The famous Russian artist Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov is consummate master folk and historical painting. He is widely known for his paintings “The Knight at the Crossroads”, “Alyonushka”, “Heroes” and many others.
The painting was painted by the master in 1889 based on the famous folk tale. Looking at the picture, the viewer seems to be immersed in Magic world, being close to the main characters of the fairy tale: Ivan Tsarevich and Elena the Beautiful, fleeing on the Gray Wolf away from the evil king and his kingdom. Sitting astride a wolf, Ivan hugs Elena the Beautiful tightly and tenderly.
The prince is dressed in a caftan made of expensive material, belted with a green belt, black mittens with a pattern, a red cap on his head and beautiful red boots. Ivan Tsarevich radiates a serious expression on his imperturbable face. His huge eyes look anxiously into the distance, should they chase him there? Will someone take away his stolen happiness from him? The brave prince has a sword hanging behind his back and the young man is always ready to defend himself and his beloved.
Elena is depicted in front of Ivan - a beauty personifying a Russian woman, with long curly hair. brown hair that develop in the wind. She is wearing a beautiful light blue silk caftan with gold trim on the sleeves. The neck is decorated with pearl beads of unprecedented beauty. Beautiful boots are on his feet. Her head is covered with a hat, decorated precious stones.
The girl laid her head on the prince’s chest, trusting her savior with a thoughtful look. The princess gave her fate to the reliable young man Ivan Tsarevich and meekly folded her hands on her lap. Elena the Beautiful is depicted by the artist’s brush as his memory of his niece Natalya.
The Gray Wolf is depicted in motion. He rushes forward with all his strength so as not to be overtaken. The mythical wolf's ears are flattened to his head, his tongue hangs out of his huge mouth, but his eyes radiate confidence and calm. Strong paws push the animal off the ground to make next step through the swamp.
Fairy-tale characters are depicted against the background of a landscape. It is obvious that their path lies through a dense forest, as evidenced by trees overgrown with green moss with torn and cracked bark. In such a forest it is dark and scary, as if evil forces surrounded the main characters. There are impenetrable thickets all around, and branches with snags make it difficult to quickly escape. Beautiful white lilies growing in the swamp and pale pink buds of an old apple tree with green leaves imply hope for a happy ending.
The painting is masterfully filled with contrasting colors, where the black paint of the forest is responsible for the symbol of otherworldly forces, danger and excitement. Fairy tale characters the paintings are painted in bright colors, which is akin to the forces of goodness and love. The struggle between good and evil is present in this picture, but as in any old story famous fairy tales good will definitely triumph over evil.
Do you know the genre of the painting “Ivan Tsarevich on the Gray Wolf”? Today we will look at this masterpiece by Viktor Vasnetsov in more detail in order to better understand the picture and get used to it. Happiness to those who can admire the masterpiece live.
Victor Vasnetsov
The painting “Tsarevich Ivan on a Gray Wolf” was given to us by Viktor Vasnetsov. He was born in 1848 in a small village into the family of a priest. Like his father, the boy studied at a theological seminary. His first work in the artistic field was the painting of the Vyatka Cathedral along with the exiled Polish artist Michal Andriolli. It was after this incident that he decided on his firm intention to become an artist. In order to become a professional painter, he goes to St. Petersburg, where he studied at Kramskoy's drawing school. This turns out to be not enough, and the guy enters the Academy of Arts.
Finding yourself
Since 1878, Vasnetsov has been actively traveling around Europe: he visited France and Italy. Vasnetsov's creative style is very diverse. It never repeated itself, it always changed. When he was associated with the Peredvizhniki association, his paintings were most often descriptive of everyday life. Vasnetsov was able to demonstrate his talent to the maximum when he began to paint in the Art Nouveau style. It is also believed that he can be called the founder of a certain native Russian style in painting.
Painting
It is possible to describe the painting “Tsarevich Ivan on a Gray Wolf” only if you understand the Russian flavor. We will talk about this below, but now we will look at the picture in more detail. It was written by Viktor Vasnetsov back in 1889. We see that Ivan is on his guard, because danger awaits him at every step. At the same time, the young man gently and tightly holds his companion, worrying about her more than about himself. Elena was exhausted from such a long chase, her shoulders sagged, and her eyes expressed fatigue, and the girl fell to the chest of her savior.
