The collection of the Irbit State Museum of Fine Arts includes a mezzotint “Saint Basil” by Vladimir Samarin.
Vladimir Samarin’s works are distinguished by their sincerity, lyricism, and sense of time. His landscapes breathe with the rich Russian forests, vast expanses, and mighty rivers. The artist worked in various graphic techniques. He created artworks in such styles as pastel, drawing, linocut, engraving on plastic and metal, and etching. He also worked in mezzotint, having mastered this complicated technique on his own by studying the descriptions of tools and working methods. His own intuition guided him in mastering the mezzotint technique.
To create a drawing, the artist roughens a plate and smooths out the dots. In bright areas, the plate is polished clean. Instead of strokes, the imprint features smooth “painting-like” transitions between dark and light. This is a complicated technique, but Vladimir Samarin mastered it perfectly.
The Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat, also known as Saint Basil’s Cathedral, is one of the most significant monuments of 16th-century Russian architecture. The church is distinguished by its unique design. When seen from above, it resembles an eight-pointed star which is formed by a rhombus inscribed within a square. This is a symbol of the Virgin Mary. Nine individual chapels stand on one foundation. The central chapel is dedicated to the Intercession. It has a tall tent and a small, gilded dome. It is surrounded by eight smaller chapels with different-colored onion domes. On the eastern side, there is the chapel of Saint Basil, and on the southern side, there is a two-tier bell tower with a tented roof. All chapels are connected by vaulted corridors and a gallery. The cathedral’s design is dominated by traditional elements of Russian church architecture, such as kokoshniks (semicircular or keel-like exterior decorative elements), pendants, semi-columns, and rectangular cavities in walls. The gallery is decorated with a lush floral pattern. On the walls, there are icons depicting Our Lady of the Sign with saints in the border scenes, the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary with Blessed John and Saint Basil.
