Isaac Levitan is a Russian artist who received recognition during his lifetime, which speaks of the outstanding talent of the painter, skillfully depicting the exceptional beauty of Russian nature. With his brush, he was able to convey the soul of the fields, forests – everything that is so dear and close to the heart of a Russian person. And in our time of digital photography, many connoisseurs of painting take their breath away when looking at the canvases of the great master.
Painting “Spring. The Last Snow ”was written in 1895 and belongs to the artist’s mature period. It depicts a small river that has just thrown off the shackles of ice and is preparing to overflow into a full-flowing river.
The very beginning of spring is depicted, nature is still sleeping in a winter sleep, but the freed river tells us that the height of spring is not far off. Snow turns from snow-white to gray, trees are already ready to wake up and dissolve the first buds.
The light of the sun is visible everywhere, although the artist did not depict it explicitly. Light comes from everywhere: from snow, river, sky. Despite the monotonous spring landscape, thanks to the skill of Isaac Levitan, it comes alive and acquires a charm that any connoisseur of nature and beauty will notice. The canvas conveys to the viewer the anticipation of warmth, the return of birds from distant lands, lush green grass and flowers. The artist was able to catch the moment of incomplete awakening of nature and thanks to his skill, dirty snow gives the viewer a sense of solemnity and the charm of the arrival of spring.
Year of painting: 1895.
Dimensions of the painting: 49 x 51 cm.
Material: canvas.
Writing technique: oil.
Genre: landscape.
Style: realism.
Gallery: private collection.