelling Art Exhibitions his landscape *[A Forgotten Village](/wiki/A_Forgotten_Village "A Forgotten Village")* was exhibited. In 1875 he became a member of the society. Kuindzhi's canvas *[Ukrainian Night](/wiki/Ukrainian_Night "Ukrainian Night")*, presented at the 5th Travelling Exhibition (opened in March 1876\),Летопись жизни и творчества Архипа Ивановича Куинджи // Архип Куинджи / Т. Л. Карпова, О. Д. Атрощенко, А. А. Ефимова. — М.: Государственная Третьяковская галерея, 2018\. — pp. 318–347\. — 360 p. — P. 323\. — . and then successfully exhibited at the 1878 [Exposition Universelle](/wiki/Exposition_Universelle_%281878%29 "Exposition Universelle (1878)") in [Paris](/wiki/Paris "Paris"), attracted much attention. In 1878, the Council of the Academy of Arts awarded Kuindzhi the title of artist of the 1st class.Летопись жизни и творчества Архипа Ивановича Куинджи // Архип Куинджи / Т. Л. Карпова, О. Д. Атрощенко, А. А. Ефимова. — М.: Государственная Третьяковская галерея, 2018\. — pp. 318–347\. — 360 p. — pp. 324–325\. — .

According to some information, Kuindzhi worked on sketches depicting birch trees from 1876\. Researchers of the artist's work believe that one of the first [studies](/wiki/Study_%28art%29 "Study (art)") directly related to the idea of the painting *A Birch Grove*, could be a landscape from 1878, *Pine Forest with a River* (canvas on cardboard, oil, 25\.6 × 33\.4 cm, 1878, [State Russian Museum](/wiki/Russian_Museum "Russian Museum"), inv. Zh\-1114\),Архип Куинджи из собрания Русского музея / И. Н. Шувалова. — СПб.: Palace Editions, 2015\. — 180 p. — pp. 90–91\. — . the composition of which is close to [Ivan Shishkin](/wiki/Ivan_Shishkin "Ivan Shishkin")'s canvas *A Ship Grove*. While working on the future painting *A Birch Grove*, Kuindzhi did a number of [sketches](/wiki/Sketch_%28drawing%29 "Sketch (drawing)"), most of which date back to 1879\. At least five painting sketches are known to exist: three of them are kept in the State Russian Museum,Государственный Русский музей — каталог собрания / Г. Н. Голдовский, В. А. Леняшин. — СПб.: Palace Editions, 2016\. — V. 6: Живопись второй половины XIX века (К—М). — 176 p. — P. 78\. — .Государственный Русский музей — Живопись, XVIII — начало XX века (каталог). — Л.: Аврора и Искусство, 1980\. — 448 p. Архип Куинджи из собрания Русского музея / И. Н. Шувалова. — СПб.: Palace Editions, 2015\. — 180 p. — pp. 70–73\. — . and one each in the State Tretyakov Gallery and the State Art Museum of Nizhny Novgorod.Куинджи Архип Иванович — «Берёзовая роща» (HTML). Государственный каталог Музейного фонда Российской Федерации — goskatalog.ru. Дата обращения: 14 May 2020\. [Archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20190622041253/https://goskatalog.ru/portal/#/collections?id=5438899): 22 June 2019\. From 1876 Kuindzhi lived and worked in a house at the intersection of Maly Prospect and 16th Street of [Vasilyevsky Island](/wiki/Vasilyevsky_Island "Vasilyevsky Island"). It was there that he worked on the painting *A Birch Grove*, begun in 1878 and completed in early 1879\.

