The artist painted ‘Girl in Blue Shawl’ in 1935. The Sychkov family held this portrait especially dear because it depicts one of the artist’s favorite models — Tatiana Ryabova. The girl also lived in Kochelayevo and often helped Lydia Sychkova around the house. The artist’s widow donated the portrait to the museum a year before her death, in 1972. This work is one of the most popular in the author’s legacy: it was often printed on postcards, in albums, and art magazines.
Sychkov painted a cheerful, healthy peasant girl against a winter landscape. She wears a light ochre sheepskin coat and a bright blue shawl decorated with a floral ornament. The blush on her cheeks matches the scarlet flowers on her headscarf.
Visitors especially loved this portrait because of the girl seems so vivacious. The artist easily rendered Tatiana Ryabova’s features, preserving her natural pose and facial expression. He painted the girl with bold brushstrokes. There are separate brushstrokes visible in the picture, their shape demonstrates the confidence and speed of Fedot Sychkov’s work. The artist became famous for the ability to successfully render the sincere enthusiasm of his characters, to capture the sparkle in their eyes, to avoid stiff poses.
Throughout his life, Sychkov created many female portraits. More often, he painted them outdoors, using the outdoor light. Among his most famous paintings are “Dancer Sonya”, “Nastya while Knitting”, “Proska”, and many others.
In these works, the painter did not want to make a deep psychological study. These pictures show what he thought about the health and integrity of the national character. Fedot Sychkov praised the beauty of his fellow villagers, admired the bright blush on their cheeks, and their colorful traditional clothes. He appreciated the cheerfulness of the villagers and tried his best to depict it on his canvases. For his love of the festive side of life, he was known as “Mordovian Kustodiev” in honor of the artist Boris Kustodiev, who became famous for painting colorful scenes of Shrovetide festivities and Russian beauties.
Sychkov painted a cheerful, healthy peasant girl against a winter landscape. She wears a light ochre sheepskin coat and a bright blue shawl decorated with a floral ornament. The blush on her cheeks matches the scarlet flowers on her headscarf.
Visitors especially loved this portrait because of the girl seems so vivacious. The artist easily rendered Tatiana Ryabova’s features, preserving her natural pose and facial expression. He painted the girl with bold brushstrokes. There are separate brushstrokes visible in the picture, their shape demonstrates the confidence and speed of Fedot Sychkov’s work. The artist became famous for the ability to successfully render the sincere enthusiasm of his characters, to capture the sparkle in their eyes, to avoid stiff poses.
Throughout his life, Sychkov created many female portraits. More often, he painted them outdoors, using the outdoor light. Among his most famous paintings are “Dancer Sonya”, “Nastya while Knitting”, “Proska”, and many others.
In these works, the painter did not want to make a deep psychological study. These pictures show what he thought about the health and integrity of the national character. Fedot Sychkov praised the beauty of his fellow villagers, admired the bright blush on their cheeks, and their colorful traditional clothes. He appreciated the cheerfulness of the villagers and tried his best to depict it on his canvases. For his love of the festive side of life, he was known as “Mordovian Kustodiev” in honor of the artist Boris Kustodiev, who became famous for painting colorful scenes of Shrovetide festivities and Russian beauties.
