Ilya Repin, (1844–1930)
Sadko in the Underwater Kingdom, c. 1876
Oil on canvas canvas
Height: 3,225 mm (126.97 in). Width: 2,300 mm (90.55 in).
State Russian Museum
Sadko is the principal character in a Russian medieval epic bylina. He was an adventurer, merchant, and musician from Novgorod.
One day, as Sadko was playing his gusli/zither on the shores of a lake. The Sea Tsar (a Merman) was listening, and enjoying, his music, an so wanted compensate Sadko. The Sea Tzar instructed Sadko to make a bet with the local merchants about catching a certain fish in the lake; when he caught it (as provided by the Tsar), the merchants had to pay the wager, making Sadko a rich merchant.
Sadko traded on the seas with his new wealth, but did not pay proper respects to the Tsar as per their agreement. The Tsar stopped Sadko's ships in the sea. He and his sailors tried to appease the Sea Tsar with gold, to no avail. Sadko's crew forced him to jump into the sea. There, he again played the gusli for the Sea Tsar. This time the Tsar offered him a new bride. On advice, he took the last maiden in a long line, and lay down beside her.
Palekh painting
Sadko
In another tale, Sadko played his magic gusli to call for the Sea Czar to create a storm to save his city from enemy's ships.
Palekh has a very long history in Russian iconography, the art of painting Russian Orthodox icons for homes and churches. The village emerged as a leading center of Russian icon- and mural-painting in the 19th century.
A good example of the Palekh school are the murals and icons from the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross. More on Palekh
Ilya Yefimovich Repin (5 August 1844 – 29 September
1930) was the most renowned Russian artist of the 19th century. He
played a major role in bringing Russian art into the mainstream of European
culture. His major works include Barge Haulers on the Volga (1873), Religious
Procession in Kursk Province (1883) and Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks
(1880–91).
Repin was
born in Chuguyev, in the Kharkov Governorate (now Ukraine) of the Russian
Empire into a military family. He entered military school in 1854 and in 1856
studied under Ivan Bunakov, a local icon painter. He began to paint around
1860. In 1874–1876 he showed at the Salon in Paris and at the exhibitions of
the Itinerants' Society in Saint Petersburg. He was awarded the title of
academician in 1876.
In 1901 he was awarded the Legion of Honour. In 1911 he
traveled to the World Exhibition in Italy, where his painting 17 October 1905
and his portraits were displayed in their own separate room. In 1916 Repin
worked on his book of reminiscences, Far and Near. He welcomed the Russian
Revolution of 1917. Celebrations were held in 1924 in Kuokkala to mark Repin's
80th birthday, followed by an exhibition of his works in Moscow. In 1925 a
jubilee exhibition of his works was held in the Russian Museum in Leningrad.
Repin died in 1930 and was buried at the Penates. More on Ilya Yefimovich Repin
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