In 1959, Andrey Kurnakov painted the “Bezhin Meadow Before a Thunderstorm”. A little over a century earlier, Bezhin Meadow was described in the eponymous story by Ivan Turgenev. The work is part of the famous cycle of short stories called “The Hunting Sketches”. In the story, a gentleman gets lost and by night reaches a campfire with village children, who share stories about all sorts of evil spirits like mermaids, house elves, the dead, and others. The plot unfolds against the backdrop of the picturesque Russian nature.
Bezhin Meadow is located on the right bank of the Snezhed River in the Chernsky District of Tula Oblast. It was first mentioned in the records of the late 18th century as the Rudinskaya wasteland, which belonged to a member of the Lutovinov family. That land was later passed down to Varvara Turgeneva, the writer’s mother, and consequently stayed in the family according to the right of inheritance.
Turgenev’s short story is attributed to the genre of realism; however, it also possesses some features of romanticism, including vivid descriptions of nature. Only those who had a truly deep and sincere connection with nature could write like Turgenev did. He understood nature like no one else and revered its grandeur and relentless laws. Turgenev’s literary landscapes are extremely graphic and detailed, as well as deeply psychological, and are always imbued with a certain atmosphere. The same technique of emotional landscaping is used by Andrey Kurnakov in the painting “Bezhin Meadow Before a Thunderstorm”.
In this work, Kurnakov, usually known as a realist painter who renders his homeland without embellishments and pompousness, comes across as a true romantic painter who strives to depict nature as ardently and passionately as possible. His interpretation and technique in portraying views of the nature of his native land are unattainable in their perfection.
The artist paints the sun with dense dull-purple strokes against the light pale lilac sky. The sun illuminates a huge cloud, changing its color from golden to pink. The darkness formed by the approaching storm descends on the meadow. The background is enveloped in a light haze, making the willows on the edge of the ravine and the darkening lowland barely discernible.
An umber giant haystack, reminiscent of peasants’ incessant summer work, is painted with warm-colored thick strokes. Small stacks of freshly cut grass are scattered across the meadow. Nature has grown silent in anticipation of the storm. Forgoing his favorite technique, Kurnakov does no detailing of the foreground, painting it in monocolored sweeping strokes. This prevents the viewers from getting distracted from the state of nature before a thunderstorm and the picture in general.
Bezhin Meadow is located on the right bank of the Snezhed River in the Chernsky District of Tula Oblast. It was first mentioned in the records of the late 18th century as the Rudinskaya wasteland, which belonged to a member of the Lutovinov family. That land was later passed down to Varvara Turgeneva, the writer’s mother, and consequently stayed in the family according to the right of inheritance.
Turgenev’s short story is attributed to the genre of realism; however, it also possesses some features of romanticism, including vivid descriptions of nature. Only those who had a truly deep and sincere connection with nature could write like Turgenev did. He understood nature like no one else and revered its grandeur and relentless laws. Turgenev’s literary landscapes are extremely graphic and detailed, as well as deeply psychological, and are always imbued with a certain atmosphere. The same technique of emotional landscaping is used by Andrey Kurnakov in the painting “Bezhin Meadow Before a Thunderstorm”.
In this work, Kurnakov, usually known as a realist painter who renders his homeland without embellishments and pompousness, comes across as a true romantic painter who strives to depict nature as ardently and passionately as possible. His interpretation and technique in portraying views of the nature of his native land are unattainable in their perfection.
The artist paints the sun with dense dull-purple strokes against the light pale lilac sky. The sun illuminates a huge cloud, changing its color from golden to pink. The darkness formed by the approaching storm descends on the meadow. The background is enveloped in a light haze, making the willows on the edge of the ravine and the darkening lowland barely discernible.
An umber giant haystack, reminiscent of peasants’ incessant summer work, is painted with warm-colored thick strokes. Small stacks of freshly cut grass are scattered across the meadow. Nature has grown silent in anticipation of the storm. Forgoing his favorite technique, Kurnakov does no detailing of the foreground, painting it in monocolored sweeping strokes. This prevents the viewers from getting distracted from the state of nature before a thunderstorm and the picture in general.
