Hi Hans,
I don’t know where the painting (titled Captivity in Tsarskoe Selo) is now although I assume it’s still in Russia. The painter is Pavel Ryzhenko, a Russian artist (born in 1970) and professor at the Russian Fine Arts Academy. He specializes in historical & religious paintings. Unfortunately his website is down but I found some of his work on this site (including the 3-part series « Imperial Calvary » of which the painting you show is part of):
http://www.artlib.ru/?id=11&fp=2&uid=901(click on pics to see larger size photos; very large size is available for some of them – red link)
More photos of some of his work on this page (apparently from an exhibition held in Moscow in 2005 a few years ago):
http://www.nikita-bywalino.ru/pavelrfoto.htmClick on pics to see larger size photos.
Ryzhenko has been critized for some historical errors, such as in the one you have found (« Captivity at Tsarskoe Selo ») :
http://www.nikita-bywalino.ru/pavelrfoto43.htmIn an interview the painter said he wanted to show the Tsar returning home in March 1917 after his abdication, but Alexei looks much younger than 11, he wasn’t suffering from an hemophilia attack at the time and no rooms in the Imperial Family private quarters looked like that. Anyway I don’t think he intends his paintings to be historically accurate, but rather to give an idea of what happened and convey feelings, emotions . The Empress is holding the Holy Bible in her hands : her reading was interrupted by the arrival of her husband which can’t hide his despair from the intruder (you!). This painting is part 2 of a 3 part series called « Imperial Calvary » (Martyrdom) done by the artist after he went to visit the field where the Imperial Family was buried outside Ekaterinburg. He wanted to depict 3 of the most tragic moments in Nicholas II’s last 18 months on this earth.
Part 1 is this stunning painting titled « Nicholas II bidding farewell to his Troops » (at Stavka after his abdication) which is also quite moving:
http://www.nikita-bywalino.ru/pavelrfoto40.htm (left & right parts of the painting missing)
whole painting here:
http://www.artlib.ru/index.php?id=11&idp=0&fp=2&uid=901&iid=8719&idg=0&user_serie=0It doesn’t matter to me if he isn’t wearing the same uniform he actually did on that aweful day (as someone pointed out), or if he didn’t review his Escort Cossacks on the day he left (he had taken his leave from them the day before, but yes they wore the Revolution’s red ribbon, and yes, some of them had cried and one had collapsed before the Tsar) but in any case I find it quite effective.
Another moving painting is the Civil War-time « Imperial Shoulder boards » depicting « an Officer burying his shoulder boards and a handkerchief embroidered by Tsarina Alexandra » :
http://www.nikita-bywalino.ru/pavelrfoto8.htmOne of my favorites though is this one (not sure about its title, might be « God save the Tsar! » :
below is a detail of of it - whole painting shown here:
http://www.nikita-bywalino.ru/pavelrfoto10.htmIt looks like a photo shoot that would have been taken on the Borodino battlefield at the Centennial celebrations in 1912, with many officer in splendid uniforms, and quite good portraits of the 4 grand-duchesses, Their Majesties, with Alexei between them - in his War-time khaki coat & Medal of St. George! – and besides Anastasia…a younger Alexei in some parade uniform, partly conceiling an even younger Alexei in his sailor suit from the Standart!! Only then I understood the true intention of this artist. His painting wasn’t meant to be a photo, but rather a metaphor of the glorious Russia which had vanished : the representative of the Church, some old veterans, all those devoted soldiers and officers of various Guards regiments, even a cavalry officer from the 1812 War! It really is an ode to an Empire that is no more. Oddly enough almost all of the participants are looking towards the camera. But the photographer isn’t there. But pay attention to the Imperial Family : they’re not looking at the camera (except for the 2 younger Alexei who aren’t really there – only a figment of your imagination) : they’re looking at YOU, and they’re smiling. YOU are the photographer and you’re looking at THEM. What are you thinking? Are you smiling too?? …Brilliant painting!
On a more tragic note, here is a large photo of part 3 of the Nicholas II’s triptych: « The Ipatiev House after the murder of the Imperial Family ». It’s, quite gruesome and moving too, with personal items left over after the Bolsheviks' ramsack : papers, photos & books, dolls & eyeglasses, a woman’s boot, the Tsar’s greatcoat, with one his shoulder-board and his Cross of St. George which his captors wanted him to remove, and then Alexei’s toy soldiers, chessboard, his sailor cap…The artist said the white chair was a symbol of the Russian throne, on which only a toy soldier remained as a Tsar-pretender while, in the back, one of the new masters of Russia was looking at what he had just accomplished.
http://www.romanov-memorial.com/Pic/map_pavel_ryzhenko_hires.jpgThey’re gone, forever? Maybe not…
Here you’ll find more of his paintings :
http://holmogor.livejournal.com/2475471.htmlThe first photos shows his monumental fresco entitled « The Last Judgement » (done for a cathedral in Siberia) with many details : all the Martyred Saints of Russia are there along with the Imperial Family. Maybe they shall resurrect someday…
