Description of the painting after the rain, the wet terrace of Gerasimov. "After the Rain (Wet Terrace)"

History and description of the painting “After the Rain” by the famous Soviet painter A. M. Gerasimov.

The author of the painting, the description of which is presented here, is Alexander Mikhailovich Gerasimov (1881-1963). Considered one of the outstanding Soviet artists. He was the First President of the USSR Academy of Arts (1947-1957), Academician of the USSR Academy of Arts. In 1943 he was awarded the honorary title of People's Artist of the USSR. Became a laureate of four Stalin Prizes. He painted many paintings that today are considered true masterpieces of Russian painting. His works are in such large museums as the Tretyakov Gallery and the State Russian Museum. One of the artist’s works that deserves special attention is the painting “After the Rain.”

The painting “After the Rain” was painted in 1935. Also called "Wet Terrace". Canvas, oil. Dimensions: 78 x 85 cm. Located in the State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

By the time the painting was created, Alexander Gerasimov was already considered one of the brightest representatives of socialist realism. He painted portraits of Soviet leaders, among whom were Vladimir Ilyich Lenin and Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin. The painting, which is somewhat different from socialist realism, was painted during the artist’s vacation in his hometown of Kozlov. The painter’s sister later spoke about how the painting was created. According to her, Alexander Mikhailovich was shocked by the appearance of their gazebo and garden after heavy rain. Water was literally everywhere, it sparkled “creating an extraordinary picturesque chord,” and nature smelt fragrant with freshness. The artist simply could not pass by such a spectacle, and created a picture that subsequently amazed all lovers and connoisseurs of painting.

Having decided to paint this picture, Alexander shouted to his assistant: “Mitya, hurry up the palette!” As a result, the painting was completed in three hours. The work, which was written in one go, literally breathes freshness and pleases the eye with its naturalness and simplicity. Many of us have repeatedly seen something similar after rain, but with a lot of things to do and thoughts, we often simply did not pay attention to how beautiful renewed nature can be after ordinary rain. Looking at the painting of this artist, you understand how much beauty there is in such an ordinary phenomenon, which the talented painter conveyed with the help of a quick sketch of a small corner of the gazebo and the garden surrounding it.

The sun that breaks through the clouds makes the puddles on the terrace boards truly enchanting. They shine and shimmer in different shades. On the table we can see a vase of flowers, a glass that was knocked over by rain or wind, which further creates the feeling of past bad weather, petals stuck to the table. The trees of the garden are visible in the background. The branches of the trees bent from the moisture that accumulated on the leaves. Behind the trees you can see part of a house or outbuilding. Thanks to the fact that A. M. Gerasimov created the picture very quickly, in one breath, being amazed and inspired by the unexpected transformation of nature, in the picture he was able to capture not just the appearance of the environment after the rain, but also his feelings and emotions from the beauty he saw.

By 1935, having painted many portraits of V.I. Lenin, I.V. Stalin and other Soviet leaders, A.M. Gerasimov became one of the greatest masters of socialist realism. Tired of the struggle for official recognition and success, he went to rest in his home and beloved city of Kozlov. This is where the “Wet Terrace” was created.

The artist’s sister recalled how the painting was painted. Her brother was literally shocked by the appearance of their garden after one unusually heavy rain. “There was a fragrance of freshness in nature. The water lay in a whole layer on the foliage, on the floor of the gazebo, on the bench and sparkled, creating an extraordinary picturesque chord. And further, behind the trees, the sky cleared and turned white.

Mitya, hurry up and get the palette! - Alexander shouted to his assistant Dmitry Rodionovich Panin. The painting, which my brother called “Wet Terrace,” appeared with lightning speed - it was painted within three hours. Our modest garden gazebo with a corner of the garden received poetic expression under my brother’s brush.”

At the same time, the picture that arose spontaneously was not painted by chance. The picturesque motif of nature refreshed by rain attracted the artist even during his years of study at the School of Painting. He was good at wet objects, roofs, roads, grass. Alexander Gerasimov, perhaps without realizing it himself, had been working towards this painting for many years and latently wanted to see with his own eyes what we now see on the canvas. Otherwise, he could simply not pay attention to the rain-drenched terrace.

There is no strain in the film, no rewritten parts or invented plot. It was truly written in one breath, as fresh as the breath of green leaves washed by rain. The image captivates with its spontaneity; the artist’s lightness of feelings is visible in it.

