Family portrait in pencil. Famous family portraits (photo)

The family is a fundamental component in the life of any person. After all, no one appreciates and understands you as much as your loved ones do. They will help and prompt, console and substitute their reliable shoulder. You can treat them differently, but you can truly remember them and keep them forever in your heart by creating a family portrait. How to do this and what technique to choose, we will tell in this article.

General information about the portrait

A family-type portrait is one of the varieties of classical paintings depicting two or more family members. It conveys in as much detail as possible the silhouettes, facial features, and most importantly, the character of those people who are drawn in the picture.

When working on a sketch, the artist uses a variety of tools, styles and surfaces. So, a drawing of your family can be transferred to paper using a simple pencil, paints, special charcoal, crayons, pencils, etc.

As usual drawn from nature

A family portrait, like a single one, can be depicted from nature. In this case, all of whom are planned to be captured in the picture come to the artist. They sit down as the master tells them to, and then sit motionless for a while, waiting for the end of his work. At the same time, the time during which the artist will be able to completely finish his drawing directly depends on the chosen technique and the complexity of the work. For example, the simplest portrait can be drawn in just 10-15 minutes.

In some cases, visiting the artist is not limited to one day, therefore, the family contract will be forced to come to him again and again. These pictures usually contain a large number of small details, for the processing of which the portrait painter needs more time.

Transferring an image from a photo to a surface

As an option, you can make a family portrait by transferring the image of your family members from a regular photograph to paper or canvas. Sometimes this is done manually. That is, the artist simply redraws the images of your children, parents or brothers and sisters. Either the image is transferred automatically, for example, using a special scanner and printer.

Picture of a family contract in pastel technique

A picture of such a plan is usually done in just one layer and is a portrait drawn with colored crayons. Such images are drawn quite quickly. Moreover, the image itself will initially be transferred to a special tinted paper.

Portraits in watercolor

A family portrait (photo and its variations can be seen in our article), drawn has a special expressiveness. These are realistic and vivid paintings that easily convey the character of all members of your family. The colors in this painting tend to come out bright and the strokes crisp.

Oil painting portraits

Oil portraits are considered classics of the genre. They are very colorful and vibrant. The main advantage of such paints is the ability to convey the smallest details of facial expressions, clothes, gestures, etc. Oil paintings are a great opportunity to emphasize all the advantages and characteristics of all members of your family.

Pop art portraits

Such portraits, as a rule, are made with oil paints or by transferring a photograph to a canvas by a printer. The main difference between this technique and others is the use of only three colors when creating a family image. For example, it can be: dark blue, pale blue and blue-black.

Where can I get a portrait?

A portrait, if desired and with due skill, can be drawn independently. To do this, you just need to choose your preferred technique and necessary materials. However, such work requires a certain talent and experience. Therefore, it will be much easier to use the help of professional artists and other art specialists.

Family portraits in pencil: how to draw?

If you suddenly decide to draw a portrait yourself, stock up on the following tools and materials:

family photo;
several simple pencils different hardness;
sheet of paper;
grater;
crayons, colored pencils, paints and other materials of your choice.

Next, take a sheet of paper and put a photo next to it. Now define the top, bottom and middle of the pattern. Take a soft pencil, and almost without pressing on it, draw ovals - these will be people's faces. In the next step, make a light sketch of the rest of the body. And only after the sketch is ready, it will be possible to direct it with a harder pencil. In this case, it is recommended to erase the extra lines immediately. After that, it remains only to colorize the resulting image or leave it as it is, adding highlights, light and shadow.

Alternative drawing of a family portrait

Alternatively, a family portrait can be depicted in a humorous style. In this case, it will be a friendly caricature for all members of your family.

In addition, the images in the picture of all representatives of your family contract may have a purely symbolic character and the appearance of some kind of allegory. For example, you and your family will be represented as animals, birds, insects, mythological characters, etc.

What are the most famous portraits in existence?

Many years ago, portraits were very popular among both nobles and people of lower class. They depicted the following families:

kings;
peasants;
animals;
servants, etc.