The gray wolf is the most wary of all, because he is the first to sense danger. His posture is tense, and his keen, observant eyes are directed forward. The picture shows his strong paws, which confidently rush towards the unknown. Despite the fact that the wolf is alert and careful, he is still very tired and exhausted from the chase. The dark colors of the picture, together with the depicted exhausted faces of the characters, create a painful atmosphere of tension and danger that hangs in the air. But is there hope for our heroes? Can they escape? You can understand this from the picture if you look closely at it and see all the details. Only then can you notice how the blooming apple tree does not fit into the style of the picture at all. It is she, beautiful and magnificent, that means hope and faith in salvation. Thus, we see that Viktor Vasnetsov uses symbolism to show the aspiration of the soul of each character in the picture. The beautiful apple tree is located completely inconspicuously, it does not immediately catch the eye, therefore, in order to see the ray of light in this picture, it is necessary to examine it in detail.
Plot
The plot of the picture came from the people: from Russian folk tales about a strong and brave hero who always helps those who ask him for help. In the painting, Ivan is surrounded by a black forest, which means dark force that lives in the forest thickets. The hero sits on a gray wolf - his faithful assistant- together with the beautiful Elena. Old and strong trees block their way with their huge black branches, from which it is impossible to get out. These ancient branches do not even let the sun's rays through.
Similar stories are widespread in Russian regions. Well done heroes are the favorite characters of the Russian folk art. They are present in almost every fairy tale, so it's no wonder why folk artist I chose this theme for the painting. Ivanushka is always the same hero: a little simple-minded, often the youngest in the family, but always smart, sincere and kind. It is thanks to all these qualities that he manages to defeat evil, save beauties and do good on Russian land. The author of the painting “Tsarevich Ivan on the Gray Wolf” tried to show that it is also difficult for heroes, they can be afraid, upset and doubtful, but they do not cease to be good. The picture shows that everyone is afraid: the brave Ivan, the fearless gray wolf, and, of course, the fragile Elena.
Heroes
The painting “Ivan the Tsarevich on the Gray Wolf” shows three heroes: Helen the Beautiful, Ivan the Tsarevich and the gray wolf. Let's discuss each of them separately.
The gray wolf is very curious not only from the point of view of researchers, but also from the point of view of ordinary viewers. He attracts attention with what he has human eyes, which very accurately and deeply reflect his inner mood. It should be understood that the painting depicts a wolf, which was feared and driven away in Rus'. The author shows that in the gray wolf at this moment there is no negative traits, such as bloodthirstiness or savagery. The wolf symbolizes something completely different in the picture - devotion and sacrifice.
Ivan Tsarevich feels more calm, but at the same time one can notice his wariness and timidity with Elena. He holds it tightly and looks around. It is clear from his gaze that he will fight even to the death for the beauty.
Elena the Beautiful is afraid of being chased, but trusts her savior. She is sad and still beautiful. The painting “Tsarevich Ivan on a Gray Wolf” shows us in the image of Elena a traditional Russian beauty with long hair. blond hair and lovely jewelry.
Character clothing
The painting “Tsarevich Ivan on a Gray Wolf,” a photo of which is in this article, is full small parts clothes. It's actually very important point, because the author drew every detail with special care. Thanks to the colors, Vasnetsov was able to vividly convey the attire of the main characters. Looking at each of them, you can feel the weight of this beautiful brocade, morocco, velvet and gold thread. Even though Elena is sad, her outfit seems too flashy.
It is worth noting that the artist based the image of the girl on his relative Natalya Anatolyevna, who had absolute femininity. And yet, despite drawing the details, Vasnetsov focused on internal state heroes.
Painting by Viktor Vasnetsov “Ivan Tsarevich on Gray wolf"is perhaps one of the most folklore works Russian visual arts. The plot of the film is based on the famous Russian folk tale “Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf.” Ivan Tsarevich and Elena the Beautiful, who he stole, flee from pursuit on the Gray Wolf, Ivan’s faithful friend. The prince looks around carefully and presses his beloved tightly to his chest. Elena, subdued and indifferent to what was happening, trustingly clung to her savior. She tries not to look around, scared of the chase, the dense forest, and even the wolf.
The viewer's special attention is attracted by the Gray Wolf with his human gaze. This unusual character: The gray wolf is a werewolf, a werewolf, as it used to be called. But both in the Russian folk tale and in the painting, his image is positive, full of courage and fidelity.
The gray wolf easily carries his riders away from pursuit. He runs barely touching the ground, as if soaring over a gloomy swamp in the middle of a dense forest. In the picture in this forest, swamp lilies and apple tree flowers stand out as bright spots. An apple tree in the middle of a dense forest, in a swamp? With this, the artist refers us to the plot of a folk tale - after all, the adventure began with an apple tree with golden apples.
