Victor Vasnetsov Snow Maiden description. "Acquaintance with picture B

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The essay presents an analysis of Vasnetsov’s painting “The Snow Maiden”: the plans of the canvas are described, the artist’s choice of color is explained, and an evaluative opinion is expressed on behalf of the writer.

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Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov is a famous Russian artist. Many of his paintings have been familiar to me since early childhood. After all, they were used as illustrations for my favorite fairy tales and epics. Thanks to his works, the images of Ivan Tsarevich, Vasilisa the Beautiful, Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich came to life before my eyes.

Having become an artist, Vasnetsov decided to turn to folk art and epic subjects. When creating each of his creations, the artist turned to the text of a folklore work, trying to convey his feelings from what he read as accurately as possible. Gradually his paintings became an independent national painting. Vasnetsov is a true Russian artist who loved the culture of his homeland and infected his admirers with this feeling.

My favorite work by Vasnetsov is the painting “The Snow Maiden”, created in 1899. It was written specifically for the scenery of Ostrovsky's play.

According to legend, Snegurochka is a girl born to Frost and Spring. She is meek, pure, like freshly fallen snow. She has never loved and wants to find out what it is. But just as the Snow Maiden’s heart was ready to reveal this secret feeling for her, she dies.

The canvas shows a dark forest. He even looks scary. We see only part of it, but this is already enough to understand how scary it is to be in its very wilderness, where sunlight and moonlight do not reach, where wild animals live.

The girl Snegurochka is opposed to the Black Forest. Vasnetsov depicted her in the very center. She is dressed in a light, beautiful outfit: a brocade fur coat with intricate patterns, a hat with white fluffy fur, and warm mittens. A boot peeks out from under the long hem of the fur coat. She's charming. It seems that nature has frozen and admires its beauty.

She found herself completely alone on the edge of the forest. Her whole pose with her arms outstretched to the sides suggests that she doesn’t know where to go next. You can read strong excitement and even fear in your gaze. By the turn of her head, one can assume that she is looking around, as if expecting the arrival of a miracle that will prevent her from getting lost in the dense forest and dying.

Next to the Snow Maiden stands an equally young and equally lonely birch tree. At the very bottom of the picture, the artist depicted small fir trees casting their shadows on the white snow.

If you look a little closer, you can see the lights of a distant village depicted in the background.

The sky has a greenish tint. Here and there the stars shine mysteriously. They know the right path to the village, but they cannot tell the Snow Maiden about this, and they can only shine stronger, so that she herself can determine the right road and stop being afraid.

I really liked this picture. She is so fabulous and at the same time realistic! I look at this picture and involuntarily make a wish that the lost Snow Maiden could find her way to people.

Even more essays on Vasnetsov’s painting “The Snow Maiden”:

The painting “The Snow Maiden” was painted by Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov in 1899. The author painted this picture for the scenery during the production of Ostrovsky's play of the same name, which was written based on folk motifs.

The inspiration for this painting was the folk art of that time. Based on a Russian folk tale, the beautiful young girl Snegurochka is the cold child of Frost and Spring. She is pure as white snow, but her cold soul did not know love. The heart of a beautiful girl strives upward to discover this feeling. But at the very moment when love opens to her heart, she must perish.

The purest creation, combining both the earthly and the unearthly, so captivated the artist’s soul that it became real, embodied on the master’s canvas. Having deeply imbued with the image of the Snow Maiden, the author of the picture very soulfully outlined the fullness of his understanding of this image.

The picture is painted in cold tones. The purest untouched snow, which occupies half of the picture and is presented in its foreground, seems to reflect the purity of the girl’s soul and the coldness of her heart. Her image is written in motion, she entered a clearing of the winter forest and looks around, as if wanting to recognize something in the opening landscape. She's beautiful! Her wonderful face radiates purity and tenderness. The author complemented this beautiful image of a young girl with a wonderful fur coat made of expensive material - brocade. And the cute little hat gives the Snow Maiden’s image purity, femininity and tenderness.

She is charming, even nature itself admires the beauty of her creation. The picture is illuminated from below with snow, as if everything around wants to further emphasize the extraordinary beauty of the young girl. The mystery of the forest in the background speaks of the depth of the Russian soul, which cannot be comprehended by reason. There, in the depths of the picture, you can see houses where life is filled with its own meaning. In the image of the Snow Maiden, V. M. Vasnetsov embodied his understanding of female beauty, which is inseparable from the depth of the Russian soul and the purity of its image. This painting by the author amazes with the penetration and depth of richness of feelings.

Source: seasons-goda.rf

A native of a Ural village, Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov connected his life with fine arts. His talent was most clearly revealed in paintings that reflected Russian antiquity and, especially, Russian folklore. The artist’s works reflect the original beauty and power of the Russian people.

