The Russian School of Painting
pected turn, as well as in his colour combinations and in his choice of costumes and details; but he absolutely lacks dramatic gift, and the episodical character of his pictures deprives them of all historical significance.
Apollinarius Vasnetzov started with Siberian landscapes, broadly conceived and strong in colour. Later on he became wholly absorbed in artistic reconstructions of old Moscow, which had great success among Moscowites, who, as a rule, are ardent worshippers of their ancient city. But, in reality, Vasnetzov only developed that which Surikov had given in the landscape backgrounds of his pictures. To this Vasnetzov added successful borrowings from more original painters, such as Miss Helen Polyenov, Korovin, Malyutin. There is one thing for which Vasnetzov must be reproved: he somewhat overdoes the grotesqueness which he considers the most characteristic feature of mediæval Moscow. His composition often reminds one of stage decorations, on which too many details are crowded closely together.
Here we must again mention the name of Victor Vasnetzov, for it is beyond doubt that to him, together with Surikov, belongs the honour of having first protested against the narrow realism of the "Wanderers" and made the initial steps toward a freer art. True, in comparison with Surikov the art of Victor Vasnetzov
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