The Secret Life of Masterpieces: Real Stories of Paintings and Their Creators

Every true masterpiece has its own story. To understand the tragedy of Rembrandt's painting "The Return of the Prodigal Son", one must know that the artist depicted the outcome of his own life here. And Van Gogh, in one of his last paintings, portrayed his imminent death, giving it a form that is no less terrifying than Munch's "The Scream".
The author of this book is Nikolai Zharinov, the chief editor of the Artifex project and the most charming art historian of the Runet. He will not only draw readers' attention to the details of the paintings but also reveal the stories of their creation in the context of the era and the lives of the artists. Biographies come alive on these pages. They become almost tangible, thin threads of associations that connect the masterpiece, the creator, and us, living now.
The book thoroughly examines 13 iconic paintings: "The Arrival of the Crows" by Alexei Savrasov, "The Sitting Demon" by Mikhail Vrubel, "The Crucifixion" by Nikolai Ge, "Girl on a Ball" by Pablo Picasso, "Unequal Marriage" by Vasily Pukirev, "The Ninth Wave" by Ivan Aivazovsky, and others. The paintings can be viewed in color reproductions.
Get ready for an exciting journey into the world of art!