“The fight of the Cossack with the tiger”, Alexander Osipovich Orlovsky – overview of the painting 
- Posted by Alexander Osipovich Orlovsky
- Museum: State Museum of Art of Uzbekistan
- Year: 1811
Overview of the painting :
The fight of the Cossack with the tiger is Alexander Osipovich Orlovsky. Oil on canvas.
Unlike the static paintings of the author, depicting various horsemen, this canvas depicts a very dynamic scene. This is a clash of man and nature in the face of a tiger that attacked the rider.
The tense atmosphere is emphasized by the dark color scheme, the thunderstorm sky, drawn in gloomy, lead-gray and blue clouds, a rocky landscape with sharp, broken spruce trees sticking out into the sky.
In the center of the picture is a rider – this is a Cossack in a bright red shirt and black pants with lamps. He sits riding a frightened sighing horse. A large Siberian tiger attacks a man and horse. The animal is captured in a jump, with melted paws, with which it has already managed to cling to the croup and neck of the horse. Another second, and the foamed horse will be on the ground, and this is certain death for her and for the rider himself. In an attempt to cope with the lusting tiger, the Cossack swung a furious ax. Just one more moment, and the outcome of the fight will be resolved. But he will forever remain unknown to the audience. If the Cossack manages to hit the animal, it will be killed, and the rider and his horse will survive. But you should miss, like a man, and the horse will turn into a treat for a hungry beast.
This picture differs not only in image dynamics, but also in too dark colors. This is done by the artist specifically to escalate anxiety, increase tension. He succeeded to the full extent, because portraying heroes from such an unusual angle is a difficult task for a painter.
Impeccable composition and saturated, but dark color scheme are underlined using bright color spots in the center of the canvas. This is the red shirt of the Cossack and the fire orange striped skin of the tiger. From these color accents it is simply impossible to look away. For the artist, this is an undeniable success.