Description of the picture:
Orphans in the cemetery – Vasily G. Perov. 1864. Oil on canvas. 48×34
Piercing, truly tragic work. In the future, Perov will develop it in his work, creating several works that make up the treasure of Russian painting.
In front of the viewer are two children at a grave covered with snow. Having lost the closest people, everything in their appearance speaks of tragedy, despair and hopelessness. Apparently, the author depicted the pupils of the shelter, deprived of parental affection, love and warmth. The work was written during a European creative trip, presumably in France.
The mean and poor colors of the work contribute to a more complete disclosure of the theme and idea of the picture. The eyes of the grieving children were delightfully successful. They are empty, deep and sadly calm. Every detail – bare feet, pale faces, clean but wretched clothes – just scream about children’s grief.
The surrounding landscape is also expressive. Heavily snowy sky, gray-blue snow, rickety cemetery crosses – everything is written heavily and mournfully. In the work you can see the details filled with symbolic meaning. A flowering tree branch on a gravestone looks strange in winter. This can be interpreted as a symbol of an ongoing life conquering death. Perhaps this is the only decoration of the grave, which turned out to be accessible to small mourners. The heroes of the work form a kind of sculptural group on the grave. The artist’s skill, his tenacious gaze and emotional experiences make the viewer’s heart contract with sympathy and pity."