“On the island of Valaam”, Shishkin – overview of the painting 
- Posted by Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin
- Museum: Simferopol Art Museum
- Year: 1881
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Overview of the painting :
On the island of Valaame – Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin. 1881. Canvas on cardboard, butter. 34.5 x 50.5 cm
Shishkin repeatedly addressed the beauties of the holy island of Balaam in his work. The harsh northern nature, one of the spiritual centers of Orthodoxy, the very isolation of this corner from the earth, all attracted the masters of the landscape.
In the picture in front of us is an island at dusk. In the distance you can see the bell tower of the monastery cathedral, surrounded by an ancient forest. Moonlight pouring a landscape emphasizes its harsh uniformity, simplicity and immorality. The monastery cathedral triumphs over nature, standing out in whiteness and greatness.
Dark, muffled tones, fuzzy contours perfectly convey the severity of the Valaam evening, and moonlight gives the landscape mystery…
One gets the feeling that it was here on the island of Balaam that the world of Gorny and the world of the Earth merged together, and this unity gave rise to that amazing great harmony that fills the picture with an atmosphere of silence and peace.