The next exhibition - already the seventh in a row - the Wanderers promised, as always, a lot of new products and unexpected artistic solutions. The audience eagerly awaited not only the works of already recognized masters, but also the appearance of new names working in the style of realism. The real highlight of this exhibition was Kuindzhi's painting “Birch Grove”.
The biography of the remarkable artist Arkhip Kuindzhi is an excellent example for those who, despite all the difficulties and obstacles, are firmly moving towards their intended goal. With all his works, the master sought to justify his surname, which in Greek means "goldsmith." Only on the third attempt did he enter the Academy of Arts, he brought a lot of new to the compositional construction of the landscape, to give the paintings brightness and sophistication. An excellent example of all this is Kuindzhi's “Birch Grove”.
A native of Mariupol was far from the first to take up the image of the unspoken symbol of Russia, but he managed to find such means that made the picture truly spiritual.
Kuindzhi's “Birch Grove”, a description of the history of which can be found in almost any major art guide, is an example of a style known as “romantic landscape”. This style is characterized by the masterful use of light and shadow in combination with the openness of the composition.
In particular, in Kuindzhi's painting “Birch Grove”, the necessary effect is provided by the image of light green branches of birches against a background of dark green forest thicket. By using this technique, festivity and image brightness are achieved. The sharply highlighted contrast between sunlight and shadow creates a joyful, high spirits in the viewer. In the compositional plan, the brook plays the most important role, which divides the canvas into two parts, it gives vividness to the picture, sets the rhythm, encourages life and creativity.
Almost all critics and art historians agree that in the Kuindzhi's painting "Birch Grove" the author managed to give significance and brightness to the landscape that is quite ordinary for our country. This is achieved through a combination of richness of colors, bold alignment of the compositional space, and also due to the filigree technique of transition from one color scheme to another. Like no other, Kuindzhi was able to show light, even without sun rays.
The liveliness of the picture is given by various small details, to which the author paid very close attention. This is largely why this canvas creates a “presence effect” in the viewer, forcing him to inhale the aroma of birch trees and listen to the murmur of the stream.
The techniques used by the author in “Birch Grove” were subsequently applied by Kuindzhi in other famous works: “Night on the Dnieper”, “After the Rain”, “Sea at Night”. The name of this wonderful master was included in the golden fund of the domestic landscape, along with such luminaries as Shishkin and Levitan. Currently, Kuindzhi's work “Birch Grove” is kept in the Tretyakov Gallery, without ceasing to please new generations of connoisseurs of real art.