Konstantin Egorovich Makovsky, 1839-1915

Haymaking is a rare example of Konstantin Makovsky’s genre painting. Indeed, only one other version of the composition of the offered lot is known, currently held in the State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.[1] Dated 1873, Haymaking was executed at the peak of Makovsky’s fame and during a period of great popularity for this type of painting. Like many of his contemporaries, Makovsky was fascinated by scenes of the everyday. In Haymaking, as in his other works dating to the beginning of the 1870s such as Peasant Dinner During the Harvest  from 1871 and Children Running Away from a Thunderstorm of 1872 (fig. 1), the artist chooses to move away from the trend of unmasking peasants’ hardships, popular in the 1850-60s, and instead opts for an idyllic representation of simple country life. This is reflected in the artist’s use of vibrant colours.

Makovsky’s life, personality and temperament give clues to understanding his art. Konstantin Makovsky lived a long and remarkably happy life. His talent was widely recognised, his wealth envied, he married beautiful women and was favoured by the Tsar. In Makovsky’s own words ‘…life is so beautiful when you take it well in hand!’ Such a positive outlook is projected onto his canvases – an idealised landscape, beautiful people and a poetic atmosphere are all found in Haymaking. Makovsky’s artistic talent and strong sentiment, characterised by bold brushstrokes and decorative colouring, are represented at their best in this work.

The offered lot also incorporates one of Makovsky’s favourite subject matters – children, who regularly appear not only in portraiture but also in his genre painting, particularly in his work of the 1870s and 1880s. Endearing images of children aroused sentimental feelings in the viewer and their brilliant and seemingly effortless artistic execution in Haymaking, makes this both an original and memorable work. Although children are the main focus of the composition, the representation of nature also allows Makovsky to showcase his abilities as a landscape artist. The foreground is painted carefully and in great detail, in contrast to the background scenery, creating an impressive sense of depth.         

Best known as a painter of peasant scenes and founding member of the revolutionary movement known as the "Wanderers," Makovsky established himself early on as a champion of Russian subject matter. In terms of style, the artistic talent of Konstantin Makovsky was developed under the influence of two major schools of painting in Moscow and St. Petersburg represented by V. Perov and K. Briullov respectively. As a result these elements, reworked by Makovsky, were transformed in to a new and attractive style characteristic of Konstantin Makovsky, which remained unchanged regardless of the subject-matter.

Konstantin Makovsky’s body of work occupies a prominent place in Russian realistic painting of the second half of the 19^th and early 20^th century. He was the most popular academic painter of his time, and was once called the ‘Russian Rubens’. As Alexander Benois remembers: ‘Makovsky captivated all the classes of the society. If there was a popular artist in Russia, it was him. Perhaps he wasn’t worshipped or called God, but everyone loved him, and loved his very flaws – and this is what connected the artist with his time’.  

[1] Konstantin Makovsky, Haymaking, 1878, oil on board, The State Russian Museum, St.Petersburg, Inv No Æ-8679