Essay: description of A. Gerasimov’s painting “After the Rain”

Essay based on the painting by A. M. Gerasimov “After the Rain”

Alexander Mikhailovich Gerasimov is a famous Russian painter. He was born on July 31, 1881 in the city of Kozlov, into a merchant family. The artist spent his childhood and youth in this provincial town, surrounded by Russian nature. The young man knew how to see beauty in the simplest everyday things. And this became the basis for many of his future works.

Only a truly talented artist can notice the most inconspicuous, at first glance, details of the environment. We see this in his paintings. And we cannot help but admire this.

In his youth, the artist was attracted to impressionism. But then he became an adherent of socialist realism, a new artistic movement. Gerasimov painted portraits of political leaders of that time - Lenin, Voroshilov, Stalin and other Soviet leaders. The artist was considered a recognized master of socialist realism; he was Stalin’s personal artist. Gerasimov's works were considered canonical at that time.

However, Alexander Mikhailovich himself, already in the mid-thirties, was tired of the constant desire for official recognition. And he decides to go on vacation to his hometown of Kozlov. It was then that the artist created the amazing painting “After the Rain.”

This work is strikingly different from all the paintings that were created by the artist. He himself believed that this was the best work of all that he had created in his life.

Alexander Mikhailovich’s sister recalled that the artist was literally shocked by the garden after the rain. It was an amazing sight that Gerasimov definitely wanted to capture on canvas. “There was a fragrance of freshness in nature. The water lay in a whole layer on the foliage, on the floor of the gazebo, on the bench and sparkled, creating an extraordinary picturesque chord. And further, behind the trees, the sky cleared and turned white.” The artist immediately demanded a palette from his assistant.

The painting was painted very quickly, in a few hours. This testifies to how great the artist’s admiration for the amazing beauty of nature was.

In fact, the creation of this picture was not accidental. Even in his youth, Gerasimov was attracted by the motif of nature after the rain.

The rain seemed to symbolize renewal. And the world around me took on different shapes, became brighter and fresher. When the artist studied at the School of Painting, he painted wet roofs, roads, and objects.

There is no carefully thought-out plot in the film “After the Rain”. It was created in one go. The work cannot leave the audience indifferent; it has sincerity and lightness.

The lush reflections of garden greenery are reflected on the terrace. Multi-colored reflections are reflected on the wet surface of the table, here they are blue and pink. The shadows are multi-colored and colorful. Silvery reflections are visible on boards covered with moisture. The state of nature is conveyed extremely expressively. This simple picture is remembered by everyone who saw it.

The terrace, drenched in rain, appears before us along with a corner of the garden. Water covers the foliage, floor, benches and railings. The water together with the sun that illuminates the terrace is a truly mesmerizing sight. Water sparkles in the sunlight, acquiring a special character, sophistication and clarity.

On the left side of the terrace we see a round table with carved legs. They are also reflected in puddles. On the table there is a glass jug containing a bouquet of garden flowers.

Garden flowers are amazing; there is no deliberate pomp and luxury in them. They are gentle, but at the same time invisible. Flowers are so real that you want to touch them. It seems that you are about to smell their delicate aroma. There is a glass on its side next to the vase. Probably a sharp gust of wind knocked him down. As if in a mirror, a glass and a vase are reflected in the surface of the table, drenched in rain.

After the rain there is a special atmosphere in the garden. Everything around looks extremely beautiful and harmonious. The picture gives a good mood. It is impossible to be sad and sad while admiring such a beautiful painting.

The corner of the house opens into the garden, we can see how beautiful the garden is after the rain. The foliage shines in the sun. A lilac branch leans over the bench. The sky is already getting brighter. The gloomy clouds are about to disappear. And the rays of the gentle sun will rush down.

In the depths of the garden you can see the roof of an old barn. Every detail is simple and unpretentious. But taken together they take on a completely different meaning. This is real life, the beauty of which we sometimes do not notice. We are busy with other things. And our attention is unlikely to be attracted by the garden after the rain, unremarkable, familiar and simple. Only a true artist is able to notice all the splendor of the colors and shades of an ordinary everyday landscape.

