The painting View on the Volga. Barges was the result of a summer trip Vasilyev took to the Volga. At first this canvas impresses with the scale of the sky, to which Vasilyev dedicated almost half of the surface. Then the viewer's attention is drawn to the shore of the canal and a group of bargemen resting near a bonfire. But it seems to me the most important thing in this painting is not the story but the landscape. After all, there's a reason why the artist didn't mention the bargemen in the title View on the Volga. Barges, as opposed to Ilya Repin's Bargemen on the Volga.

Vasilyev conveyed the peacefulness of the broad Volga expanses after a thunderstorm that is only hinted at by the edge of a cloud above. The light in the painting comes from the sky. Against the backdrop of the bright blue the illuminated clouds seem to drift from the depths, taking on new outlines. This is why the light in the landscape seems to change before the eyes. This determines the wealth of the painting in the shore, barges and river, which reflects the clouds, the blue of the sky and the golden sails. All shades of color are very sensitively conveyed, from the ash gray in the foreground to the reddish gold accenting the magnificent depiction of the sky. The blue of the water and sky contrasts with the golden range of the barges and sand.

The reflection in the water is conveyed so precisely by the artist that it seems strange he didn't finish the bright ground. Perhaps this shows the different technical effects Vasilyev used in his painting.

The landscape is a subtle frame for a genre scene with bargemen that encourages the viewer to think about what is going on in the picture. Vasilyev achieved a sense of effortless freedom and calm in the grouping of the scene. By introducing a scene from daily life in the landscape the artist attempts to convey the union of man and nature. The blue-gray smoke of the bonfire and the pot hanging on a tripod remind us that dinner is near. And although Vasilyev and Repin both use the theme of the bargemen in their paintings this theme is treated differently. While Repin strives to concentrate attention on the characteristic expressiveness of the figures, Vasilyev offers a landscape approach to this theme. The main stimulus for his creativity was to create a landscape that would spiritually uplift humans.

Bibliography:

1. Maltsev, F.S., Vasilyev, V.A. Leningrad, 1986 (Russian Painters of the 19th Century series). This album covering the works of Vasilyev continues the series Russian Painters of the 19th Century. The 150 illustrations, including paintings and drawings, provide a comprehensive view of the artist's works.

2. Letters of I.N. Kramskoy in Two Volumes. Moscow, 1954. One of the chapters is dedicated to correspondence with Vasilyev. This is a companion volume prepared by F.S. Maltseva.

3. Repin, I.E. Close Yet Far. Moscow, 1961. Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Arts. "Those chapters where Fedor Vasilyev appears are interesting to read. They provide an expressive and colorful portrait… The complexity of Vasilyev is shown here in the lively relations between his words and deeds" said Korney Chukovsky (from the Preface).

4. Botkina, A.P. P.I. Tretyakov in Life and Art. Moscow, 1954. One of the chapters is dedicated to Vasilyev and tells us about his paintings purchased by Tretyakov for his collection.

Copyright © 2000-2001 Лиза Бухалова