Alexey Stepanov painted Round Dance in the early 1890s. He did not have time to finish the picture — the artist painted some figures only conditionally. In this work, he showed how ten girls lead a dance in a ring. Holding hands, they surrounded the stately young man. To the left and right of the dancers are three village lads and curious children. For the peasant youth of the 19th century, the ring dance was an excellent opportunity to look out for a spouse. This rural landscape, its color and composition reminds us of another famous painting by Alexey Stepanov — ‘Cranes are flying’ from the collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery.
Alexey Stepanov lived from 1858 to 1923. He constantly participated in expositions of the Association of Traveling Exhibitions, an association of artists, which developed a realistic direction in painting. This association included Vasily Perov, Valentin Serov, Isaac Levitan. The peredvizhniks were inspired by the theme of the narodnik movement, they often painted pictures with scenes from peasant life. Alexey Stepanov shared this philosophy, he loved his native nature and rural life.
In addition to the customs of peasant life, the artist loved to paint various scenes with animals. The first significant success for the artist was brought by the painting ‘Elks Eating Hay in Winter’. He participated with it in the 17th Traveling Exhibition in 1889. Pavel Tretyakov bought this work for his collection.
The genre in which Alexey Stepanov preferred to work can be called landscape-animalistic. The artist treated animals with special kindness and love, he meticulously conveyed their appearance and habits. From 1889 to 1918, Alexey Stepanov even headed a class of animal painting at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. In addition, while still a student, he began to collaborate with the magazine ‘Nature and Hunting’, it lasted for many years. From 1883 to 1895, the publication printed about a hundred of his drawings. The Peredvizhnik Mikhail Nesterov wrote about the artist: ’… our common favorite Alexey Stepanovich Stepanov, or Styopochka, as everyone called him, is the best animalist after Serov.’
Alexey Stepanov lived from 1858 to 1923. He constantly participated in expositions of the Association of Traveling Exhibitions, an association of artists, which developed a realistic direction in painting. This association included Vasily Perov, Valentin Serov, Isaac Levitan. The peredvizhniks were inspired by the theme of the narodnik movement, they often painted pictures with scenes from peasant life. Alexey Stepanov shared this philosophy, he loved his native nature and rural life.
In addition to the customs of peasant life, the artist loved to paint various scenes with animals. The first significant success for the artist was brought by the painting ‘Elks Eating Hay in Winter’. He participated with it in the 17th Traveling Exhibition in 1889. Pavel Tretyakov bought this work for his collection.
The genre in which Alexey Stepanov preferred to work can be called landscape-animalistic. The artist treated animals with special kindness and love, he meticulously conveyed their appearance and habits. From 1889 to 1918, Alexey Stepanov even headed a class of animal painting at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. In addition, while still a student, he began to collaborate with the magazine ‘Nature and Hunting’, it lasted for many years. From 1883 to 1895, the publication printed about a hundred of his drawings. The Peredvizhnik Mikhail Nesterov wrote about the artist: ’… our common favorite Alexey Stepanovich Stepanov, or Styopochka, as everyone called him, is the best animalist after Serov.’
