The collection of the Iskitim Museum of Arts and History includes a painting titled “The Forge” by Ivan Petrovich Popov. This painting can be considered part of a series of works that focus on the theme of respect for ordinary workers and their skills.

Ivan Popov was no stranger to physical labor. He was skilled at doing various tasks with his own hands. He attended a vocational school, where he studied carpentry. It was a difficult time in his life. Later Popov became a professional turner. He always admired those who were willing to work hard and learn new skills, as they were not afraid of the challenges that could come with it. The artist’s memories of this period in his life were vivid and remained ingrained in his mind, even to the point of recalling the smells associated with that time. Ivan Popov recalled, “My grandfather Tyurin sewed boots all his life. This is why, I remember so well this line from a story by Shukshin who came right to the point, ‘The Kalachikovs home reeked of the ineradicable, pungent smells of leather, pitch, and tar.’”

The artist was particularly fond of blacksmithing. He found the aesthetics of a forge to be especially poetic, with the crackling of wood in a large furnace and the red-hot iron being shaped with hammer blows. Ivan Popov painted “The Forge” in 1963. During that time, he was traveling throughout the Altai region and painting studies. Initially, it was believed that this is a forge from the village of Anos. However, this assumption was later debunked by local residents. One thing that can be said with certainty is that the painting is set in the Altai region. Blacksmithing also appeared in Ivan Popov’s “Portrait of a Blacksmith” painted in 1967. Nowadays, it is kept at the Novosibirsk State Art Museum. In contrast to the autumnal and slightly melancholy landscape of “The Forge”, “Portrait of a Blacksmith” depicts a strong and confident hardworking man.

In his writings, Vasily Shukshin portrayed simple-hearted, down-to-earth workers. In his paintings, Ivan Popov depicted characters from Shukshin’s short stories. These include the village blacksmith Fyodor Gray, the old blacksmith from “Stenka Razin”, Vasyoka, and Uncle Yermolay. Like his cousin, Ivan Popov dedicated his life to exploring the themes of his native land and its inhabitants.