Ivan Shishkin was born into a merchant family of modest means and grew up in the small town of Yelabuga, on the banks of the Kama River. He was captivated by the wild and rugged nature of his land and maintained this fascination throughout his life. Having recognized his son’s talent for art, his father encouraged him to pursue his passion, allowed him to enroll in the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, and provided financial support. As he began his studies, Ivan Shishkin immediately showed a penchant for landscapes. He spent a lot of time studying nature and was interested in every single aspect, including old stumps, driftwood, and dry trees. After completing his studies at the School, Ivan Shishkin went on to graduate from the Imperial Academy of Arts with a gold medal.

After studying at the Academy, Ivan Shishkin spent three years living and working abroad. During this period, he strove to imitate the style of the Swiss landscape painter Alexandre Calame. His painting “Staubbach Falls in the Lauterbrunnen Valley” can be seen in the museum’s permanent exhibition in the Bay Window Hall. After studying European painting traditions, the artist returned to Russia and developed his own unique style.

Ivan Shishkin is known as the “singer of the Russian forest” and the “king of the forest”. His paintings and studies are so accurate that botanists can identify the species of plants, mosses, and lichens and use the paintings as illustrations in scientific research.

Ivan Shishkin worked meticulously on every detail, took into account the unique winter and summer lighting, experimented with different combinations of brushes and brushstrokes, and perfected his ability to convey color shades. As a result, he created a lifelike effect in his paintings, immersing the viewer in the landscape. Shishkin was a very prolific artist, creating numerous paintings and even more various studies. Many art collectors preferred his studies to his finished works, captivated by their freshness and vivid colors. One such study is displayed at the National Gallery of the Komi Republic.

The small study “Branches” was brought to Syktyvkar from the Russian Museum in 1949. In 1962, it became part of the museum’s collection. It is not known exactly when or where this study was created. In search of new impressions and landscapes, Ivan Shishkin traveled extensively, visiting the Volga region, Karelia, Belarus, the Tver Governorate, the Valaam Archipelago, and Crimea. In 1887, he visited the Vologda Governorate. Based on the materials from the Vologda expedition, the artist created a large painting titled “Windfall”. The forest in both the study and the painting is similar.

Experts suggest that the study might depict an area in European Russia where taiga meets broadleaved forests, which is consistent with the Vologda landscape.