Altai theme in graphic works of the painter P. Kosharov

An interesting collection of graphic works of painter Pavel Mihailovich Kosharov (1824-1902) who lived and worked in Tomsk since 1854, is stored inside Scientific Library of Tomsk State University. Kosharov travelled quite a lot while working as a drawing teacher. His lithographic works dedicated to Altai are analyzed in this article. In summer of 1856 Kosharov participated as a draughtsman in mountain expedition in Altai. During this expedition he did not only necessary geographical, geological and archaeological sketches, but also the drawings of the views of nature, villages, houses and houseware of the indigenous population of Altai. Sketches made during the expedition were used him in preparation of the litographic series «Artistic and ethnographic drawings of Siberia» in 1889-1891. Since August 1889 and till the middle of the August 1891 the painter prepared and issued 48 sheets of which 19 drawings were dedicated to Altai. In the views of Altai one can see Kosharov’s aspiration to convey a characteristics of a particular locality in a landscape, which evidences a careful study of the features of Altai nature by the painter. In his works with equal attention and carefulness he reproduces the portraits of Altai natives, their houses and houseware. All ethnographic drawings are performed by him with documentary accuracy and thoroughness, and strike with the drawing skill and the precision of the print. Kosharov provided each drawing with the detailed author’s explanatory texts, which are of a scientific value for historians, anthropologists and archaeologists of Siberia. The gallery of the lithographic views of Altai created by painter is a special page in his work which has a great historical, cultural and scientific importance for the study of the history of formation and development of the fine arts in Siberia in XIX century.

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