For example, reviewing the most famous family portraits, it is impossible not to mention the "Portrait of Count Grigory Grigoryevich Kushelev with children." This canvas by the Russian artist Vladimir Borovikovsky depicts the count himself and his two sons. The second most famous painting is “Portrait Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna with her daughter Maria. It was written by Karl Bryullov in 1830. The same author owns the rights to the painting "Portrait of the Volkonsky Children with a Black Moose" and "Portrait of Countess Olga Ivanovna Orlova-Davydova with her daughter Natalia Vladimirovna."

He painted a beautiful portrait and his picture is based on the story of Nikolai Gogol "Taras Bulba" and, accordingly, has the same name with it. It depicts Taras with his two sons - Ostap and Andriy. Another famous family portrait was painted by the artist Bogdan Villevalde in 1854. The painting is called "Nicholas I with Tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich in the artist's studio." And the painting by DOW George depicts Princess Alexandra Feodorovna with her offspring.

However, in addition to famous and high-ranking personalities, many painters preferred to depict ordinary people, including members of their family. For example, Ivan Glazunov in the painting "The Artist's Family" depicted his wife with two daughters. Perfectly displays all the hardships family life concerning large families, and Nikolai Koshelev in his painting "Morning in the Village". On it you can see four small children from a simple working-class family.

19.10.2016

A family photo portrait is a classic family portrait taken in a studio or some other room or interior. This type of portrait is intended to capture a significant family event.

A family photo portrait is a good and interesting tradition that is very popular in society. The tradition itself has its roots in the distant past, at a time when a person began to understand his significance in society, to feel himself an integral part of this society and to see the value of a family, clan, clan.

A lot of different objects of art have survived to this day, which emphasize the important role of the family for a person at all stages of the development of society. The most interesting here can be considered paintings by great artists who devoted a lot of time and attention to family portraits.

Photographer: Dashaeva Ekaterina

The history of the appearance of a family photo portrait

Let's fast forward a few centuries ago, to the time when the first cameras appeared. This invention has made a real revolution in society. Any image was created much faster and less labor-intensive than a painting. It became possible to capture not only landscapes, but also loved ones. At first, only a few people could afford cameras, but rather quickly photo studios began to appear in various cities.

During short period time, it became popular to visit photo salons and take family portraits. Photographs, large and small, have taken their place in beautiful frames on chests of drawers, desks and on the walls of living rooms and bedrooms. At the same time, family photo albums began to appear.

The family portrait became available not only to the rich and noble, but also to ordinary people thanks to the photo.

Features of the process of photographing a family portrait

I wonder why old photographs sometimes take us to the quick, cause so many pleasant emotions? People who had cameras were very fond of their occupation and work. They prepared for photography with the utmost care: set the lights, study the flashes, the selection of the background and the lens, and also take time for the models themselves to take pictures. Very often there was only one opportunity to take a picture. People who went to be photographed also spent a lot of time preparing for this process, so many photographs have a solemnity, a sense of celebration.

In addition, we see beautiful game light and shadows, staging and careful work of the photographer: everything is verified and thought out. Each photo captivates the audience not only with thoughtfulness, but also with the unusual atmosphere that each photo is filled with.

Family photo in an amazing way conveys harmony and relationships: from the father of the family it breathes determination and confidence, from the mother - tenderness, femininity, care, and the children add carelessness and joy to the frame, playing on their parents' knees in their elegant costumes. Harmony and idyll - this is what surprises us in many old photographs.

When cameras became available and familiar in every family, photo shoots in nature, birthdays, walks or joint trips became normal and commonplace.

Each person can create their own photo story. Photo albums and computer hard drives are full of a variety of pictures - high-quality and not very good, beautiful and ordinary. This creates the impression that people have already lost their taste and interest in real photography, touching, memorable, meaningful. But it only seems that way, a family portrait has always been and remains interesting people different generations.

A family portrait has many variations, it has a lot of different styles, opportunities to show character, to convey a conceived image. You will want to hang a high-quality family photo in a conspicuous place in your apartment and this is a good opportunity to be proud of yourself and your family.

Interesting publications on the site

A family portrait is the type of photograph that is treasured with love long years. You should not shoot it deliberately pretentious, because instead, there are many ways to make a family portrait bright and creative.

Be creative with how you place people for a family portrait. This will of course depend on how many people you are filming and how much space you have available.

