Self-portrait Vasily Ivanovich Surikov (1848-1916)

Description of Vasily Surikov’s painting Self-Portrait

Surikov’s oeuvre is loved by us primarily for his historical canvases. "The Morning of the Streletsky Execution," "The Seizure of Siberia by Yermak," "Boyarynya Morozova" - these and other paintings by Surikov are known to everyone. But his portrait work is no less interesting, especially the paintings that depict the artist himself. In all his time he created about fifteen self-portraits, giving the opportunity to see Surikov in different years of life.

"Self-Portrait" (1913), which is now a valuable exhibit at the Tretyakov Gallery, is rightly considered the pinnacle of Surikov’s late work. Painted three years before his death, the canvas depicts a moment of crisis for the artist, when the rise of talent was left far behind.

The painting stands out for its compositional laconism that is common for all portraits of this period. The particular effect of the depicted figure merging with the background proves that at the beginning of the century Surikov took into consideration the artistic principles of his contemporary movements. Dark, muted tones are intended to convey a sense of deep hidden and outwardly not manifested in any way drama. Such was the artist and in life: verbose, closed to outsiders.

Meanwhile, we can not say that the depicted figure expresses despair or sadness. On the contrary, a man, full of inner strength, looks at us attentively, a little sternly. And you can’t tell that the artist (or Cossack?) is sixty-five years old and has experienced a lot of hardship.

Perhaps, for someone in this portrayal will come through Surikov’s earlier works, depicting folk heroes such as Suvorov or Ermak. Such an interpretation would certainly appeal to the artist himself, who, as can be seen in his self-portrait made in 1902, emphasized in every possible way that among his ancestors were Cossacks, strong, daring people.