For a long time, football has remained one of the most beloved games of not only boys, but also adult respectable men. For them, there is nothing more exciting than hitting a ball into the goal after going through an infinite number of obstacles. This game is devoted to many films and songs. Do not forget about it and the artists. Interesting is the picture "Goalkeeper". Grigoryev Sergey Alekseevich - the artist who created it in 1949, was able to accurately convey on the canvas all the excitement and emotions inherent in this sports game. Today, the canvas is stored in the Tretyakov Gallery, anyone can see it.
Artist Biography
Sergey Grigoriev is a famous Soviet painter who depicted in his works the life of the younger generation of the post-war era. He was born in 1910 in Lugansk. In 1932 he graduated from the Kiev Art Institute, after which he was engaged in teaching activities in it. In his paintings, the artist raised the problems of moral education of Soviet youth.
In addition to “Goalkeeper”, he wrote such works as “Returned”, “Discussion of the deuce”, “At the meeting” and others. For his work, the painter was twice awarded the Stalin Prize, as well as several medals and orders. Despite the fact that the artist lived in the Soviet era, his work has not lost its relevance to this day. In the 7th grade, students are invited to write an essay based on Grigoriev’s painting “Goalkeeper”.
Acquaintance with the creation of the artist
Teaching children to creativity is one of the priority tasks of the modern educational system. Teachers suggest that children write a description of the painting “Goalkeeper” by Grigoryev in order to bring them closer to art, develop their ability to formulate their thoughts logically, and teach them to express their own opinion about what they see on the canvas. In order to successfully write an essay on the proposed topic, students first need to carefully analyze the scene depicted in the picture.

Starting the description of the painting “Goalkeeper” by S. Grigoriev, it is necessary to recall in what era it was created. The year 1949 is a difficult time for Soviet people. After the end of World War II, only 4 years passed, and the country was recovering rapidly. New enterprises and residential buildings appeared. The overwhelming majority of citizens lived poorly, but the peaceful sky above their heads gave them hope for a bright future. The post-war children, remembering all the horrors of deprivation and bombing, grew up spoiled and knew how to enjoy everyday things. For example, a game of football. It is such an episode that the artist conveys in his work.
S. Grigoriev "Goalkeeper": essay on the picture. Where to begin?
The action described on the canvas takes place on an abandoned wasteland. After classes, children came here to play football. The protagonist of the plot is an ordinary boy standing on an impromptu gate, the border of which is marked with student briefcases. Instead of benches in the wasteland - logs where the fans were located: seven kids and an adult man in a suit and hat. Another little boy is watching the game, standing behind the gate. That's all who the Goalkeeper picture represents. Grigoriev also portrayed a white dog. She curled up at the feet of the smallest cheerleader and sleeps calmly, not showing any interest in what is happening around.

When making an essay describing S. Grigoriev’s painting “Goalkeeper”, one needs to pay attention not only to the type of football field, but also to the landscapes that can be seen behind it. In the background, temples and multi-storey buildings are clearly visible , from which we can conclude that the action takes place in a big city. The football match was held in the fall, as the wasteland is surrounded by shrubs with yellowed leaves. Judging by what the smallest fans are wearing, the weather on the street was cool, but had not had time to finally get cold.
Meet the Goalkeeper Boy
The composition according to Grigoriev’s painting “Goalkeeper” must necessarily contain a detailed description of the protagonist. The boy standing at the gate looks no more than 12 years old. He is dressed in a blue jacket, from the neck of which you can see the snow-white collar of a school shirt, shorts and shoes. In the hands of a young goalkeeper gloves. His knee was bandaged, but the injury did not prevent him from continuing the intense and exciting game. The goalkeeper bent slightly, and all his attention was focused on the field remaining outside the picture. The spectator does not see the rest of the players and only by the goalkeeper's tense face can he guess that there is a serious game and the ball is about to be in the goal. The fate of the match is in the hands of the little boy and he, understanding all responsibility, tries to avoid the goal at all costs.
Other canvas characters
Composing a description of the painting “Goalkeeper” by Grigoriev, students need to pay attention to the tension present among the fans, where there are both boys and girls. None of the kids can take their eyes off the field. The ball was already very close to the goal, and the intensity of passions reached the top. Children sitting on logs would love to join the game, but they are still too small, and older children do not take them into football players. But the support of the team is also a very responsible occupation, and the kids gave it completely. The most desperate of the boys could not resist and ran out the gate. Realizing that the outcome of the game does not depend on him at all, he still cannot sit still.
Against the background of the kids, an adult man stands out who also came to cheer for the guys. Description of the painting by S. Grigoriev "Goalkeeper" would not be complete without mentioning this colorful character. It is not known who the depicted man is. Perhaps he is the father of one of the children, or maybe he just could not get past the exciting action. It is striking that with what excitement an adult and serious man watches a children's game, how much he worries about its outcome. No less children, this man would now like to be on the football field and pick up the ball from the opponent.
Features of the work
Total passion for football conveys the picture “Goalkeeper”. Grigoriev was able to focus the attention of the audience on the emotional side of the game, to show how much it captures all those present in the wasteland. Despite his considerable age, the picture is still very relevant today, because millions of people around the world are keen on football. It will be interesting for modern high school students to describe the plot of the picture, since this is a sport they are familiar with from an early age.
Grigoriev’s painting “Goalkeeper” was painted in rather restrained shades. Its color scheme conveys the mood of the post-war era. Cold gray tones indicate a difficult life that befell a people who, with their own hands, was forced to lift the country from ruins. And only bright red elements that stand out clearly against a gloomy background give the canvas optimism and confidence in a happy and cloudless future.
Writing Tips
To make it easy for high school students to complete the teacher’s assignment on the subject “Artist Sergey Grigoriev. Goalkeeper: Composing a Painting”, they need to make a short plan before creating the text. In the work you need to make an introduction, then briefly talk about the biography of the painter and after that go on to the description of the plot of the work. Any essay should end with conclusions in which the child talks about what impression he has left after a detailed study of the picture. He must substantiate his conclusions.
Subtext of the plot
Why exactly did the artist depict football on his canvas? As you know, collectivism was popularized in the Soviet Union. Football is a team game where each of the participants is part of one system and cannot function without it. Likewise, Soviet people were not able to live outside the collective. We can say that the painting “Goalkeeper” conveys the Soviet era as well as possible. Grigoriev, capturing the team game on the canvas, conveyed the atmosphere that prevailed in society at that time.