### The 7th Exhibition of the Association of Travelling Art Exhibitions

[thumb\|[Ivan Kramskoy](/wiki/Ivan_Kramskoi "Ivan Kramskoi"). Portrait of A. I. Kuindzhi (late 1870s, NIM RAH)](/wiki/File:Kuindzi_by_I.Kramskoy_%281870s%2C_RAN%29.jpg "Kuindzi by I.Kramskoy (1870s, RAN).jpg")

The canvas *A Birch Grove* was exhibited for the first time in 1879 at the 7th Exhibition of the Society of Travelling Art Exhibitions ("Peredvizhniki"), together with two other paintings by the artist: *[After the Rain](/wiki/%D0%9F%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BB%D0%B5_%D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%B6%D0%B4%D1%8F_%28%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%9A%D1%83%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B6%D0%B8%29 "После дождя (картина Куинджи)")* and *[North](/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%80_%28%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%9A%D1%83%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B6%D0%B8%29 "Север (картина Куинджи)")*. The exhibition was opened on February 23, 1879 in St. Petersburg, where it lasted until March 25\. The opening of the exhibition was delayed, mainly due to the unreadiness of Kuindzhi's landscapes. According to the artist Ivan Kramskoi, "the hall was being cleared, and Kuindzhi could not yet hang it, and it is too necessary to have it".Товарищество передвижных художественных выставок. Письма, документы. 1869—1899 / В. В. Андреева, М. В. Астафьева, С. Н. Гольдштейн, Н. Л. Приймак. — М.: Искусство, 1987\. — 668 p. — P. 565\. In a letter to [Vasily Polenov](/wiki/Vasily_Polenov "Vasily Polenov") dated February 18, Kramskoi reported, "Kuindzhi is delaying, and he has things that are too important to ignore".Товарищество передвижных художественных выставок. Письма, документы. 1869—1899 / В. В. Андреева, М. В. Астафьева, С. Н. Гольдштейн, Н. Л. Приймак. — М.: Искусство, 1987\. — 668 p. — P. 176\. The delay was a source of irritation for the organizers of the Moscow section of the touring exhibition — in a letter to Kramskoi on February 23, the artist [Ilya Repin](/wiki/Ilya_Repin "Ilya Repin") wrote: "Kuindzhi is not ready? Seven are not waiting for one; and it was very easy to add him after the opening". Kuindzhi's canvases appeared in the exhibition two days after its opening — on February 25\. According to Kramsky, "Kuindzhi exhibited the paintings and did not spoil them, although he neither improved them".
[left\|thumb\|[Alexander Lebedev](/wiki/%D0%9B%D0%B5%D0%B1%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%B2%2C_%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80_%D0%98%D0%B3%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%8C%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87 "Лебедев, Александр Игнатьевич"). Kuindzhi. [Yablochkov Candle](/wiki/Yablochkov_candle "Yablochkov candle") (caricature in the magazine *[Strekoza](/wiki/Strekoza "Strekoza")*, 1879\)](/wiki/File:Strekoza_Kuindzhi_Svet_Yablochkova.jpg "Strekoza Kuindzhi Svet Yablochkova.jpg")
The greatest impression was made by *A Birch Grove* — both artists and spectators who visited the exhibition noted "the extraordinary nature of the picture", which later became one of Kuindzhi's most famous works. Some of the artists' reviews of *A Birch Grove* are known from the words of contemporaries: Ivan Shishkin said: "This is not a painting, and from it you can write a picture...", and [Vladimir Orlovsky](/wiki/Vladimir_Orlovsky "Vladimir Orlovsky") admitted: "I never thought, never imagined that it was possible to bring the picture to such relief. It is not a picture, it is nature". In a letter to Pavel Tretyakov dated March 1, 1879, [Ivan Kramskoi](/wiki/Ivan_Kramskoi "Ivan Kramskoi") wrote about the reaction caused by the appearance of Kuindzhi's paintings at the exhibition: "The public received them enthusiastically, artists (that is, landscape artists) at the first moment dazed, they did not prepare, a long time were with open jaws and only now begin to gather their courage and then angrily, then secretly let various rumors and opinions, many reach a high comic in the denial of his paintings, so... cheers!" Some viewers suspected Kuindzhi of being a magician and believed the rumors that had spread that "the picture was painted on glass and illuminated from behind by a lamp".

