"Ship Grove", Shishkin I. - description of the painting

The great landscape painter Ivan Shishkin occupies a special place among Russian artists. Nobody wrote nature so uncompromisingly beautiful and with realism, capable of an abundance of love and soul in a work to argue with any romantic canvas.

Practically all the long-term experience in the depiction of the native land is embodied in the canvas "Ship Grove". Shishkin managed to convey the bright calm of the summer forest due to the rich palette of shades.

Landscape in Russian painting

In Russian painting landscapes began to appear at the end of the XVIII century; Among the pioneers of the genre were S. Schedrin and A. Venetsianov. The main characteristics of the first Russian landscapes were the classicism and realism of the depicted nature.

In the XIX century, the landscape as a genre of fine art acquired extraordinary popularity among Russian artists and, accordingly, the public. This period knew many outstanding landscape painters, such as Levitan, Lagorio, Aivazovsky, Vasiliev and other peredvizhniki artists. However, Ivan Shishkin occupies a special place in Russian landscape painting, as well as in the hearts of the public. The first public recognition the artist received for the views of the suburbs of St. Petersburg, and the canvas "Ship Grove" Shishkin completed his creative path.

Artist Biography

Shishkina is considered an original Russian artist not only because the landscape painter, like no other, was able to depict the nature of his native land, but also because he loved her more than anything else in the world. Ironically, the title of academician brought Shishkin creation "View of the neighborhood of Dusseldorf".

Shishkin was born in the town of Elabuga and grew up in a merchant family. After leaving 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 distinctions during his studies Shishkin got the right to travel abroad at the expense of the Academy.

He spent several years in Munich, Zurich, Geneva and then in Dusseldorf, where he studied the subtleties of an animalistic genre that did not yield to him and wrote a work for the title of academician. Shishkin spent five years abroad, from 1861 to 1866, and, yearning for his native land, returned to Russia before the end of his scholarship and after that rarely traveled outside the empire.

Shishkin was one of the Wanderers and during the exhibitions held by the association he became interested in engraving. In 1973, the Imperial Academy awarded Ivan Shishkin the title of professor for the painting "Forest Wilderness", and for a short time the artist directed the landscape workshop within the walls of the academy. The last completed painting of the great landscape painter was the "Ship Grove". Shishkin died in his studio, behind the easel, on which stood a blank canvas.

Landscapes of Shishkin

Despite the romantic nature of the landscapes written by Shishkin, in his work there are no attempts to "embellish" nature, on the contrary - the author writes her as she is, and loves it just like that. 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 a unique high technique of image and accuracy of reproduction. Even with the advent of landscapes of Levitan and Serov, Shishkin always remained an authority for Russian landscape painters.

History of the painting

Among the most difficult works, Shishkin's painting "The Ship Grove" stands out, the artist's last almost dying canvas. Many critics and art critics call it "combed" by "Sosnovy Bor" not only because the pines in the picture are direct, but more because of the fact that in his last painting Shishkin used the 40-year-old experience of the draftsman and connoisseur of vegetation.

The picture "Ship Grove" Shishkin wrote in the year of his death, and it represents the final stage of his creative path. On a large canvas, the artist decided to portray his favorite pine forest - a plot that in each of his paintings reveals new ways, plays with fresh colors and does not cease to amaze.

Ivan Shishkin, "Ship Grove": description of the painting

On the canvas there is a grove near Yelabuga - the native place of the artist. In the author's note to the picture it is indicated that this is Afanasyev ship grove near Yelabuga. This forest was familiar to Shishkin from childhood, and it seems symbolic that it was his author who pictured in his last painting.

A simple plot of the picture allows the viewer to delve into the perfect combination of colors and the general atmosphere of the summer forest, not confused by the wind and rain. The continuous forty-year experience of studying Russian nature has proved in every tree and every blade of grass depicted in the picture.

The palette of the picture

The forest is bathed in sunlight and buried in a variety of colors and shades uncharacteristic for the earlier Shishkin. The palette of this canvas, when examined in detail, would impress the Impressionist painters with their wealth and variety. However, Shishkin, with his characteristic sense of proportion, does not allow the palette to violate the natural beauty of the landscape, but, on the contrary, uses colors to emphasize it.

The sky azure is mixed on canvas with pinkish shades of sunset, dark green of the forest and violet-black strokes of deep shadows. Blue or in places frankly blue colors on the trunks of tall pine trees speak of the mossiness of ancient giants, and the sun-burned green of the fringe recalls the aesthetic preferences of the artist - Shishkin always preferred the discreet, almost dim beauty 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 taking it to the second plan. Shishkin's painting "Ship Grove" only confirms the rule.

In the foreground in front of the viewer there is a sunny fringe and a stream with brownish water from the abundance of iron, behind the edge are young pine trees behind which pine-giants rise, warmed by the rays of the summer sun, whose crowns leave only a few centimeters for the summer sky.

"Ship Grove", Shishkin: which trees are depicted on the canvas?

The artist repeatedly wrote views of this particular forest. Afanasievskaya ship grove was also the subject of another famous painting - "Pine Forest", which Shishkin had previously written. "Ship Grove", the description of the picture and its analysis are very similar to the description of "Pine Forest".

The picture is not without reason called "Ship Grove" - the pines depicted on it are not ordinary, but ship-made ones - from 80 to 100 years old, tall and light, up to half a meter in diameter. The boards of these pines were used for the construction of ships, and the trunks-logs perfectly served as ship masts.

The simplicity of the plot of the picture is more than compensated by the small details, the accuracy of reproduction of each element of the flora, and also by the depth and richness of the shades - all that Ivan Shishkin liked. "Ship Grove" is rightfully considered the pinnacle of creativity of the great landscape painter.