Alexander Mikhailovich Gerasimov is a prominent representative of socialist realism in painting. He became famous for his portraits depicting party leaders. But there are also very lyrical works in his work, landscapes, still lifes, images of Russian life. Thanks to them, “After the Rain” is known today (description of the painting, history of creation, expressiveness) - this is the topic of this article.

curriculum vitae

Gerasimov A.M. born into the family of a merchant from the city of Kozlov (modern Michurinsk) in the Tambov region on August 12, 1881. He spent his childhood and youth in this town; he loved to come here even when he became a famous artist.

From 1903 to 1915 he studied at the Moscow Art School, immediately after graduating from which he was mobilized to the front during the First World War. From 1918 to 1925, the artist lived and worked in his hometown, and then returned to Moscow, joined the artists’ association and a few years later became its president.

Gerasimov A.M. survived periods of ups and downs, was loved by Stalin as an artist, and received a large number of professional awards and titles. And during the time of Khrushchev he fell out of favor.

The artist died in 1963, 3 weeks before his 82nd birthday.

The artist's creative path

Gerasimov studied with the greatest painters of the late 19th - early 20th centuries - K.A. Korovina, A.E. Arkhipov, At the beginning of his career, he painted mainly pictures of folk life, depicting Russian nature with its modest and touching beauty. During this period, the following were created: “The rye was mowed down” (1911), “Heat” (1912), “Bouquet of flowers. Window" (1914).

In Soviet times, the artist turned to Gerasimov, who discovered a talent for amazingly accurately capturing characteristic features, achieving great portrait resemblance. Gradually, high-ranking people, party leaders and leaders began to predominate among the heroes of his paintings: Lenin, Stalin, Voroshilov and others. His paintings are distinguished by a solemn mood and are not without some poster pathos.

By the mid-30s of the 20th century, the artist became the largest representative of socialist realism in painting. In 1935, he left for his hometown to take a break from work and spend time with his family. It was in Kozlov that A.M. wrote. Gerasimov “After the Rain” is a painting that brought him fame as a wonderful landscape painter.

During the years of Stalin's rule, Gerasimov held responsible leadership positions. He headed the Moscow branch of the Union of Artists, the Association of Soviet Artists, and the USSR Academy of Arts.

The history of the painting “After the Rain” by Gerasimov

The artist’s sister once told about the history of the painting’s creation. The family was relaxing on the terrace of their home when it suddenly began to rain heavily. But Alexander Mikhailovich did not hide from him, as the rest of the household did. He was shocked by how the drops of water that had accumulated on the leaves, on the floor, on the table shimmered in different colors, how fresh and transparent the air became, how, having hit the ground like a shower, the sky began to brighten and clear. He ordered a palette to be brought to him and in just three hours he created a landscape stunning in its expressiveness. The artist Gerasimov called this painting “After the Rain.”

However, the landscape, painted so quickly and swiftly, was not accidental in the artist’s work. Even while studying at school, he loved to depict wet objects: roads, plants, roofs of houses. He managed to convey glare of light, bright, rain-washed colors. Perhaps A.M. has been going to this landscape for many years. Gerasimov. “After the Rain” was the result of creative quests in this direction. If there were no such background, we would not have seen the painting being described.

A.M. Gerasimov “After the Rain”: description of the painting

The plot of the picture is surprisingly simple and laconic. A corner of a wooden terrace, a bouquet of flowers on a round dining table and lush green foliage making up the background. By the shine of the wooden surfaces, the viewer understands that heavy rain has recently stopped. But moisture does not create a feeling of dampness and discomfort. On the contrary, it seems that the rain muffled the summer heat and filled the space with freshness.

It feels like the painting was created in one go. There is no strain or heaviness in it. She absorbed the artist’s mood: light, peaceful. The greenery of the trees and flowers in the bouquet are written slightly carelessly. But the viewer easily forgives the artist for this, realizing that he was in a hurry to catch this wonderful moment of harmony with nature.

Expressive means

This landscape (A.M. Gerasimov “After the Rain”), the description of the painting, and the expressive means used by the artist give art historians reason to talk about the author’s high painting technique. Despite the fact that the painting looks simple and even careless, the master’s talent was revealed in it. Rainwater made the colors more saturated. Wooden surfaces not only shine, but also reflect the color of greenery, flowers and the sun, and shine with silver and gold.

An overturned glass on the table also attracts attention. This seemingly insignificant detail clarifies a lot and makes the plot easy to read. It becomes clear that the rain began unexpectedly and rapidly, taking people by surprise and forcing them to hastily collect the dishes from the table. Only one glass and a bouquet of garden flowers were forgotten.

