The artist Ivan Kulikov painted “Spring” in 1912. It depicts Yelizaveta Sokolova, who later became his wife. She is dressed in a pale pink blouse with fine embroidery and a fitted long black skirt. The model holds a thin branch of bird cherry in her hands. Her thick brown hair is arranged in a braid on her head. Kulikov depicted a sun-drenched garden in the background.
Kulikov chose for a picture close to natural shades and painted it with free strokes. This picture combines a genre scene and landscape. Kulikov sought to create a gentle and romantic image, so he used a soft and warm color scheme and smooth light transitions.
Later, the artist repeatedly painted portraits of his wife. Researchers see Sokolova’s features in the image of a peasant girl in the painting “Girl at the Yoke” (another name — “Near the Outskirts”) in 1913, in the main character of the portrait “In the Russian Attire” in 1916, as well as in a woman from the painting “Cherry Tree” in 1912.
Ivan Kulikov was born on April 1 (or 13, O.S.), 1875 in the town of Murom in the family of a petty craftsman, originally from peasants who were engaged in roofing and painting. As a child, the artist often stayed with relatives in the village. He was interested in drawing from an early age.
After graduating from the Murom District School in 1893, Kulikov went to St. Petersburg and entered the School of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts. In 1896, he was admitted as a non-degree student, and later, as a full student at the Academy of Arts, first to the studio of Vladimir Makovsky, and then, studied under Ilya Repin.
In the autumn of 1902, Kulikov graduated from the Academy of Arts with the major gold medal for his competition work “Tea Party in a Peasant’s Hut”. After that, the artist three times — in 1903, 1904 and 1905 — received the right to travel abroad. During this time, he visited museums in Italy, Germany and France, where he became acquainted with the best examples of foreign painting. Having returned from abroad in 1905, he settled in his family home in Murom, where he continued to paint.
The main directions in the work of Kulikov were portraits and everyday scenes. In 1915, Kulikov received the title of academician of painting for a cycle of paintings about Murom.
Kulikov chose for a picture close to natural shades and painted it with free strokes. This picture combines a genre scene and landscape. Kulikov sought to create a gentle and romantic image, so he used a soft and warm color scheme and smooth light transitions.
Later, the artist repeatedly painted portraits of his wife. Researchers see Sokolova’s features in the image of a peasant girl in the painting “Girl at the Yoke” (another name — “Near the Outskirts”) in 1913, in the main character of the portrait “In the Russian Attire” in 1916, as well as in a woman from the painting “Cherry Tree” in 1912.
Ivan Kulikov was born on April 1 (or 13, O.S.), 1875 in the town of Murom in the family of a petty craftsman, originally from peasants who were engaged in roofing and painting. As a child, the artist often stayed with relatives in the village. He was interested in drawing from an early age.
After graduating from the Murom District School in 1893, Kulikov went to St. Petersburg and entered the School of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts. In 1896, he was admitted as a non-degree student, and later, as a full student at the Academy of Arts, first to the studio of Vladimir Makovsky, and then, studied under Ilya Repin.
In the autumn of 1902, Kulikov graduated from the Academy of Arts with the major gold medal for his competition work “Tea Party in a Peasant’s Hut”. After that, the artist three times — in 1903, 1904 and 1905 — received the right to travel abroad. During this time, he visited museums in Italy, Germany and France, where he became acquainted with the best examples of foreign painting. Having returned from abroad in 1905, he settled in his family home in Murom, where he continued to paint.
The main directions in the work of Kulikov were portraits and everyday scenes. In 1915, Kulikov received the title of academician of painting for a cycle of paintings about Murom.
