Painting compilation for Wednesday

During our trip to Lviv, we stayed at the Etude Hotel, the theme of which was Art, as you understood from its title. There was a reproduction of Mykola Pymonenko's painting "Znitsa" ("A woman-reaper"), 1889, on the wall of our room. I was very inspired by this painting. Usually, artists depict hard work, exhausted peasants. However, this picture was painted in a light technique. The woman is shown happy.

I saw the original in the art museum in Kiev after a while. I really like such a bright painting, when people are depicted happy, despite the heavy peasant labor.

In the original "Znitsa" was much less than I expected. I was not so enthusiastic, but I was captured by other paintings.

Sergei Kostenko "A lesson" 1891.
I often associate books with music and paintings. So here, I got the idea that this would be an excellent illustration for the book "French Lessons" by Valentin Rasputin. Although in the book the schoolchildren had a hard life and worse conditions than in the painting. The narrative is conducted on behalf of an 11-year-old boy. He can no longer study in the village and he is sent to the town. Everywhere there is hunger, and he has anemia. Every day he has to buy a glass of milk. And in order to earn, he has to play gambling. A French teacher noticing a capable guy and begins to help him with food. However, soon the principal expels her, believing that she is seducing the guy. Having left, the teacher sends the boy a parcel with macaroni and apples, which he never saw.

Nikolay Kuznetsov "On earnings", 1882.
Before I saw the title, I thought that most likely the peasants are coming from plowing, but no. Kuznetsov portrayed villagers who go looking for work in other parts of the country because of a lack of work. But I do not see the sorrow on their faces.

Mykola Pymonenko "Wedding in Kiev Province" 1891.

Mykola Pymonenko "A Victim of Fanaticism", 1899.
Again, initially I thought that the girl was a libertine and the villagers blame her, but this painting is based on real events. The girl converted to Christianity, and members of the Jewish community beat her. On the right 2 figures - a weeping woman is her mother, and the man who raised his hand is a father who renounces it.

Serhii Vasylkivsky "Sunset over the lake", 1906.
And this picture reminds me of Venice, where I really was not. I would like to think that there is a loving couple in the boat, but there are three people there.

Here is my selection of paintings on Wednesday.

Thank you for reading my post!