Vasnetsov’s picture “Alyonushka” is familiar to every Russian baby since childhood: it is her that is most often used to illustrate the tales of brother Ivanushka and sister Alyonushka. It is interesting that initially the artist himself called his picture not “Alyonushka”, but “Little Fool”. It is likely that if the painting retained its name to this day, it would hardly have been studied at school in a lesson in the development of speech. But the artist, fortunately, changed his mind: he renamed the picture, although the word "Little Fool" at that time meant only "holy fool" or "orphan". What is the history of the
painting? Vasnetsov’s
picture “Alyonushka” did not appear by chance. In 1880, he was engaged in landscapes in Akhtyrka, but in his head lived the image of a fairy-tale girl: sad, big-eyed, sad. The image did not want to be put together, until one day the artist met a straight-haired unknown girl. Vasnetsova was amazed at the degree to which she was Russian, and the Russian spirit that blew from her.
Meeting with a stranger led to the fact that a long-hatched image, finally embodied in the picture. In 1881, Vasnetsov's painting "Alyonushka" was first presented at the Traveling Exhibition. There she received the highest, most enthusiastic reviews.
The painting "Alyonushka" Vasnetsova. Description
Today, the description of the picture is part of the Russian language program. On her example, schoolchildren get acquainted with the concept of “painting”, “composition”, some other terms, learn to express their thoughts, choose the right words. What did V.M.Vasnetsov portray? Alyonushka, fair-haired and barefoot, sits on a stone by the water. The girl is probably cold, because autumn has already come. This can be seen in the black water, several yellow leaves on its surface, and the branches of trees starting to turn yellow in the background.
Hands of a girl with thin, tightly clenched fingers lie on her knees. Alyonushka laid her head on them and looks longingly into the pond. What is she thinking? Is he eager to see his brother? Thinking about what awaits her? The artist reflected the grief and hopelessness in the girl’s eyes with such force that even in the eyes of the audience tears well up. The loneliness of Alyonushka, her confusion and defenselessness emphasizes the landscape: behind - the impenetrable wilderness, starting immediately after the clearing. Ahead - a black, eye-catching whirlpool. Both the thicket and the whirlpool appear especially black against the background of green spruce, sedge, beginning to turn yellow trees. But it is these trees that are fenced off, as if guarding Alyonushka from the dark forest forces. Even from black whirlpool, green sedge grows. Vasnetsov's picture “Alyonushka” evokes a slight feeling of sadness, but it is not at all sad. Indeed, if the trees turn green, the grass grows, then life goes on? And the sad Alyonushka can become happy too? But isn’t she dreaming about this? At one time, Igor Grabar called the painting one of the best in the entire Russian school of painting. Maybe it was precisely because Vasnetsov managed to convey in the image of Alyonushka not only the image of a Russian girl, but also the soul of a Russian man who was able to be sad, but not able to despair. Someone considers the picture gloomy, sad and hopeless. Others, looking at her, feel a slight sadness, because the end of the tale is well known. What do you feel?