Ilya Repin: "In geometry, proofs seemed unnecessary to me, and I threw them out"

Content:

• Context

I was an auditor and noticed the inspector's announcement about the opportunity for auditors to take exams and move on to the second year of study at the end of August and beginning of September. This prospect inspired me: to become an equal student without any additional expenses. I put everything aside and focused on my preparation. My studies were going well: I enjoyed studying the material and memorized the syllabus. In my first-year geometry course, only longimetry was required, and I attended Professor Thomas's lectures. I knew all the theorems by heart and could reproduce them from notes. However, my self-confidence, typical of a provincial, sometimes worked to my advantage, and sometimes hindered me. For example, in geometry, I considered proofs superfluous and simply ignored them. It seemed to me that everything was so obvious that demanding proof was simply ridiculous.

On the day of the exam, a large crowd of students gathered at Thomas's: some were retaking exams, while others, like me, had already taken longimetry in their second year. This event became an important milestone in our academic journey, as the challenges of exam day required complete concentration and the knowledge accumulated during the first year.

Thomas came up to me and said, "Drop the perpendicular onto the horizontal line." Then he returned to the others.

I am pleased to note that the task turned out to be easy and enjoyable. I carefully draw all the elements and wait for the professor to approach. Some time later, after he has familiarized himself with the work of the other students, Thomas comes to me.

— Evidence! — he says in a demanding tone, fixing his grey, merciless gaze on me, as if his thoughts were occupied with something completely different.

That's perfectly obvious, — I answer confidently, meeting his gaze with dignity.

Someone from the examinees called him. I wait again. Here comes Thomas again.

Write your proofs, don't stand on the sidelines. He returned to the group again.

I wait again. "How annoying, I think they're distracting me."

Thomas returns for the third time.

— Proofs! Proofs! — he shouts, as if he hasn't heard me. — Well, provide your proofs.

It's obvious that no proof is required here, — I say humbly, but with inner fortitude.

His gray eyes widened, and his gaze filled with contempt and harsh hostility.

You don't understand geometry at all! — he said with irritation, approaching my exam sheet and decisively marking a one.

I realized that my chances of success were minimal. Nevertheless, I took exams with various professors in subjects such as general history, the history of fine arts, religious law, Russian literature, and psychology, and received grades of fours and even fives. This was disappointing. It is important to note that I will have to pay twenty-five rubles again.

In his work "Far Away, Close," Ilya Repin masterfully conveys atmosphere and emotions that evoke deep reflection in the viewer. The painting reflects the complex relationships between people and their inner world. Repin uses vivid imagery and expressive details to create a sense of closeness and distance at the same time. His work makes us think about how our perception of time and space affects relationships and feelings. The work serves not only as an artistic but also as a philosophical reflection on life, which makes it relevant and significant for the modern viewer.

Context

The events in question took place at the Imperial Academy of Arts, where Ilya Repin studied in the 1860s. His path to St. Petersburg was long and difficult, full of obstacles and difficulties, which ultimately shaped him into an outstanding artist.

The artist Ilya Repin was born in the Kharkov province, in a military settlement, to a family descended from Cossacks. From an early age, he demonstrated artistic abilities, and his parents perceived his talent as a way to earn money. As a child, Repin began working as an artist-craftsman, creating Easter eggs and selling them in a store for one and a half rubles. His mother taught him literacy and basic knowledge on her own, and at age 11, Ilya entered a topographer's school, which was effectively a military academy where they taught mapping. However, his education at this school was short-lived, as it closed. The boy soon found work in an icon-painting workshop, and at 16, he went to earn money with a traveling icon-painting team.

He always dreamed of getting into the Academy, but he needed money for that. Having earned the required sum, he set off for St. Petersburg. The journey took over a week: he rode a stagecoach to Moscow, then transferred to a train. Enrollment at the Academy was not immediate; initially, he was accepted only as an auditor, requiring payment for his tuition. General Fyodor Pryanishnikov provided the necessary funds. A friend of his mother's, who worked for the general, helped arrange a meeting with the benefactor.

Repin experienced a fortunate moment when auditors were given the chance to become full students by passing exams and entering the second year. This meant exemption from tuition. One can only imagine how disappointing it was for the "languid provincial" to fail not due to a lack of knowledge, but as a result of an awkward misunderstanding.

Repin mentions in his memoirs that he did not have enough money for the next payment. He planned to ask the inspector for a deferment. But it soon became clear that auditors who failed the second-year exams were automatically enrolled in the first. This news brought such joy to the young artist that he rushed to his apartment, frightening his hosts in the process.

The period of study at the Academy of Arts proved to be very productive for Ilya Repin. By the end of his studies, he had already begun to gain some recognition among his contemporaries. During his final years at the Academy, he focused on creating one of his most famous works, the painting "Barge Haulers on the Volga," which has become an iconic piece of Russian art.

Ilya Repin certainly achieved success at the Academy of Arts not only due to fortunate circumstances, such as the support of a patron or being accepted as a student after failing geometry. Most likely, his success was the result of talent and perseverance. It is important to note that Repin's first chance at an academic art education came long before his move to St. Petersburg. At the age of 12 or 13, he was already working in an icon-painting workshop, which became the foundation for his subsequent development as an artist. This early immersion in art shaped his unique style and approach to painting.

In his memoirs, Repin describes an incident when Academician Lennik from Poltava came to his studio. He was looking for artists from Chuguev to create iconostasis. Seeing Ilya copying an icon on iron, Lennik was struck by his talent and insistently invited him to come with him. He assured Repin that he could help him enter the academy and guaranteed his artistic success. Lennik, being German, spoke with an accent, which added flavor to his proposal. This episode underscores the importance of recognizing and supporting talented artists in their pursuit of professional growth.

According to Repin, his entourage reacted to this proposal with obvious hostility. They warned that the "scoundrel German" might take him to an unknown location and force him to perform humiliating tasks. As a result, the boy turned down this opportunity, and later regretted not having taken advantage of a chance that could have been “undoubted happiness” for him.

Read also:

• “Studying well was considered shameful among us”: Petrov-Vodkin on the customs of the parish school
• How the future famous writer received an F for an essay and became a repeater
• How Korney Chukovsky was expelled from the gymnasium for someone else's diary
• “Study well, or I'll eat you,” or Paustovsky's first day at the gymnasium