Ivan Shishkin, “In the North Wild” - a picture depicting loneliness

Artist Ivan Shishkin is one of the greatest landscape painters. Its nature does not lose its realism, life and splendor when transferred from nature to canvas.

Subtle, almost beyond the range of knowledge, understanding and ability to depict various plant forms gives Shishkin landscapes realistic beauty and honesty, this is what makes his paintings so popular, loved and most recognizable.

"In the Wild North"

A wonderful artist is Ivan Shishkin. "In the North Wild" - a picture written to illustrate the poem of the same name by Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov, which, in turn, is a free translation of the poem "Pine" by the German poet Heinrich Heine.

Combining the motives of Heine’s personal loneliness and the more generalized theme of the separation of human souls in Lermontov’s version, the painting “In the North Wild” creates a feeling of eternity alone, an untimely, but not hopeless state of sadness, which is ideal both to illustrate the original poem and its translation.

Almost any description of Shishkin’s paintings mentions the incredible realism and sensuality of his landscapes, the absolute certainty that this place exists somewhere, and if you get there, it will look exactly like it was transferred to Shishkin’s canvas. "In the Wild North" is a picture that is not an exception to this rule.

History of creation

In 1891, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the death of the great poet, a collection of works by M. Yu. Lermontov was published. Its uniqueness consisted of a large number of illustrations made by famous artists of that time, among which was Shishkin along with Vrubel, Vasnetsov, Serov and many others.

Shishkin, who during this period was not alien to loneliness and winter landscapes, chose this poem for illustration. The artist acutely felt the loss of his wife and sons, and later his daughter's move to Finland. It was there, on the northernmost coast of the Gulf of Bothnia, in the town of Kemi, the painting "In the North Wild" was painted, along with other winter landscapes of the artist.

Shishkin, “In the North Wild”: painting, composition and color

The cold of the harsh region perfectly underlines the palette of colors chosen by the author to paint the landscape. There is no green at all in the picture - everything is absorbed in the dead of night and bright moonlight, underlined by many shades of blue - from white-blue to blue-black.

The compositional focus of the painting is a tall pine tree, which is shifted slightly to the left, which creates the effect of a black abyss at the foot of a cliff. The low line of the phantom horizon unevenly divides the landscape in two, allowing the night sky to “absorb” space, thereby emphasizing the loneliness of the pine tree.

Despite the fact that the moon is not visible on the canvas, it is nevertheless a full part of the composition, since its light plays an important role in the color and emotional load of the picture.

Ivan Shishkin, “In the North Wild”: description of the painting

Unusually high for subpolar latitudes, the pine tree grows lonely at the very edge of the cliff. Such a plot can symbolize strength and firmness of mind, upward movement against obstacles, optimism and faith in a change for the better. However, looking at this picture, nothing of the above comes to mind.

A feeling of loneliness, sadness and humility fill the image. A tall pine tree, proud in nature, stands as if obediently bowing its head, resigned to fate and turning to meet its only comrade - the moonlight.

At the same time, the picture is not full of despair or hopelessness; there is no pessimism and cowardice in it, just as in Lermontov’s poem. The feeling of quiet sadness, shrouded in snow and moonlight, is completely alien to pacification and tranquility, this is perfectly illustrated by Shishkin. "In the North Wild" - a picture that makes loneliness beautiful.