Kuindzhi Arkhip – “Ladoga Lake”

Arkhip Kuindzhi spent the summer of 1872 on the island of Valaam. Deeply impressed by the beautiful nature of the island and lake, a year later he painted the painting “Lake Ladoga”. The landscape illustrates well the changes in the artist’s life: on the one hand, the realism of the image shows the author’s desire to convey the colors of nature as accurately as possible, and on the other, the influence of romanticism conveys to us the feelings that seized the artist at that moment.

Graceful, subtle shades of light captivate the viewer, make him feel the special mood of the picture. A huge lake with crystal clear water, through which a rocky bottom can be seen, is majestically stretched.

With this painting Kuindzhi began a whole series of canvases devoted to the Russian northern nature. The artist professionally creates a feeling of boundless space due to a single range that unites the sky and the water surface. The horizon line is visible as a barely noticeable thread.

Arkhip Kuindzhi in his painting “Lake Ladoga” depicted an incipient thunderstorm. Deep cold gray-blue color emphasizes the atmosphere of the approaching bad weather.

Year of painting: 1873.

Dimensions of the painting: 79.5 x 62.5 cm.

Material: canvas.

Writing technique: oil.

Genre: landscape.

Style: realism.

Gallery: State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia.