Isaak Levitan’s enduring appeal and Russian national identity, 1891-present

ABSTRACT Since the late nineteenth century, the landscapist Isaak Levitan (1860–1900) has been praised for his ability to convey the Russian countryside’s beauty and mood. Throughout the czarist and Soviet eras, Levitan remained respected and often admired, and in post-Soviet Russia, Levitan is considered one of Russia’s foremost landscapists. Although Levitan has remained an important figure in Russian cultural history, he is somewhat understudied in the English-speaking world. Moreover, scholars who have discussed Levitan in English- and Russian-language publications have situated him within the context of a specific timeframe, such as late-Imperial Russia or the Soviet era. In order to gain insight into the reasons for the continuous respect and appreciation for Levitan amid Russia’s changing political dynamics, my examination focuses upon the writings of art critics and historians in late-czarist/imperial Russia (1890–1917), communist Russia/Soviet Union (1917–1991), and post-Soviet Russia (1991-Present). Specifically, my inquiry expands upon existing research 1) through an analysis of scholars’ perceptions of the Russian Realists’ (the Itinerants) and Western European artists’ influence upon Levitan, and 2) through an exploration of the varying interpretations of two of his most famous paintings, Tikhaia obitel (Quiet Monastery) (1890) and Nad vechnym pokoem (Above Eternal Peace) (1894). Through a study of these two topics, my article demonstrates that writings from scholars in the late-czarist, Soviet and post-Soviet eras reflect prominent political ideas and ideological beliefs within these three eras, and that these scholars’ interpretations emphasize aspects that have defined and that currently accent Russia’s distinct character.