March Isaac Ilyich Levitan (1860-1900)

Description of Isaac Levitan’s painting March

Love has the power to push for feats, love inspires and becomes a muse. Something similar happened to the painter Levitan. Though he was married, his heart was conquered by a lovely creature, and with that he was driven to a whole series of artistic compositions. The painting "March" is also the fruit of the artist’s feelings and expressions of emotion, to his neighbor at the cottage.

The warm spring sun is drowning the loose snow. Since the trees are still covered with snow and there are no leaves yet, one can view the presence of a birdhouse on a tree. All of this is a precursor to the imminent arrival of summer. Soon it will be possible to walk through the woods, with your friends, enjoying the beauty of nature.

Friends have come for a short time, and there are horses standing in the driveway, tired from the road. What a pleasant picture, how much joy and hope is in it. It’s the only painting by an artist that reflects such bright thoughts and feelings. It is the only one, and he will not paint anything else like it.

Like every artist, Levitan had his own peculiarities. For example, he very rarely painted winter themes, preferring spring or autumn. But the painting March is an exception.

The winter landscape depicted by Levitan was a turning point in the history of Russian painting. Surprisingly, only this man described winter, the glow of the snow, the trees and sky, in its winter splendor, so beautifully. Before him, there was no such work, with such a colorful description of winter.

There is no presence of suspense in the painting. The horse basks in the sunlight, not waiting for its masters. The horse’s eyelids are covered, and it is enjoying the warmth of the sun’s rays.

What makes "March" different is the precision, simplicity, and clarity of this painting. The viewer is immersed in the state conveyed on the canvas. Seeing the strips of road where the snow has thawed, seeing the wooden house in front of you, it seems as if you are also present in the painting itself. The character of the painting is cozy, and that is its peculiarity.

The part of the painting that depicts the snowy field divides the canvas into two halves, while introducing a measure of peace and tranquility. The front of the painting reflects a pleasant languor. For example, the wall of the house, the porch, the roof, they are warmed by the rays of the sun. The horse languishes in the sun, dearly warmed and thawed. And the back half shows a different description altogether.

Trees, frowning, birches with foliage not dropped in pre-winter, and snow not yet disturbed by the sun. We conclude what is the idea and intent of the master. Although the period of warmth is coming, but not everything has survived the winter and gloomy state. That is, the burdens and worries, the burden of problems and sorrows, have not left completely. The point is that times of rebirth are not always easy to prepare for.

The picture depicted in this masterpiece is natural and truthful, simple and uncomplicated. Yet there is also the full completeness of the artist’s thought in the painting.