Early spring painting. River Istra. March
Early spring painting. River. March
Spring has almost sprung as it is only March in the country. It is still snowy and cold outside, and the light is icy and still. A river runs through the early spring painting, laden with the reflections of a dramatic winter sky. Its glassy surface is a miracle of the watercolor medium.
This watercolor landscape is a cornucopia of subtle hues characteristic of this time of year. It is by no means monochromatic given the dominance of deep blues. The sky is glorious with floating clouds, some darkened with foreboding. Yet the day is quiet in this early spring painting.
Historical place
The picture shows a place that is significant for Russian culture. The Istra River flows slowly, just like 130 years ago, when a famous Russian playwriter Anton Chekhov and a wonderful Russian landscape painter Isaak Levitan spent summers in the beautiful lands of Istra, village Babkino. The surroundings and everyday life of those places formed the basis of many works of these outstanding people. Since then, nature seems to have not changed, preserved for us the memories of previous years. The beauty of the nature of the Istra River near the village was captured wonderfully soulfully by the Russian Isaac Levitan in his paintings “The Istra River,” “Birch Grove.”
Now this place houses the Chekhov and Levitan Museum. And the Early spring painting. Istra Rive was donated by Nadezhda Bogomolova to the museum, with gratitude and admiration.
Spring landscape painting
Such scenes are typical for nature lovers, but in the hands of Nadezhda Bogomolova, this watercolor landscape shines with the skill of a master. The fluidity and translucency clearly mark it as an exemplar of the wet on wet technique, prized by watercolor collectors around the world. You almost miss the small white house on the right of the composition, and it almost jars the viewer who is immersed in nature’s wonder. It no doubts houses some cozy occupants who long to play in the fresh, crisp snow.
In the spring landscape painting, the trees are silhouetted against the variegated backdrop, their bare branches a reminder of the leaves to come.
Materials and medium
This is the medium for those artists who know how to wield a brush to create almost any mood or emotion. Everywhere patches of molting darks and lights describe a deep vista of the countryside. The horizon seems far, yet so near.
Fine Arches paper from France serves as the surface for the picturesque scene. Given that it is durable and 100% cotton (and 300 gsm cold pressed paper), it is set to preserve this beautiful landscape for years to come.
