Portrait of I.A. Krylova Karl Pavlovich Bryullov (1799-1852)

Description of Karl Bryullov’s Portrait of I. A. Krylov

The painter and representative of the classical "watercolor" school, Karl Bryullov, has executed a most beautiful portrait of the fable writer I. A. Krylov. At first glance, the portrait strikes with its execution and deep filling of the psychological characteristic and a certain poetry, which is inherent not only in the epistolary genre, but also in the artistic one. To a large extent, this is all made possible by the very image of the writer and his face.

As you can see, Krylov is depicted here in his old age or close to that age, as evidenced by his puffy face, along with strands of hair, which have already had time to sit and haphazardly descend on the scales and forehead of the writer. The drooping eyebrows only emphasize the tension of the entire image, which hangs in an endless stream of human thoughts.

The writer’s costume does not seem to be intended for going out, it is so simple that it is most likely his home attire. The same can be said about the way it sits awkwardly on the writer, clearly not the shape of his corpulent figure. You can notice that the insignia and orders, which are worn on the neck and chest of Krylov, the artist has skillfully covered the lapel of the coat, so the portrait does not look pompous. The only thing visible is the silver glow of the star, which is half-covered. Even the red ribbons of Annensky and Vladimirsky crosses, does not violate the positive impression of the simplicity of the image performed, not vilified by dignified attributes.

Particularly qualitative was conveyed by the artist Krylov look, which is filled with wisdom, which is inherent in the writer’s life. Krylov could very elegantly express acute moments of social character, hiding them under a veil of humor. It is worth adding that the portrait is unfinished, despite all its uniformity and apparent completeness.