On the island of Valaam Arhip Kuindzhi (Kuindschi) (1842-1910)

Description of Arkhip Kuindzhi’s painting On the Island of Valaam

The painting was painted in 1873 in oil on canvas. This painting is part of the collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery.

Kuindzhi is a great Russian artist whose works have become the cultural heritage of our country. They are known throughout the world and can compete with the canvases of the most famous artists.

The island of Valaam is on Lake Ladoga. Quindzhi not once visited these places. The artist was always attracted by the nature of the northern regions. It beckoned with its beauty, magic, wildness. The great Russian artists created many masterpieces of world art in the northern regions.

The painting "On the island of Valaam" was created by Kuindzhi, when the artist made his second summer trip to the island. This is one of the paintings of the trilogy, which is dedicated to the beauty of the north.

The subject of the canvas is painted on the bank of the river. A birch and a pine stand on a knoll, they have sprouted through the granite, which has been cracked by the effects of time. In the background we can see the dense northern forest. Our country is rich in such beauty. The shore of the island is wild. It awaits the approaching storm. Thunderous, heavy clouds loom over this untouched oasis of northern land. They grow ever blacker and swallow up the scarlet sunset. The beauty, the depth of the painting is astounding.

The genius of the artist’s brushwork is inestimable. Kuindzhi was compared to Monet for his attitude to colors and originality that is not characteristic of anyone else. Kuindzhi for his work more than once received awards, he dreamed of learning from all budding artists.

This canvas has produced a stir among the creative world of the time. Everyone talked about the work of Kuindzhi, and everyone liked it madly. Many words and poems were said on the subject of the painting "On the island of Valaam. Pavel Tretyakov bought it first. The cycle includes two other paintings, "Lake Ladoga" and "North," which are also included in the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery.