A. Pushkin on a garden bench. 1899 Valentin Serov (1865-1911)

Description of the painting "Pushkin on a Garden Bench" by Valentin Serov

Valentin Alexandrovich Serov is a Russian painter. His works are quite versatile. One of the genres of his painting is the portrait. During the period 1890-1900, the artist creates a cycle of paintings in watercolor. During this period, he is increasingly engaged in portraiture and carries out orders. Serov writes portraits of artists, painters, writers. These models became a favorite in the work of Valentin Alexandrovich.

Serov refuses to use in his work bright colors and increasingly uses gray-black and brown tones. Among such works is the portrait of Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin, whose creativity he was very attracted to. He depicted many illustrations to the work of the poet. Serov with a great interest studies the life of the poet, his works. This inspires him to write a portrait of Pushkin.

Valentin Alexandrovich with accuracy conveys all the features of the portrayed, all his inner essence, emotions. For this the artist always resorted to studying the personality of his model, and then proceeded to painting a portrait. The portrait of Alexander Sergeyevich was painted in 1899. In the portrait the artist depicted an impressive image of the poet, conveyed his creative state. Sitting on a park bench, Pushkin, inspiredly looking into the distance. The image of late autumn is depicted with impression. Monochrome color scheme underlines the mood of the painting, and broad free brush strokes sharply convey the features of nature.

There is still much debate about where this portrait was painted and where this bench in which the poet is depicted is located. Some experts believe that the painting was painted in the Domotkanov house. Presumably there was such a bench and it stood on the balcony, and to create the portrait it was taken out into the garden.