The artistic effect of the painting was largely predetermined by the high painting technique based on reflexes (See fragment). “Lush reflections of garden greenery fell on the terrace, pinkish and blue reflections fell on the wet surface of the table. The shadows are colorful, even multicolored. The reflections on the moisture-covered boards are cast in silver. The artist used glazes, applying new layers of paint on top of the dried layer - translucent and transparent, like varnish. On the contrary, some details, such as garden flowers, are painted impasto, emphasized by textured strokes. A major, elevated note is brought into the picture by backlighting, the technique of lighting from behind, point-blank, the treetops are somewhat reminiscent of flickering stained glass windows” (Kuptsov I. A. Gerasimov. After the rain // Young Artist. 1988. No. 3. P. 17. ).

In Russian painting of the Soviet period there are few works where the state of nature would be so expressively conveyed. I believe that this is the best painting by A. M. Gerasimov. The artist lived a long life, painted many canvases on different subjects, for which he received many awards and prizes, but at the end of his journey, looking back on his journey, he considered this particular work to be the most significant.

"Wet" effect in Gerasimov's painting "After the Rain".

Let's look together at the painting "After the Rain" by Alexander Gerasimov. What is this? A genre scene without people? Still life? Scenery? This picture includes elements of different genres and is interesting in themes. We see a terrace on which, perhaps, only an hour ago people were sitting - drinking tea, reading newspapers, someone, probably, embroidering on the now empty bench. This could be a genre scene. The artist could have depicted people running away from the terrace due to the sudden onset of rain. We can only guess, but the setting is typical of a good genre scene. We see a table on which there is a vase of flowers and an overturned glass (apparently a gust of wind turned it over) - a typical still life. In the background we see a clean, beautiful landscape - a summer garden washed by rain.

Looking at the picture, we feel the freshness after the rain, the humidity of the air. The artist very well managed to convey exactly the atmosphere that arises after a summer rain. Everything we see is wet from the rain. And this, perhaps, is the most amazing thing, how successfully the painter managed to paint rainwater on literally all surfaces. It can be seen that the rain has just passed and not a bit has dried out or evaporated. The water glistens, thanks to the sun that has already come out, we see its rays breaking through in the garden. All surfaces - table, floor, bench, foliage, in glare. The rainbow highlights are painted with great skill and we have no doubt - if we could put our palm on this bench or run our hand along the foliage of a tree, drops of water would remain on it.

Not every artist was able to paint nature after rain so reliably. Not everyone knows how to accurately convey the “wet” effect. But the Russian artist Gerasimov always loved and knew how to depict him. Once, when he was already a very famous master, he came to his parents in the city of Kozlov, where on a summer day the whole family was sitting on the terrace. Suddenly it began to rain, so hard that even the terrace, protected by railings and roof, instantly became wet. Immediately the sun came out. Everything sparkled with such cleanliness and looked so delightful that the artist did not wait even a minute, grabbed the canvas and palette and immediately began to paint the picture. We can imagine where he placed the easel - at the back of the terrace. Gerasimov used darker colors in the foreground of the picture, bright colors in the middle, and very light colors in the background. Our gaze strives for the brightest, sunny. The painter managed not only to depict the beauty of the moment, but also to convey the mood - admiring, elated.

Gerasimov wrote many outstanding works during his life, for which he received prizes and awards. But the painting “After the Rain. Wet Terrace” was his favorite. He considered it his best painting.

The artist Alexander Mikhailovich Gerasimov stood at the origins of the new, Soviet painting art. He painted many official, “ceremonial” and informal, “everyday” portraits of the leaders of the top officials of the state, including Lenin and Stalin, representatives of the Bolshevik and communist intelligentsia. He also captured the most important events in the life of the country - the opening of the metro station, the round anniversary of the celebration of the October Revolution. Multiple winner of the Stalin Prize, awarded medals and orders, including the Order of Lenin, Honored Artist, First President of the Academy of Arts, Alexander Mikhailovich, at the same time, did not consider these works to be the main ones in his work. His most expensive creation was a small canvas, very simple in plot, which, however, reflected the true soul of the great Artist, the Master.

"Wet Terrace"

This is Gerasimov’s painting “After the Rain”, the second title of which is “Wet Terrace”. It is known to every schoolchild for generations now and is included in the school curriculum as a teaching tool for teaching essay writing. Reproductions from the canvas are placed in Russian language textbooks for grades 6-7 (various editions). Gerasimov’s painting “After the Rain” itself is in one of the exhibition halls of the Tretyakov Gallery. It is painted in oil on canvas, the size of the work is small - 78 by 85 cm. Spectators invariably crowd in front of the canvas, carefully peer into the details, study, admire, and absorb into themselves.

