Blog > I found a book by Ivan Shishkin.

I found a book by Ivan Shishkin at the Vernissage Market in Yerevan — an old edition printed by Aurora Art Publishers in Leningrad.

The edition is in excellent condition: the reproductions are very good, and the paper is thick and remarkably white. I was not familiar with Shishkin before. The first thing that struck me, I must admit, was his name — it simply sounds right to me: sharp, refined, deep, resonant with a certain brilliance.

Shishkin was a Russian realist painter born in Yelabuga on January 13, 1832. He mostly depicted natural landscapes, yet in a surprisingly profound way. His touch is highly detailed; the human figure appears small, overshadowed by the grandeur of the landscape. The colors are soft and gentle, almost dreamlike, despite his realism. The contrast between light and shadow is handled in such a way as to open a dialogue with mystery.

I have undoubtedly become fascinated by him. When I look at his works, I clearly sense the silent labor of the forests — places where so much happens and changes, yet so slowly and quietly that it can be perceived only by an attentive and sensitive soul. Although I have never been particularly interested in realism, this painter has deeply impressed me, because I distinctly perceive the metaphysical dimension of his world.