The painting “Evening Bells” by Isaac Ilyich Levitan is a musical landscape that gives a sense of the scale of the universe

Evening Bells is a painting by the unsurpassed landscape painter Isaac Levitan, inspired by love for the Russian land. The picture was painted in 1892. The canvas reflects the artist’s impressions from the contemplation of the Orthodox monasteries located near Zvenigorod and on the Volga.

The grandeur of white stone buildings and the beauty of nature, perfectly complementing each other, served as the basis for this unusually lyrical work. Spatial plans of the work show viewers three different tiers. The near one is a shady shore, from which the author looks at the opposite side. Next – the enchanted water surface. A lonely boat with people freezes on the surface of the water.

The dense greenery framing the temple emphasizes the unity of Orthodoxy and nature. Finally, the gaze rises to the heavens following the orange-violet clouds melting in the golden light.

Evening gives a contrast to the landscape: deep shadows coexist with areas illuminated by the pre-sunset glow. The lightness of the sky and the saturation of the tone of terrestrial objects vary. The unique coloring and richness of colors give the work a majestic calmness.

Author: Isaac Levitan (1860-1900).
Year of writing: 1892
Size: 87 x 107.6 cm.
Style: Realism.
Genre: Landscape.
Technique: Oil painting.
Material: Canvas.
Location: State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia.

Isaac Ilyich Levitan – a brilliant painter of the XIX century.

Landscape style is the main direction in his heritage. In his work, the master repeatedly addressed the themes of Orthodox values. The craving for the image of small churches, bell towers, dilapidated wooden chapels remained with him until his last days. Levitan deeply perceived the beauty of the surrounding world and folk traditions.

His paintings call for a moral revival, which is possible only in unity with nature. In 1892, the work, entitled “View of the monastery on the eve of the holiday”, was transported to the city on the Neva, to the Imperial Academy of Arts. Then, among the outstanding works, the work was shown in Chicago at the World Columbus Exhibition under the name “Monastery for the Holiday.”

Later, the noble family of Ratkov-Rozhnov bought an infinitely talented creation to decorate the interior. After the Bolsheviks came to power, the noble family was forced to leave Russia forever. Levitan’s masterpiece, along with other valuable objects of art, was taken into custody by the Tretyakov Gallery, nationalized after the revolution. Here the work is still there and still sounds like a revelation that has just emerged from the brush of a genius.

The painting “Evening Bells” by Isaac Levitan is the result of a penetrating study of nature and the laws of its influence on human feelings. The calm smooth surface of the river, the boundless ocean of the sky and the barely perceptible, or rather, the guessable good news that broke the silence of nature, urge people to take a closer look at life, fill their hearts with happiness and kindness.