A.M. himself considered one of his best works. Gerasimov - “After the Rain”. The description of the painting presented in this article shows that this work is one of the most significant not only in the artist’s work, but in all of Soviet painting.

To write an essay on the topic “After the Rain” with a description of the painting, we will draw up a plan according to which the text itself will then be written.

Essay plan

In the introduction it is worth giving general words about the time the painting was painted and the personality of the artist. Then - about how the picture was painted, what is depicted on it. Next, you need to talk about the impression this work made on you. At the end of the essay you should make a short conclusion.

So, the plan for an essay on the topic “After the Rain” is as follows:

Introduction.

1. The history of the creation of the painting.

2. What and how is depicted.

3. My impressions of the picture.

Conclusion.

Introduction

The painting by Alexander Mikhailovich Gerasimov “After the Rain” (the second version of the title is “Wet Terrace”) was painted in 1935, when the artist had already become a mature master. His work today is usually attributed to the direction of socialist realism. Gerasimov painted many paintings. Among them are portraits, genre scenes, landscapes, and still lifes. Such a quantity required enormous efficiency and creative concentration from the master. I think most of his life was spent at the canvas.

As you know, Gerasimov was especially popular with Joseph Stalin. Today it is even customary to say that he was the leader’s favorite artist. The painter has many canvases depicting Stalin, Lenin, Voroshilov and other communist figures. The creation of these official and pretentious canvases imposed demands on the artist for increased responsibility. Any errors or inaccuracies were unacceptable. This is approximately the same as if a student from our school began to paint a portrait of the school principal or even the mayor of the city. Although, of course, in the case of Stalin everything was much more serious.

I am writing all this because it is clear that such a number of “commissioned” works could not but be created by the artist precisely at the request of the leader. It would hardly have been possible otherwise at that time. Moreover, as you know, Klimenty Voroshilov once saved Gerasimov’s family from dispossession (the artist’s father was a merchant-cattle breeder), helped preserve the estate and introduced him to the leader.

Well, and then - “master of socialist realism”, “Stalin’s favorite artist”, as well as completely official regalia (first president of the USSR Academy of Arts, four-time winner of the Stalin Prize, People’s Artist of the USSR). And all this had to be justified by constant and fruitful work. Which, it seems to me, could not but leave an imprint on the artist’s work as a whole.

The history of the painting

One of the indicators of this is the painting “After the Rain. Wet terrace." The artist’s sister said that the artist created it in just three hours, inspired by the view of the terrace and garden refreshed after a rainstorm.

According to the memoirs of contemporaries, Alexander Gerasimov, as a person and an artist, was partial to flowers. His favorite flowers were always peonies and roses. The artist’s brushes include many canvases with images of various bouquets or simply flowers growing in a meadow. And in the garden of his house in the provincial town of Kozlov (now the city of Michurinsk) both peonies and roses grew.

Alexander Mikhailovich himself said that he felt it was his duty as an artist to reflect “these beautiful creatures of nature.” But, he added, “Konstantin Alekseevich Korovin, of course, did it better than me. His roses have more tenderness, poetry, and airiness. As a steppe dweller, I have something else in my roses: the power and abundance of the earthly forces of black earth fertility.”

Yes, his writing style is close to Korovin’s (as you know, Konstantin Korovin was his teacher), but why is the sophistication and lyricism of Korovin’s style so clearly felt in comparison with some of the simplicity and clumsiness of Gerasimov’s? Even when Korovin does not write down the details, but paints almost sketchily, the faces of his portraits are so interesting that you want to peer into them and figure out who these people were, how they lived, what they thought. On the faces and poses of the heroes of Gerasimov’s portraits, the artist depicted everything he wanted to depict, and there is no need to unravel anything. Compare the canvases with images of people or genre scenes of both of these artists, and you will understand what I am talking about.

What and how is shown

Gerasimov’s painting “Wet Terrace” depicts a terrace flooded after the rain, on which there is a table with a bouquet of flowers. Behind the terrace is a garden, wet and disturbed by the downpour.

Of course, the painting was made by a master. There can be no doubt about this. It has a lot of space and light colors. And the wet floors of the terrace, and the bench, and the table, and the flowers - everything was painted with love and skill, with confident and at the same time soft strokes. The rain-drenched terrace and table turned out to be especially realistic.

