Viktor Mikhaylovich Vasnetsov (1848 – 1926) was a Russian artist who specialized in mythological and historical subjects. He is considered the co-founder of Russian folklorist and romantic modernist painting and a key figure in the revivalist movement. It is ironic, but Viktor, whose name is associated with historical and mythological paintings, initially avoided these subjects at all costs. While living in France, Viktor studied classical and contemporary paintings, academic and Impressionist alike. It was in Paris that he became fascinated with fairy-tale subjects, starting to work on Ivan Tsarevich Riding a Grey Wolf and The Firebird. The vogue for Vasnetsov's paintings would spread in the 1880s, when he turned to religious subjects and executed a series of icons. He was central in moving realism towards a more nationalist, and historical style, believing that a true work of art conveys the past, present, and even the future.
