“Oak Grove”
This incredible oil on canvas painting from 1887 is by the Russian artist, Ivan Shishkin, and is titled “Oak Grove”. Shishkin’s art is most closely associated with the Peredvizhniki movement, which was the Russian counterpart of the Realism movement that was happening in France at the same time. And his favorite subject to depict was always the landscapes of Russia. During his time, he was even called the “singer of the Russian woods”.
Shishkin owned a home out in the country just south of Saint Petersburg where he would go and spend time. It was there that he roamed the forests and woods and spent time analyzing nature.
As Shishkin was a realist, he aimed to simply recreated the natural beauty of what he saw without trying to add his own narrative. He was particularly fond of pine and oak trees. Shishkin’s paintings were almost portraits of the trees themselves, capturing every minute detail.
Shishkin’s paintings are so realistic that they almost look like photographs. Much of that is due to his deftness at displaying chiaroscuro, the shadows and light in his paintings. As seen in this painting, the tops of the trees were usually cut off, adding a strength and immensity to his old forests.
“Oak Grove” is currently on display at the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.
For more on Ivan Shishkin, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
