“Failure”, Konstantin Korovin – description of the painting
Description of the picture:
The trouble is Konstantin Alekseevich Korovin. 1880s. Canvas, oil. 50 three x 30 5 cm
The painting “Failure” refers to the early work of Konstantin Korovin. Made by a 20-year-old aspiring painter, this work, nevertheless, bears within itself the main signs of the style of the coming mature master. First of all, this is a sweeping manner of writing, rich colors, some conventions in writing details, and also an obvious departure from the canons of academicism, which Korovin considered not just outdated, but inanimate.
When parsing the canvas, one wants to differentiate into two elements – the landscape and the person against the background of the landscape. A limitless field, stretched to the horizon, is depicted in a sketchy manner in the form of dense animated strokes that create an uneven texture. The combination of green and yellow in its rather contrasting, sharp comparison creates in front of the viewer a feeling of a field scorched by the scorching sun. The second half of the background is given to the sky. Cloudy expanse of sky is almost completely filled with thick clubs of grayish clouds. The gloomy mood of the surrounding nature is the best decoration for what happened with the hero of the canvas. The hunter did not hit the target, left with nothing. Korovin professionally portrayed the confusion of the hunter.
The main character of the canvas is a young man dressed in ordinary, moderate clothes with a small hunting bag on his side. In his left hand he holds a gun, the end of the barrel of which the painter deliberately highlights with a lighter outline. It seems that the gun was about to shoot and has not yet cooled down, although this shot did not reach the desired goal.
Korovin does not need to unfold the unlucky hunter to the spectator – he also from the back subtly and expressively portrayed the hero’s shoes that sensed him: confusion, frustration, confusion. The outlines of his profile give him the usual rural man – a rude face, a small nose, a slightly open mouth. The hero cannot but arouse human compassion among the contemplator, because one can imagine how long he walked in his own big boots, tracking down the prey.
A shot rang out, but not at the target … And now his hands are limply dropping along the body, gently holding a gun, so that a narrow narrow belt hangs from it.
In his work, Konstantin Korovin relied on “pure” painting, eschewing academism. If his subsequent searches were focused, mainly, on color and technology, then here we can follow the “pure” feelings. His hero is unsophisticated and simple in the manifestation of emotions. And involuntarily, the desire to share his misfortune, resting a reassuring hand on his shoulder …"