Item Details:

STREAM IN AN IMPRESSIONIST LANDSCAPE

YURI ILLYICH REPIN

IMPRESSIONISM

Oil Painting on Canvas, 1933

Size: 14.0 x 17.5 in; 35.56 x 44.45 cm

Signed: Recto, Lower right

The present dreamlike work was executed by Yuri Illich Repin in 1933, when he lived in Kuokkala (Repino, Russia today) near the border of Finland and Russia. It was a harsh time for Repin’s family, and the country as well, as Russia was steeped in the blood of Stalin’s repressions. Before 1937, Yuri had experienced a deep emotional shock following the death of his wife (1929), his father (1930) and sister Nadezda (1931). In 1935, his son Diy disappeared, trying to illegally cross the border to get to Leningrad, with a desperate desire to join the Academy of Arts and follow in the footsteps of his famous father and grandfather. This led Yuri to suffer from serious mental problems, making him a recluse and religious fanatic, worsening his already fragile health. He led a secluded life, was religious and inclined to mysticism. One of his favourite subjects of that period was Golgotha, which he finished in 1938 and later exhibited in Helsinki. He said that he was choosing motifs from his dreams, works which were executed in a similar manner and almost at the same time, determined by the state of mind and the optimistic thoughts that were affecting the artist. They stand in contrast to the sweet academic landscapes or portraits of Soviet people that were common subjects for artists during that period. Yuri Repin was not actively involved in politics himself, however, he must have been influenced by the forthright views of his father Ilya Yefimovich Repin (1844-1930). Due to Ilya’s status as Russia’s preeminent artist, his vocal opposition to Stalin’s regime was significant. Russian officials had tried to repatriate Ilya in 1926, from the safety of Kuokkala, but were unsuccessful. Instead, they started issuing propaganda, insinuating Repin’s support for the Bolesheviks. In this context, it seems unsurprising that Yuri paid close attention to the atrocities being committed in his homeland.