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Isaac Levitan (1860 - 1900) was a master Russian painter known mostly for his remarkable and diverse landscapes. He is one of the first artists I look to whenever I am in need of landscape painting inspiration. In this post, I take a closer look at his life and art.
Key Facts About Isaac Levitan
- Isaac Levitan was born to a poor Jewish family in Kybartai, which was part of the Russian Empire at the time. Levitan and his family later relocated to Moscow, where Levitan began his artistic studies.
- He enrolled in the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in 1873. His brother Adolf had already been studying there for two years. Below is a portrait by him featuring a young Isaac Levitan.
- He worked with many other master Russian landscape painters, such as Alexei Savrasov, Vasily Perov, and Vasily Polenov. Below is one of Savrasov's paintings which shows similarities with Levitan's work, particularly the subtle colors and delicate brushwork.
- His mother passed in 1875 and his father shortly after in 1877. Levitan slipped into poverty and was basically homeless, spending several nights at the Moscow School of Painting. Due to this hardship and his artistic talents, the School provided him with a scholarship to continue studying.
- In the same year of his father's death, Levitan started to gain recognition for his work. He exhibited with a group of Russian realist artists who went by the name Peredvizhniki (or the Wanderers). He won two silver medals for his paintings Sunny Day. Springtime (shown below) and Evening and Sunny Day. His painting below, and many of his other early works, lean towards realism and almost feel a bit tight. As he gained experience, he got more relaxed and impressionistic.
- In May 1879, there was an assassination attempt on Alexander II and all Jewish people living in large cities in Russia were ordered to leave. However, at the request of his teachers, collectors, and fans, Levitan was permitted to return to Moscow to continue his artistic endeavors.
- He continued to exhibit his art, paint with other masters like Konstantin Korovin, and continue to gain recognition for his work. Here is a great timeline of his life, which chronicles some of his achievements and travels.
- By the early 1890s, he was internationally famous for his work. He was elected to the Imperial Academy of Arts in 1897 and subsequently named head of the Landscape Studio in 1898.
- He lived a short but fulfilling life, passing away from illness at the relatively young age of 40 in 1890. He suffered from a heart condition for most of his life and it must have taken its toll, along with the hardship he suffered as a child. He left behind no family, but a great legacy and hundreds of artworks which continue to inspire. Below is his last painting, which he was unable to finish:
- He had an asteroid named after him: 3566 Levitan. It was discovered by a Soviet astronomer named Lyudmila Zhuravlyova in 1979.
A Closer Look at Isaac Levitan's Paintings
One thing you will notice about Levitan's landscape paintings is how diverse they are in terms of style and subject. His academic training allowed him to be such a versatile painter and, like many of the other Russian masters, it appears he was not timid about experimenting with his style and technique. Some paintings are delicately rendered and realistic, whilst others are bold and impressionistic.
Eternal Rest (below) has a sense of calmness about it. The water appears still and the colors are somber. There is a powerful contrast at the top of the painting, where the sunlight is shooting over the dramatic clouds which line the horizon. The building at the bottom, which appears relatively small and insignificant, gives a sense of scale in the painting.
The painting below is in stark contrast. The colors are rich and you get a sense of the strong sunlight coming from overhead. Blues dominate the painting, with small, orange accents in the distance.
Levitan did a fantastic job with the reflections in the water. Notice how light colors of the clouds are darker in the reflections. You will often find that reflections pull all the colors towards a middle-value range (the lights look a bit darker and the darks look a bit lighter).
I remember first coming across this painting on a website and being stunned by the use of color. It prompted me to explore more into Levitan's work, which was relatively unknown to me at the time. There is a strong sense of atmospheric perspective in this painting, with the colors getting weaker and cooler as they recede into the distance.
Below is one of Levitan's pastels, which features beautiful autumn yellows against a dull backdrop of grays and other weak colors.
Blooming Apple Trees is a delicate and complex painting. Levitan was clever in the way he simplified much of the "noise", but not so much that the subject loses form. For the trees, he picks up the important shadows and branches. He also uses more detail for the nearest trees. The grass, house, and background are really nothing more than simple color shapes.
Also, notice the tight value range which Levitan painted within; most of the painting stays within a high-key (light colors), with a few dark accents scattered throughout.
The painting below shows the importance of negative space. Those gaps in the trees break up an otherwise dark and monotonous area. They also play an important role in giving context and form to the trees.
Below is a pleasant study in gouache by Levitan (he practiced many different mediums, but seems to have specialized in oils). This shows an effective combination of broad washes of color along with line drawing on top.
Below is a great example of taking a complex subject and simplifying it into basic shapes, lines, and colors. You can see parts of the light background through gaps in the trees. The dappled light hitting the grass also provides for a nice feature.
Below is just a small study by Levitan, but it appears incredibly realistic. That is what happens when you get most of the values and important details right.
Silent Abode looks to have been painted just before sunset (or just after sunrise). Levitan used soft, pastel colors for the lights and imposing, near-black colors for the darks: a powerful contrast.
I love the stark contrast between light and shadow in the painting below. It also looks as though Levitan used thick, impasto paint for the lights, contrasted against thin and weak darks.
The Trunk of a Blossoming Oak is an interesting composition looking up at an oak tree towards the sky. The strong, black shadows give form to the otherwise basic tree. The background is nothing more than a simple arrangement of green and blue shapes. This mimics the way we see in life: we focus on something and everything else blurs out.
Tip: Make sure you don't get into a routine with the compositions you paint. Mix it up from time to time. Paint an awkward composition and break the rules.
(If you want to learn more about the principles of art, you might be interested in my Painting Academy course.)
Thanks for Reading!
