The artwork titled “Ukrainian Peasant” was created by Russian artist Ilya Repin in the year 1880. It is an oil on canvas piece, exemplifying the Realism art movement of the time. The portrait is modest in size, measuring 29 x 29.5 centimeters, and it currently resides in the Tretyakov Gallery located in Moscow, Russia.
The artwork portrays the head and upper shoulder area of an elderly male subject, who is assumed to be a Ukrainian peasant based on the title. The figure is rendered in profile, gazing to the left side of the canvas with a somber, introspective expression. His features are depicted with meticulous attention to detail, which is a hallmark of Repin’s realistic style. Repin has captured the ruggedness of the man’s life through the texture of his skin, the furrowed brow, and the unkempt hair and beard, suggesting a life of hard work and exposure to the elements.
The color palette utilized is relatively subdued, boasting earth tones that echo the rural lifestyle of the subject. The background is minimalistic, with neutral shades that do not distract from the central figure. The brushwork, while detailed in the man’s facial features, becomes looser and more suggestive in the area of his clothing, adding to the sense of a candid, unembellished representation.
The expressiveness of the man’s face and the direct, unromantic capturing of his visage embody the Realist ethos of portraying subjects truthfully and without idealization. The simplicity of the composition and the intimate scale of the artwork invite the viewer to reflect on the individual’s character and the broader human condition this figure represents.
