Ilya Repin Most Famous Paintings

Ilya Repin Most Famous Paintings

What is Ilya Repin's claim to fame?

Repin was one of the first Russian artists to earn international acclaim for his work based on Russian his masterpiece Barge Haulers on the Volga, completed in 1873 and remarkably different from earlier Russian paintings.

How many works of art did Ilya Repin create?

541 works of art

Ilya Repin Famous Paintings

  1. Barge Haulers on the Volga by Ilya Repin
  2. Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan ​by Ilya Repin
  3. They Did Not Expect Him by Ilya Repin
  4. Religious Procession in Kursk Province by Ilya Repin
  5. Portrait of Vsevolod Mikhailovich Garshin by Ilya Repin
  6. Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks by Ilya Repin
  7. Ceremonial Meeting of the State Council by Ilya Repin
  8. Job and his Friends by Ilya Repin
  9. Autumn Bouquet by Ilya Repin
  10. Slavic Composers by Ilya Repin

    Barge Haulers on the Volga by Ilya Repin

    Barge Haulers on the Volga by Ilya Repin

    Ilya Repin saw men carrying barges for the first time in 1868 while sailing on the River Neva in St Petersburg. In juxtaposition to the public view of embankments, he was taken aback by the sight of these unhappy folks in harness. He created this huge picture after two journeys to the Volga and direct contact with many barge haulers. It shows 11 men physically towing a barge along the Volga River's banks. They're exhausted and burdened by the heavy, hot heat, and they're on the verge of collapsing.

    The piece is a statement against profiting from cruel labor. The guys are beaten, despite their portrayal as stoic and tolerant; just one sticks out: a vividly colored adolescent fights against his leather ties and assumes a heroic position in the midst. Repin created the artwork while traveling through Russia as a young man, and it shows real people he met.

    It received international acclaim for its realistic representation of working-class problems, and it began his career. Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich bought the picture soon after it was finished, and it was widely shown throughout Europe as a milestone of Russian realist artwork.

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    Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan ​by Ilya Repin

    Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan ​by Ilya Repin

    Between 1883 and 1885, Russian realist artist Ilya Repin painted Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan on November 16, 1581. Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan, or Ivan the Terrible Killing His Son are two names for the piece. Ivan the Terrible is shown cradling his critically injured son, Tsarevich Ivan Ivanovich, in this painting. The elder Ivan is thought to have struck his son with the deadly blow.

    Ivan the Terrible was modeled after the artist's friend and colleague artist Grigoriy Myasoyedov, and the Tsarevich was modeled after writer Vsevolod Garshin. Repin sold the oil on canvas painting to Pavel Tretyakov in 1885, when it was finished, for display in his gallery. Repin's artwork is considered one of Russia's most famous, as well as one of its most contentious. It was vandalized twice, once in 1913 and once in 2018. It is still on display at Moscow's Tretyakov Gallery.

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    They Did Not Expect Him by Ilya Repin

    They Did Not Expect Him by Ilya Repin

    The original painting, which is 160.5cm by 167.5cm and is presently on display at the Tretiakov Gallery in Moscow, Russia, measures 160.5cm by 167.5cm. This was the concluding painting in a series depicting the Russian Revolution. In the work, he used his family room, wife, mother-in-law, and daughter as models. The scene is situated in a daytime environment, with sunshine flooding in through the windows and reflecting off the back wall. It establishes the tone of the composition, as do the colors he chose - yellows, blues, and browns - implying that this will be a bright and joyous occasion. 

    He positions both the mom and the main character off-center, pulling the audience's eye to the people and providing emotional weight. The gestures and eye contact between the figures are possibly the most fascinating feature of the picture. Repin is said to have redrawn his primary figure four times before settling on the final expression. There are parallels to fellow realism Gustave Caillebotte's work.

    Religious Procession in Kursk Province by Ilya Repin

    Religious Procession in Kursk Province by Ilya Repin

    The painting depicts a tense, packed crowd at the yearly procession (cross-carrying Eastern Orthodox liturgical) that brought the iconic Our Lady of Kursk from its monastery at the Korennaya Pustyn to the neighboring town of Kursk in western Russia.

    The ceremony is led by Orthodox priests carrying icons, decorations, and flags over their bodies through a dusty environment. A crowd follows them, largely made up of peasants, but also including beggars and crippled persons, police and military officers, and members of the regional elite. When it was first shown, Religious Procession sparked controversy because the icon was handled by a man who appeared to be inebriated.

