Description of the picture:
At the whirlpool – Levitan. 1892. Oil on canvas. 150×209
The gloomy work of the author мейд a double impression on the public. On the one хэнд, the artist was already widely known not only among his colleagues, but also among all connoisseurs of painting. On the other хэнд, Repin responded very coldly about this work, which could not but impress the public. Many came to look at this picture only because a recognized authority in the visual arts spoke very unflatteringly about it.
It is known that the author was inspired by an old legend telling about the unhappy love and suicide of a young girl. This place seemed to attract the artist, excite the imagination, did not let go.
Many note that in this work the master deliberately refuses the ease and airiness inherent in all his work. Powerful, heavy strokes written work.
A painful, depressive atmosphere surrounds the pool at the mill. The viewer’s attention is riveted to the sky, which masterfully conveys the mood of ever-increasing tension. The author does not skimp on colors to convey the whole colorful gamut of the water surface in the rays of the evening sun. Fresh logs in the walkways look powerful, but the walkways themselves remain unreliable. The word itself "pool" evokes associations with tragedy.
In the greenery surrounding the pool you can see the outlines of monsters and ghosts. All work is permeated with a special spirit, which makes it related to fairy tales and traditions. The viewer gets the impression that the pool is waiting for new victims. He is insatiable, his greed has no limits. Even the water around is painted in reddish tones, like traces of the blood of past victims.
Perhaps, only in this single work, the author does not give the viewer any hope for a happy outcome of the event. There is not even the event itself, only an elusive and ominous reminder of what once happened here. And maybe it will happen very soon."