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Vladimir StasovArt and music critic, art historian, archaeologist, public figure, honorary member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences
Date of Birth: 14.01.1824
Country:  Russia |
Content:
- Vladimir Stasov: A Pioneer of Russian Art
- Literary and Artistic Debut
- Advocacy for Realism and Democratic Art
- Influence on Russian Music and Art
- Historical and Critical Works
- Later Life and Legacy
Vladimir Stasov: A Pioneer of Russian Art
Early Life and EducationVladimir Vasilyevich Stasov was born on January 2, 1824, in St. Petersburg. He graduated from the School of Jurisprudence in 1843 and served in various government departments before joining the Public Library in 1855.
Literary and Artistic Debut
From 1847 onwards, Stasov began contributing articles on literature, art, and music to St. Petersburg journals and newspapers. His writings reflected the principles of Russian revolutionary democratic aesthetics espoused by Belinsky, Herzen, and Chernyshevsky.
Advocacy for Realism and Democratic Art
Stasov vehemently opposed academicism in art, advocating for realistic and accessible art. He believed in the democraticization of artistic life and the importance of portraying the lives of ordinary people.
Influence on Russian Music and Art
Stasov was an active member of the "Mighty Handful" group of composers and was a close friend of many artists. He served as an ideological inspiration for the "Peredvizhniki" movement, a group of realist painters.
Historical and Critical Works
Stasov authored numerous works on Russian and Western European art history, as well as monographs on Russian composers and artists. His polemical and insightful critical writings made significant contributions to the development of the aesthetics of realistic art.
Later Life and Legacy
During the 1905-07 Revolution, Stasov expressed sympathy with the revolutionaries and defended Maxim Gorky from government persecution. He passed away on October 10, 1906, and was buried in the Master's Necropolis of St. Petersburg. A memorial plaque marks the house where he resided from 1854 to 1873.