The clothes of the heroes of the canvas are also fabulous. Ivan Tsarevich, dressed in a caftan embroidered with gold, and Elena in a silk blue dress complement each other stylistically. And the Gray Wolf is not gray at all, the color of his fur echoes the color of the prince’s clothes. The whole picture creates the mood of a fairy tale, a miracle, a riddle.
Year of painting: 1889.
Dimensions of the painting: 249 x 187 cm.
Material: canvas.
Writing technique: oil.
Genre: mythological painting.
Style: romanticism.
Gallery: State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia.
Other paintings by the artist:
Description of the painting by Viktor Vasnetsov “Alyonushka”
Description of the painting by Viktor Vasnetsov “Bogatyrs”
Description of the painting by Viktor Vasnetsov “The Knight at the Crossroads”
The painting “Ivan Tsarevich on the Gray Wolf” was painted by the Russian painter and architect, master of historical and folklore painting Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov in 1889, based on the plot of a famous Russian folk tale. Looking at the picture, the viewer seems to be immersed in a magical world, finding himself next to the main characters of the fairy tale. On the canvas, Vasnetsov depicted Ivan Tsarevich and Elena the Beautiful, riding the Gray Wolf away from the possessions of the evil king.
Sitting on my devoted friend, Ivan Tsarevich hugs Elena the Beautiful tightly and carefully. On it we see a beautiful caftan made of expensive brocade, belted with a green sash; one cannot help but notice the beautiful black gloves with a pattern adorning Ivan’s hands, Ivan Tsarevich has a red cap on his head, and beautiful red boots on his feet. Ivan Tsarevich has a very serious expression on his face. with their own big eyes he anxiously peers into the distance: are they chasing him? He fears that the villain will take away from him the most precious thing - Elena the Beautiful. Behind the main character beautiful sword in an equally beautiful case: good fellow always ready to defend.
Sitting next to Ivan Tsarevich is Vasilisa the Beautiful, a Russian beauty with beautiful brown hair flowing in the wind. She wears a beautiful silk dress with a light blue tint and gold trim on the bottom and sleeves. The beauty has pearl beads around her neck and interesting morocco boots on her feet. The beautiful cap covering the girl’s head is decorated with precious stones. The girl laid her head on the chest of her savior, her gaze was a little downcast and thoughtful. Elena completely trusted Ivan Tsarevich and humbly folded her hands in front of her.
The Gray Wolf hurriedly moves forward. His ears are pressed to his head, his tongue peeks out from his huge toothy mouth, but there is no malice in the wolf's eyes. Strong paws, having taken off the ground, are ready to make a long jump through the swamp.
Behind the backs of the characters in the picture, it is clear that their path passes through an old forest. The centuries-old trees are overgrown with green moss, the forest is very gloomy and scary, it symbolizes evil forces that are trying to harm the heroes. There is an impenetrable thicket around. Gnarled dark branches hinder the fugitives. In addition to the old scary trees, the artist also depicted beautiful, attention-grabbing flowers - water lilies growing in the swamp, as well as soft pink flowers of an old apple tree with bright green leaves, which, I think, symbolize hope for salvation and a happy future.
Vasnetsov in his painting “Ivan Tsarevich on the Gray Wolf” created the magical world of Russian folk tales. When you re-read Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf, this will certainly come to mind brilliant work painting.
Along with the article “Description of Vasnetsov’s painting “Ivan Tsarevich on the Gray Wolf” read:
This painting by Vasnetsov illustrates one of the exciting episodes of a Russian folk tale. You can immediately see the forest, in which there are already powerful old trees, through which barely light breaks through and you can see blue sky, which means that everything will end well, because in fairy tales good always triumphs over evil. The forest consists mainly of pine trees; there are a lot of animals and birds in such a place. Against the background of a dense forest, the author depicted Ivan Tsarevich on a wolf, as well as the beautiful Vasilisa. The wolf runs at full speed, as they are running away from the chase. The wolf knows that not only his own life, but also that of his friends depends on him now.
Vasnetsov portrayed the wolf as strong and huge. So dark background one can perceive that the chase is tense, the heroes are worried. They understand that if they are caught, separation is inevitable. And therefore fairy-tale heroes They look not only scared, but also saddened. Not only the forest is very gloomy and dark. Among all this darkness, the beauty of the heroes is visible. Ivan is presented in a beautiful embroidered camisole, and Vasilisa the Beautiful in a beautiful blue dress with an orange hem.
The prince carefully holds his beloved. A reverent and tender attitude towards a girl can be immediately seen at first glance. Vasilisa is also tender to her chosen one and, out of fear, clung to Ivan, her luxurious long hair loose and disheveled from the wind.
