Girl with a scythe, Kramskoy – description of the painting

Description of the picture:

The girl with a scythe is Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy. 1873. Oil on canvas. Fifty seven x forty eight cm

   The second half of the XIX century was marked by the emergence of a new theme in painting – the image of a person in illness, his withering, martyrdom and the last days. However, you should not see only deep tragedy in this plot, on the contrary, the artists conveyed here the most subtle nuances concerning both external and, most importantly, internal changes.

   Kramskoy went further than his contemporaries, he was not interested in the social side of the issue, in his dying face he saw only peace and tranquility. Such a person was not interested in poverty or other earthly problems, which means that the artist should not care. “Girl with a loose braid” is one of the most famous works on this topic. The picture is characterized by a lyrical and dramatic mood.

   The composition is solved diagonally – the light falls on the tired face of the girl, allowing you to even more carefully examine it. It should be noted that despite the tormented, pallor and sadness of the heroine, she is beautiful.

   Kramskoy perceptively felt that only in such a borderline state could a person look inside himself, fencing himself off from everyday hustle and bustle, and under the influence of physical torment, he could discover spiritual strength of unprecedented power – this subtle moment should be noticed by the artist. The artist created his canvas very much, and until the death of Kramskoy, his withering maiden with her hair did not leave the painter’s workshop."

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