The painting "Overgrown Pond" by the famous Russian artist, teacher and master of genre and landscape painting Vasily Polenov became the real property of Russian fine art. Over the years, the work has been surprising with its mystery and tranquility, which the master so successfully managed to convey and convey to the viewer.
From this article it will be possible to find out what inspired the author to create this masterpiece, and a detailed description of Polenov’s “Overgrown Pond” painting will also be presented.
History of writing a work
The painting by Vasily Polenov “Overgrown Pond” was created in 1879. The painting is an integral part of the lyrical trilogy, which the master devoted 2 years of his creative life. The trilogy includes such paintings as “Moscow Courtyard”, “Grandma’s Garden”, and, of course, “Overgrown Pond”.
The artist received inspiration for writing the work in 1877, while in the village of Petrushka, which is located near Kiev. The silence and tranquility of the village and the wonderful nature prompted the artist to write the first sketch of this work.
The sketch of Polenov's "Overgrown Pond" remained untouched until the fall of 1878. It was during this period that Vasily Polenov moved from Arbat to his new home in Khamovniki. The new house, where the chic old garden was located, impressed the artist, and he set to work on his deferred work.
Vasily Polenov, “Overgrown Pond”: description of the painting
The pond depicted on the canvas is filled with peace, tranquility and mystery. Algae and beautiful, delicate white water lilies partially swallowed it. In the foreground, it is clear that the coast is overgrown with modest wildflowers, onto which bright sunlight falls through the mighty crowns of trees. Not far from the near shore, an old wooden bridge is drawn leading to the water.
The far shore is overgrown with high impassable grass. It is not so brightly lit by the sun, which makes it look more mysterious. In the background is a dense forest. It looks very dark, and it seems that by entering it, you can get lost.
Not far from the pond, near the forest on a bench, a woman in a light dress was located. In her position, we can conclude that she decided to retire and reflect on her past or think about the future. It is important that the female figure in the picture does not violate the integrity of nature, but only complements the landscape.
When viewing the landscape for a long time, one can imagine how, at midnight, on this pond, mermaids quietly sit, waiting for stray passers-by, lowering their tails into a dark pond and slowly combing their long hair.
Color rendition of Vasily Polenov’s picture “Overgrown Pond”
During the writing of the work, the author, with his inherent talent, applied a large number of shades of saturated green-emerald color. Green is the color of calm and tranquility. The artist with the help of colors makes the viewer plunge into this atmosphere and forget about life and vanity for a second.
Each corner of Polenov’s painting “Overgrown Pond” has a unique color rendition, but in general it’s hard to find two identical shades on the canvas.
Mood picture
As noted earlier, the atmosphere of Polenov’s painting “Overgrown Pond” is very calm and harmonious. The greatness of nature, silence, lack of fuss and warm rays of the sun evoke a dreamy mood. Looking at the picture, I immediately want to be on the other side of the work, sit on the bank of the pond and think about life.
The lyrics of Polenov’s "Overgrown Pond" is the unity of nature and the soul of man, in a silent dialogue and the mystery of thought. It should be noted that the motives of this work are close to every Russian person, since there are many such scenic spots and they are found in almost every village or city.
Reviews about the picture
As noted by Yurova Tamara, art critic and researcher of the creative path Polenova, in this picture the artist presented himself as a great colorist. This is due to the fact that Polenov’s painting “Overgrown Pond” is painted in gradations of only one green color. The artist coped with a very difficult task - he drew many nuances using only one color, but it was precisely the shades of color that could give the details of the work its uniqueness.
As the famous art critic Eleanor Paston wrote in her monograph, Polenov’s painting “Overgrown Pond” became his final work before the author’s creative maturity. In the landscape depicted, the author with surprising accuracy emphasized the powerful force of nature and the dependence of man on this force. The master on his canvas was able to subtly combine the pond and the soul of man.
Many connoisseurs of the work of Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov note in this picture his academic tradition of painting, which is expressed in the clarity of diagonal lines. This author’s approach gives the author’s paintings originality and uniqueness.