, 1873-06-15
A GREAT RUSSIAN PAINTER.

All the national pride Of the Russians, espoc~
ially those Of the educated classes, says the
Baltic Gazette seems at present to concenaate
itself upon the great artist who has, quite recent
II, and, it might be said, very suddenly, revealed
himself to his highly gratided countlymen Ior; y;
if thora il country where people are Proto OF
their great ..uen, Russia deserves to o9 men
toned abova all o.hsrn. We hllude 20 4h sossns =
Exposition il Moscow. attract daily large
crowds OF delighted and, it might be. Sad,
almost astonished spectators. Tbs two paint
ings are et very 1arse ths s'ze! rasa ana rep REP
The impression which they produce on the
| beholder Is almost overwhelming. Such terrible
! reality, such wonderful grouping, such superb
colonng-truly. Horace Vornet never paintea
anything better in a his pamess t a. aa5s n
sside BY aide NTH those Of the Russian, whose
two nsintinps have suddenly made h11n 1amous,
and raised him from poverty aEd obscur1ty to
wealth for the paintings Were instantly Pa10 Pl
shassa s4sr for s1 ins 1pPsss ps So1 &as e. 81
rubles, and every Russian Who has thss su1n
considers himself very Crnsus.
:" But who Is Vogisny Tatkelef Z" asked every~
body on the opening day OF t5e MOSCOW %os ,nd ge
he was great master. All that the managers
knew about him was that he lived at emau
village near Borissov, and that he had sent the
two paintings in old-fashionod, decidedly clumsy
~ Masg a@ss Of NJ e92{{ Sst{d Ihe sdto1 Of
the Moscow Gazette, found remedy in the en-.
ereency. He sent two of his most Accomplished
assistants in search Of II. Voglsny Iatkelen
and not only did they ascertain nn ABOUT me
past history of the CREST painter,-to whom, N
| their report, they gave the proud name OF inc
Russian Raphaef-but they brought him per
sonzII1 % WITH them to Moscow. When, on the
9Th Of March, Count Barnnowlee the FIeSlasnr t1a
~ ~ A. sni ;mnromptu meeting, attended by many
rnambcrs OF the elite OF Russian society, tne ap
! pearauce Of the man excited "a much surprise ID
| his works had DONE -:.x, ~.
Imagine little, slender man OF ~, "ltn tar tne
head Of child, almost beard1ess, only ie~
tnfts Of silyar-g1ny hair on his scalp With small
elegant hands and :eet, plainly clsd IN the "a.
tiond costume Of the middle classes, with sue
timid manners Of 4 little girl, and you have D.
fore your eyes the man wig tin,e. @.n f
His history is equally singular. HIS father,
1yan Tatkelen, Was the serf OF q humane and
enliebted nob1eman in the Borissov Government
Vogisny Tatkele, when little Dqy y.rafencs qne nss
This proprietor Of his father and himself acci-
IDENTIFY passed by, aud was struck oy me closs
S rssamb1anoe which some OF the faces traced
by the boy bore to welknovn residents o. ;..e tne
village. In consequence, ne 1nqu'[1ha % ht.,,a3 40
much proficiency as Inner. The boy "as
unable TO tell him. He could neither read nor
write. Tho noblemau promised to have nun
adncatad. He received lessons from sesela'
ttonishing talents in drawing. portraits. n ms
14th wear he painted portrait OF n1a oenelai.1.
in nj. and it was pronounced an excelen1
nroduction. The nobleInan intended to etnan-
cipate him but he lost bis whole forums a muen
Yogisny was 10 years old, ana IN :n1es coHss
ouence' the latter met with number Of mls1o1-
tnne and eufferiugs, such as we're possible ony
in Russis prior to the liberation Of the se-1s-
The new owner Of the estate Was soraid, grasp
| ip1 man, destitute Of aesthetic 1eennes &c.
to the horror Of young Vogisny, he forced the
latter into the regular army. where, lncreolole %
say. he had to serve fifteen long years Is Pr
yate soldier His superiors, as general tnng,
were brutal and Ignorant Man ana on,aimsJ nfn npa
known and undsveloped, and the only manno. 1ser
n which he could show them Was during the
| two last years Of his service N the afm}, Wnea
At Ms sna d. TsSn 1a'na hs
permitted to fresco the walls Of the dlnlng-too1m
fn The house Of q relative Of the Colonel OF ths
| infantry regiment to which he belonged:
During the whole Of this time the unloi W. 70
! man MAS 40 poor that he WIS but rarely aole 70
purchase drawing-paper and pencils, with wn1sn e.;
| IN his few spare hours, be gave vent 70 AZ
genius. To buy canvas and colors he could no+
think OF. At length IN 1s49, ne Vaa d1scnatgeo; ~
his parents and tho rest Of his relatives dead.
what vas he to do? He was too feeble to 90
the hard work Of Russian peasant -; sna s3.4 30 no
went to the widow OF the omnel 81 anp 10 S;ag1
and asked her for the humble position OF vlnIse &
teacher. To bis joyful surprise, ne lou a N M nez
cultivated and liberal lady she vas isbeS not LILY
in discovering his talents ana oan,nlcaa nIhsI liz
Tatkelen With ample means 70 comPIused pa}aed II to
artistic studies. But one tnlng sns go Pnaas.
and, moreover in return for her aeslesanse ne he
was to let her haye Tue nIse cnuc1 asf, T.4ta.
should paint anything On Algo sssao 49,
lef had no idea thAt nus p1ouuc1os w ~ ~ -
valuable he led an easy. 4olst ~. e ~ %, 10
=. ass.aaa f-o-. +ba War IN the CaI1casuo IN
wh;ch ha had taken an ectiye part. In 1854"
he accompanied the son Of his pro-
tsctress to the Crimean Var, and there
had The misfortune Of being struck
With partial blindness. This compelled