The artwork titled “Young Ladies Walk Among Herd of Cow” is an oil on board genre painting by the esteemed Russian realist artist Ilya Repin. Measuring 36 x 73.5 cm, the work epitomizes the Realism art movement. Currently, this painting is located at the Museum of Russian Art, also known as the Tereshchenko Museum, in Kyiv, Ukraine.
The artwork depicts a pastoral scene with a group of elegantly dressed young women promenading through a field where a herd of cows grazes. The juxtaposition of the refined ladies in high fashion against the rustic backdrop of cattle and verdure embodies a quintessential genre painting, capturing everyday rural life. The women’s attire, adorned with ribbons and hats, suggests leisure and affluence, while the cows add an element of bucolic charm to the scene. The composition is illuminated by natural light, perhaps of early afternoon, which highlights the figures and the cows, casting soft shadows on the green grass. Repin’s brushwork skillfully communicates the textures of the luxuriant dresses, the animals’ hides, and the foliage, infusing the canvas with liveliness and authenticity. The fine details and the serene ambiance of the scene establish Repin’s mastery in translating the nuances of social interactions and environments onto canvas.
