When the artwork takes the life of its creator. The sad story of Konstantin Kryzhitsky

The biography of Konstantin Kryzhitsky had plenty of memorable moments. In his early days, the painter studied at the Russian Imperial Academy of Arts, and after graduation, he was awarded the Big Gold Medal. It allowed him to be provided with a separate workshop, materials for work, and a generous cash allowance by the Academy of Arts.

Kryzhitsky was a true master of landscape paintings. He often traveled around his native Ukrainian lands and depicted the local landscapes — lakes, rivers, and rural settlements. For most of his artistic career, Kryzhitsky was a well-respected and successful artist. Until the day he presented his painting Spring Breeze.

It was autumn 1910. In London, there was organized an exhibition featuring the works of the Russian painters and Kryzhitsky was among them. Spring Breeze was one of his paintings (13 in total) displayed at this exhibition. The painter held this particular artwork in high regard, and so did the audience. He received a lot of praises, including from critics and art collectors. One of London’s museums was even interested in the purchase. However, Kryzhitsky wanted to present his work back in the Russian Empire.

Spring Breeze (1910) by Konstantin Kryzhitsky. Oil on canvas.

A year later, he presented Spring Breeze at the Russian Imperial Academy of Arts. The reception was great, and the local visitors praised this work even more than the ones in England. The triumph was short-lived. Just a few days later, there were published accusations of plagiarism in one of the newspapers because this painting looked similar to a work by Yakov Brovar that was presented a few years earlier. Because Spring Breeze was created after the presentation of Brovar’s work, the media created a perception that Kryzhitsky blatantly stole the idea. The article in the newspaper stated that only a few details were different in comparison to these paintings.

Soon the other newspapers noticed the story and published more critical articles about Kryzhitsky’s work. The painter was stunned, and he denied all the allegations that his work was just a copy of Brovar’s painting. The controversy was only fueled by his denial, but nobody took Kryzhitsky’s words seriously. The criticism was harsh, and this scandal was long-lasting. Eventually, it was closed by the suicide of the painter.

“My nerves cannot handle this anymore. I know that truth is by my side, but I don’t feel any energy to continue fighting. Maybe the arbitration court could prove my innocence, but I don’t have any interest in this anymore. I painted this work from photography and did not steal the idea from anybody! But this judgment from Railyan and people like him — I cannot stand it! Forgive me all and farewell, everyone! My dear, my good… I was yours, and I will be gone in a suffer about you… May God forgive my assassins! Goodbye, Russia, dear nature, and everyone that I loved! Railyan judges Kryzhitsky!”

The painter wrote these words in his suicide note and hung himself in his office on April 17, 1911.

The photography that the painter mentioned in the suicide note was taken by Kryzhitsky himself twenty-three years before Spring Breeze was painted. He published this photo in one of the periodical publications. Since it was possible that Brovar also noticed this photography and was inspired by the beautiful landscape, he could have used its motifs in the creation of his artwork.

This fact was already known when Kryzhitsky was still alive, but the criticism remained still harsh because the painter admitted that he used the motifs from the photography in the creation of Spring Breeze. Kryzhitsky had plenty of people who envied his success, so it was hard to expect fair criticism. It was clear the paintings of Brovar and Kryzhitsky were done in a different manner, but the strong outbreak of public criticism overshadowed any common sense. During that period, the use of photography as a source material was considered as a bad tone, almost a shameful behavior for an artist. Kryzhitsky understood this perception, and it led the painter into desperation.

Once being a recipient of a Big Gold Medal, Kryzhitsky had a truly sad fate, taking his own life at the age of 52. During his artistic career, he created more than 400 paintings. Unfortunately, many of his achievements were overshadowed by the unfair criticism the painter had to take because of Spring Breeze. The fatal painting.

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