Grachov Vasily (1831-1905) – is considered to be the one of the best masters of small plastics of the XIX century. The main theme of the works is genre scenes depicting people, horses, episodes of historical and military themes. Grachev’s works are characterized by vitality, realistic interpretation of the plot, careful processing of details and textured surfaces, as well as masterful transmission of the dynamics of movement.
Education
Grachov’s creative activity began with the fact that as a child he was sent to study to a minting specialist V. Andreev. The training took place in St. Petersburg and lasted for six years. Later Grachov entered the masters of silver, among whom was IS Sazikov. He also worked as a minter at jewelry factories PA Ovchinnikova, IS Sazikova, VI Safronov and a number of other well-known manufacturers in the country. It was under the brand of these factories that most of Grachov’s works, bronze and silver, were produced.
However, in the process of metal processing Grachov became interested in sculpture and decided to learn this craft on their own.
Creative path
In the plots of sculptors of the 19th century, animals are very common, and most often a horse. He was present in Grachov’s works especially often, being a silent witness to numerous scenes. This passion of Russian sculptors for horses is due to several reasons.
It all started with the fact that in the 1830s in France, sculptors AL Bari and K. Fratu presented numerous sculptures depicting animals. Parisian critics immediately mockingly called the new trend animalism, that is, a trend that respects animals, recognizes the existence of saints among animals. But the detailed depiction of animals suddenly opened up new spaces for sculptors to develop plots, so in the following decades, animalism continued to develop actively, retaining its name. The great love of many sculptors for horses contributed to the development of the so-called horse theme. They were excellent riders and considered horses to be noble and devoted animals.
He died on May 26 (June 7), 1905, in the city of St. Petersburg.
