The name of Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin has been familiar to everyone since childhood: it was his picture that is depicted on the wrapper of the “Bears in the Forest” candy. In addition to this outstanding work, the painter has dozens of others that hang on the walls of the best museums in the world.
Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin: paintings with names located in the Tretyakov Gallery
"Pinery. Mast forest in Vyatka province ”,“ Deciduous forest ”,“ Spruce forest ”,“ Oaks. Evening ”,“ Pine Trees Illuminated by the Sun ”,“ Oaks ”,“ In the Forest of Countess Mordvinova. Peterhof ”,“ Pond in the old park ”,“ Rye ”,“ Morning in a pine forest ”,“ Noon. In the vicinity of Moscow, "A Walk in the Forest" is only a small but worthy collection of works by the great Russian artist-realist. Such is Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin. The paintings with names - in the amount of twelve paintings - are located in the premises of the Tretyakov Gallery, which tourists from all over the world and Muscovites who are true connoisseurs of art seek to visit.
"Morning in a pine forest"
In the 80-90s of the XIX century, the most famous paintings of Shishkin were written. The artist was simple with the names, but at the same time original: he did not choose epithets and metaphors, because of which the meaning of the canvas would be twofold. “Morning in a pine forest” is a classic of a Russian realistic landscape. Looking at the canvas, it is difficult to understand that this is not a photograph, but a picture - Shishkin so skillfully conveyed the play of light and shadows, as well as the activities of his main characters - a bear with three cubs. In the dark wilderness of boron, a random ray of the sun that breaks through the heavy crowns of trees is an indicator of the time of day, in this case, morning.
Work on the painting took place in 1889. Shishkin was helped by the artist Savitsky, who initially insisted on his authorship of the figures of bears. However, the collector Tretyakov erased his signature and ordered the painting to become a complete brainchild of Ivan Shishkin. Art historians have proven that “Morning in a Pine Forest” was written from nature. The painter for a long time chose an animal that could become a symbol of the Russian forest: wild boar, elk or bear. However, the first two least liked Shishkin. In search of perfect bears and a suitable forest, he traveled all over the Vyatka province, and, having met a brown family, added it from memory. 4 years have passed from the moment of the idea until the work on the canvas was completed, and today “Morning in the Pine Forest” shows off in the Tretyakov Gallery, like other paintings by the artist Shishkin (there are no problems with the names, all the works are signed).
"In the wild north"
Looking at this famous picture, one involuntarily recalls the stanzas from Lermontov’s poem, which are a continuation of Shishkin’s landscape: “... It stands alone On a bare top, a pine tree, And slumbering, swinging, and loose snow. She is dressed like a robe,”. The work was prepared for the fiftieth anniversary of the death of Mikhail Yurievich and became a worthy illustration of the collection of his poems. Some other paintings by Ivan Shishkin (with titles) are also included in books of fiction, which proves the painter's invaluable contribution to the development of Russian art of the 19th century.
The artist Bialynitsky-Birulya highly appreciated the painting “In the Wild North” and commented that Lermontov would be happy to see such a worthy illustration for his poem. As a poet, in words, and with a brush with paint, the painter conveys the mood, in this case - thoughtful and a little sad. The motive of loneliness is obvious: at the edge of the cliff there is a pine, which is far from the rest of the forest, whose branches are heavy from piled snow. Ahead - a blue abyss, above - the same color, a clear, but sad sky. Pure white snow, which occupies one third of the picture, shines in the sun, but it is not destined to melt soon, because the weather conditions in the north are very severe.
"Rye"
This masterpiece, known to many connoisseurs of painting since childhood, was painted in 1878. The painting "Rye" conveys the breadth of Russian land and the soul of a Russian person: two-thirds of the canvas is occupied by a blue sky with low snow-white clouds, and the rest is allocated to a rye field, in some where tall pine trees sprout. This tree has forever become a symbol of Russian land. Looking at the picture "Rye", one involuntarily recalls the lines from the poetry of O. Mandelstam: "And the pine tree reaches the star ...". If the poet lived at the time of painting, Shishkin would surely borrow this stanza. The paintings with the names of this painter convey the simplicity, kindness and depth of his soul, but the concept of the work becomes clear after a long and careful examination. At first glance, the title “Rye” does not seem anything majestic and intriguing, but if you look closely at the majestic pine trees that stand like heroes, you get the impression that these trees are a kind of defenders of rye fields and the whole Russian land.
"Italian boy"
Ivan Shishkin was the most enlightened artist of Russian realism, so he considered it his duty to depict on canvas not only landscapes, but also portraits, which are not many in the artist’s collection. However, the author’s talent does not become less from this - it is worth taking a look at the work “The Italian Boy”. The year the portrait was painted is unknown, but Ivan Ivanovich probably created it in the late period of his work. Similar features are traced with a self-portrait, on which Shishkin himself worked in 1856. The paintings (with names), most of which are represented by landscapes, are located in the Tretyakov Gallery and other reputable government institutions, but the fate of the “Italian Boy” remains unknown.
"Logging"
Felled trees - a frequent phenomenon, which was portrayed by Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin. Pictures with the names "Pine Forest", "Logs. The village of Konstantinovka near Krasnoye Selo ”and“ Logging ”demonstrate this in the best way. The last work of the author is the most famous. Shishkin worked on "Logging" in 1867 during a trip to Valaam. The beauty of the pine forest, majestic and defenseless, was often depicted by Ivan Ivanovich on the canvases, and the moment when he demonstrates the consequences of a human invasion of the virgin lands is especially tragic. What awaits the rest of the trees that are in the background is known to Shishkin himself, but the stumps cut off at the root evoke melancholy and testify to the superiority of man over nature.