Negress Ilya Repin (1844-1930)

A description of Ilya Repin’s painting The Negro Woman

"The Negro Woman," so different from Repin’s usual form of writing, was created by him in Paris under the influence of the works of the famous Fortuny, whom the author adored.

Repin made no effort to imitate his idol, but at the same time reached out in his art for the inaccessibility of the sense of form that Fortuny mastered masterfully.

The artist created the portrait with care for his sitter. He saw in her not exoticism, but the beauty of the soul. Such unusual for him writing forced more painstaking selection of colors and he managed to achieve the ideal combination.

The painting remained unknown in Russia for a long time, until 1939, when it was given to the Russian Museum. Critics were in no hurry to admire Repin’s creation, and evaluated the "Negro Woman" cautiously, even cautiously. Many did not perceive the work as a painting, calling it a sketch.

The author himself estimated his work enthusiastically. He introduced something new into his work, and the result was stunning.

Repin painted "Negro Woman" spiritualized beautiful woman who has nothing to do with European standards, but with a clear sense of dignity and emphasized elegance.

Love for the common man, respect for him has always been inherent in the work of Repin. They have not betrayed him and in African themes. Artist all his life was true to its principles and deeply appreciated the democratic nature of national art.

Few artists of the past era can be compared with Repin. Only he managed to convey exactly the reality surrounding him, framing its fate of the people and, at the same time, masterfully wielding a brush.

"The Negro Woman" is one of Repin’s last successful works. After 1880 his creative activity began to fade, he continued to work hard, but created no more masterpieces.