On March 15, the newspaper *[Novoe Vremya](/wiki/Novoye_Vremya_%28newspaper%29 "Novoye Vremya (newspaper)")* (No. 1093, p. 4\) published a detailed review by Vladimir Stasov entitled "Art Exhibitions of 1879", which praised Kuindzhi's "unusually poetic feeling and view" and also noted the originality of his paintings. Kuindzhi's popularity was also evidenced by [Alexander Lebedev's](/wiki/%D0%9B%D0%B5%D0%B1%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%B2%2C_%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80_%D0%98%D0%B3%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%8C%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87 "Лебедев, Александр Игнатьевич") friendly [caricature](/wiki/Caricature "Caricature") "Kuindzhi. [Yablochkov Candle](/wiki/Yablochkov_candle "Yablochkov candle")", which was placed on the cover of the magazine *[Strekoza](/wiki/Strekoza "Strekoza")* (No. 11, March 18, 1879\) — the caricature depicted the artist standing next to *A Birch Grove*. Directly from the exhibition, all three of Kuindzhi's paintings, including *A Birch Grove*, were bought from the artist by Pavel Tretyakov for 6,500 rubles.

The Moscow part of the 7th Travelling Exhibition was opened on April 22, 1879\. Shortly thereafter, the newspaper *[Molva](/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B2%D0%B0_%28%D0%B3%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B0%2C_1879%E2%80%941881%29 "Молва (газета, 1879—1881)")* (No. 112, April 25, 1879\) published an article "Brief notes (on reviews of art exhibitions and on the paintings of Mr. Kuindzhi)" signed by the pseudonym "Lubitel".Товарищество передвижных художественных выставок. Письма, документы. 1869—1899 / В. В. Андреева, М. В. Астафьева, С. Н. Гольдштейн, Н. Л. Приймак. — М.: Искусство, 1987\. — 668 p. — P. 567\. "Lubitel" spoke negatively about Kuindzhi's work and sharply criticized his paintings exhibited at the exhibition. In particular, he wrote: "Anyone who has ever observed in nature the relations of tones that give sunlight, who has ever studied the laws of transitions of one tone into another with different light effects, will agree that the light effects in Kuindzhi's paintings are exaggerated and completely wrong". As for the *A Birch Grove*, "Lubitel" wrote that the trees in it do not grow, and "rastykana", they are "precisely cut out of cardboard, painted in a dirty\-green shade and placed as a decoration".Товарищество передвижных художественных выставок. Письма, документы. 1869—1899 / В. В. Андреева, М. В. Астафьева, С. Н. Гольдштейн, Н. Л. Приймак. — М.: Искусство, 1987\. — 668 p. — P. 568\. In December 1879 it turned out that the author hiding behind the pseudonym "Lubitel" was one of the founding members of the organization of artist\-pervizhniks, [Mikhail Clodt](/wiki/Mikhail_Clodt_von_J%C3%BCrgensburg "Mikhail Clodt von Jürgensburg").Архип Куинджи из собрания Русского музея / И. Н. Шувалова. — СПб.: Palace Editions, 2015\. — 180 p. — pp. 12–13\. — . Angered by this act, Kuindzhi decided to withdraw from the partnership, which was finalized in early 1880\. Thus, the 1879 exhibition presenting *A Birch Grove* became the last traveling exhibition with his participation.

### Later events

[thumb\|Arkhip Kuindzhi. *A Birch Grove* (2nd variant, 1881, private collection)](/wiki/File:Kuindzhi_Birch_grove_version2_1881_c.jpg "Kuindzhi Birch grove version2 1881 c.jpg")[left\|thumb\|Arkhip Kuindzhi. *A Birch Grove* (3rd variant, 1901, [The National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus](/wiki/Belarusian_National_Arts_Museum "Belarusian National Arts Museum"))](/wiki/File:%D0%9A%D1%83%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B6%D0%B8_-_%D0%91%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B7%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%89%D0%B0_1901.jpg "Куинджи - Березовая роща 1901.jpg")

In September 1880 Kuindzhi finished the painting *[Moonlit Night on the Dnieper](/wiki/Moonlit_Night_on_the_Dnieper "Moonlit Night on the Dnieper")*.Архип Куинджи из собрания Русского музея / И. Н. Шувалова. — СПб.: Palace Editions, 2015\. — 180 p. — P. 13\. — . In October and November of the same year the painting was exhibited in the building of the [Society for the Encouragement of Artists](/wiki/Imperial_Society_for_the_Encouragement_of_the_Arts "Imperial Society for the Encouragement of the Arts"), on Bolshaya Morskaya Street in St. Petersburg, and it was the first time in the history of Russian art when the only painting was shown at the exhibition.

