Pine Forest. Pine Forest in the Vyatka province Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin (1832-1898)

Description of Ivan Shishkin’s painting "Pine Forest. Mast forest in Vyatka province".

Painting "Pine Forest. Mast forest in Vyatka Gubernia" is one of a series of paintings dedicated to the Russian landscape, the dense forest, the mighty and immense expanses of Russia. The forest looks a little gloomy, but all this is to emphasize the depth and richness of the vegetation in the Russian forests. Somewhere in the distance you can see the symbols of Russia - the bears. This canvas reflects the forest, which is located in Vyatka province.

The work is done on canvas, in oil. The strokes are confident and clear, even minor lines can be seen, which fill the image of the picture with life and inspiration. The picture is painted through the real image, but quite unreal looks the depicted landscape, as if the forest lives its own, independent life, as if hiding from prying eyes behind impenetrable thickets.

The shadows are very subtly arranged, which gives the picture depth and naturalness. At the same time, the bears depicted remind us that this paradise is not for everyone, not everyone can come and feel the harmony of the forest.

The water in the river as if it were real, you can reach out and scoop a sip or two of fresh, no one drank "live" water. Small stones and uprooted stumps, long roots, sprouted over the years to the river, and bowed grass on the bank as if they ask to drink from the "source of life". And huge pines, with their fluffy paws, as if they accidentally cling to the clouds, showing how big and slender they are. All of them are equal in size and striving to reach the sun.

Somewhere in the height you can see the silhouette of a bird flying by, as if it froze in flight, spreading its mighty wings to admire the expanse of its natural habitat. The sky is light blue, with gaps, as if it were evening. This combination of colors in the painting gives you a sense of the power and scope of the exuberance of the landscape. And this is only a small part of what the artist would like to show people, to initiate them into the bowels of the might of nature.