Klever Yuliy

River landscape at the sunset 35,6х45,7 сm, oil on canvas, the end of the XIX century
About work

The motives for the paintings, the artist took the most from the nature of his homeland, the Baltic Region, reproducing, mainly, melancholic impression overcast and rainy autumn, or the effects of bright sunshine sunset and sunrise in the winter. One of these paintings “River landscape at the sunset” represented in this collection. This swimming bright crimson light of winter in rural landscape, masterfully executed, wonderful in strength, harmony and truth paints. According to the author, he has worked “exploring, peering, pondering… The most modest, simple-minded marvelous beautiful corner of nature, if the painter will be able to feel it with intelligent love …”

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Klever Yuliy Ulievich
(1850, Derpt – 1924, St. Petersburg)

Yuliy Klever was born and raised in Derpt. So during last times the ancient Estonian city of Tartu was called. In early years he studied with the German painter Karl Kyugelkhen. In 1867 the future artist received to the Imperial Academy of Arts, on the architectural department, but soon was transferred in 1870 and became a student of professor landscape painting S. M. Vorobiyov, and then M. K. Klodt. Sometime later, Klever decides to leave the walls of the institution, as later recalled by the words “I leave number of students, I have laid down the aim – to develop the talent without the aid of instructors, is unique working from nature”.

Recognition came to him quite early. When he was 23, his painting “Sunset” got the Great Princess Maria Nikolaevna. His other work “Birch wood” bought by a sovereign the emperor. Then followed by another event, one more victory: “Forest on the island Nargen (“Virgin forest”) has acquired Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov for his gallery. The picture “Island Nargen” acquired Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich. To keep up with the brother of Alexander III: he bought Kle- er’s “Forest in winter”. Top take-off for Uliy was in 1880 when he was on trip materials to the island Nargen wrote the picture “Backwoods”. Thanks to “Backwoods” Klever was named professor and chair of the Academy of Arts. Recognition of public, awards and titles has made Uliy Klever wealthy man. For seven years the artist has lived in Germany. During this time he rethought vital and career. As a result of meditations he wrote the book “Confession of Uliy Klever” which has been published in the “Petersburg newspaper” in 1915. After returning to Russia Uliy Klever organized the exhibition in Moscow, has made creative trips to Baltic, Finland, Belarus, Smolensk province.

During his creative life the artist wrote a large number of paintings. The picture plot “River landscape at the sunset” often meets in U. Klever’s works. This picture has something in common with a number of other works of the artist, such as “Evening silence” (1894), “Winter landscape” (1895), “Winter landscape” (1894) and many other things. Klever’s “effects”, give to works of bright individuality, originality, and recognition. U. Klever did not aspire to accuracy of the image and freely donated it to the expressiveness of the painting as a whole. He gladly wrote the autumn and winter, with their harsh and dramatic decorative effect.

In Soviet times, the artist continued to teach at the Academy of Arts and later at the Leningrad Higher Art and Industrial College of V. M. Mukhin. There he headed the department of monumental painting. He was honored artist of Russia.

Works by this artist knew and loved all of Russia. His landscapes enjoyed wide renown. Thousand reproductions of Uliy Klever dispersed on the country and far beyond Petersburg in which the artist worked the most part of the life. His works are in many private and museum collections around the world.

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Works IN COLLECTION

Works IN COLLECTION