Did not wait (Unexpected) Ilya Repin (1844-1930)

Description of Ilya Repin’s painting "Not Waiting"

This painting depicts the unexpected return of a revolutionary who had been exiled. The artist sought to convey the pause that arose between the arrival and the household.

It is not so much the moment of appearance that is important, but rather the moment of surprise, which was very accurately conveyed on the canvas. This pause is so well emphasized that, in the silent silence, the family simply can’t believe their eyes. This state of shock and belief merges together, emphasizing the importance of this fugitive to the people who love him.

Everyone knows quite clearly what happens next, but the author has chosen to leave the presentation of these emotions to each individual. In the prisoner’s gaze one can see sadness and weariness, a plea for acceptance and forgiveness, a prayer for leniency and repentance.

An elderly woman, rising to meet him, gazes at the arrival, searching for the painfully familiar features and voice, the native features of her son. Still not believing the miracle and not giving up hope, the woman’s trembling hand seeks support from the back of her chair. Dressed in mourning, the woman mentally buried her son, but in her heart she never stopped believing.

Though the woman was visible from the back, it did not prevent her from understanding the extent to which grief had made her change - gray hair with a glimmer of white, a slightly shriveled figure, slumped shoulders, and prematurely arrived old age.

The others in the painting are also family members, but it is the exile’s family - his wife and children, who, without hiding their delight and hope, are preparing to burst into tears, not believing in the return of their loved one. The little girl’s fear is clearly portrayed and, enveloped by a feeling of joy, the boy is about to throw himself on his father’s neck.

The image of his wife, too, shows us a genuine story of the hero’s feelings and former life. The woman is portrayed as pale, exhausted, confused and frightened, yet joyful.

In order to clearly separate the exile and the rest of the family, the artist depicted him as a darker figure, which against the background of home comfort, the usual course of life, rushes in like a cold wind in the days of May. But at the same time the exile is not sure whether his family will accept him now that he has become a fugitive and a convict, whether they will understand his motives that prompted him to go against everyone.

So the newcomer stands in the middle of the room, not daring to take a step into the house or back out into the street. There is hope lingering in him.