March is a landscape painting by the Russian artist Isaaс Levitan (1860–1900), created in 1895. It is now in the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow (Inventory 1489) and measures 60 × 75 cm (or 61 × 76 cm according to other sources). Levitan painted the picture in March 1895 while living in the Gorka estate, in the Vyshnevolotsky Uyezd of Tver Governorate.
The painting March was exhibited at the 24th exhibition of the Society for Travelling Art Exhibitions (Peredvizhniki) in February 1896 in Saint Petersburg. It was later moved to Moscow in March of the same year. March was exhibited at the All-Russia industrial and art exhibition 1896 in Nizhny Novgorod. In the same year, Pavel Tretyakov purchased the painting from the author.
March is considered to be one of Levitan's 'life-affirming, cheerful works' from 1895 to 1897. This group also includes Golden Autumn (1895), Fresh Wind. Volga (1895), and Spring. Big Water (1897), among others. The painting March is widely regarded as one of Levitan's most famous and vivid landscape paintings. It also demonstrates the influence of Impressionism on the artist's oeuvre.
Artist Vasily Baksheev praised the painting, considering it not only one of Levitan's best works, but also one of the best works of the Russian school of painting. According to art historian Alexei Fedorov-Davydov, Levitan's painting March was a 'discovery in Russian landscape painting', combining a pictorial depiction of snow, spring sky, and trees. This motif later became a popular theme for many Russian landscape painters of the 20th century, including Igor Grabar and Konstantin Yuon. According to art historian Faina Maltseva, March is a 'inspired work in a major tone' that presents 'a whole and internally complete image, preserving at the same time all the immediacy and freshness of first impressions.'
History
Background and creation In 1894–1895, Levitan resided for several months at the Gorka estate, which is situated one and a half kilometres from the village of Ostrovno. The estate is now part of the Udomelsky District of the Tver Oblast, but at that time, it was part of the Vyshnevolotsky Uyezd of the Tver Governorate. The estate, located on the southern shore of Lake Ostrovno, was owned by Privy Councillor Ivan Nikolayevich Turchaninov. His wife, Anna Nikolayevna, often spent time there with their daughters Varvara, Sofya, and Anna.Anna Nikolayevna Turchaninova, née Makarova (25 May 1856 – 24 November 1930, Paris), was four years older than Levitan. Her daughters were Varvara Ivanovna (around 1875 – 1925), Sofia Ivanovna (1877 – around 1825) and Anna Ivanovna (2 December 1880, Vyshny Volochok – 1964, Leningrad). The manor's main building is a two-storey house with a mezzanine, painted in a yellowish hue. It is depicted in Levitan's painting March and his earlier pastel Autumn. The Manor (1894), currently stored in the Omsk Regional Museum of Fine Arts named after M.A. Vrubel.
In the early 1870s, the Turchaninovs acquired the land near Lake Ostrovno and replaced the old one-storey house left by the previous owners with a two-storey house. Additionally, they owned one of the lake islands, which featured a gazebo and benches. In the documents of the Statistical Committee of the Tver Province, there is the following description of the estate: 'The estate 'Gorka' on the southern peninsula of Lake Ostrovnoe. The place is beautiful. To the south behind the manor there is a pine forest, directly overlooking the lake, its islands, the eastern shore with a pogost and the manor of the village 'Ostrovno', and the western steep shore covered with birch forest. To the east and west of the house there are birch groves, cleared, with made paths... The 'Gorka' estate is perfect as a holiday home. Dry, sandy land, healthy pine air and a beautiful forest, a garden and a wonderful view of the lake with its green islands, a white church and a tall old tavern of the village 'Ostrovno.'
Levitan first met Anna Nikolaevna Turchaninova in the summer of 1894 in Ostrovno. He was a guest at the Ushakov estateThe Ostrovno estate was owned by Ekaterina Nikolaevna Ushakova (née Seslavina, 1821–1910) and her children Varvara Vladimirovna (1849 – about 1919), Sofia Vladimirovna (1851 – about 1919) and Nikolay Vladimirovich (1859–1917). Levitan and Kuvshinnikova stayed at the Ushakovs' estate during the summer of 1893 while the artist was working on the painting Over Eternal Peace, and returned in 1894. with his companion, the artist Sofia Kuvshinnikova. Levitan and Turchaninova had a romantic relationship, which resulted in a quarrel and the end of Levitan's relationship with Kuvshinnikova. Following this, Levitan relocated to the Gorka estate where he resided during August and September 1894. He returned to the estate in the early spring of the following year. As there were no appropriate rooms at the estate, an artist's workshop was constructed. The two-storey building was situated on the shore of the lake, at the confluence of the Syezha River (the same one depicted in Levitan's later painting Golden Autumn). It was humorously referred to as a 'synagogue'.
In March 1895, Levitan created the painting March. The artwork was painted entirely from nature, without preliminary studies, in a few sessions. This may have been the first time Levitan created a canvas directly en plein air. The youngest daughter of the Turchaninovs, Anya (known as Lyulyu within the family), who was 14 years old at the time, witnessed the artist's work on the painting March. She assisted the artist in carrying a box of paints, listened to his stories about the beauty of nature, and observed the creation of a future masterpiece. In later publications, the youngest daughter of the Turchaninovs was occasionally mistakenly referred to as Julia, likely due to its similarity to the name Lyulyu.
