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Video: What lyrical plot is hidden by Mikhail Nesterov's painting "For a love potion"
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
Mikhail Nesterov is a master of monumental painting and lyrical landscape, portrait painter. In search of a spiritual and ethical ideal, at some point in his career, he turned to the embodiment of the enlightened and pure beauty of the human soul, which struggled to escape the hustle and bustle of secular life. There is one curious work in Nesterov's work, in which the lyrical note, and interest in the landscape, and the artist's deep feelings are harmoniously mixed. This is Nesterov's painting "For a love potion."
About the artist
Russian artist Mikhail Nesterov was born in Moscow. In the period from 1877 to 1881 and again from 1884 to 1886 he studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture under the realist artists Vasily Perov and Illarion Pryanishnikov. Then he practiced under the guidance of Pavel Chistyakov at the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. In the famous estate of Savva Mamontov in Abramtsevo, Nesterov met the most influential artists of that time, among whom there were many modernists.
In his work, Nesterov strove to combine Russian modernity with his Orthodox faith and love for "Russianness". It is interesting that in this vein, French symbolism, especially the work of Bastien-Lepage, had a more significant influence on him than the ancient Russian icon painting. All of Nesterov's canvases are marked by a lyrical synthesis of figures and landscape surroundings. The work of the Russian master is literally filled with Russian attributes: huts, Russian nature, traditional clothes, Orthodoxy, and so on. At first he dabbled in the genres of historical and everyday scenes, and in the 1890s he became interested in religious themes. Among the many famous works, I would like to draw your attention to the little-known work of Nesterov "For a love potion".
Plot
The picture presented shows a curious scene. A young girl came to the old man for a love potion (judging by the name of the canvas). Apparently, she suffers from unrequited love. Therefore, the heroine decided to come to the sorcerer to turn to him for help. The old man opened the door and, apparently, is waiting for her. However, the girl was embarrassed, hesitated (it is understandable, because this is deceit, deception, cunning!). Hence, she is still not sure that she is ready to resort to the help of a sorcerer.
Heroes
The girl's figure is written quite large, the viewer has the opportunity to see the whole gamut of emotions on her face - disappointment, uncertainty, embarrassment. In her hands she is holding a mirror painted with ancient Russian ornament. But the sufferer does not look at him (perhaps she does not like her reflection in him or she is ashamed to look into her eyes). She is dressed in a blue sundress and a yellow jacket with a small flower. The head is decorated with a white scarf, also painted with flowers. The viewer, of course, noticed that the scarf was not tied. And there is a certain symbolism in this. The girl in the foreground is so gentle and pure that she can only be compared with a light breeze, a candle in her hands or a stream in the forest running among the trees. A white headscarf is traditionally considered a sign of innocence, but if it is not tied on her head … Perhaps she is about to commit a sin?
The heroine's eyes are a stronghold of sadness and suffering. By the way, this is a frequent motive in the work of Nesterov, who liked to portray his characters as thoughtful or saddened. The sad beauty itself may be a reflection of the author's anguish over his untimely departed first wife. In this case, the heroine of the canvas, of course, has a reason for sadness. It is unbearable mental pain due to the lack of reciprocity.
The second figure in the picture is an old sorcerer. He has a thick gray beard, tanned skin, a yarmulke hat and his indispensable attribute - a talisman hanging from his belt. His house is far from the rest of the village. What is his look? Sympathetic, curious, questioning.
Landscape
The drama of the plot softens the landscape somewhat. Nesterov is a master of depicting Russian nature. And, of course, all his favorite attributes are noticeable here: green vegetation, a well-worn path (this means that guests often come to the sorcerer), charming yellow flowers, straw peeping out from under the roof, carefully painted timber in the hut. The house is located in the middle of a dense forest with green trees in the background.
How will this story end? Will the heroine dare to enter the house of the sorcerer and commit a sinful act? Or will she put up with unrequited love and continue to live on? The author has built the plot in such a way that each viewer can create their own sequel story. One thing is clear, the viewer empathizes with the heroine, understands her feelings and wishes her personal happiness.
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