Artist Afanasiy Sobakin is considered to have been one of the leading masters of Yakutia. He worked in different fields and painted both portraits and landscapes. His works are full of romanticism and reveal his poetically elevated view of reality.
The composition ‘Dance of the Siberian Cranes’ from the collection of the National Fine Arts Museum of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) was made by Sobakin in 1966. He depicted a flock of Siberian cranes – a rare species of birds thatlive only in the North of Russia. They are also called white cranes. The species is threatened with extinction and is listed in the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation.
The bird symbolizes happiness in the culture of peoples of the North. According to a folk belief, meeting such a bird portends good luck and prosperity in life. White cranes keep away from humans that is why you can rarely spot them in the wild. It is known that once Sobakin saw a flock of Siberian cranes, and this made a strong emotional impression on him. The memory of this encounter inspired him to create a painting.
The artist depicted the birds against the background of a typical Northern landscape. The cranes are jumping with their wings wide spread, as if performing a dance. A vast valley tinted in golden ochre lies behind them. The bank of a narrow river is seen in the distance on the right. On the horizon, there is a bright blue sky and a range of mountains lighted by the sun.
Sobakin painted nature’s awakening in spring after its winter sleep. The birds have come back from their winter roost, the ice on the river has melted and new grass is growing through the ground. The artist interpreted the return of white cranes from the South as a sign of spring and the continuation of life.
The color palette of the painting consists of numerous shades of different colors. Their combination makes the painting lively, dynamic and vibrant. In order to make an effect of the sunshine, the artist used golden and yellow ochre colors. The muted colors of the blue sky and pink-purple mountains create a harmonious sound of the landscape.
In “Dance of the Siberian Cranes” Afanasiy Sobakin brought together several symbols of his native land: the white cranes, the unique rocky ranges and restrained Northern scenery. The painting became the most famous work of the artist and is assessed by a great part of experts as his chef-d’oeuvre of landscape painting.
