Self-immolation by Gogol Ilya Repin (1844-1930)

Description of Ilya Repin’s painting "Gogol’s self-immolations".

Repin’s painting The Self-Burnings of Gogol was painted by the great artist in 1909. The painting provoked much criticism, as many considered such a portrayal of Gogol to be wrong and even a mockery of the writer’s illustrious mind. But nothing to do with the speculation of critics title, and the plot of the picture had nothing to do.

The artist depicts two people in the picture: a man suffering from mental and apparently physical torments, which is half-lying, reclining on a chair by the fireplace and his healer, or servant. The face of the first character is disfigured by excruciating pain, but his eyes shine with hope that the flames that devour him from within will be purifying and lead to the gates of Paradise.

The figure of the man as if asking God’s permission to end his suffering and take him to himself. His clothes are wrinkled, his shirt collar is torn, in his hand he holds pieces of paper - this is Gogol himself, and most likely this is the manuscript of the second part of "Dead Souls" which was burnt by the writer, as it did not seem meaningful and successful enough.

The second man in the room, according to Repin’s idea, is positioned in the shade, he tries to alleviate the suffering of the patient, which is easy to notice by how carefully and even reverently he takes him by the hand.

The doctor or the servant persuades Gogol to lie down in bed, illuminated by the moonlight and the fireplace, but the patient refuses, he no longer needs this burning fireplace, snow-white sheets or the doctor, he is ready to meet his Savior and raises his eyes up so as not to miss the moment of this meeting.

The artist forces the viewer to seek out and look for that which disturbed Gogol so much, playing with shadows, painting the fireplace, the luxurious chair on which the patient’s body rests, the second character, the bed and even two windows, by means of which he makes the room even more gloomy.

The painting is full of sorrow and suffering, but it is nevertheless majestic and beautiful, as beautiful as the very determination to renounce all worldly vanity and to go towards something greater, invisible to the eye of the common man.