Description of the picture:
Oxen – Valentin Aleksandrovich Serov. 1885. Oil on canvas. 47×59
The sketch from the village life of “Oxen” is straightforward in the plot. Undoubtedly, the artist was attracted by color symmetry, vivid details.
Animal farm at the end of a hard day. At the cart with the hay met two oxen. Playing in black and white, the master embodies the idea of the unity of opposites. Two bright details give the plot dynamism: a coverlet on a cart and a chicken at the feet of a white ox. The sand color of the earth and the barn creates a general neutral background, the white cloudy sky is designed to give the study a volume.
The study was written with bold, rough strokes, which testify to the remarkable talent of the young artist."