Vasily Vasilyevich Vereshchagin
(1842 – 1904)
Mount Kazbek in the Caucasus, s.a.
oil on canvas
29x19.8cm
MG-147
The portrayal of the awe-inspiring Mount Kazbek in modern-day Georgia, situated within the Caucasus Mountain range, was likely painted by Vereshchagin around the 1870s. During this period, he began to distance himself from the rigorous academic style of his Parisian professor, Jean-Léon Gérôme. Using linear perspective, the artwork captures distant vistas gradually ascending through haze towards the snow-capped summit of Mount Kazbek. In this instance, Vereshchagin abandons the almost photographically realist style, a hallmark of his later works, and embraces a freer approach. He sheds detailed description, focusing instead on elemental artistic expressions and emphasising the impression of the landscape rather than its literal depiction.
Vasily Vasilyevich Vereshchagin completed his studies at the St. Petersburg Academy of Fine Arts before traveling to Paris to study under Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824–1904). He embarked on extensive travels, with his journeys through Central Asia being notably influential. Before pursuing art, he graduated from naval school and later participated in military campaigns. In 1871, he established his own studio in Munich. This museum painting likely dates from that period. He is renowned for his depictions from the Russo-Turkish War, a conflict in which he was actively involved. Despite achieving worldwide acclaim, an exhibition featuring his realistic works, including portrayals of Russian soldiers, was prohibited in Russia due to official claims of disparaging the Russian military.
Text: Dajana Vlaisavljević, museum consultant of the National Museum of Modern Art © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb
Translated by: Robertina Tomić
Photo: Goran Vranić © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb