Ivan Shishkin was called ‘the forest knight’ and ‘the king of the woods’ already during his lifetime for his selfless devotion to the ‘forest’ theme and love for the nature of Russia. The image of the Russian forest created by him was perceived as an image of his homeland - Yelabuga, where the artist spent his youth, and of Russia as a whole. 

The painting In the forest (From the forest with mushrooms), painted in 1883, entered the museum’s collection a century later - in 1987. The hilly clay slopes depicted in the foreground are covered with flowers and grass. Plants are painted so accurately and realistically that, looking at them, one involuntarily falls under the charm of the nature of the region. But flowers and herbs do not overshadow the impression of the majestic beauty of mighty pines and the overall composition symbolizing power of the nature. The miniature figure of a peasant woman walking down the forest path makes a contrast with the huge pines in the background and only emphasizes the sense of titanic power of the nature and causes the viewer to admire it.