In 1882, Kuindzhi organized another personal exhibition, which included three paintings: the second version of the canvas *A Birch Grove* (1881\), the second version of the painting *Night on the Dnieper*, as well as a new work, *[Dnieper in the Morning](/wiki/%D0%94%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%BF%D1%80_%D1%83%D1%82%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BC "Днепр утром")* (now in the State Tretyakov Gallery). The exhibition was held in [Solodovnikov's house](/wiki/%D0%9F%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%B6_%D0%A1%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0 "Пассаж Солодовникова") on [Kuznetsky Most](/wiki/Kuznetsky_Most "Kuznetsky Most") and the paintings were displayed in daylight.

```
This exhibition turned out to be the last public exhibition in Kuindzhi's creative activity: until the end of his life he continued to create new works, but did not show them to the public.
```

For a long time, almost nothing was known about Kuindzhi's new works. In 1901, he organized several private exhibitions, where four works were presented to close acquaintances: *A Birch Grove* (1901, now in the [Belarusian National Arts Museum](/wiki/Belarusian_National_Arts_Museum "Belarusian National Arts Museum")), a revised *[Evening in Ukraine](/wiki/Evening_in_Ukraine "Evening in Ukraine")* (1878, completed in 1901, now in the GRM), *Dnieper* (1901, now in the [Pskov Museum\-Reserve](/wiki/%D0%9C%D1%83%D0%B7%D0%B5%D0%B8_%D0%9F%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B9_%D0%BE%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8 "Музеи Псковской области"), a variant of the painting *Dnieper in the Morning*, 1881\) and *[Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane](/wiki/%D0%A5%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%81_%D0%B2_%D0%93%D0%B5%D1%84%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BC_%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%B4%D1%83_%28%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%9A%D1%83%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B6%D0%B8%29 "Христос в Гефсиманском саду (картина Куинджи)")* (1901, now in the [Vorontsov Palace\-Museum](/wiki/Vorontsov_Palace_%28Alupka%29 "Vorontsov Palace (Alupka)"), [Alupka](/wiki/Alupka "Alupka")).Притяжение земли // Архип Куинджи / Т. Л. Карпова, О. Д. Атрощенко, А. А. Ефимова. — М.: Государственная Третьяковская галерея, 2018\. — pp. 63–120\. — 360 p. — P. 100\. — .

Subsequently, *A Birch Grove* (the original version, created in 1879 and purchased by Pavel Tretyakov) was exhibited at a number of exhibitions, including the exhibition in the Tretyakov Gallery dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the death of P.M. Tretyakov (1923\) and the exhibition of Russian art of the 18th–20th centuries (1957, Beijing). From 1971 to 1972 the canvas appeared in the exhibition *Landscape Painting of the Peredvizhniki* (Kyiv, Leningrad, Minsk, Moscow) on the occasion of the centenary of the [Society for Travelling Art Exhibitions](/wiki/Peredvizhniki "Peredvizhniki"), in 1983–198 — in the exhibition of the Academy of Arts of the USSR (Moscow); and in 1992, in the exhibition dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the birth of Kuindzhi (Moscow). It was also one of the exhibits of the exhibition of the works of Arkhip Kuindzhi, held from October 2018 to February 2019 in the technical building of the Tretyakov Gallery.*И. Владимиров.* [От заката до рассвета. Третьяковская галерея с 6 октября по 17 февраля покажет ретроспективу Куинджи](https://rg.ru/2018/10/03/tretiakovskaia-galereia-pokazhet-retrospektivu-kuindzhi.html) (HTML) (6 октября 2018\). Дата обращения: 9 May 2020\. [Archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20200105200142/https://rg.ru/2018/10/03/tretiakovskaia-galereia-pokazhet-retrospektivu-kuindzhi.html): 5 January 2020\. , the painting *A Birch Grove* was exhibited in room 21 of the main building of the Tretyakov Gallery on Lavrushinsky Lane.


What impact has the repeated exhibition of A Birch Grove had on its public perception?