? Ostrovsky and Pavel Colta King are people in the real world and characters in the literary scene. Because the works are created by the author according to his own personal experience, there is an obvious shadow of the author himself in the image of the red youth. So readers often confuse the protagonist and the author of this work, and think that ostrovsky and Pavel Colta King are the same person.
? This is a very interesting phenomenon.
? How Steel was Tempered was published in 1934. When the manuscript was first brought to the publishing house, the editors thought it was an autobiographical literary work, and once asked the author to change the title and label it "documentary novel". However, ostrovsky is firmly opposed to renaming and labeling the documentary. He once wrote in a letter to the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the All-Soviet Youth League: "Although I strongly opposed it and wrote dozens of letters and articles, the book How Steel was Tempered is still described as my life experience and a document from beginning to end. Then I can say that Pavel Colta King's life is my experience and there is nothing I can do about it. " He also said that his original intention was to "shape the image of a young soldier, who represents our younger generation." Of course, I also put something in my personal life in this image "(quoted from Wen Yi: Looking Back at the Soviet Union, Shandong People's Publishing House, 1, August 2003, p. 23).
? Despite ostrovsky's repeated statements, people still think that the author and the protagonist are one. Moreover, this understanding also extends to the re-creation of other art categories of How Steel was Tempered. From the illustrations of the works when the original books were published to the films, plays and various artistic creations adapted from the works, it can be said that all the artistic images of Pavel Colta King we saw were based on Nikolai ostrovsky. They all have fluffy hair, broad foreheads, deep eye sockets and clean eyes.
? I have never read the book How Steel was Tempered carefully, but I have painted the images of ostrovsky and Pavel Colta King many times. This figure, which is regarded as one by most readers, is deeply attracted by its firmness, fortitude, courage and tenacity, whether it is the real author himself or an artistic model created by creative processing. From the perspective of pure painting, no matter the light and shadow, light and shade, or lines and colors, this figure can always make people feel a kind of fun to describe.
? Nikolai ostrovsky is writing from his hospital bed. The original is a Soviet oil painting, which depicts the scene of Nikolai ostrovsky's creation. Ostrovsky's literary creation is always in a state of injury, and there are basically only two creative places. One is his apartment in Moscow. In his own home, he first wrote a novella reflecting the fighting life of Kotovschi Division 1928, but the only manuscript was lost on the way back by mail after consulting his comrades. To make matters worse, at 1929, his condition deteriorated further, not only paralyzed, but also blind. In the face of this series of blows, he was not discouraged and threw himself into a new battle again. Starting from 1932, his novel How Steel was Tempered began to be published in Young Guards. Another writing place is Sochi, a health resort in the south of the Soviet Union, which was obviously arranged by his superiors after he became famous. The content of this oil painting, from the interior furnishings, feels more like a family environment. It can be seen that this oil painting depicts the working scene when ostrovsky created How Steel was Tempered. Moreover, ostrovsky's short life, the peak of his brilliant career is this book which has brought great influence to later generations, and the so-called "typical characters in typical environment" should also be the focus of the artistic creation of Soviet painters.
? The copy of my painting exercise "Nikolai ostrovsky is sick in bed and writing" is still the original printed matter of the Soviet Union. Its size is about 450mm×350mm, the width of the picture is about equal to the length of 8 sheets of paper, and the height of the picture is greater than the width of 8 sheets of paper. It was printed in the 1950' s, and from the point of printing technology, it can be described as exquisite. Even when I think about it today, it still excites me. I still remember that the overall color of the painting is green and brown. Because of the backlight angle, the levels and colors of the dark parts are extremely rich, and the proper treatment of the light makes the characters come alive and the room shine. The sitting posture of the figure cushion in the painting, the writing board placed in front of the knee, the action of holding the pen in the left hand, the books on the bookshelf above the figure's back, the military uniform clothes hanging on the wall, cups, spoons, bouquets, the drooping folds of the tablecloth and the reflection of the dark part all enrich and echo the theme of the work in the language of painting, revealing a strong flavor of the times and interest in life.
? This oil painting was copied by me in the way of gouache painting. It was painted in a self-made notebook with a frame of136 mm×100 mm. The copied frame size is smaller than my small drawing book, and the head of the character is not as big as a button on the notebook.
? My copy is still unsatisfactory, but it is an attempt for me to copy a big picture and make a small copy.
? Ostrovsky used to be a Red Army soldier in the 1st Cavalry Regiment of Buccioni, and his important life experiences were also copied into How Steel was Tempered. According to the film and television works adapted from this novel, Pavel Colta King's cavalry image is very brilliant, whether it is a film shot by the former Soviet Union or a 20-episode TV series shot by China in 1999. The portrait of Pavel Colta King that I drew at that time chose such a soldier who took the lead, referring to the stills of a movie of the same name made by the Soviet Union, which was a close-up. I drew him in another self-made notebook, the size is100 mm×108 mm.
? In this copy of the movie stills, I only portrayed Paul's head, showing the shouts and anger on the battlefield, and I didn't finish the rest. Paul's right hand holds aloft the combat knife, which has been unfolded, but only the general outline of the arm and the grip.
? From my little picture book, I also dug up the image of a cavalry Paul, which was also described according to Soviet film stills.
? Ostrovsky has a famous saying, written in the third chapter of the second part of How Steel was Tempered:
? Life is the most precious thing for people, and life belongs to people only once. A person's life should be spent like this: when recalling the past, he will not regret wasting his time, nor will he be ashamed of doing nothing; On his deathbed, he can say, "I devoted all my life and energy to the most magnificent cause in the world-the struggle for the liberation of mankind."
? Although I haven't read the novel How Steel was Tempered, I still remember this epigram that has influenced almost two generations. In middle school, I solemnly copied it in my notebook. Years of wind and frost have changed. Looking at this passage now, I have long lost the feeling of being a teenager: with a semicolon (; ), the first half is still unsatisfactory. As for the second half, how can I say it? Is there such a so-called "most magnificent cause" in today's world?
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