Thanks for taking the time to read this post and I hope you learned something new! If you want to learn more, come join me in my Painting Academy course, I go into much more detail on the fundamentals.
Happy painting!
Dan Scott
Draw Paint Academy
Bob Koser says
Incredible! Keep them coming!
Barbara says
Thank you for sharing. I have never heard of Isaac Levitan before. Spring in Italy felt like you could breathe the fresh air.
Mary lengel says
These paintings are unreal! Thank you so much!
Helen says
Exquisite works!
jeannie says
amazing works! thx for sharing!
Lee Rudd says
Love this article! I always find Russian art exquisite.
Juan M. Sansinenea says
Dear Dan,
First of all, thank you for your e.mails loaded with interesting illustrations, painting from outstanding painters and accompanied by your always authoritative and helpful comments. I am a Basque retired engineer who two years ago begun painting with a painting professor in a private academy. As I am now working mostly with drawing and watercolouring, I would appreciate if you, from time to time, would include artworks from these disciplines accompanied by your always valued comments. Many thanks and best regards. Juan M. Sansinenea
Rosary says
Learned so much especially shadowing, that I sometimes have trouble with, thanks so much.
Rich Cramer says
I love these paintings, this is the style I’m trying to reproduce.
Rosalind says
My favorite is “Sunny Day, Springtime. Never can understand my so many artist go on and on about being loose.
Alicia Laumann says
Thank you for sharing, Dan. Greetings from Canada!
Karen says
Fascinating article, Dan! Thank you for sharing Levitan’s captivating work with us, and for sharing your illuminating and helpful insights. With your articles, you enable me to look at my surroundings, at the world, and at others’ work with fresh perspective. I appreciate your articles: the helpful intention with which you imbue them, the thought you put into them, and the time you take to compose them.
Jan says
I second that! Thanks!
Corinne Wyttenbach says
Thank you Dan for your research and articles. I didn’t know this painter , thanks to you I discover new ones. Very beautiful work!
Delia Flores says
Hello from Chicago! I so look forward to your posts and I learn a lot simply by closely studying what you point out. I love Levitan’s paintings–I had never seen them before. Learning something new; what a joy! Thank you.
Jamela says
My new favorite artist. Love his work and delicate touch. Thank you for sharing!
Shiva says
Amazing! Very informative article…
Christine says
I too enjoyed seeing the work and reading description of his approach and life of this Russian artist
Lin says
This was very informative. Thank you so much.
pragati says
Great write up. What’s most interesting is the way you explain the paintings. For learners it,’s great to be shown what to see in a painting. it’s also informative to know about painter’s lives. thank you.
dorothy walker says
I echo all of the above from Vancouver Island and look forward to all further articles. Thanks
Eva Marcum says
His mood is reflected in his paintings. His light use is so great, makes me want to study him. Thank you for sharing this talented artist.
dorothy walker says
From Vancouver Island. I echo all of the above and look forward to all the future articles,
dorothy walker says
From Vancouver Island I echo all of the above and look forward to all further articles. Thanks.
David Malt says
Hi Dan, It’s a terrible shame to see someone with so much to offer taken from us so early.
I can only imagine we he could have done with more time.
I guess that’s the frailty of life, don’t know what’s just around the corner.
I appreciate this post as I had never heard of this young man.
Thanks Dan.
Tim Brown says
Awesome! Really enjoy your website.
Carol Burton says
Thank you Dan for bringing this Artist, Levitan, to my attention. His work is most appealing to me in style and content and I will do some practice based on some of his paintings. I appreciate all of the work you put into these very informative posts. I enjoy reading them and learning about new artists, (to me anyway), and their style of work.
Diane says
These are truly inspirational! I too had never heard of Levitan previously and am so glad you ’introduced ‘ us! Such a broad array of mediums and focus. Thank you Dan for this piece on Isaac Levitan.
Happy 4th!
John LaPorta says
Thanks for posting about one of my favorite landscape painters. My first love was Tonalism but shortly thereafter was so stunned by “Eternal Rest”, and Levitan’s ability to paint beautifully in any style, that he remains at the top of my favorites list! Imagine if he had lived another 40 years?
Eileen says
Thanks for sharing his work! I had never heard of him before, but I love the works of his that you showed and discussed!
rfael says
well very nice thank you. .. my subscription to your channel is worth of my trust to share my email. .
Diane Edwards says
My favorite landscape artist. Amazed that so many people reading this had not heard of him! The early Russian artists around 1900 are so wonderful, people need to do more research, some wonderful books out there on Russian artists.
Judith Cardassilaris says
I am grateful for seeing this ….Levitan is new to me and his ability relate to us what he experienced on the days that he worked on his paintings is remarkable…..Thank you so much …
Ron Cisler says
Very informative Dan, thanks for the tutorial I’m sure this will help me improve my painting.
Jackie says
Hi Dan,
thank you for introducing me to Levitan. In all my years, I have never heard of him nor seen any of his paintings, or remember seeing any. I can really his style for clouds, mine look like wrinkled pancakes. Will study and practice his style.
Thank you for all your knowledge and sharing it.
Jean G. Griffith says
Thanks for sharing these paintings. I was not familiar with this Russian painter. His artwork is outstanding!
Jean
Anne says
Thanks for the introduction to Levitan. Beautiful landscapes. I need to learn more about Russian art, I think.
Anil Mathur says
Great article Dan! Levitan is one of my favorite landscape artists. I’ve seen his original paintings at the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow! They’re spectacular! Thanks for introducing him on your website.
Jon says
Thanks so much for such a great history of Levitan the Legend! He’s one of my favourites but your post taught me many new things about his life and work.