Best creation

In Soviet painting, especially in the first half of the 20th century, there are very few works of the same type as Gerasimov’s painting “After the Rain.” Subtle lyricism, amazingly accurate rendering of the poetically pure, fresh atmosphere of summer nature, washed by rain, rich color, special energy - all this makes the artist’s work completely special. No wonder the master considered her and only her his best creation. Time has confirmed the prioritization. Of course, the author’s brilliant talent is clearly demonstrated in his other works. But it was Gerasimov’s painting “After the Rain” that survived ideological storms and disputes and turned out to be timeless, outside the politicization of art, proving its true aesthetic value.

Creating a Masterpiece

Let's go back to 1935. What is happening at this time in the USSR? Firstly, the 7th Congress of Soviets, significant for important government decisions. Congress of shock workers-collective farmers, at which the working peasantry reports to the government about their loyalty to the chosen course. The movement of multi-loom weavers begins. The first line of the Moscow metro is being launched. Being in the thick of events, Gerasimov responds to them with bright, original creativity. By 1935, he moved to the forefront of the best masters of socialist painting. However, the artist increasingly clearly feels a certain spiritual breakdown, fatigue and a desire to abandon everything and go to his homeland, to the distant provincial town of Kozlov, in the Tambov region, to relax.

Gerasimov’s painting “After the Rain” was painted there. The story of the creation of the masterpiece has come down to us in the memoirs of his sister. The artist was delighted with the garden completely transformed after a heavy downpour, the wet terrace sparkling like a mirror, the extraordinary freshness and fragrance of the air, the most unusual atmosphere reigning in nature. In feverish impatience, taking up the palette, Alexander Mikhailovich in one breath, in just 3 hours, painted a canvas that was included in the golden fund of Russian and Soviet landscape painting.

Starting to analyze the work (lesson element)

As already mentioned, Gerasimov’s painting “After the Rain” is discussed in the school course. An essay based on it helps to develop the skills of coherent written speech, the creative abilities of students, and contributes to the formation of aesthetic taste and a subtle perception of nature. Let us also take a closer look at this wonderful painting. We already know in what year Gerasimov’s painting “After the Rain” was painted - in 1935, in the summer. In the foreground we see a corner of a wooden terrace. It shines dazzlingly, as if carefully polished and varnished. The heaviest summer rain had just ended. Nature has not yet had time to come to its senses, it is all alarmed and disheveled, and the last drops are still falling with a resounding thud onto the wooden floorboards. Dark brown, with standing puddles, they reflect every object like a mirror. The breaking sun leaves its warm golden reflections on the floor.

Foreground

What is unusual about Gerasimov’s painting “After the Rain”? It is difficult to describe the canvas in parts and fragments. It leaves a stunning impression on the viewer as a whole. Every detail of Gerasimov’s work is significant and harmonious. Here are the railings and the bench. Closer to the inside of the veranda they are darker, since this part of the terrace is less illuminated. But where the sun still rarely reaches, there are more and more golden highlights, and the color of the tree itself is warm, yellow-brown.

To the left of the viewer on the terrace there is a table on graceful carved legs. The figured tabletop, dark in itself, seems completely black because the wood is wet. Like everything around, it sparkles like a mirror, reflecting an overturned glass, a jug with a bouquet, and the increasingly lighter sky after a thunderstorm. Why did the artist need this piece of furniture? It fits organically into the surrounding environment; without it, the terrace would be empty, giving the impression of being uninhabited and uncomfortable. The table brings into the picture a hint of a friendly family, hospitable tea parties, and a joyful, cordial atmosphere. A glass glass, turned over by a whirlwind and miraculously not falling, speaks of how strong the wind and rain were. The disheveled flowers in the bouquet and scattered petals hint at the same thing. White, red and pink roses look especially touching and defenseless. But we can imagine how sweet and tender they smell now, washed by the rain. This jug and the roses in it look incredibly poetic.

Background of the painting

And outside the terrace the garden is noisy and wild. Raindrops roll down from the wet leaves in large beads. It is clean, dark green, bright, fresh, the kind that only happens after a refreshing shower. Looking at the picture, you begin to very clearly feel the heady smell of wet greenery and sun-warmed earth, flowers from the garden and something else very dear, close, dear, for which we love nature. Behind the trees you can see the roof of a barn, in the gaps of the branches - a whitening sky, brightening after a thunderstorm. We feel lightness, enlightenment, and the joy of being while admiring Gerasimov’s wonderful work. And we learn to be attentive to nature, to love it, to notice its amazing beauty.

Description and analysis

A bouquet of flowers in the form of a contrasting bright spot is painted with emphasized wide impasto strokes, thanks to which the flowers in the vase look voluminous and natural.

