Lace Maker Vasily Tropinin (1776-1857)

Description of Vasily Tropinin’s painting The Lacemaker

One of Russian artist V. A. Tropinin’s most famous works is the painting Lacewoman. The author created it at the age of 47, the year he received his freedom (1823). The pictorial picture "Lacemaker" was warmly welcomed by critics and audience alike. It became a true gem of Russian art.

Tropinin opened to the public a new type of portrait genre. He masterfully portrayed the image of a needlewoman and her hard work. A single moment in the everyday life of the young peasant woman is depicted: she is doing needlework.

The young serf girl’s face looks very pretty. She takes her eyes off the lace and looks playfully at the man who enters the room. The whole look of the girl, her good mood indicates that such work brings her joy.

On this canvas, the artist fully revealed his talent as a painter. Before us appears a wonderful picture with the naturalness of color and excellent lighting. When depicting the heroine, Tropinin uses a light palette, introducing shades of silver and lilac. The master painstakingly details his brushwork and the lacemaker’s handiwork - canvas and bobbins.

The artist is so idealized heroine of the picture that she does not look like a peasant serf. It seems that in her hands there is too much tenderness, her gaze is pudgy and her movements are too refined. Such a move Tropinin used to make the audience believe in the modesty and good-naturedness of the girl. All the everyday problems remain outside the canvas, but the viewer can only guess at the impertinent movement of the peasant woman’s shoulders and some of her stiffness.

In The Lacemaker, Tropinin exalted the beauty of human labor. He showed that no harsh living conditions can prevent a person from being happy, maintaining a sense of inner dignity.