The writer Sofia Prorokova, author of a biography of Levitan published in 1960, recounted her meeting with Anna Ivanovna TurchaninovaSofia Prorokova's memoirs provide a detailed account of how she located Anna Ivanovna Turchaninova (Lyulyu). While visiting Lake Ostrovno, local residents informed her that E A. Zvorykina, the sister of Anna Ivanovna's first husband, resided in Leningrad. Prorokova obtained Zvorykina's address through the address bureau, which ultimately led her to Anna Ivanovna's residence. (first married Zvorykina, second married Kolokoltsova): 'Years would pass, Anya would grow up, and this sunny spring would remain a vivid memory of her distant youth. We are sitting in her Leningrad flat, talking to an elderly woman whose dark eyes retain both cunning and fire. Memories of Levitan have become like a family heirloom. She is one of the Turchaninova family's living witnesses to how the artist's best paintings were created in Gorka.' Prorokova quoted Anna Ivanovna's words: 'March was painted in front of me.'
During the spring of 1895, Levitan also painted Spring. The Last Snow, which is now held in a private collection in Moscow. The painting was previously in the collection of Moscow patron of the arts Vladimir Shmarovin. A sketch of the same name is held in the State Russian Museum (25.5 × 33.3 cm, canvas, oil, inv. Zh-4261). In 1895, Levitan created several paintings while working on the Gorka estate, including Golden Autumn (now in the State Tretyakov Gallery) and Nenuphar (now in the Astrakhan Picture Gallery named after P. M. Dogadin).
The painting March is sometimes said to be preceded by the 1894 landscape Winter by Russian impressionist painter Konstantin Korovin (now in the State Tretyakov Gallery). Winter also depicts a horse and sleigh standing near a village house. However, unlike Levitan's sunny spring canvas, Korovin's painting portrays a gloomy winter day.
24th traveling exhibition and subsequent events Together with nine other works by Levitan, including Golden Autumn, Fresh Wind. Volga, Spring. The Last Snow, Ferns in a Forest, Twilight, and Nenuphar, the canvas March was exhibited at the 24th exhibition of the Society for Travelling Art Exhibitions ('Peredvizhniki') in Saint Petersburg on 11 February 1896.The Julian calendar ("old style") is used to date events that took place in the Russian Empire. The exhibition then moved to Moscow in March of the same year. The exhibition was split between two locations: the Saint Petersburg exhibit was held in the building of the Society for the Encouragement of the Arts, while the Moscow exhibit was held in the premises of the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. Levitan's canvases, which were quite diverse, received mixed reviews from critics. In particular, in the note 'The Exhibition of Peredvizhniki', published in the 'Vsemirnaya Illustratsiya' (Vol. 55, No. 1413 for 1896), Vladimir Chuiko praised Levitan for his choice of subjects and his peculiar way of painting, noting that 'almost all his paintings (10 in number) attract attention, with the exception of two: March and Spring, which are too rough and harsh in tone.' According to Chuiko, 'the shortcomings noted in Mr Levitan's manner will disappear, we hope, in the near future, when his talent finally strengthens.' Nevertheless, the majority of the reviews about Levitan's work were positive, indicating 'recognition of the artist's talent, the originality of his work and his radiant individuality.'
The painting March was also exhibited at the All-Russia industrial and art exhibition, which opened on 28 May 1896 in Nizhny Novgorod. Levitan himself visited the exhibition, where a total of eighteen of his paintings were displayed. In addition to works from the travelling exhibition, a number of Levitan's works from the late 1880s and early 1890s were presented in Nizhny Novgorod. This was the first wide retrospective display of the artist's work. In 1896, Pavel Tretyakov purchased the paintings March and Golden Autumn from the author. The 24th travelling exhibition continued its journey to other cities of the Russian Empire in autumn and winter, visiting Kharkiv (October–November), Kyiv (December–January) and Tula (January–February). The exhibition catalogue issued in Kharkiv described the paintings as 'property of the Moscow City Gallery of brothers P. and S. Tretyakovs'.
The Gorka estate did not survive the revolutionary upheavals of the early 20th century. Levitan's house workshop, where he worked in the mid-1890s, burned down in 1904. Ivan Nikolayevich Turchaninov deceased in 1910, and in 1914, the estate was sold to Aggey Aggeyevich Markov, a second guild merchant. Before the sale, Anna Ivanovna Turchaninova (Lyulyu) visited Gorka. The artist Vitold Byalynitsky-Birulya, who was in the area, described the meeting. In particular, he recognised the place in Levitan's painting: "As we approached the black porch of the house, my heart trembled at the image that suddenly appeared before me. ...This place was familiar to me. Only, everything was in winter dress, and the barrel was on a sledge. That March was before my eyes". Apparently, the artist Stanislav Zhukovsky was also present. In another description of the same meeting, Byalynitsky-Birulya wrote: "We walked past the black porch, where the view falls on a magnificent barren, which everyone knows from Levitan's painting March. We all involuntarily cried out in joy: "Look, this is what March was painted from!" In June 1923, a few years after the revolution, the mansion was destroyed by fire, the cause suspected to be arson.