Picture Levitan «Lake.Russia "is a late work of the artist. He wrote it in the last year of his life. The canvas is considered unfinished, but nevertheless it is recognized as one of the best works of the author. She was presented at the posthumous exhibition organized in Moscow, and rightfully deserved positive reviews from critics.
"Lake.Rus ”is considered one of the largest paintings of the artist. In addition, it has something in common with his other late works, first of all with the famous canvas “Above Eternal Peace”. In both cases, the author devoted the main part of the composition to the image of a large lake with a beautiful church on the shore. Levitan used several sketches for his latest work: a large, carefully crafted draft that is stored in Nizhny Novgorod, and a small sample, preserved in a private Moscow meeting.
Полотно «Озеро.Rus, like most of the artist’s works, is dedicated to depicting Russian nature. On the far shore there is an autumn forest, wide fields and a white church. In the sky, Levitan wrote freakish clouds in the light blue sky. This beautiful landscape is reflected in the water, which emphasizes the beauty and grandeur of the rural region.
Work “Lake.Rus ”was highly appreciated by critics. The famous art critic V.Manin noted that this canvas marks a new stage in the development of Russian painting. He noted the desire of the artist to capture the variability of the world, the play of colors, the movement of air. According to him, Levitan moved away from the emphasis on the storyline and fully concentrated on the transfer of feelings and experiences from the contemplation of nature. Manin noted that the scale of the image combined with a sensitive perception of the surrounding world.
One of the most illustriouslandscape painters was I. Levitan. "Lake. Rus ”was the result of his many years of searching in the image of his native country. That is why traces of alterations and processing are noticeable on the canvas. The size and wide scope of the landscape perspective is filled with philosophical meaning. It is indicative of the fact that the plot is almost completely drawn from life, unlike the author’s previous works. The artist made only small changes, trying to most fully and reliably reproduce all the features of nature. The painting “Lake. Rus ”is distinguished by the absence of a compositional structure, like other canvases of the artist. It consists of sketches taken from other works, which are combined into one whole by the general feeling of the author. In this canvas, the mood of silence and tranquility so characteristic of the author is expressed by landscape means: the surface of the water, sunlight, and transparent air.
Картина, подводя итоги творчества Левитана, at the same time, it opens a new stage in national painting. The manner in which this composition is made reminds the French school of impressionists, which set the tone for European art at the turn of the century. The latest work of the master proves that Russian artists, following this new trend, filled the style with a special philosophical meaning.
