The painting "Troika" by V.G. Perov: history of creation and description

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The painting "Troika" is one of the most significant works of the artist V. G. Perov. It depicts the children of the poor, carrying a barrel of water on an icy road. Many years have passed since its writing. Both the contemporaries of the painting and today's viewers, the work of the master causes tears in the eyes and a high sense of compassion for people. The author of the picture "Troika" with the help of artistic means tried to recreate the atmosphere of gloomy doom that reigned in the world of the poor and destitute. This work of art is currently in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.

A few words about the author of the canvas

The painting "Troika" is, perhaps, one of the most emotional and famous works of the artist Vasily Perov. He was born in the city of Tobolsk. When his parents moved to the Nizhny Novgorod province, the future great master entered the Arzamas district school to study. There, he intermittently studied at an art school, which Vasily did not manage to finish. But later, the future artist was educated at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. During his life, the master wrote manywonderful pictures. Among them are such works as "Arrival of the Stationer", "Workshop Boy", "Yaroslavna's Lament" and many others.

Painting "Troika": description

This work was written by the author in 1866. It was a difficult time for Russia. Serfdom has already been abolished, but this did not improve the plight of the Russian peasantry. His life was still poor and destitute. Many masters of art were then worried about the topic of social inequality, lack of rights and poverty of peasants, forcing them to pay with a “tear of a child” for certain life benefits.

This is what the artist reflected in his painting. In the center of it are three children (apprentices of artisans) carrying a huge ice-covered barrel of water. These are two boys and a girl. It's winter outside, it's getting dark, there's ice on the road. A sharp cold wind inflates their inferior clothes. The water pouring out of the barrel immediately turns into icicles. How cold it must be for the children in such a frost!.. It is evident that they are completely exhausted. Some kind person helps them to drag the barrel up the hill. The wagon is accompanied by a dog that runs a little to the right in front of the children. The picture is painted in gloomy gray-brown tones. Even the snow around is dark. Thus, the master wanted to show the viewer all the dullness, hopelessness and horror of the situation when young children are forced to do such menial work. The situation is also pumped up by an icy deserted street. What do the audience associate the characters of the picture with? Its very name suggests that the work of these children can be compared with the work of horses. The public in question, the work in question causes an acute pity for the poor children, who suffered such a difficult fate.

Main idea

The author of the picture "Troika" here refers to the topic of child labor in Russia in those years. Now it is difficult for us to imagine a situation where this was quite legal and absolutely normal, from the point of view of the system that existed at that time, a phenomenon. How much bitterness and pain in the title of the work! We are more accustomed to calling troikas a group of frisky horses rushing at high speed across the wide, endless expanses of Russia. And here are the poor and exhausted children, forced to pull an unbearable burden on a frosty day. Many city artisans then loaded their students with such hard work. Children in such hellish conditions often fell ill and died. Looking at the picture, you can vividly imagine the hopelessness of the situation. This is what the artist wanted to draw the attention of society to. The work will not leave anyone indifferent, it will make you be kinder to people and will not allow you to pass by and not see deprivation and poverty next to you.

Sitters

The author of the work has been looking for sitters for his work for a long time. For the figures of the girl and the far left boy, he found them. But for the image of the central character, the artist could not "look after" a suitable child. The picture "Troika" was already written more than half, when Perov once met a peasant woman with her son on the street, who were walking from the Ryazan village to the monastery. When he saw the boy, he immediately knew that it wasthe central figure, which is missing on the canvas. After talking with the woman, the master learned that her name was Aunt Marya, and her son was Vasya. Her fate is not easy. She buried all her children and husband, who died of disease and want. Twelve-year-old Vasya is her only hope and consolation. After listening to a bitter story, Perov invited the woman to draw her son. She agreed. So a new character appeared in the picture.

The fate of the protagonist

This story has a continuation. One day, four years after the picture was painted, an old woman in a sheepskin coat and dirty bast shoes came to Perov. In it, the master hardly recognized the same aunt Marya. She handed him a small bundle of testicles. “As a gift,” the woman explained. With tears in her eyes, the peasant woman told the artist that her Vasenka had died the previous year, having become seriously ill. Left completely alone, the woman sold all her belongings, worked all winter, and, having saved up a little money, came to Perov in order to use her simple savings to buy from him a painting depicting her beloved son. The master explained to the poor mother that the picture "Troika" was in the gallery, that it was impossible to buy it. But you can see her. When the woman was in front of the picture, she fell to her knees and, weeping bitterly, began to pray for her. Touched by this scene, the artist promised his mother to paint a portrait of her son. He fulfilled his obligation and sent his work in a gilded frame to a woman in the village.

This article describes the painting "Troika" by Perov, and also talks aboutauthor and facts related to its creation. We hope that the information will be of interest to a wide range of readers.