January 25, 2017

Titan of the Russian Forest: An Ivan Shishkin Art Gallery


Titan of the Russian Forest: An Ivan Shishkin Art Gallery

Today marks the 185th birthday of Ivan Shishkin, a landscape painter whose representations of Russian nature evoke the beauty and vastness of his country. In five decades and hundreds of paintings, Shishkin probably painted thousands of trees. It’s no wonder he earned himself nicknames like “Forest Tsar,” “Titan of the Russian Forest,” “Lonely Oak,” and “Old Pine Tree.”

Shishkin started sketching as a child, graduated from the St. Petersburg Imperial Academy of Arts in 1860, and continued his studies in Europe before teaching landscape painting in St. Petersburg – of course, with many trips to the countryside for fodder for his artwork. His dacha in Vyra, south of St. Petersburg, and his hometown of Yelabuga in present-day Tatarstan were favorite spots for capturing the majesty of the Russian countryside.

Shishkin was a true patriot, his love of his native land centered around the natural landscapes unique to Russia. During his studies in Europe he lamented, “why am I not in Russia, that I love so?” And of his work in general, he stated:

"My motto? Be Russian. Long live Russia!"

He wasn’t alone in uniting his love for Russia with his love for art. In the 1860s, he became a founding member of the Peredvizhniki – the “Itinerants” or “Wanderers” – a realist artistic movement in realism impacted by the emancipation of the serfs in 1861 and dedicated to producing a view of Russian life that encapsulated both natural beauty and human suffering. While many works by members of the Peredvizhniki were openly liberal, took on religious subject matter, or made a critical social commentary, Shishkin’s paintings elevated nature in a way that was accessible, yet meticulous. He presented the Russian landscape as a space to be celebrated by all.

Shishkin was a real tree-hugger of an artist, and preferred daytime scenes because they allowed him to depict the interplay of natural light and lush greenery. Despite his preference for the sunlight, he also made his mark on the night sky: in 1978, the minor planet 3558 Shishkin was named after him. He’s not the only Russian artist to have a planet named after him, but his legacy in landscape painting makes him one of Earth’s greatest portrayers.

Take a wander through the Russian countryside with some of his most beloved paintings. 

Morning in the Pine Forest, with Konstantin Savitsky (1886)
Noon. Neighborhoods of Moscow. Bratzevo (1866)
Birch Grove (1878)
Haystacks, Preobrazhenskoe (1890)
Sunlit Willow (c. 1860s)
In the Wild North (1891)

 

You Might Also Like

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
The Samovar Murders

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.
Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.
Survival Russian

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.
The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955