Лев Феликсович Лагорио - талантливый художник-пейзажист, маринист, баталист XIX века. В его творчестве утонченность и безмятежность итальянской школы слились с русским психологизмом. Достижения Л.Ф. Лагорио отмечены золотыми медалями Петербургской академии художеств.

Проведя детство в Крыму, объездив Балтику, Кавказ, Турцию и Западную Европу, художник научился отражать на холсте все многообразие природы - от щедрого юга до сурового севера. Отдельный и очень значительный этап его творчества составляют картины на сюжеты Русско-турецкой войны 1877-1878 годов. В целом же картины Лагорио привлекают своей искренностью, непосредственностью и свежестью видения. В своих произведениях мастер всегда оставался романтиком, улавливающим в природе оттенки настроений и чувств. Тонкая эмоциональность картин художника и сегодня никого не оставляет равнодушным.

Этот альбом - самое полное собрание произведений Л.Ф. Лагорио.

Lev Feliksovich Lagorio was a gifted artist of the 19th century, specializing in landscapes, marines, and battle-pieces. In his work, refined and calm features of Italian painting combined with Russian psychological attitude. The St. Petersburg Art Academy marked his achievements with golden medals.

Having spent his childhood in the Crimea, visited the Baltic Sea, Caucasus, Turkey, and Western Europe, the artist learnt to depict the whole multitude of nature - from generous South to severe North. Pictures with scenes from the Russo-Turkish war of 1877-8 comprise a separate and very significant stage of his work. In the whole, pictures by Lagorio are attractive in their truth, originality, and freshness of vision. In his works, the artist always remained a romantic person, looking for nuances of moods and feelings in nature. And today, fine sensuality of the artist's works cannot keep one emotionless.

This album is the most complete collection of L.F. Lagorio's works.

A painter of landscapes, marines, and battle-pieces Lev F. Lagorio - one of fascinating landscape painters of the 19th century. His work combines finest features of Italian painting with Russian psychological trend. Originating from Naples, his father served in the Crimea as a council. And Lev was born in the local town of Feodosia in 1827. Of course, his fondness for painting and especially for the marines emerged under the influence of his famous townsman and contemporary Aivazovskiy.

In 1843, Lagorio entered the Art Academy in St. Petersburg. In the time of his studies, he happened to take part in a sea journey. Such an experience was of invaluable help in his further work. Later he cruised the Baltic Sea, painting sea-views. In 1847, he was awarded with a golden medal for his picture 'View in the Surroundings of Vyborg'.>/p>

It is freshness and directness that are most attractive in the works by Lagorio, made at that time. They are 'View in the Surroundings of St. Petersburg' and 'View of the Swamp at Cape Lisiy' (both 1850), the latter being awarded with a big golden medal. Such a prize enabled the artist to receive granted a trip abroad at the expense of the Academy.

Wandering in search for new impressions, the artist visited the Caucasus in 1851, then he went to Italy and other countries of Western Europe. Returning to Russia in 1860, he settled in St. Petersburg. For his Italian paintings (researchers believe his picture 'Hannibal's Fountain in Rocca di Papa near Rome' to be his best of that time) he was granted the rank of a professor.

His thirst of travelling drove him to the Caucasus again. Apart from painting, he even took part in battle-actions there. Then - to the Crimea where he had a studio in the house of his father-in-law in the town of Sudak. He also visited Turkey where he painted views of the Sea of Marmara. However, northern marines continued to hold an important place in his work.

Rather quickly Lagorio became a famous and fashionable marine painter. He had to paint a lot of orders that is why not all his pictures are of equal value. Pictures about the Russo-Turkish war of 1877-8 comprise a separate yet important part of his work. He was ordered to create a series of battle-pieces for the military gallery of the Winter palace. No wonder that major part of those works, painted mainly in 1880-90-s, was devoted to sea battles. These are such works as Steamer 'Grand Prince Konstantin' Destroys Three Ottoman Ships at Bosphorus. 1877, Cutters of Steamer 'Grand Prince Konstantin' Attack the Ottoman Fleet at Sulin on May 29, 1877, and others. However, not all pictures in the series deal with the sea. Some of them reflect the Caucasian affairs. They are Avartanskoye Fight on June 6, 1877, Twenty Three Days of Siege in Bayazid. Beating back the Assault on June 10, 1877 and 'Saving the Garrison of Bayazid Fortress on June 28, 1877'. In the picture Capturing Lovcha on June 22, 1877 the artist depicted an episode from the Balcanian military actions.

Although Lagorio did not believe himself to be a master of battle-pieces, he could hardly be considered a novice in the field. As early as at the Academy, he studied with famous battle-piece artist B.P. Villewalde and, besides, he himself took part in fights in the Caucasus.

Of the pictures about the Russo-Turkish war, one can mark out two of them, connected with the topic and telling about one of its most famous episodes - the Siege of Bayazid. A small garrison of the fortress had to beat back the assaults of the Turks for twenty three days. Such hardest conditions as constant bombardment, heat, hunger and thirst (on the last days of the siege Russian soldiers were given a single tablespoon of water per day) could not make the Russian troops surrender. On June 28, 1877, a Russian unit saved the fortress and destroyed the Turkish corps.

Lagorio depicted two episodes of the siege - saving of the garrison and the assualt on June 10 when the Turks, although trying hard, failed. The latter picture is considered a true masterpiece. Besides the sea battles and fights on land, the artist depicted even pacific landscapes in the series. He painted his favourite Caucasian rocks, mountain valleys in the haze of golden heat. Usually his pictures do not show either tension or dynamism, typical of battle-pieces. In his works, Russian soldiers do not demonstrate thirst for fight. They are just doing their hard work - calmly and fearlessly.

In the last years of his life, Lev Lagorio more and more often turned to beautiful northern nature. He painted elaborated views of the Baltic Sea, of Finnish and Norwegian coasts. In his late pictures he managed to keep his romanticism, capturing the finest tunes of sensuality and moods of nature. Refined emotions in all works by the master will never leave one apathetic nowadays.