The great landscape painter Ivan Shishkin occupies a special place among Russian artists. No one painted nature so uncompromisingly beautifully and with realism, capable of arguing with an abundance of love and soul in a work with any romantic canvas.
Almost all of the many years of experience in depicting the native land is embodied in the painting "Ship Grove." Shishkin managed to convey the bright calm of the summer forest thanks to a rich palette of shades.
Landscape in Russian painting
In Russian painting, landscapes began to appear at the end of the 18th century; Among the pioneers of the genre were S. Shchedrin and A. Venetsianov. The main characteristics of the first Russian landscapes were classicism and the realism of the depicted nature.
In the 19th century, landscape as a genre of fine art became extremely popular among Russian artists and, accordingly, among the public. This period knew many prominent landscape painters, such as Levitan, Lagorio, Aivazovsky, Vasiliev and other Wanderers. However, a special place in Russian landscape painting, as well as in the hearts of the public, is occupied by Ivan Shishkin. The artist received his first public recognition for the views of the suburbs of St. Petersburg, and Shishkin completed his career with the painting “Ship Grove”.
Artist Biography
Shishkin is considered to be an original Russian artist, not only because the landscape painter, like no one else, was able to portray the nature of his native land, but also because he loved her more than anything. Ironically, the title of academician brought Shishkin the creation "View of the surroundings of Dusseldorf."
Shishkin was born in the town of Elabuga and grew up in a merchant family. Having abandoned the gymnasium, the young Ivan Shishkin entered the Moscow School of Painting and, graduating with honors, continued his studies at the Imperial Academy of Arts. For merits and honors during his studies, Shishkin received the right to travel abroad at the expense of the Academy.
He spent several years in Munich, Zurich, Geneva and then in DĂĽsseldorf, where he studied the intricacies of the animal genre that did not give in to him and wrote a paper for the title of academician. Shishkin spent 5 years abroad, from 1861 to 1866, and yearning for his native land, he returned to Russia before the end of his scholarship and after that rarely traveled outside the empire.
Shishkin was one of the Wanderers and became interested in engraving during exhibitions held by the partnership. In 1973, the Imperial Academy awarded Ivan Shishkin the title of professor for the painting "Wilderness", and for a short time the artist managed a landscape workshop within the walls of the academy. The last completed picture of the great landscape painter was "Ship Grove." Shishkin died in his workshop, behind an easel, on which stood a blank canvas.
Landscapes of Shishkin
Despite the romantic nature of the landscapes painted by Shishkin, in his work there are no attempts to “embellish” nature, on the contrary, the author writes it the way it is and loves it just that way. It is this love, curiosity and admiration that is transmitted to the finished works and gives them the spirit of romanticism.
Even in the earliest works, a subtle knowledge of plant forms, their characteristic features and differences, is felt. Shishkin’s works look extremely real and are executed with uniquely high image technique and fidelity. Even with the advent of Levitan and Serov landscapes, Shishkin always remained an authority for Russian landscape painters.
History of the painting
Among the most complex works, Shishkin’s painting “Ship Grove” stands out, the last, almost dying canvas of the artist. Many critics and art historians call it “combed” “Pine Forest” not only because the pines in the picture are straight, but more because in his last picture Shishkin made excellent use of 40 years of experience as a draftsman and connoisseur of vegetation.
Shishkin painted the picture “Ship Grove” in the year of his death, and she presented the final stage of his career. On a large canvas, the artist decided to depict his favorite pine forest - the plot, which in each of his paintings is revealed in a new way, plays with fresh colors and does not cease to amaze.
Ivan Shishkin, “Ship Grove”: description of the painting
The canvas depicts a grove near Yelabuga - the artist’s native place. The author's note to the picture indicates that this is "Afanasyevskaya ship grove near Yelabuga." This forest has been familiar to Shishkin since childhood, and it seems symbolic that it was his author who depicted in his last picture.
A simple plot of the picture allows the viewer to delve into the perfect combination of colors and the general atmosphere of a summer forest, not embarrassed by wind and rain. A continuous forty-year experience of studying Russian nature has shown itself in every tree and every blade of grass depicted in the picture.
Painting palette
The forest is bathed in sunlight and is surrounded by a variety of colors and shades that are not characteristic of the earlier Shishkin. The palette of this canvas, upon closer examination, would amaze the impressionist artists with its richness and diversity. However, Shishkin, with his characteristic sense of proportion, does not allow the palette to violate the natural beauty of the landscape, but rather uses colors to emphasize it.
Sky blue is mixed on canvas with pinkish shades of sunset, dark green of the forest and purple-black strokes of deep shadows. Blue or sometimes frankly blue colors on the trunks of tall pines indicate the mossiness of ancient giants, and the green of the edge burned by the sun reminds of the aesthetic preferences of the artist - Shishkin always preferred the discreet, almost dull charm of the summer forest of northwestern Russia.
Detailed analysis
A characteristic feature of the artist in landscape painting was the ability to always keep the forest in the main focus of the viewer, while bringing him to the background. Shishkin’s painting “Ship Grove” only confirms the rule.
In the foreground, the viewer faces a sunny edge and a stream with brownish water from an abundance of iron, behind the edge are young pines, behind which there are giant pines warmed by the rays of the summer sun, whose crowns leave only a few centimeters for the summer sky.
“Ship Grove”, Shishkin: what trees are depicted on the canvas?
The artist has more than once painted views of this particular forest. Afanasyevskaya ship grove was also the subject of the image of another famous canvas - "Pine Forest", which was previously written by Shishkin. “Ship Grove”, the description of the picture and its analysis are extremely similar to the description of “Pine Forest”.
No wonder the picture is called "Ship Grove" - ​​the pine trees depicted on it are not ordinary, but ship - from 80 to 100 years old, tall and light, up to half a meter in diameter. Planks of these pines were used for the construction of ships, and log trunks perfectly served as ship masts.
The simplicity of the plot of the picture is more than compensated for with small details, the accuracy of reproduction of each element of the flora, as well as the depth and richness of shades - all that Ivan Shishkin liked the viewer. "Ship Grove" is considered to be the pinnacle of creativity of the great landscape painter.