For example, a typical family with two children, you can place in the family circle (literally). Ask everyone to lie down on the ground and hold hands. Use a standard or wide-angle lens with an aperture between 17mm and 50mm. Stand above the resulting "family circle" - ideally you can use a small stepladder. Focus on the center of the frame. Select average depth sharpness: Aperture values between f/9 and f/16 are ideal.

Group family members

If you are dealing with big family, place family members together but in groups. Place tall, young people at the back, older family members in the center, and children in the foreground. Also remember that there should be tall people around the edges of the photo.

Use an external flash to get rid of unwanted shadows and a large depth of field to keep all the people in the photo in focus.

Emphasize emotions

A great idea would be to show emotions and related feelings in a family portrait. Invite your models to hold each other's hands, or hug each other.

Or you can emphasize the continuity between representatives of different generations of the family, for example, by photographing a grandmother, daughter and granddaughter.

Try shooting this scene in natural light and with a fast shutter speed so you can capture the smile on your models' faces as soon as it appears. If you ask people to smile on purpose, then the smile in the photo is likely to come out unnatural.

How to shoot a family portrait: Choose the right clothes

Shooting a family portrait is a great excuse to look your best. To enhance the effect of unity of all family members, ask them to wear clothes of the same color, or the same style for the photo. For example, you could ask everyone to choose business style clothes.

Most importantly, remember that overly saturated red shades are best avoided.

Also try experimenting with different color combinations for a casual look.

Use close-ups for family portraits

Close-ups are a great way to convey emotion. Accommodate two people, such as husband and wife, brother and sister, or mother and daughter, as closer friend to a friend and invite them to talk.

Use a macro or standard lens and crop close-up. Wait for the right moment, whether it be a smile or an expressive look, and take a picture.

Use a flash to freeze motion and a shallow depth of field to bring out the models' faces.

Use non-standard shooting positions

Experiment with shooting angles. Vary the positions from which you shoot a family portrait and you will get very interesting results.

For example, while lying on your back, ask the family members you are filming to stand above you. Use flash to illuminate people in the background bright sky. Don't forget to ask your models to tilt their heads down a bit so that their noses look natural in the photo.

When shooting family portraits, exposure settings can vary, but you will always aim for a sharp and balanced image.

To do this, if necessary, use a flash and a reasonable shutter speed: at least 1/125 s. If you are photographing a group of people, use a large depth of field, from f/11 to f/22, to ensure that every member of the family is in focus.

If you are photographing no more than three people, use a shallow depth of field, from f/2.0 to f/5.6, to blur the background and focus on the people.

Takes a lot of time, however, people for the sake of getting excellent results are usually ready for it.

For group shots, you may need a wide-angle lens and an external flash. In addition, they will be very useful, but you may need an assistant or a special tripod to use them.

Conclusion

Most main advice when shooting family portraits: be creative. Go beyond classic portraits. Today, outdoor portraits in natural light and in natural poses are relevant.

With my knowledge of classic studio portrait (aka "boring") and 25 years of experience in portrait and wedding photography, I have some tips for you. If you haven't shot family and group portraits before, don't be intimidated. Be honest with your customers and tell them that you are just learning. I'm sure they'll help you with your shoot so you can get some good photos in exchange.

With a little planning, family portraits can be fun for both you and the family you photograph. Here are 10 simple tips that will help you to have a successful and fun photo shoot.

Use a tripod whenever possible
Shoot in manual exposure mode
Lock focus or use manual focus
Don't line people up
Let the kids be kids and fool around with them
If it bends, bend. Help people pose
Help me choose the best fit
Light: let it be in their eyes
Emotions are everything!
Have fun and let it happen

Let's look at each of the tips in more detail.

1. Use a tripod whenever possible

Wow, I can already imagine what you're thinking. The tripod doesn't match your style. It is too heavy and bulky. Your style is more free. This is all true, of course, and in some cases (for example, when shooting children running or a more reportage style of shooting), it may be better to shoot handheld. However, let's look at the other side of the coin.

Many if not all people get nervous when they are photographed. Yes, they are nervous! Many experience real panic, and some go so far as to openly say "I hate it." So it's part of our job to help people feel more comfortable and relaxed. This can be tricky when the photographer himself is nervous, especially if he is a beginner. But you get a big advantage by putting your camera on a tripod. Actually - even two advantages.

