The Iskitim Museum of Arts and History houses a painting “On the Porch” by Ivan Petrovich Popov. It belongs to a large series of watercolor paintings dedicated to the artist’s second cousin, Vasily Makarovich Shukshin.

The famous writer, film director, and actor is depicted sitting on the porch of a wooden house, with the houses of his fellow villagers in the background. Ivan Popov painted two portraits of his cousin from life — a watercolor one (“A Portrait of Vasily Shukshin Painted from Life”) and an oil one.

Ivan Popov recalled in his autobiography “Diary of an Artist”, “And then there was such good luck — Vasily agreed to sit for a large oil portrait. His house was not far from my fleet depot and studio, so he was happy to visit me there. Once again, he would choose a pose himself. He would stand against the wall, with his right hand behind his back and the ever-present cigarette in his left. He said that it was a writer’s pose… The door of our house opened directly onto the field, with hop trellis here and there. Vasily often sat on this porch during the breaks in our portrait sessions. He sat there silently, staring into the distance. He was thinking…” Perhaps, it is one of such moments that is depicted in the watercolor image “On the Porch”, painted not from life, but from memory.

When Ivan Popov studied at the Kiev Art Institute, his talent was nurtured by such masters as Tatyana Nilovna Yablonskaya and Aleksey Alekseyevich Shovkunenko. During those days, their art studio was filled with a spirit of love and harmony. The professors were exceptional painters, equally skilled in various techniques. Most importantly, they were able to impart their secrets to their students. In turn, Ivan Popov was one of their most talented followers. Later, he recalled in his memoirs,