But for some reason it seems to me that some moments in this picture are far-fetched and the whole composition is built in such a way that everything is immediately clear to the person looking at it. As they say - “head on”.

There is an overturned glass on the table. The artist seems to be saying: “It started to rain, a strong wind blew, the glass was knocked over by a gust of this wind, feel it!” Why didn’t the glass roll off the table and fall on the floor? It’s just that the bad weather ended as suddenly as it began, everything calmed down.

What about a bouquet of peonies? After all, everyone knows: peonies are very delicate flowers, they fall off easily. If the wind had blown so hard that the glass had tipped over, the bouquet would have lost many more petals than shown in the picture. It is possible, and even most likely, that the vase would not have stood. But the petals under the vase are drawn, or rather, marked, only slightly so that we believe in artistic production.

The table seems alien on this canvas. It stands on the side, completing the composition and filling the hole leading out of the terrace. It was necessary for an artist who was solving a specific compositional problem. And he first saw the terrace and the wet garden, took a deep breath of the humid summer air and was delighted. And then he brought and set the table, a bouquet of peonies, after shaking them so that they dropped a few petals. Nearby, he carefully placed a glass on its side - so that we could understand: a man was sitting at the table, drinking something, looking into the garden, admiring the flowers on the table, thinking... And suddenly - rain! And there was such a wind that the man from the terrace rushed into the house, leaving everything behind.

Opposite the terrace, behind the trees, there is an old barn. I will never believe that people who own such a generally simple and not very well-kept household would put a finely crafted table with bent elegant legs on the terrace to deteriorate in the rain and winds. But this can be called just nitpicking, I understand.

My impressions

Overall, I was not impressed with the picture. The simplest things prevented me from perceiving all these lyrics, which the viewer should have to guess here - the humid air, the freshness, the fragrance of wet grass and trees, the quiet breeze, which is already only hinting at the passing thunderstorm, which I talked about in my essay on the topic " After the Rain" based on a painting by Gerasimov. In my opinion, the composition of the picture is empty and something is missing in it - something more lively and interesting than an overturned glass. Therefore, I, as a viewer, became bored.

When Gerasimov later called this painting “favorite,” he probably meant the admiration from the terrace that he experienced, and the very process of working on the painting. But the admiration was not conveyed to me personally. But a table and a bouquet placed in the right place is not enough.

Conclusion

An essay on the topic “After the Rain” (6th grade) is dedicated to the painting of the same name by Gerasimov. This is a really beautiful picture. It is no coincidence that today it is on display at the State Tretyakov Gallery.

Gerasimov’s canvas is light and should please, but it’s not interesting to me. But I’m not an artist, and in my essay on the topic “After the Rain” I can talk about this viewer’s impression of mine.

I present one of the possible options for understanding this work of art in this mini-essay on the topic “After the Rain.” It is hardly possible for everyone to agree on this picture. As well as about any story, poem, song.

If a person likes or doesn’t like something, let him ask himself - why? It is not enough to trust emotions; you must try to comprehend what you see or listen to. In my essay on the topic “After the Rain” (Gerasimov A.M.) I did exactly this.

The artist in his painting tried to convey something to us. Whether he succeeded, only we will decide, but each in his own way.

History and description of the painting “After the Rain” by the famous Soviet painter A. M. Gerasimov.

The author of the painting, the description of which is presented here, is Alexander Mikhailovich Gerasimov (1881-1963). Considered one of the outstanding Soviet artists. He was the First President of the USSR Academy of Arts (1947-1957), Academician of the USSR Academy of Arts. In 1943 he was awarded the honorary title of People's Artist of the USSR. Became a laureate of four Stalin Prizes. He painted many paintings that today are considered true masterpieces of Russian painting. His works are in such large museums as the Tretyakov Gallery and the State Russian Museum. One of the artist’s works that deserves special attention is the painting “After the Rain.”

The painting “After the Rain” was painted in 1935. Also called "Wet Terrace". Canvas, oil. Dimensions: 78 x 85 cm. Located in the State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

By the time the painting was created, Alexander Gerasimov was already considered one of the brightest representatives of socialist realism. He painted portraits of Soviet leaders, among whom were Vladimir Ilyich Lenin and Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin. The painting, which is somewhat different from socialist realism, was painted during the artist’s vacation in his hometown of Kozlov. The painter’s sister later spoke about how the painting was created. According to her, Alexander Mikhailovich was shocked by the appearance of their gazebo and garden after heavy rain. Water was literally everywhere, it sparkled “creating an extraordinary picturesque chord,” and nature smelt fragrant with freshness. The artist simply could not pass by such a spectacle, and created a picture that subsequently amazed all lovers and connoisseurs of painting.