First, it automatically calms you down. It's already good. You can check the settings, adjust the composition and exposure and make sure everything is correct. Among other things, it's easy to get carried away, bringing the camera to your eyes and forgetting to check the settings, and only then to see that you made a mistake with the white balance, or shot at ISO 6400, or in low-resolution jpeg. By calming down you will avoid these surprises.

Secondly, it will allow you to take your eyes off the camera so you have eye contact with your subjects. They are people and it is much more comfortable for them to look not into the glass of the lens, but into your eyes. You can use gestures to get the attention of children, or make faces. In any case, you will get much more vivid emotions than if you look through the viewfinder. Try it!

2. Shoot in manual exposure mode

If you are composing the shot, choosing the time and place of shooting, then you can control all these elements. And you can, having adjusted the exposure, no longer change it. But if you set the shutter or aperture priority mode, the camera itself will be able to choose slightly different settings for different frames. And this is NOT what you need! Consistency is very important.

Exposure inconsistency creates extra work in post-processing to even out different frames. This can also lead to slight color shifts, increased noise (in case of underexposure), and other undesirable effects. To keep the exposure constant during shooting, use the manual mode. Just remember that if you change your pose, location, or anything else, you need to check your exposure settings. I just take a test shot, check the histogram, adjust the settings if needed, and keep shooting.

3. Block focus

Just as you don't want the exposure to change from frame to frame, you don't need autofocus every frame. Assuming you've followed tip #1 and are using a tripod, the camera won't move. If you put the group in a relatively static position, they won't move either. In any case, not significantly. It is only about moving further or closer relative to the camera. So that…

Set up your camera in one of two ways: use focus lock or manual focus. With any of these options, the focus will not automatically change during shooting. If you focus using the shutter button, then someone's movement can cause a focus miss or focus on the background. If you're not sure how to set this up, check your camera manual.

Bonus Tip: If your camera has a screen-based focus check mode, you can focus manually more conveniently. Turn on Live View to see the image on the screen. Press the zoom button (it may have a magnifying glass icon or a "+") once or twice. The picture on the screen will be enlarged without zooming the lens, so that you can achieve more precise manual focusing. Press the zoom button again to return to normal modeLiveview.

4. Line people up

You may or may not have heard of it before, or weren't quite sure how it's done. What we need is to avoid boring straight lines, rows and columns of heads. Diagonals are more dynamic and interesting in the frame, so try to create them from the people you are shooting.

Imagine lines connecting each face to the next. Try to arrange them so that no face is directly above or next to (on the same level) with the previous one. Make diagonals, not totem poles. Use props to seat some people or bring small folding chairs to the shoot. Let some people sit down, while others stand on something. Use the elements of the environment to position them or, if there is nothing at all, at least simply arrange them in different heights.

5. If it bends, bend

it general rule with any shooting of people and this good rule. People tend to stand straight and tense when you line them up, so you need to bend them in a few places to make them look more natural. No one in life stands upright like a stick. Here are some ideas:

Have them put their weight on one leg and turn one hip away from the camera.
Let them put their hand in their pocket. I usually recommend leaving thumb outside, otherwise they try to stick their hand as deep as possible, which also does not look natural.
Or hook your finger into the belt or belt loop.
If they are sitting, you can lean forward and put your weight on one hip.
If they are standing leaning against something, let them cross their legs.
If a man is sitting, let him cross his legs and turn around so that there is no crotch in the frame.

So, you've come up with something. The best way to pass it on - to do it yourself, so that they mirror it for you. Stand in front of them, take the desired position and offer to repeat it exactly.

An example of bending body parts. The girls did it much better than the guys, but even arms bent at the elbows are already good. Some people are so repressed that it becomes a problem... Just do your best.

6. Let kids be kids

I have found that parents usually tell their children before a photo shoot something along the lines of “you have to behave and smile.” For most kids this is too much. difficult task. I usually suggest to my clients that they tell their children instead:

We will go to the park to take pictures. It will be fun.

That's all! There are no other tasks other than fun. Then prepare yourself. Bring props with you, have parents bring one of their favorite toys or books. I usually carry finger puppets with me and bubble along with your equipment. If the kids don't want to sit and smile - don't force them. Let them run around, be kids - film it. Play with them, let it be fun. Then after a while they will be able to work with you for a while.

