The painting “In the Besieged Town”, created in 1872 by the Russian painter Grigoriy Myasoyedov, depicts a deceased young woman. She is dressed in a green skirt and a white blouse. The woman lies on the floor of the room, the wall of which was destroyed by a bomb. On the left, near a pile of stones, Myasoyedov depicted a child’s blanket and a child’s hand. In the semi-darkness of the room, the poor furnishings are barely visible: an upturned table, a chest of drawers, a basket of firewood. For the painting, the artist chose muted, soft colors and a restrained gray-brown color palette. He used bright spots to emphasize the triangle of the sky, which serves as a source of light, and the figure of a woman.
The painting “In the Besieged Town” was exhibited at a traveling exhibition in 1872 and then sent to the cities of Russia. In Odessa, the artist’s work was acquired by the Tikhonov family, and for 90 years the painting was in a private collection. Later the Tikhonovs moved to Moscow and sold the painting to the Panorama Museum of the Battle of Borodino. The painting came to the Museum of the Defense of Sevastopol through the exchange from the Borodino panorama.
Grigoriy Myasoyedov was born in 1834 in Tula Governorate. He studied at the Oryol gymnasium and then entered the Academy of Arts. His first teachers were the famous representatives of the historical genre Timofey Neff and Alexey Markov. In 1861, Myasoyedov received a small gold medal for the painting “Congratulation of Betrothed”, and the following year he was awarded a large gold medal for the painting “The Flight of Grigory Otrepyev from the Inn”. The artist painted it based on a scene from Alexander Pushkin’s “Boris Godunov”.
In 1863–1868, at the expense of the Academy of Arts, Myasoyedov went on a trip abroad: to Germany, Italy, Spain, and France. In 1870, he returned to Russia and received the title of academician for the painting “Conjuring”, and in 1893, he became a full member of the Academy of Arts.
The artist created mainly realistic paintings. In the 1870s, Myasoyedov was one of the leading members of the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions. That period was distinguished by his most famous works: “The Zemstvo at Lunch”, “Reading the Manifesto of 1861”, “Praying in the Field During the Drought”.
In 1878, Myasoyedov painted another version of the painting “In the Besieged Town”. The artist’s copy is stored in the Kharkiv Art Museum.
The painting “In the Besieged Town” was exhibited at a traveling exhibition in 1872 and then sent to the cities of Russia. In Odessa, the artist’s work was acquired by the Tikhonov family, and for 90 years the painting was in a private collection. Later the Tikhonovs moved to Moscow and sold the painting to the Panorama Museum of the Battle of Borodino. The painting came to the Museum of the Defense of Sevastopol through the exchange from the Borodino panorama.
Grigoriy Myasoyedov was born in 1834 in Tula Governorate. He studied at the Oryol gymnasium and then entered the Academy of Arts. His first teachers were the famous representatives of the historical genre Timofey Neff and Alexey Markov. In 1861, Myasoyedov received a small gold medal for the painting “Congratulation of Betrothed”, and the following year he was awarded a large gold medal for the painting “The Flight of Grigory Otrepyev from the Inn”. The artist painted it based on a scene from Alexander Pushkin’s “Boris Godunov”.
In 1863–1868, at the expense of the Academy of Arts, Myasoyedov went on a trip abroad: to Germany, Italy, Spain, and France. In 1870, he returned to Russia and received the title of academician for the painting “Conjuring”, and in 1893, he became a full member of the Academy of Arts.
The artist created mainly realistic paintings. In the 1870s, Myasoyedov was one of the leading members of the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions. That period was distinguished by his most famous works: “The Zemstvo at Lunch”, “Reading the Manifesto of 1861”, “Praying in the Field During the Drought”.
In 1878, Myasoyedov painted another version of the painting “In the Besieged Town”. The artist’s copy is stored in the Kharkiv Art Museum.