The picture is very rich in emotions and plot. The artist conveyed all the fabulousness and anxiety of the moment. The blossoming apple tree, which is located in the picture in the lower right corner, speaks of the beginning of love and a bright future.
Folk works are the kindest and most magical things there are for children. Fairy tales always contain brave heroes. In some works for children, animals help people in trouble.
Description 2
In the painting, the artist used a contrast of tones. The background is a gloomy forest, made with dark colors. The brown trunks of huge trees with twisted branches are densely covered with bluish lichens and greenish moss. There is no green foliage visible on them; they appear dead. The trees grow close to each other, forming an impenetrable thicket and blocking the sky. Even a small ray of sun does not penetrate them dark kingdom. In the background, an ominous white fog spreads between them, leading astray and hiding the road.
The forest is very inhospitable and scary. There are many broken branches and fallen trees. An abandoned place where no human has ever set foot. Just on foreground As a symbol of hope, a young, timid tree blossomed with snow-white flowers. Several more white spots indicate water lilies blooming on the water surface. The water in the swamp is the same dark green and cold as everything around.
Ivan Tsarevich makes his way through this thicket. His true friend The gray wolf rushes as fast as he can to save him and Elena the Beautiful. The animal leaps across the swamp in large leaps. He is already tired, breathing heavily, his tongue hanging out, but does not stop. The wolf's fur is only slightly lighter than the surrounding landscape.
Ivan Tsarevich and his companion are depicted in light colors in the center of the picture, they stand out brightly against the background of a dark forest. The prince is wearing expensive clothes of light gold color and a blue belt. His sword, in its ornate scabbard, flutters as the wolf maneuvers. He frowned and carefully watched what was happening, his pursuers. His face is stern, concentrated, he does not intend to give up.
The princess in a pale blue robe embroidered with gold clung to the prince. She is young and beautiful. The girl's headdress is embroidered with precious stones, and there are pearl threads on her neck and arms. She was very tired, her face was pale and sad, without a hint of blush, her eyes were frozen. There is a sense of doom in her entire figure. She sits with her hands down, as if lifeless, hoping for nothing. Her long brown hair was disheveled. But the prince holds his beloved tightly, he will save her.
Looking at this picture, you feel anxiety for the main characters. I want them to get out of this dark forest as soon as possible.
Essay Ivan Tsarevich on the Gray Wolf by Vasnetsov
Most recently, I had the honor of familiarizing myself with Vasnetsov’s painting “Ivan the Tsarevich on a Gray Wolf.” Its author took as a basis one of my favorite fairy tales and depicted Ivan Tsarevich and Elena the Beautiful racing through the forest on a wolf. Surrounding them dark forest thick, dark and scary evokes nothing less than fear and horror.
According to the clothes of the characters depicted and dark colors forests, it can be determined that the event took place in the fall or early spring. And this is precisely what the plot itself emphasizes and makes clear the depth of fear and emotions of the fleeing heroes.
The author of the picture portrayed Ivan as brave, strong and courageous, and the beautiful Elena as tender, fragile, scared and tired, as she should be in life.
The canvas gave me a feeling of delight, because when I read the fairy tale as a child, I could not even imagine the feelings and experiences of the characters. And here everything is written so realistically, as if I were standing in that dense forest and watching a wolf and two horsemen run past me. The artist managed to depict the characters with such precision and chose the play of tones so well that they are about to jump out of the frame and run.
The plot of the film itself shows how the Tsarevich overcomes the difficult path that befalls him due to the violation of prohibitions. Under the paws of the wolf there is a swamp with water lilies, an old apple tree that has bent its still blooming branches to the ground, and thick fog can be seen between other trees. Elena and Tsarevich are the only bright spot on this canvas. The red royal clothes add pride and confidence to the hero, and the scarlet and gold robe of the beauty gives her tenderness and femininity.
In Ivan’s eyes you can read faith, hope for salvation and confidence. With strong and courageous hands, he gently presses Elena to him, thereby showing her that she is safe. However, the Beautiful is completely frightened and, out of hopelessness, lowered her hands and head onto the savior’s shoulder; it seems that she no longer wants anything, and she does not believe that salvation is close.
The wolf is depicted in such a way that it is immediately clear how fast they rush through the forest, running away from danger. And the tones with which the author decorated the color of the wolf are much lighter general plan, thereby he probably wanted to show that “the wolf is not as terrible as they paint it” and that the beast is a friend to man.
Whatever the situation, dangerous or hopeless, there must always be faith in salvation and hope for the best.
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