In the ‘Woman with Umbrella’, created in 1903, the artist depicted his wife, Lydia Vasilyevna. The sun illuminates the figure of the young woman, the soft path under her feet and the trunks of trees. Long shadows fall on the path, among which the sunbeams move. The movement of air is most prominent in the painting: the light plays on the fabric of the dress, leaving bright pink splashes on the rich red sleeve, and the foliage sways under the warm wind, creating movable shadows.
In this painting, the young artist set himself a great challenge. He wanted to paint the portrait en plein air, depicting not only the model herself but also the air itself, in which sunlight, glare, and shadows are reflected. Fedot Sychkov did not paint each specific leaf or pattern on the lace. He worked generally, with noticeable colorful brushstrokes, trying to convey the trembling of the foliage under the soft blows of wind and the movement of the fabric of the dress with each step.
Fedot Sychkov painted the portrait of Lydia Vasilyevna in the same year when they became married. The wedding took place in the Church of St. Simeon in St. Petersburg, on the 7th of February, 1903. The young love of the artist, who was 12 years younger, became his faithful assistant. With great understanding and patience, she helped him in his work and in his everyday life. She certainly influenced many of his painting. The artist portrayed her as both a fashionable woman and a hardworking peasant. In the 1905 painting ‘Linen Dressers’, she is depicted as a village worker. In the 1916 painting ‘Blessing of the Waters’, she is a gentle and caring mother. In 1928, she was portrayed as a stately ‘Young Woman’.
During their life together, Fedot Sychkov created about 10 portraits of his wife. A fragile young woman from St. Petersburg with clear blue eyes and an incredible strength went through very tough times when, in the first years after the Bolshevik revolution, she had to transform from the wife of a successful artist into a simple peasant woman. In 1953 and 1955, the artist painted the middle-aged, but still attractive Lydia Vasilyevna in the interior of their house in Kochelayevo and in the garden near it.
In 1957, Fedot Sychkov created the last portrait of his beloved wife — a nostalgic repetition of the ‘Girl with Fruit (For dessert)’; the first version of this portrait dates back to 1906. In the portrait, the young Lydia Vasilyevna appears as a charming young maid with a long braid, wearing a white apron and holding a tray full of fruit in her hands. Presently, the first version is displayed in the Krasnodar Art Museum. The sketch and the portrait-repetition are housed in the collection of the Mordovian Erzia Museum of Visual Arts.
In this painting, the young artist set himself a great challenge. He wanted to paint the portrait en plein air, depicting not only the model herself but also the air itself, in which sunlight, glare, and shadows are reflected. Fedot Sychkov did not paint each specific leaf or pattern on the lace. He worked generally, with noticeable colorful brushstrokes, trying to convey the trembling of the foliage under the soft blows of wind and the movement of the fabric of the dress with each step.
Fedot Sychkov painted the portrait of Lydia Vasilyevna in the same year when they became married. The wedding took place in the Church of St. Simeon in St. Petersburg, on the 7th of February, 1903. The young love of the artist, who was 12 years younger, became his faithful assistant. With great understanding and patience, she helped him in his work and in his everyday life. She certainly influenced many of his painting. The artist portrayed her as both a fashionable woman and a hardworking peasant. In the 1905 painting ‘Linen Dressers’, she is depicted as a village worker. In the 1916 painting ‘Blessing of the Waters’, she is a gentle and caring mother. In 1928, she was portrayed as a stately ‘Young Woman’.
During their life together, Fedot Sychkov created about 10 portraits of his wife. A fragile young woman from St. Petersburg with clear blue eyes and an incredible strength went through very tough times when, in the first years after the Bolshevik revolution, she had to transform from the wife of a successful artist into a simple peasant woman. In 1953 and 1955, the artist painted the middle-aged, but still attractive Lydia Vasilyevna in the interior of their house in Kochelayevo and in the garden near it.
In 1957, Fedot Sychkov created the last portrait of his beloved wife — a nostalgic repetition of the ‘Girl with Fruit (For dessert)’; the first version of this portrait dates back to 1906. In the portrait, the young Lydia Vasilyevna appears as a charming young maid with a long braid, wearing a white apron and holding a tray full of fruit in her hands. Presently, the first version is displayed in the Krasnodar Art Museum. The sketch and the portrait-repetition are housed in the collection of the Mordovian Erzia Museum of Visual Arts.
