“In the Wild North …” is a painting by the stunning Russian landscape painter Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin, a classic illustration created for the poem “Pine” by Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov. In the center of the piece is a huge mysterious tree. Its mighty branches bowed under the weight of the snow. But this pliability does not diminish the vitality of the pine – the trunk is straight, the roots that have grown into the rock are tenacious.
A gaping black gorge below and a gloomy heavenly abyss from above surround this only living creature in the world of numb cold and impenetrable night. Moonlight illuminates the crown, and the falling shadow emphasizes the majesty of the tree.
The painter did not depict the source of light, he presented it outside the canvas – this technique enhances the feeling of loneliness, hopelessness and melancholy. The work is written in cold, restrained colors. The lack of multicolor coloring is compensated for by shades and midtones. The competent use of chiaroscuro organically conveys the emotional depth of the author’s intention.
The contrast of gradually thickening dark colors and bright whiteness, shaded with turquoise color, gives a feeling of royalty, born of elemental force. The master managed to reflect not only the detachment of the proud snow giant, but also the loneliness of the human soul.
The painting “In the Wild North …” by Ivan Shishkin is a masterpiece symbolizing incredible fortitude
Title of the painting: “In the wild north …”
Author: Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin (1832-1898).
Year of writing: 1891
Size: 161 x 118 cm.
Style: Romanticism.
Genre: Landscape.
Technique: Oil painting.
Material: Canvas.
Location: National Museum “Kiev Art Gallery”, Ukraine.
Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin is an unsurpassed master of Russian landscape art, glorifying the nature of his native land.
The genius looked at her as a powerful element, located close to a person, but living a life of its own. Shishkin has few winter landscapes. His work “In the Wild North …” characterizes the special attitude of the painter to the harsh expanses, fraught with epic power and mysterious beauty. The genius was going through a difficult period, creating a masterpiece. The irrecoverable loss of loved ones, the move of the daughter to Finland affected the author’s state of mind.
The work was written on the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia. This area is distinguished by steep high cliffs and rocky islands rising from the depths of the sea. The artist managed to combine the view of northern nature and his anxious feelings in a picturesque creation. Cold indifference – this is the mood of the picture, the contemplation of which causes an urgent need for warmth and participation.
But life goes on. Standing in spite of adversity is the emotional and strong-willed message of Shishkin pine, the beautiful heroine of the work. The painting “In the Wild North …” by Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin attracts the audience with a philosophical plot, supplemented by a subtle play of light and shadow. This is the most striking example of a romantic landscape, symbolizing the inner conflict of the universe.
