On the boat. Abramtsevo, Polenov – overview of the painting 
- Author: Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov
- Museum: Kiev National Museum of Russian Art
- Year: 1880
Overview of the painting :
On the boat. Abramtsevo – Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov. 1880. Oil on canvas. 58 x 106.5 cm
This charming picture seems like a fragment of an ever-disappeared life, taken out of context and instantly captured genius of the master. An unpretentious plot does not exclude a uniquely detailed, high-quality study of each detail, which is a great many on the canvas.
Two ladies have fun riding in a boat, which is controlled by a brave young sailor who has blushed with effort and fresh air in a pretty shape. The surface of the water is absolutely calm, there are traces only of the fun of the boat on it. The picture is dominated by saturated, but non-small green tones – this color and water, and the surrounding ones are low, with dense vegetation of the coast. Calm literally comes from the canvas, it seems like you are catching the subtle aromas of grass, flowering water lilies and the humidity emanating from the water.
A massive dark tree bowed low above the water, it is clear that it was not kept on the root, and now it is quietly dying, becoming a refuge for many flowering jugs with elegant floating leaves. Several flowers are depicted in the foreground of the canvas, and the pile of the same plants hangs from the edge of the boat. The reason for the trip becomes clear – the ladies collect water lugs on bouquets and wreaths.
This cute and touching picture is impressive for the artist’s skill. At first glance, his remarkable talent manifested itself in an unpretentious canvas, because only genius could cope with so many small but very important detailed details.