Russian Landscape Painting

Fascinating online lecture from York Festival of Ideas looking at 19th century Russian landscape painting.

Elena Kashina from the Centre for Lifelong Learning, University of York pointed out that Western panting had not really been known in Russia before the time of Peter the Great and when an academy was founded in 1757 it took on the French pattern of history painting being the highest genre. However Russia needed more grounded art and a form for itself. Landscape emerged and filled this role.

She took us through the main artists, highlighting some of their works and pointing out what they brought to the genre. She talked us through the symbolism of the work and how it was upholding Russian ideas of rural life and folk culture as well as religious and spiritual ideals.

I knew none of these artists and like her clear structured approach. I will certainly be looking out for them in the future. The picture I liked best that she showed was “Spring – Big Water” by Isaac Levitan from 1897 which I show here. It shows the time when the snow starts to melt. I love the reflection of the trees in the water.

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