When I photograph children, I make myself look like a complete idiot. I make funny noises, sing songs (I'm bad, but no one cares), I make a fish face, I play peek-a-boo behind the camera. I run back and forth with a puppet. I'm lying on the ground, sticking out my ass. Only children live the right life, and we adults do not know how. So do not prevent children from being children, let them have fun. And be prepared to adjust the shooting for them.

It was a game of peek-a-boo around a tree. Look at those genuine smiles! Themimpossibleforge.

7. Help people choose the most winning poses

The bottom line is that if mom thinks she looks fat, it doesn't matter how wonderful the light and emotions turned out (see points 8 and 9 below). So remember this rule.

Be aware of human "flaws" and work with them. Here are some simple tips.

If someone has a large lower half of the body, don't position them close to the edge of the frame when shooting with a wide angle lens.
To combat double chins, choose a slightly higher shooting point - above the level of the subject's eyes. Forcing him to look up will stretch your neck and minimize this effect.
The bump on the nose is usually more visible from one side than the other, so you should study the face to determine which side is best to shoot.
If you are renting a couple that has big difference in height, ask the man (usually they are taller) to spread their legs. This will make it somewhat lower and close the gap.
For very fat people(or those who are very shy about their weight) laying down on the grass with children on top is good. It always comes out beautiful. We hide the tummies, pull up the chins and bring the children's faces closer.

Lying on the grass. Great for families with small children. This family did not need to correct anything, it was just fun with children jumping on dad and mom.

8. Light is very important - let it be in their eyes

Light can make or break any photograph, and portraits are no exception. Photography itself is essentially "painting with light". The most important thing to watch out for in portrait photography is proper lighting for the subject's eyes. There are many ways to do this and this is a big topic of its own, but I will give you some simple tips to help you with your lighting.

Choose the right time of day for portraits! Late evening, about an hour before sunset, is ideal. Because the sun is low on the horizon and there is no harsh midday light overhead. At this time, the light is better directed and more diffused, especially if there is haze on the horizon.
If you can't shoot at sunset, find shade. Get the family away from a bright, sunny spot, but make sure your background isn't too light. Light areas of the background will distract attention from the subjects. Look for places in the shade of large buildings or under large trees.
Don't use overcast days just because the light is less harsh than in bright sunshine. Although the light is indeed softer and not as hard, its direction is not the best. On cloudy days, the light still falls from above and darkens the eyes, especially if they are deep set.
Add light with a reflector or flash if needed. Of course, this is a completely different type of lighting, but learn how to use it to better illuminate faces. If you do not see glare in the eyes, then there is not enough light on the faces.

No less important than the additional illumination of faces is where this light comes from. We remember that the overhead light is not the best, just like the light from the camera. So using the built-in flash will not give you good light. Just like an external flash mounted on the camera. The light coming from the camera makes the objects flat, which is not what we want.

We should strive to get light coming from a source that is at an angle of 30-45 degrees from the camera. More about this is written in my article.

This was taken right before sunset. The sun is on the left behind them. I used the flash reflected from the umbrella, also on the left, to add light to the faces, without which they would be in shadow.

9. Emotions are everything

If light is at the head of everything, then getting the right emotions is everything! You can ruin the lighting, poses, but if you shoot them laughing or with "the same" face - it will be a success! How to do it?

See point 1 first. Then - point 6. Being a photographer means sometimes becoming a comedian or a clown. The ability to say or do something that makes people smile comes with experience. Sometimes adults can also be affected. The dad against the brick wall in the photo above has the same expression on his face most of the time. I know this family and have been photographing them for 13 years. And I know I can tease him a little or play duck to play a trick on him.

If small children or babies are involved in the shooting, do not forget to attract their attention. Help may be needed here, so ask to bring your grandma or a friend along. But what usually happens when children look at you and laugh, what do parents do? Turn to the child! Oops again! I always tell my parents, “No matter what, keep looking at me while I'm fooling around. DO NOT look at the child."

The child laughs, and everyone else follows the instructions and looks at me, lucky!

