Early spring. Ottely, Savrasov 
- Posted by Alexey Kondratievich Savrasov
- Museum: Art Gallery. B.M. Kustodieva. Astrakhan
- Year: 1880s
Overview of the painting :
Early spring. Ottelypel – Savrasov. 1880s. Oil on canvas. 68×54
Probably there is no more artist in the history of Russian art who could see the beauty of their native nature in any weather and at any time of the year. Favorite spring, especially early, according to many, is not the most attractive time for landscape. Savrasov, on the contrary, paid the main attention in his work to this period.
Work is full of foreboding. The birds excited by the heat come around the old nests, the snow is full of grayish yellow tones. Looking at work, the viewer has the illusion that the snow cover is melting before our eyes. Let the sky be completely winter, gloomy and “snow”, but constantly growing protinas will soon free the earth from the winter carpet.
Despite the apparent poverty of the palette, the master skillfully uses numerous shades to make his work unusually realistic in shape and subtle, unusually lyrical in content.
The church, the squatty bays – have not yet completely freed from the snow, but the invisible sun has already freed the roofs of the buildings.
Work abounds with blue halftones. They are present in the sky, and are reflected in the snow and protons. This spring itself is the main character of the picture.
Most of all, the viewer is surprised by the fact that the artist knows how to see beauty in the most ordinary and prosaic landscape. Magically, any landscape in the interpretation of the great master turns into a harmonious and unique masterpiece of fine art.
The work was created during the heyday of the artist’s creative forces, when he resolutely left his past addiction to the classical romantic landscape, and sent all his strength to the glorification of Russian nature.