The fine art of photography leaves to commemorate important moments of life, outstanding individuals face and a picture of nature. This is where digital technologies are rapidly developing good picture and it’s no surprise. But the photograph that has passed through the centuries and became the iconic image of a famous person deserves special attention.
In the late nineteenth century photography is just starting its world triumph. But old and yellowed photos of those times have become almost iconic. And it happened because of the time known Photographer Alfred Fedetskyi.
Fedetskyi was fashionable photographer. Not only just fashionable and famous – he shot the imperial family. Anyone who thinks that has not seen the work Fedetskyi is mistaken. For at least one picture was seen by every educated person – a portrait of the composer Tchaikovsky.
In March 1893, Peter Illich came to Kharkiv for rehearsals, preparing for the concert. Finally the concert, after which the grateful public accompanied by applause and congratulations sat composer phaeton, which was taken in the studio by Alfred Fedetskyi. Captured images satisfied the composer. “Now I got my photos from Fedetskyi. He is a top-notch photographer; at least I have not seen anything better … “- wrote Tchaikovsky to Kharkiv Music School Director Ivan Slatin.
Top photographers of Europe and Russia made portraits of musicians, but these photos were favorite: “You know, I have no one who took photos as Fedetskyi … This is not a photograph, and indeed a work of art!”
Who knows, maybe more than once master of pictures heard compliments in his address by Tchaikovsky, but seven months after the filming of the memorable composer died.
A copy of the photograph of the composer went to the majority of Russian pre-revolutionary editions were published abroad. In the Italian Piedmont, where musical celebration held in 1902, photograph of Alfred Fedetskyi adorned illustrated letters. At the international exhibition in Antwerp was a real photograph «chef d’oeuvre of art”, called capture the audience and received an honorary award – a gold medal.
Even in the Soviet Union did not forget about work of Fedetskyi: a series of five commemorative stamps to 100th anniversary of Tchaikovsky included two photographs depicting Alfred Fedetskyi.
Strange energy of composer’s portraits was transmitted even on postcards and covers of books, these photos were used to write portraits of the composer.
“But what about Zhytomyr?” – you will ask. It is here, in our family theater director and actor Konstantin Fedetskyi in 1857 had a son, Alfred Fedetskyi Lucian, who left the world’s most famous pictures of the great Tchaikovsky.
Zhytomyr citizen Alfred Fedetskyi was one of the first in the Russian Empire made X-ray photography, has mastered the technology of color and relief photo, and invented a new method of photographic production, one of the first in Europe to use electric lights on cinema sessions. But that is another story.
Based on the book V. Myslavskoho “Alfred Fedetskiy. Poet of photography.”
Translated by Aliona Matushevich