10. Fool around a bit

The last piece of advice is not to take photography too seriously. Take some really wacky photos at the end of the photo session (or even in the middle if it starts to get boring). Ask them all to do stupid things together and let them actually do it. Usually they start laughing and when they are happy you will take a picture. Let them pile on top of each other in a heap on the grass. Ask them to jump up together or make a silly face (and you'll do the same). It relieves stress and energizes the mood.

I made the same face!

My external flash stopped working, so I had to use the built-in one. But at this point, we were all tired and I thought it would be fun, so we easily went for it. Pay attention to the new facial expression of dad!

Bonusadvice

Let the family decide what to wear to the shoot. Some people disagree with my view on this moment, but if you want you can read more in the material "Clothes for portraits".

Get outside, take family pictures and have fun!

About the author: Darlene Hildebrandt is a professional photographer and educator who teaches beginners, hobbyists and professionals through virtual tutorials, workshops and photography tours. On Darlene's website you can download the free book 10 Lessons for Improving Photography (in English).

Abraham Lambert Jacobs van den Tempel.
Family portrait.
2nd half of the 1660s.

Adrian van Ostade.
Peasant family.
1647.

Parents in the North were never addressed with "you", as is common in Ukraine. Step-father and mother, as you know, were called stepfather and stepmother, and step-daughter and son - stepdaughter and stepson. The children of siblings were called cousins. The little ones often called the grandfather “grandfather”, and the grandmother “baba”, uncle and aunt, the nephews sometimes called the bozhat, bozhatka, bozhatka, bozhatushka or godmother, godmother. Sometimes other, more distant relatives were also called the same. The daughter-in-law, who came to the house from another family, the father-in-law and mother-in-law was obliged to call father and mother, they were “God-given” parents for her. In relation to her father-in-law, she was considered a daughter-in-law, and in relation to her mother-in-law and her husband's sisters, she was considered a daughter-in-law. The sister called her brother brother, cousins sometimes called each other brothers, like stepbrothers ...
The women called the husband's brothers brothers, and the husband's sisters were called sisters-in-law. On this occasion, a proverb was created: "Better seven axes than seven hooves." That is, it is better for a husband to have seven brothers than seven sisters. The son-in-law, as you know, is the husband of the daughter. The father and mother of a wife or bride are father-in-law and mother-in-law, but in their eyes it was supposed to be called father and mother. The parents of the daughter-in-law (daughter-in-law) and the parents of the son-in-law called each other matchmaker and matchmaker. (A matchmaker in a wedding ceremony is a completely different thing.) Married to sisters were considered brothers-in-law, and for some reason the sister-in-law was called the sister-in-law. The title "brother-in-law" exists only in the masculine gender and for the male sex, it denotes the wife's brother, and the sister's husband is the son-in-law for both sexes. On this occasion, there was a playful riddle among the people: “What kind of brother-in-law is the brother-in-law’s nephew?” You will not immediately guess that we are talking about your own son.

Bartholomeus van der Helst.
Family portrait.
1642.

Vasily Andreevich Tropinin.
Family portrait of Counts Carrots.
1813.