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    Portrait of Vsevolod Mikhailovich Garshin by Ilya Repin

    Portrait of Vsevolod Mikhailovich Garshin by Ilya Repin

    During the Russo-Turkish war, Vsevolod Garshin was a novelist who also served in the military. When the conflict ended, Garshin retired as an officer and concentrated on his writing. The atrocities and darkness he witnessed on the battlefield left him devastated. He was a very sensitive person with a great deal of sympathy for others, and his writing reflects this. Repin immortalizes this virtue in his portrait paintings. Garshin is seen in the portrait looking directly at the artist or the viewer. Repin's previous studies of Garshin depict the author in various positions.

    Repin, on the other hand, chose this one as the final. The writer has a sad expression on his face as if he is filled with deep compassion and understanding. The picture focuses on his friendly demeanor and love of literature. Although Repin's prior studies hint at the writer's sympathetic nature, they lack the emotional depth of this last position. Garshin is reading a book at his desk. Suddenly, he raises his eyes to the audience. It's tough to look away since his gaze is so intense. His countenance conveys a great deal of anguish and sorrow. However, the man's benevolence is also present. His sensitivity paired with melancholy results in a painting with a great deal of depth.

    FAMOUS EXPRESSIONIST ARTISTS AND THEIR PAINTINGS

    Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks by Ilya Repin

    Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks by Ilya Repin

    The story of the Zaporozhian Cossacks sending a belittling response to an ultimatum from the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Mehmed IV, is depicted in Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks. The Cossacks, led by Ivan Sirko, responded in typical Cossack fashion by writing a letter full of obscenities and profanities. The Cossacks' delight in coming up with ever more vile vulgarities is depicted in the painting. 

    Ceremonial Meeting of the State Council by Ilya Repin

    Ceremonial Meeting of the State Council by Ilya Repin

    Tsar Alexander 1 established a state council, which chose to commemorate its centennial in May 1901 in St. Petersburg, Russia. To commemorate the occasion, Ilya Repin created the Ceremonial Meeting of the State Council, a beautiful portrait painting.

    The state council's ceremonial meeting was attended by everyone dressed in the same uniform. This is when Ilya Repin decided to take advantage of the opportunity and depict the scene exactly as it was. He drew the details quickly on a canvas and then developed the study into a huge painting. When you look attentively at the image, you'll see that the council members are shown in a natural setting, in a variety of stances, and with a physical likeness. 

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    Job and his Friends by Ilya Repin

    Job and his Friends by Ilya Repin

    The art piece is currently on display in a Russian museum. Two standing guys and two sitting men are seen in the artwork. Job is seated by himself on one side of the road, while his three buddies are seated on the opposite side. Ilya created a fantastic work that demonstrates his artistic abilities. To enhance the artwork and to bring out a central narrative, he utilized chilly and dark hues.

    The work represents a biblical character named Job, who had blisters all over his body and had lost everything he owned, including his children, as a means of putting his trust in God to the test. Job is depicted in a mournful mood, his upper body exposed because he couldn't wear clothes due to his body's sores. Three of his closest friends came to console him. According to the Bible tale, the three companions sought to persuade him to curse God in order for him to die and be free of the pain he was experiencing. One of the buddies is depicted getting up and staring at Job pitifully, as though attempting to persuade him to do something.

    Autumn Bouquet by Ilya Repin

    Autumn Bouquet by Ilya Repin

    Autumn Bouquet is a renowned work by Ilya Repin.  Autumn Bouquet was painted in 1892, during a time when Repin was at the height of his talents, painting most of the most stunning works for which he is known, and is now housed in Moscow's Tretyakov Gallery. Autumn Bouquet displays a lady carrying a bouquet of flowers against a background with a vast landscape. What impresses the most in the painting, according to Repin's realism, is the vivid rendering of a human face, representing the sad yet optimistic public mood.

    Repin's artistic aptitude for gauging the lives and characters of persons in the society of the era is exemplified in this work. Autumn Bouquet is a strong portrayal of the mortal existence of the moment, with a spiritual meaning, as is the case with many of Repin's works.

    The work effectively illustrates the ephemeral and dynamic character of thinking. Autumn Bouquet exemplifies Repin's unique ability to depict rural life in naturalistic settings. Repin's core themes were similar to those of most other Russian realists of the time, who drew inspiration from everyday life and attempted to show emotional conflicts grounded in truth.

    Slavic Composers by Ilya Repin

    Slavic Composers by Ilya Repin

    Ilya Repin painted this stunning work of twenty-two Slavic composers in 1872 as a request for a Moscow entrepreneur and investor named Alexander Porokhovshchikov. Porokhovshchikov had originally enlisted the help of another painter, Konstantin Makovsky, for this piece, but his charge was too exorbitant, so he hired Repin instead, who consented to a considerably reduced fee.

    The commission was for a painting that included both living and deceased renowned composers from Russia, Poland, and the Czech Republic. It was supposed to hang at Moscow's Slavic Bazaar, a hotel, restaurant, and performance hall located at 17 Nikolskaya Street. 

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