Nikolai Sysoev often used graphic drawings to depict his fellow townsmen – residents of the Lipetsk Region village of Slanskoye. The main leitmotif of his art is the work and life of the peasants and their daily concerns. The artist always managed to grasp and convey the romanticism of Soviet life. The rural theme had been close to Sysoev’s heart from an early age. He was born in the village of Slanskoye in 1918, remained there throughout his childhood, and spent a lot of time among peasants after graduating from the art institute. Sysoev’s father was also a peasant who died during the Civil War.
Sysoev drew At the Fire House in 1938 in his native village. While still a student at the V. Surikov Moscow State Academy Art Institute, Sysoev returned home with his friend and classmate Viktor Tsigal. The young artists worked a lot in nature and drew Sysoev’s relatives, friends, and fellow villagers.
Looking back on this time, Tsigal recalled: “In our pencil drawings we tried to convey the sun sculpted with light and shadow. We wanted it to feel like there was colour in black and white. They were far from perfect, but they give a sense of how we loved these people.”
Drawing has always been important to Sysoev. Back when he studied at the 1905 Moscow Art College, Sysoev along with other students, which included such future artists as Viktor Tsigal, Yury Kugach, Nikolai Solomin, and others, actively practiced drawing after their main studies. Sysoev said drawings by Ilya Repin were examples of graphic art for him.
In the black and white drawing, we see a peasant in a Russian shirt sitting on a firefighting wagon with a barrel of water. The work is called At the Fire House. The fire house consisted of a blockhouse with a tower that housed a bell that was rung in the event of a fire.
In his depiction of peasants, Sysoev thought it was important to not only draw a portrait of individuals, but to also convey their psychological state along with their mood and character. The peasant has a collected, but stern expression on his face. The artist emphasized his shadow to make it more expressive. The lines are clear and the drawing of the man’s face and the folds in his clothing is striking in terms of its realism. The background is drawn in a less expressive style.
Sysoev drew At the Fire House in 1938 in his native village. While still a student at the V. Surikov Moscow State Academy Art Institute, Sysoev returned home with his friend and classmate Viktor Tsigal. The young artists worked a lot in nature and drew Sysoev’s relatives, friends, and fellow villagers.
Looking back on this time, Tsigal recalled: “In our pencil drawings we tried to convey the sun sculpted with light and shadow. We wanted it to feel like there was colour in black and white. They were far from perfect, but they give a sense of how we loved these people.”
Drawing has always been important to Sysoev. Back when he studied at the 1905 Moscow Art College, Sysoev along with other students, which included such future artists as Viktor Tsigal, Yury Kugach, Nikolai Solomin, and others, actively practiced drawing after their main studies. Sysoev said drawings by Ilya Repin were examples of graphic art for him.
In the black and white drawing, we see a peasant in a Russian shirt sitting on a firefighting wagon with a barrel of water. The work is called At the Fire House. The fire house consisted of a blockhouse with a tower that housed a bell that was rung in the event of a fire.
In his depiction of peasants, Sysoev thought it was important to not only draw a portrait of individuals, but to also convey their psychological state along with their mood and character. The peasant has a collected, but stern expression on his face. The artist emphasized his shadow to make it more expressive. The lines are clear and the drawing of the man’s face and the folds in his clothing is striking in terms of its realism. The background is drawn in a less expressive style.
