Painting “Waiting for the best man” by Illarion Pryanishnikov is an unequal marriage as an ordinary story from the life of the townsfolk of the 19th century

Waiting for the best man is a famous painting by Illarion Mikhailovich Pryanishnikov, written by the master in 1891. The artist depicted the morning before the wedding. The whole family and servants gathered in the room. A young bride in a wedding dress and a magnificent veil sits quietly and submissively. Sadness and doom can be seen in her eyes.

To her right is her father, a mustachioed elderly man, to whose dress coat is attached the Order of St. George. He looks at his interlocutor with undisguised servility and gratitude. Most likely, this is a matchmaker who helped him arrange a profitable marriage for his daughter.

The mother stands behind her husband, arms crossed and wrapped in a brown shawl. There is tension and anxiety on her face, it is clear that she is worried about the fate of her daughter. A boy leans against the window and looks at what is happening on the street.

In the background is a lackey. Tall and stately, he holds a fox coat in his hands and looks around. Competently built composition is made in a muted palette.

Author: Illarion Mikhailovich Pryanishnikov (1840-1894).
Year of writing: 1891.
Size: 67 x 102 cm.
Style: Realism.
Genre: Household scene.
Technique: Oil painting.
Material: Canvas.
Location: Serpukhov Historical and Art Museum.

Illarion Mikhailovich Pryanishnikov – Russian painter who worked in the second half of the 19th century

The master worked in a realistic manner and preferred the everyday genre. In this picture, the artist softly and tactfully revealed the theme of unequal marriage. The work of Pryanishnikov stirred up the community of artists. It was claimed that Illarion Pryanishnikov wrote under the influence of the works of Pascal Danyan-Bouvray.

The painting “Waiting for the best man” by Illarion Pryanishnikov is an emotional and dynamic work, which is currently on display at the Serpukhov Art Museum. A true depiction of the dull life of the inhabitants of the 19th century is called one of the best works of the master and the pearl of the Serpukhov collection.