"Morning Still Life" Petrov-Vodkin: description of the painting and connection with reality

If you look closely, then in a brilliant teapot you can see the cat, and it reflects only one of the eggs. A faceted glass with fresh tea and a clever dog look. What kind of story did Petrov-Vodkin try to convey in his painting "Morning Still Life"? The description of the picture will be given below.

Brief biography of the artist

Kuzma Sergeevich Petrov-Vodkin was born in 1878 in the Saratov province. At the age of 27 he graduated from the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, among whose mentors was VA Serov. After that he traveled a lot and visited art studios in Europe.

His early works are executed in the spirit of symbolism (for example, "Dream" in 1911). The picture "Bathing the Red Horse" (1912), which brought the artist world fame, is identified with the fate of Russia. In 1910, the author creates his own artistic and theoretical system, in which he tries to convey a "living look" to the world around him. Petrov-Vodkin tries to convey this tendency in his still-lifes "The Herring" and "Morning Still Life". The description of the painting After the Battle of 1923 makes it clear to the viewer that the artist is trying to idealize the image of the civil war. In the film "Anxiety" in 1934, one can trace the "premonition" of the policy of "great terror" of Stalin, and the "Housewarming" of 1937 seems to ridicule the former bourgeois. Petrov-Vodkin liked to turn to literature in his later works ("The Space of Euclid" in 1933) and create "fictional autobiographies" in them.

The artist died in Leningrad in 1939.

Description of the picture of Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin "Morning still life"

In a certain period of his work, Petrov-Vodkin focused on still life. So, "Morning still life" can be described as a kind of "poem" about space and things in it. The artist uses gentle, light colors: bluish bells, contrasting with yellow dandelions, a pinkish wooden cottage table. The items on this table simultaneously create a perspective and are equally close to the viewer. The form of objects is distinct and precise. The artist intentionally creates an incorrect reflection in a nickel-plated coffee pot and also a spoon distorted behind a glass with tea. This Petrov-Vodkin tries to emphasize: what our vision sees depends on the real properties of the objects themselves.

The artist intentionally introduces living beings into the picture - a dog and cat looking out from the table, which is reflected in the coffee pot. This, in turn, symbolizes the presence of a person. You can also see that "presence" reinforces all the items on the table. Who, if not a man, brought fresh wild flowers? Who is the dog looking at and whose matches are on the table? The artist specially painted a still-life from the side where the person should sit. Thus, the viewer can have the effect of presence, which implied in his painting "Morning Still Life" Petrov-Vodkin.

Description of the picture "Herring" and comparison with "Morning still life"

Petrov-Vodkin witnessed the turning points in history: the first world and civil wars. In 1918, when both of these paintings were written, the artist lived in Petersburg and taught at an art school.

In the picture "Herring" you can see that instead of the table there is a canvas with the initials of the artist. It is covered with pink paper (an alternative to a tablecloth). There are few items: two potatoes, a piece of black bread and a herring on a dark blue paper. In the "Morning Still Life" the table is more meager (tea, eggs), but the atmosphere of the pictures is similar. They both cast light feelings and reflect everyday simplicity.

The artist depicts the burden of time in these pictures, the food in those days was meager and monotonous. That is why the canvases depict a meager, but a meal, which people were happy about at that difficult time. Both pictures are filled with light sadness and at the same time with joy.

Thus, depicts the daily routine, filled with simple joys, in his painting "Morning Still Life" by Petrov-Vodkin. The description of the picture given in the article opens a huge space for reflection on what the artist lived, how he saw the world around him and how he tried to convey it to the current audience.