Having decided to paint this picture, Alexander shouted to his assistant: “Mitya, hurry up the palette!” As a result, the painting was completed in three hours. The work, which was written in one go, literally breathes freshness and pleases the eye with its naturalness and simplicity. Many of us have repeatedly seen something similar after rain, but with a lot of things to do and thoughts, we often simply did not pay attention to how beautiful renewed nature can be after ordinary rain. Looking at the painting of this artist, you understand how much beauty there is in such an ordinary phenomenon, which the talented painter conveyed with the help of a quick sketch of a small corner of the gazebo and the garden surrounding it.

The sun that breaks through the clouds makes the puddles on the terrace boards truly enchanting. They shine and shimmer in different shades. On the table we can see a vase of flowers, a glass that was knocked over by rain or wind, which further creates the feeling of past bad weather, petals stuck to the table. The trees of the garden are visible in the background. The branches of the trees bent from the moisture that accumulated on the leaves. Behind the trees you can see part of a house or outbuilding. Thanks to the fact that A. M. Gerasimov created the picture very quickly, in one breath, being amazed and inspired by the unexpected transformation of nature, in the picture he was able to capture not just the appearance of the environment after the rain, but also his feelings and emotions from the beauty he saw.

Alexander Mikhailovich Gerasimov
After the rain (Wet terrace)
Canvas, oil. 78 x 85
State Tretyakov Gallery,
Moscow.

By 1935, having painted many portraits of V.I. Lenin, I.V. Stalin and other Soviet leaders, A.M. Gerasimov became one of the greatest masters of socialist realism. Tired of the struggle for official recognition and success, he went to rest in his home and beloved city of Kozlov. This is where the “Wet Terrace” was created.

The artist’s sister recalled how the painting was painted. Her brother was literally shocked by the appearance of their garden after one unusually heavy rain. “There was a fragrance of freshness in nature. The water lay in a whole layer on the foliage, on the floor of the gazebo, on the bench and sparkled, creating an extraordinary picturesque chord. And further, behind the trees, the sky cleared and turned white.

Mitya, hurry up and get the palette! - Alexander shouted to his assistant Dmitry Rodionovich Panin. The painting, which my brother called “Wet Terrace,” appeared with lightning speed - it was painted within three hours. Our modest garden gazebo with a corner of the garden received poetic expression under my brother’s brush.”

At the same time, the picture that arose spontaneously was not painted by chance. The picturesque motif of nature refreshed by rain attracted the artist even during his years of study at the School of Painting. He was good at wet objects, roofs, roads, grass. Alexander Gerasimov, perhaps without realizing it himself, had been working towards this painting for many years and latently wanted to see with his own eyes what we now see on the canvas. Otherwise, he could simply not pay attention to the rain-drenched terrace.

There is no strain in the film, no rewritten parts or invented plot. It was truly written in one breath, as fresh as the breath of green leaves washed by rain. The image captivates with its spontaneity; the artist’s lightness of feelings is visible in it.

The artistic effect of the painting was largely predetermined by the high painting technique based on reflexes. “Lush reflections of garden greenery fell on the terrace, pinkish and blue reflections fell on the wet surface of the table. The shadows are colorful, even multicolored. The reflections on the moisture-covered boards are cast in silver. The artist used glazes, applying new layers of paint on top of the dried layer - translucent and transparent, like varnish. On the contrary, some details, such as garden flowers, are painted impasto, emphasized by textured strokes. A major, elevated note is brought into the picture by backlighting, the technique of lighting from behind, point-blank, the treetops are somewhat reminiscent of flickering stained glass windows” (Kuptsov I. A. Gerasimov. After the rain // Young Artist. 1988. No. 3. P. 17. ).

In Russian painting of the Soviet period there are few works where the state of nature would be so expressively conveyed. I believe that this is the best painting by A. M. Gerasimov. The artist lived a long life, painted many canvases on different subjects, for which he received many awards and prizes, but at the end of his journey, looking back on his journey, he considered this particular work to be the most significant.