Swimming, Meat-eaters, 1876
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- Author: Grigory Grigoryevich Myasoedov
- Museum: Russian Museum
- Year: 1876
Overview of the painting :
Swearing – Grigory Grigoryevich Myasoedov. 1876. Oil on canvas. 78×134
The picture is a very rare image of the oldest Slavic rite, which was carried out by peasants during the fall of cattle.
The plow is drawn by an unmarried girl, accompanied by women of the village. The meaning of the rite is to draw a circular furrow through which “cow death” cannot jump.
In the glare of the fire, the faces of the actors look full of mystical horror. As if knowing the great riddle, the participants in the procession reached its climax.
The figure of the sorceress – the leader, the manager of the ritual, is placed by the artist with his back to the audience. We recognize this image only by special clothes.
Fire is a great purifier. Here, all the attention of the participants in the ritual is riveted in it.
In the distance, the horizon glows, announcing the approach of the morning. In the morning twilight, the figures of all the participants in the rite are more likely to guess.
The unlimited faith in the beneficial effect of the ancient ritual fills the picture, creating an atmosphere of hope, trust in higher powers, unrecognized, but revered by hundreds of generations.