Russian Realisms: Literature and Painting, 1840–1890

Ilya Repin and Lev Tolstoy met in 1880, and Tolstoy's criticisms led Repin to reflect on the question of creative expression and conclude that the path to artistic truth is relative. Molly Brunson traces the tradition of nineteenth-century Russian realism, which spanned almost half a century, from the Natural School and the critical realism of the age of reform to the mature masterpieces of Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and the paintings of the Wanderers. Brunson argues for a conceptualization of realism that transcends artistic media, highlighting the common ground in their struggles for artistic realism and their cultural autonomy and legitimacy.

Format: Hardback
Length: 426 pages
Publication date: 05 July 2022
Publisher: Academic Studies Press

On a crisp autumn evening in 1880, the renowned Russian painter Ilya Repin received an unexpected visit at his home from the esteemed author Lev Tolstoy. The two intellectuals engaged in an extensive conversation that lasted for several hours, during which Tolstoy critically examined the sketches showcased in Repin's studio. Tolstoy's critiques would ultimately prompt Repin to contemplate the realm of creative expression and reach a profound conclusion: that the path to artistic truth is relative, contingent upon the chosen mode and medium of representation.

In this groundbreaking original study, Molly Brunson meticulously traces the diverse pathways that converged to shape the remarkable tradition of nineteenth-century Russian realism, a legacy that spanned nearly fifty years. From the youthful endeavors of the Natural School and the critical realism of the reform era to the mature masterpieces of Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and the paintings of the Wanderers, Repin, notably among them, Brunson explores the emergence of multiple realisms amidst the gaps, disruptions, and uncertainties inherent in the self-conscious pursuit of representing reality. These manifestations of realism are united not by their visual aesthetic or descriptive content, but by their shared recognition of the fraught yet essential task of representation.

By delving into the classics of this tradition, Brunson endeavors to unravel the emergence of multiple realisms from the spaces of ambiguity, rupture, and skepticism that accompany the self-aware endeavor of portraying reality. These expressions of realism are interconnected not by their outward appearance or the narratives they convey, but by their shared consciousness of the challenging yet crucial responsibility of representation. By tracing the interplay between literature and painting in their engagement with aesthetic debates on the sister arts, Brunson advocates for a conceptualization of realism that transcends the boundaries of artistic mediums.

Russian Realisms serves as a comprehensive exploration, seamlessly integrating the lesser-known tradition of Russian painting with the familiar masterpieces of Russia's great novelists. It highlights both the shared struggles for artistic realism and the cultural autonomy and legitimacy of these artistic movements. This erudite study will captivate scholars with an interest in Russian literature and art, comparative literature, art history, and nineteenth-century realist movements.

Weight: 746g
Dimension: 158 x 237 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781644698068