Properly placed lighting accents also deserve attention. They make the image on the canvas alive and a little solemn. The light sources are located outside the plane of the canvas - somewhere behind the trees. The light in the picture is diffused and dim, it does not hit the eyes, which creates the effect of the summer sun peeking through the clouds, which has passed the midday line and began to decline.

The trees depicted in the background seem to be woven from a huge number of stained glass pieces shimmering in greenish shades. They are illuminated along the contour and thus stand out from the overall composition. In this case, Gerasimov successfully used a special technique called backlight in fine art - illumination of the reverse side of the image.

The picture is dominated by a fresh, upbeat mood. The artist managed to reliably convey the poetry and special charm of the most ordinary things.

The sincerity of feelings that Gerasimov managed to express in his work charges the viewer with a special energy of freshness. For this painting the master was awarded the Grand Prix at an exhibition in Paris. Later, the artist recalled with what delight he worked on creating this canvas. Perhaps that is why the work turned out to be so delightful and truthful.

Description of the painting “After the Rain” by A. Gerasimov

The works of the famous Soviet artist A. M. Gerasimov belong to the realistic direction in fine art. His creative collection includes many portraits, still lifes and landscapes. Gerasimov’s landscapes are simple at first glance, but each of them reveals something that touches the soul and is remembered by the viewer for a long time. The painting “After the Rain” is different from other works of the artist.

Contemplation of the painting “After the Rain” gives rise to a feeling of invigorating newness in the soul of every viewer. The world around us, washed by rain, looks completely new, and this new look at familiar things allows you to discover the amazing not only in everyday reality, but also in your own soul.

Description and analysis

In 1935, Gerasimov went to his homeland in the city of Kozlov to relax and retire for creativity. This is where the painting beloved by many was created.

The painting “After the Rain” was painted spontaneously, literally in one breath. At the same time, it is not a momentary creation. The artist prepared himself for a long time to create this work. He made sketches from life of foliage, grass and various objects wet from rain. Gerasimov's acquaintances admitted that this experience was especially good for him.

Sister Gerasimova in her memoirs described the process of creating the painting: that day a heavy summer downpour began. After it, everything around looked especially picturesque and fresh - the water, shimmering with colors in the sun, sparkled on the floor of the veranda, foliage and paths; A cloudless, rain-washed sky could be seen above the trees.

Admired by the view, the master grabbed the palette and stood at the easel. In a matter of hours, he painted a most picturesque canvas, which became one of his most successful creations. Later, exhibiting the painting at various opening days along with his other works, Gerasimov noted, not without surprise, that it was she who received special attention from the audience.

What is so attractive about this light, poetic work for the average viewer? The painting depicts a seemingly ordinary landscape - a corner of the veranda with carved railings and a small bench along them.

On the right, slightly disturbing the compositional balance, the artist placed an antique table and a vase of flowers. On the left plan we see the floor, as well as a bench and veranda railing. On all the objects depicted, drops of water shine and shimmer. Immediately behind the veranda you can see the garden - wet from the rain that just passed.

The colors in the picture are crystal clear and majestic - the lush green of wet foliage, the dark bronze of wet wood, the sky blue reflected in the puddles spilled on the floor of the veranda. A bouquet of flowers in a vase is highlighted as a separate color accent - the intense pink color combines well with green and white strokes.

The picture does not feel contrived. The images created by the artist are fresh and truthful, distinguished by ease and purity - the virtuosity of the painter’s brush is felt in them. How is such amazing authenticity achieved?

When working on the painting, Gerasimov used a highly refined reflex technique. This visual technique involves careful elaboration of small but important details of the composition.

In the case of the painting “After the Rain,” the key moments through which a special state of freshness and purity is achieved are reflections of light and reflections: lush green strokes on the walls of the veranda - reflections of green foliage; pink and blue spots on the table are reflections left on a wet surface by a bouquet of flowers.

The entire painting seems to be permeated with intricate interweavings of light and shadow. At the same time, the shadow areas do not cause a depressing feeling in the viewer, since they are made in multi-colored and colorful ways. There are a lot of silver and mother-of-pearl shades in the picture - in this way the artist conveys numerous reflections of the sun on wet foliage and wet surfaces of objects. Working to create the visual effect of wet surfaces, the artist used the glaze technique. In the process of using this technique, paint is applied to the canvas in several layers. The first stroke is the main one, the subsequent ones are light translucent strokes. Thanks to this, the depicted surfaces look shiny, as if covered with varnish. This is especially noticeable when examining fragments of the picture that depict sections of the plank floor, a bench, and a table top.