“An Archdeacon”
For today, a bold portrait.
“An Archdeacon” is an oil on canvas portrait painting by the Ukrainian-Russian realism artist, Ilya Repin, from 1877. Repin was part of the Peredvizhniki School along with Ivan Shishkin, Arkhip Kuindzhi, and many other notable artists.
This portrait was inspired by Ivan Ulanov. Ulanov was a local archdeacon of the Eastern Orthodox Church who worked in the city of Chuguyev, Ukraine and Repin’s hometown. Interestingly, Repin sought to create a generic portrait of the people who served in that role. As such, he combined the portrait of Ivan Ulanov with features from spiritual leaders in Slavic communities.
Between 1873 and 1876, Ilya Repin travelled to France and Italy with his family to further his art education. During his trip, he exhibited his work at the famous Paris Salon, extending his notoriety worldwide. His three-year trip to Italy and France exposed him to the Impressionist artists and lightened his overall palette, though in style he remained closer to the realism of Rembrandt.
In 1877, Repin moved to Moscow. He created a number of portraits that year, including this one, which he painted while visiting his hometown of Chuguyev in the Ukraine. This portrait was purchased directly from the artist by the Moscow art collector, Pavel Tretyakov.
Other notable portraits by Repin include the artists Ivan Shishkin and Arkhip Kuindzhi. Repin’s portraits were lauded as being able to depict the humanity and lifelike nature of his sitters. In the 1880s, his commissioned portraits became iconic in Russian culture.
“An Archdeacon” is currently on display at the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, Russia.
For more on Ilya Repin, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
