The artwork titled “Portrait of Yuriy Repin, the Artist’s son” was created by the artist Ilya Repin in 1882. Executed in oil on canvas, this piece is an exemplar of the Realism art movement and has dimensions measuring 110 by 55 centimeters. As a portrait, it captures a moment of personal significance to the artist, portraying his own son. This piece is currently held in the Tretyakov Gallery, located in Moscow, Russia.
In the artwork, we observe a young boy sitting in a lavishly upholstered armchair that overwhelms his small stature, emphasizing his youth and vulnerability. The boy, Yuriy Repin, gazes directly out at the viewer with an expression that seems thoughtful, or perhaps introspective. The child’s dark attire, adorned with golden buttons, starkly contrasts with the intricate warm tones of the chair and the deep reds that saturate the background.
Ilya Repin’s careful attention to the rendering of textures is evident. The softness of the child’s fair hair, the smoothness of his youthful skin, the intricate patterns of the upholstery, and the rough, almost tactile quality of the background all come together to create a composition rich with sensory details. Light touches the boy’s face, highlighting his features and further drawing the viewer into the emotional depth of the portrait.
Through this work, Repin not only documents the physical likeness of his son but also captures the essence of a moment within his son’s life, thereby offering viewers a tender and personal glimpse into the world of his family. This emotional depth and the meticulous realism are hallmarks of Repin’s broader oeuvre.
