Tiberiad (Genisareth) Lake, Polenov, 1881-1882 
- Author: Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov
- Museum: Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Tatarstan
- Year: 1881-1882
Overview of the painting :
Tiberiad (Genisaretsk) Lake – Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov. 1881-1882. Oil on canvas. 31 x 63 cm
The luxurious panorama of the deserted ancient lake, now better known as the Sea of Galilee, is striking in the beauty of the color of water and the delightful sensation of vast expanse, as if beyond the canvas. This historical area has been repeatedly mentioned in the Bible and was associated with the earthly life of Jesus Christ, which gives the expanse of the freshwater lake special significance and expressiveness.
Even the name of the picture is directly related to historical events: it is called Genisareth in the surrounding valley, and Tiberiad in a city built during the Roman occupation and named after the then emperor – Tiberia. By the way, the city exists to this day and bears the name of Tiberia.
The image method and the selected scale of the picture, its shape give a special beauty to the canvas. This narrow canvas is twice as wide as its height, which allows you to show a wide landscape of the lake from the edge of the water to opposite high steep and deserted shores. The paintings in the foreground and fine sand are carefully written out and help to feel the entire depth of the image with gradually darkening water as they are removed from the audience. Far empty shores melt in a haze and seem not quite real, like a mirage. Away in the lake you can see a tiny, bright spot. Perhaps this is a boat sail with which Jesus and his disciples fished in biblical times.