Forest in the spring of 1884 142h105 Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin (1832-1898)

Description of Ivan Shishkin’s painting The Forest in Spring

The painting was painted in 1884 in oil on canvas. The artistic style is realism.

Shishkin’s paintings are masterpieces that are filled with love for the vastness of our homeland. His work includes dozens of canvases, depicting landscapes, forest dwellers. On the subjects of his paintings created a lot of poems. The last decades of the 19th century were the heyday of his creativity.

During these years, created the most paintings, and all the subjects are devoted to the Russian forest. In it Shishkin put his love and soul. He praises the beauty of his native land and shows it to us. Shishkin is concerned about all the landscapes: worrying about the forest graveyard, admiring the change of seasons, etc. Every year nature seems to die in the fall, and in the spring it begins its new life cycle.

The painting "Forest in Spring" is one of the paintings dedicated to Russian nature. Most often for his works, Shishkin used the northern landscapes. There are no leaves on the trees after the winter hibernation. The snow has melted, leaving a swampy surface everywhere.

In the sky you can see birds returning to their native lands, and very soon they will build new nests here, there will be life. Young grass is making its way across the clearing, peeking triumphantly out of the ground recently covered with a thick layer of snow. Warm, spring sunshine is breaking through the sparse and leafless crowns, alerting all life to a new stage. Looking at this landscape, the soul is filled with warmth and joy. There is a desire to find a place like this and spend the whole day there.

Another work shows the skill of the author. The artistic techniques help to make the landscape realistic. The work is done very subtly with striking color. Another work by the great artist shows the majesty of Russian nature.

The canvas is in storage in the Serpukhov Historical and Art Museum.