The End Of Autumn (1887) by Konstantin Pervukhin
This painting by Konstantin Pervukhin reminds me a lot of the paintings we reviewed in class on Thursday. The landscape of bare trees and Russian architecture in the background is very similar to other paintings by “The Wanders.” Additionally, like other Peredvizhniki paintings, it isn’t breath taking, yet it is still beautiful in the eyes of this group of artists. What I find interesting about this picture and what I liked about it, is that its exactly how I picture Russia. I have always seen it as kind of gloomy, barren, with the “classical” Russian architecture you see in Moscow.
About the artist and painting: Pervukhin painted mostly Impressionist landscapes while contributing much work to many different art exhibitions and working as a photographer and writer. He was also a founding member of the Union of Russian Artists, which set up 18 exhibitions in Russia. However, when looking up more information about this specific piece there was none. I think he chose to paint this scene because it is a very classic Russian scene.
Mallory Wyne
Works Cited
“Konstantin Pervukhin.” THE PREMIER SITE FOR RUSSIAN CULTURE. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2015. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rusartnet.com%2Fbiographies%2Frussian-artists%2F19th-century%2Flate-19th-century%2Fimpressionist%2Fkonstantin-pervukhin>.
“Union of Russian Artists.” TheFreeDictionary.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Aug. 2015. <http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Union+of+Russian+Artists>.
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 30 Aug. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konstantin_Pervukhin>.
August 31, 2015 @ 6:15 pm
first off I enjoyed both your post and learning about this fantastic painting. What I really like about this painting is, and your point this out, how the building is faded in the background. that detail really speaks to me about the roots of the Russian culture and how they should be in the foreground in front of the now rich upper class. its almost as if the painter has the focus shifting, bringing the beautiful Russian scenery to the forefront constantly. Its very beautiful.
Thanks for the fun read!
September 1, 2015 @ 1:08 am
Yes. This is a desolate, and yet beautiful scene. And it definitely reads as “Russian.” I can see why you chose to write about this!
September 1, 2015 @ 2:43 am
You are extremely right about viewing Russia as a dark and gloomy place. I think that most people perceive it as such and this painting does have a gloomy element to it but it is still beautiful none the less. The church in the background really reminds you of the Kremlin and St. Basil’s Church and their onion dome tops. Although it is somewhat dreary, this painting is beautiful and really makes me think of a stroll through the woods on a cool autumn day just as the leaves are changing. Great job!