The artwork “Wounded Man,” created by Ilya Repin in 1913, is an oil on canvas painting that resides within the genre of portraiture and is an exemplar of the Realism art movement. Measuring 40 x 50 cm, this piece is housed at the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, Russia.
The artwork presents a powerful and haunting portrait of a male figure, evoking emotional depth and complexity. The subject is depicted with a raw sense of immediacy, his torso bare and the contours of his muscles and bones subtly highlighted by the brushwork. His expression is one of pain and anguish, with eyes seeming to gaze upward, perhaps in a silent plea or in resignation. The red swath across his shoulder and chest appears to represent a wound, both physical and symbolic, conveying the theme of suffering with a startling intensity. The brushstrokes are expressive and vigorous, contributing to the visceral impact of the piece. The use of color is concentrated and stark, with the deep red of the wound contrasting dramatically against the pallor of the man’s skin and the cool, undefined background. This striking use of contrast serves to focus all attention on the figure and his afflictive state.
As a work of Realism, the artwork forgoes idealization to instead offer a poignant, unflinching examination of the human condition, a characteristic feature of Repin’s approach to his art.
