The artwork “Dragon Fly. Portrait of Vera Repina, the Artist’s Daughter” is an oil on canvas portrait executed by the renowned artist Ilya Repin in 1884. It is a work exemplary of the Realism art movement and measures 111 by 84 centimeters. The genre of the painting is a portrait, and it currently resides in the Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia.
The painting captures a young girl, the daughter of Ilya Repin, seated on a wooden rail against a backdrop of a clear, expansive sky. She is dressed in a ruffled, patterned dress and a hat, indicative of the attire from the time period. The young girl, Vera, is depicted with a contemplative expression, which Repin has masterfully rendered to convey a sense of introspection and the subtle complexities of childhood. The brushwork is meticulous yet expressive; the play of light and shadow on her dress and the surrounding environment is indicative of the artist’s skill in capturing the essence of his subject with fidelity and emotion. The realism of the piece is underscored by the naturalistic representation of textures and materials, as well as the lifelike portrayal of Vera herself. The positioning and posture of the subject, along with the thoughtful composition, contribute to the overall serene and intimate atmosphere of the portrait, making it a cherished piece in the Russian art collection.
