The artwork titled “General in the form of royal guards. P.A. Cherevin” was painted by the esteemed artist Ilya Repin in the year 1885. This oil on cardboard piece measures 23 x 14 cm and is a fine example of the Realism art movement. The genre of the artwork is a portrait, and it currently resides in the Tretyakov Gallery located in Moscow, Russia. This particular work exemplifies Repin’s adept skill in capturing the essence of his subjects and the social realities of his time through his realist approach.
In the artwork, we observe a formal portrait of a figure adorned in the regalia of a royal guard. The subject is presented in a frontal pose against a muted background that provides a subtle contrast to the detail and richness of the uniform. The uniform itself is depicted with meticulous attention to the interplay of light and shadow, highlighting the intricate decorations, epaulettes, and medals that denote the subject’s status and the esteemed nature of their role. The figure’s expression is serious and dignified, contributing to the solemn atmosphere of the portrait. Repin’s brushwork is characteristically vibrant and textural, lending the artwork a sense of immediacy and life that is often associated with his portrayals of figures in their social contexts.
