Arrival of the kings of John and Peters on Cemenivskiy funny court accompanied by his suite Ilya Repin (1844-1930)

Description of Ilya Repin’s painting "The Arrival of Tsars Ioann and Peter Alexeyevich at the Semyonovsky Poteshny Court accompanied by an entourage".

This painting was painted by the great Russian artist in 1900, but the work tells the story of the years when Tsars Ivan and Peter Alexeyevich Romanov lived.

The painting "Arrival of Tsars Ioann and Peter Alexeyevich at the Semyonovsky Poteshny Court accompanied by an entourage" depicts a real event. In the 17th century, Alexei Mikhailovich loved falconry and did his best to develop it in Russia. In the Semenovskaya Sloboda he established a large falconry yard, where various birds of prey were bred. When Peter I and Ivan came to see this place, they were shocked by how many people cared for these birds. More than three hundred people showed up in front of the tsars. Such wastefulness did not please Peter at all, and he decided to make a Poteshny regiment out of these caretakers of the birds. Thus, the tsar decided that these men could be of use to the homeland.

In the center of the canvas we see the figures of the two tsars. They are surrounded by several boyars who accompany the tsars on their many journeys. All the dignitaries are dressed very well: they are wearing richly decorated clothes, hats embroidered with gold thread and fur. Peter is depicted in a very determined pose. John, on the contrary, bowed his head and as if obeying Peter’s orders. Thus, the artist wanted to show what the relationship was between the tsars. Peter was always more overbearing than John.

The tsars and the boyars were surrounded by ordinary Russian people. They looked more like a gray, faceless mass against the background of the tsars. The clothes of the peasants are brown, old. Many men are overgrown with thick beards.

In the background we see a winter forest. Tall trees surround the entire settlement. Not far from the forest is a small palace. The building is quite interesting in shape with a sharp roof, which is painted in different colors. Not far from the palace you can see the royal carriage. Covered with gilding, it stands out brightly against the background of pale peasant clothes.