Portrait of Taras Shevchenko Ivan Kramskoy (1837-1887)

Description of the painting "Portrait of the Poet and Artist Taras Shevchenko" by Ivan Kramskoy

The portrait of the poet and artist Taras Grigorievich Shevchenko was painted at the request of the patron of the arts Pavel Tretyakov. The image of the Ukrainian poet was to be added to his collection of artistic images of famous artists.

At the time of the painting Taras Shevchenko had already passed away. To fulfill his creative assignment, Ivan Kramsky had to resort to the technique of painting from a photograph. This was not always encouraged by his fellow painters. Before translating the idea onto canvas, the painter did a voluminous job of researching the publicist’s archives. He carefully studied the life and habits of Taras Shevchenko.

The particular success of the customers enjoyed the ability to convey a human look. The founder of Tretyakov Gallery valued him for this. In reconstructing the image, the author managed to convey the hero’s wisdom and concern for the fate of the Slavic peoples.

Without knowing the history of the painting, it is hard to imagine that Kramsky had no opportunity to work with nature. The hero’s appearance is conveyed in great detail. Gorgeous mustache, the texture of materials and fantastic white collar. What clues the viewer in, however, is the background without any draperies or furnishings, and the sepia tint of the old photographs.

According to art critics, Kramskoy was able to convey more information about the person to the audience than the original photograph. Ivan Kramskoy captured for posterity one of his most interesting contemporaries in a truthful and unique image. His portrait of Taras Shevchenko is on display at the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.