Oxen. 1885 Valentin Serov (1865-1911)

Description of Valentin Serov’s painting "Vols".

1885; canvas, oil; 47,5×59,5; Tretyakov Gallery.

This picture belongs to the early period of the artist’s work, but it already displays characteristic features of Serov’s style: confident control of brush and clear rough brush strokes.

The subject from rural life, chosen for the sketch, is remarkable for its vivid originality. At first glance, he masterfully depicts a simple scene of feeding the oxen after a working day. The color contrast of black and white adds depth to the painting and leads the viewer to reflections on the dual nature of the world.

It seems as if a pair of animals is deliberately chosen, coming together at the wagon filled with hay. A scarlet rag thrown carelessly over the straw adds color, as if dividing the picture in two. Another bright spot of color is a hen between the hooves of white oxen. Against the overall neutral background, these details create an unsettling feeling, making the scene emotionally intense, lively, and eye-catching.

Elaboration of the background is done thoroughly, but it doesn’t distract from the main characters of the painting. Slouching farm buildings, white house in the distance, gray overcast sky, trampled ground of cattle yard under the feet of animals - all these together create a melancholic mood. The eye against its will focuses on the center of the painting, where the oxen, almost touching their muzzles, are busy feeding.

The work, done by the master’s steady hand, looks three-dimensional, full of life and meaning. Its proportions are amazingly harmonious, and the viewer’s eye moves smoothly from one detail to another, perceiving the story as a whole. The painter’s sketch of village life transforms into the eternal motif of the unity of two opposites.