The painting "Overgrown pond" Polenov V. D.: history of creation, description and reviews

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

The painting "Overgrown Pond" by the famous Russian artist, teacher and master of genre and landscape painting Vasily Polenov has become a real treasure of Russian fine art. Over the years, the work has been surprising with its mystery and tranquility, which the master so successfully managed to convey and convey to the viewer.

From this article you can find out what inspired the author to create this masterpiece, and a detailed description of Polenov's painting "Overgrown Pond" will be presented.

History of writing the work

The painting by Vasily Polenov "Overgrown Pond" was created in 1879. The picture is an integral part of the lyrical trilogy, to which the master devoted 2 years of his creative life. The trilogy includes such paintings as "Moscow Yard", "Grandma's Garden", and, of course, "Overgrown Pond".

The artist was inspired to write the work in 1877, while in the village of Petrushka, which is located near Kyiv. The silence and tranquility of the village and the most wonderful nature prompted the artist to write the first sketchthis piece.

Study of Polenov's painting "Overgrown Pond" remained untouched until the autumn of 1878. It was during this period that Vasily Polenov moved from the Arbat to his new home in Khamovniki. The new house, where the chic old garden was located, impressed the artist, and he set to work on his shelved work.

Vasily Polenov, "Overgrown Pond": description of the painting

The pond depicted on the canvas is filled with peace, tranquility and mystery. It was partially swallowed up by algae and beautiful, delicate white water lilies. In the foreground, you can see that the shore is overgrown with modest wild flowers, on which bright sunlight falls through the mighty crowns of trees. Not far from the near bank, an old wooden bridge leading to the water is drawn.

The far shore is overgrown with tall impassable grass. It is not so brightly lit by the sun, which makes it look more mysterious. In the background of the picture is a dense forest. It looks very dark, and it seems that if you enter it, you can get lost.

Not far from the pond, near the forest on a bench, there is a woman in a light dress. From her posture, one can conclude that she decided to retire and reflect on her past or think about the future. It is important that the female figure in the picture does not violate the integrity of nature at all, but only complements the landscape.

When looking at the landscape for a long time, one can imagine how, at midnight, on this pond, quietly, waiting for lost passers-by, mermaids sit, lowering their tails intodark pond, and leisurely combing long hair.

Color rendition of Vasily Polenov's painting "Overgrown Pond"

While writing the work, the author, with his inherent talent, applied a large number of shades of rich green-emerald color. Green is the color of calmness and tranquility. With the help of paints, the artist makes the viewer immerse himself in this atmosphere and forget about everyday life and fuss for a second.

Each corner of Polenov's painting "Overgrown Pond" has a unique color rendition, and in general it is difficult to find two identical shades on the canvas.

The mood of the painting

As noted earlier, the atmosphere of Polenov's painting "Overgrown Pond" is very calm and harmonious. The greatness of nature, silence, lack of fuss and the warm rays of the sun evoke a dreamy mood. Looking at the picture, you immediately want to be on the other side of the work, sit down on the bank of the pond and think about life.

The lyrics of Polenov's painting "Overgrown Pond" lies in the unity of nature and the human soul, in a silent dialogue and the mystery of reflections. It is worth noting that the motives of this work are close to every Russian person, since there are many such picturesque places and they are found in almost every village or city.

Reviews about the painting

As noted by Yurova Tamara, an art critic and researcher of Polenov's creative path, in this picture the artist presented himself as a great colorist. itis due to the fact that Polenov's painting "Overgrown Pond" is drawn in gradations of only one green color. The artist coped with a very difficult task - he painted many nuances using only one color, but it was the shades of color that could give the details of the work their uniqueness.

As the well-known art historian Eleanor Paston wrote in her monograph, Polenov's painting "Overgrown Pond" was his final work before the beginning of the author's creative maturity. In the depicted landscape, the author emphasized with amazing accuracy the powerful force of nature and the dependence of man on this force. The master on his canvas was able to subtly unite the pond and the human soul.

Many connoisseurs of the work of Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov note in this picture his academic tradition of constructing paintings, which is expressed in the clarity of diagonal lines. This author's approach makes the author's paintings original and unique.