The Peredvizhniki

Following the liberation of Russia’s serfs in 1861, a group of liberal students at the Russian Imperial Academy of the Arts began refusing to subscribe to the school’s emphasis on historical painting and replication. These students, called the “Peredvizhniki” (“wanderers”) saw the constraining teachings of the Imperial Academy as irrelevant to and disconnected from contemporary Russian life and society. Instead […]

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Russian Realism

I chose to focus on the painting Barge Haulers on the Volga by Ilya Repin. It was painted between 1870 and 1873 as his first commissioned work after graduation from the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. Repin then joined the group known as the Peredvizhniki, or the Wanderer’s, in the late 1870’s. I found […]

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Barge Haulers on the Volga

Ilya Repin, Barge Haulers on the Volga 1870–187 The painting that I have decided to talk about is the painting of the men who are alongside the shore pulling a boat with ropes and straps. The title of the painting is noted above. I find this piece of art very interesting because of how the […]

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Viktor Vasnetsov

A self portrait allows an artist to craft his defining image, memorializing himself for generations to come. It encompasses not only how he views himself but more importantly his values. In his self portrait, Viktor Vasnetsov did just that. He chose a very neutral pallet and an unassuming outfit. Everything about the portrait is modest, so […]

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Who is Katerina Lvovna Izmailova?

“The Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk”, written by Nikolai Leskov, features a merchants wife–Katerina Lvovna Izmailova–who is unhappy with the life she lives with her unappreciative husband.  She falls in love with a house hand by the name of Sergei, who has a history of having affairs with his masters’ wives.  Seeking to be together, Katerina and… More Who is Katerina Lvovna Izmailova?

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The Lady MacBeth

In Nikolai Leskov’s famous short story “Lady MacBeth of Mtsensk Uezd”, the main character, Katerina Lvovna Izmailova, is a young woman, formerly of the peasant class, trapped in an unhappy marriage to a much older merchant.   She falls in love with a handsome and clever young servant, Sergei, and stops at nothing to try to […]

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Russian Realism

Sick Husband (Больной муж) -Vassily Maximov When people express themselves or what they think, sometimes they may hold back on some of the darker sides of things. Some artist do not like creating a negative, uncomfortable feeling for their audiences. But during the time of Russian Realism, Russian artists and writers broke down all the […]

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