A FAMILY. A bean, a tramp, a rod, in general, a person without a family was considered offended by fate and God. Having a family and children was just as necessary, just as natural as it was necessary and natural to work.
The family was held together by the greatest moral authority. Such authority was usually enjoyed by the traditional head of the family. But the combination of traditional headship and moral authority is not at all necessary. Sometimes either a grandfather, or one of the sons, or a big woman was endowed with such authority, while the formal primacy always belonged to a man, husband, father, parent.
Kindness, tolerance, mutual forgiveness of offenses passed in a good family into mutual love despite the family size. Swearing, envy, self-interest were not only considered sins. They were simply personally disadvantageous to any member of the family.
Love and harmony between relatives gave rise to love outside the home. From a person who does not love and does not respect his own relatives, it is difficult to expect respect for other people, for neighbors in the village, in the volost, in the district. Even interethnic friendship has its origin in family love, kindred. It is absurd to expect ready-made love from an infant, for example, to an uncle or an aunt; at first, his love does not go further than his mother. Along with the expansion of the physical sphere of knowledge, the moral sphere also expands. The child gradually becomes sorry not only for his mother, but also for his father, sisters and brothers, grandparents, and finally, family feelings are so strong that they extend to aunts and uncles. Direct blood relationship becomes the basis for indirect relationship, because a quarrelsome, disrespectful own daughters an old woman cannot become a good mother-in-law, just as a rude daughter can never make a good daughter-in-law. Kindness and love for blood relatives becomes a prerequisite, if not love, then at least deep respect for non-blood relatives. It is at this boundary that springs of high altruism are born, spreading beyond the boundaries of one's own home. Quarrelsomeness and quarrelsomeness as character traits were considered a punishment of fate and aroused pity for their carriers. Active opposition to such manifestations of character did not bring anything good to the family. It was necessary to be able to give in, forget the offense, respond with kindness or remain silent.
For centuries, the relationship between the sexes developed in a peasant family. For example, wives with husbands, sisters and brothers. These relationships are especially evident in labor. A woman rolling a long log onto a cart or waving a sledgehammer in a smithy was just as ridiculous as a blacksmith spinning or a man milking a cow. Only out of great need did a woman, usually a widow, take up an ax, and a man (also most often widowed) sat under a cow with a pail.
All management of the household was held in the hands of a big woman - a woman, wife and mother. She was in charge, as they say, with the keys to the whole house, kept records of hay, straw, flour and zaspa * (* Zaspa - oatmeal (north. Zh.)). All livestock and all domestic animals, except for horses, were under the supervision of a big woman. Under her vigilant supervision was everything that was connected with the nutrition of the family: observing fasts, baking bread and pies, a festive table and an everyday table, taking care of linen and repairing clothes, weaving, a bath, etc. Of course, she did not do all this work alone. Children, having barely learned to walk, little by little, along with the game, began to do something useful. Bolshukha was by no means shy about ways of rewarding and punishing when it came to household chores.
The title of "big man" over the years imperceptibly passed to the son's wife.
The owner, the head of the house and the family, was primarily an intermediary in the relations of the farmstead and the land society, in the relations of the family and those in power. He was in charge of the main agricultural work, plowing, sowing, as well as construction, logging and firewood. He, along with his adult sons, carried all the physical burden of peasant labor on his shoulders. Grandfather (the owner's father) often had in all these matters not only an advisory, but also a decisive voice. By the way, in a respectable family, any important matters were decided at family councils, and openly, with children. Only distant relatives(poor or infirm, living in the house until death) prudently did not participate in these councils.
The family of a peasant took shape over the centuries, the people selected its most necessary "dimensions" and properties. So, it collapsed or turned out to be defective if it was not complete enough. The same thing happened with excessive numbers, when, for example, two or three sons got married. In the latter case, the family became, to put it in a modern way, "unmanageable", so a married son, if he had brothers, sought to separate from his father's household. The world cut up land for him from the public fund, and the house was built by the whole family, with help. Daughters, growing up, also left their father's house. At the same time, everyone tried not to get married earlier. older sister. “They don’t thresh through a sheaf,” it was said about the unwritten law of this sequence.
Children in the family were considered the subject of common worship. An unloved child was a rarity in Russian peasant life. People who did not experience parental and family love in childhood became unhappy with age. It is not for nothing that widowhood and orphanhood have long been considered a great and irreparable grief. Offending an orphan or a widow meant committing one of the most serious sins. Growing up and getting on their feet, the orphans became ordinary laymen, but the wound of orphanhood never healed in the heart of each of them.

Vasily Belov. Lad. Moscow, Young Guard. 1982.

Vasily Grigorievich Perov.
Journey quarter with family on a pilgrimage. Sketch.
1868.

In a normal peasant family, all children were born predominantly in the first ten or fifteen years of marriage. Those born in a year were called weathermen. Thus, even in large family, where there were ten or twelve children, at the birth of the last, the first or eldest had not yet left adolescence. This was important, since pregnancy with an adult, understanding son or daughter was not very appropriate. And although no one directly condemned the parents for the birth of an unexpected “scrape”, the spouses - with the maturation of their first child and the maturation of their elders - no longer aspired to the marriage bed ... It was as if youthful chastity returned to them little by little.

Vasily Belov. Lad. Moscow, Young Guard. 1982.

Vasily Grigorievich Perov.
Labor family. Sketch.