Designing N. Ostrovsky's play "The Snow Maiden", then creating the scenery and costumes for Rimsky-Korsakov's opera of the same name, Vasnetsov was inspired by the image of the fragile tenderness and beauty of the heroine of the epic Snow Maiden.

In the foreground, against the backdrop of a forest clearing, among young fir trees and birch trees, the heroine of the painting, the Snow Maiden, is visible. The daughter of the folklore images of Frost and Spring, born in the depths of a dense forest, dressed in a luxurious fur coat, hat and embroidered mittens, stands alone in the snowy forest.

A slightly bowed head and spread arms give the character the impression of an image walking towards fate. The lights of the distant houses of Berendeyev Posad beckon the daughter of Spring and Frost. Knowing that life among people and love will bring her death, she seems to say goodbye to the dense forest and snow.

The author of the film emphasized the miraculous appearance of the Snow Maiden with several storylines. Firstly, the dark background and blue foreground emphasize the fabulousness and mystery of the picture. This contrast emphasizes the unearthly beauty of the beautiful girl. The shades create the impression that the Snow Maiden is illuminating a fabulous Russian landscape.

In this image, Vasnetsov embodied his ideal of a Russian girl, full of mystery, magic and readiness for a great feeling of love.

Source: www.ote4estvo.ru

The creativity of the artist Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov fully manifested itself when he began to reproduce in his paintings the plots of fairy tales, epics, and poetry of Rus'. The talented artist was the designer of N. Ostrovsky’s play “The Snow Maiden” and the opera of the same name by N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov.

The motives of the magical plot of the Russian fairy tale inspired the artist to create the painting. The image of the Snow Maiden - the daughter of Frost and Spring, cold, pure, but striving for love. Vasnetsov in his work conveys the character traits of the Snow Maiden that N. Ostrovsky endowed her with. The master embodied on his canvas all the earthly and heavenly charm of a beautiful girl, creating his ideal woman.

With the cold blue-blue tones of the forest clearing into which the Snow Maiden emerged, with clean, untouched snow, the artist emphasizes the unearthly appearance of the girl. A cold, bright night allows you to see the rich outfit of Frost’s daughter - a rich fur coat, a hat and mittens, painted with a frosty pattern. The outfit sparkling in the moonlight conveys the purity and tenderness of the Snow Maiden’s image.

The author conveys in the girl’s movement indecision and at the same time the desire to know what is open to people. The picture is full of mystery, which is emphasized by the contrast of the landscape; light snowy foreground on a dark background. With this combination, Vasnetsov emphasizes the unearthly image of the Snow Maiden, ready to sacrifice herself for the sake of the real feeling for which she asked her mother Vesna.

The Snow Maiden is the creation by Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov of a deep, pure and strong Russian female soul.

The painting by Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov depicts a girl in winter clothes. She stands in a dense forest in a clearing. The forest clearing is covered with a thick layer of snow, as evidenced by the deep footprints left by the girl. There are beautiful, green fir trees and some bare trunks scattered around; probably, in the warm season, these bare trunks turn into lush birch trees.

Judging by the title of the picture, this is not just a girl walking or lost in the forest, but a real Snow Maiden.

She is dressed in a rich outfit of a fur coat and hat, decorated with beautiful patterns. The Snow Maiden was traveling through the winter forest and suddenly noticed something and froze in place. What did she see? Not the artist Vasnetsov? We won't know. Whatever it was, the picture has a magical, New Year's atmosphere, bringing fragments of fairy tales into our world.

Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov, inspired by the character of Russian folk tales, the Snow Maiden, painted a painting of the same name.

In the center of the picture is the Snow Maiden. She is dressed in a luxurious, light brocade fur coat, embroidered with interesting patterns, a cute hat with a fur trim and warm mittens. Only the rich can wear such an outfit. She walks through the winter evening forest. But the forest is not dark, the moonlight illuminates the Snow Maiden. She looks into the distance, trying to see something. She is very beautiful. She is young and fresh. And against the background of pure white snow, the Snow Maiden looks even brighter. Thus, the author emphasizes her beauty. She glows with tenderness, femininity and innocence. But her arms spread to the sides and her cautious gait speak of her excitement; perhaps this is the first time she has found this clearing. The question arises, how did such a fragile girl end up in the middle of this mysterious forest. Her eyes are filled with fear. The picture creates the impression of anxiety, impending trouble with the heroine.

It is worth paying attention to the color scheme. Vasnetsov chooses cold tones typical of winter. Snow-white snowdrifts in the foreground and a dark frightening forest, the night sky decorated with several stars, the lights of the village in the background are visible in the distance. The village and people frighten, but interest the Snow Maiden, which is probably why she leaves the thicket so cautiously. She skillfully avoids traps, not suspecting what misfortune will happen to her.

The image of the Snow Maiden symbolizes not only the true beauty of a Russian woman, but also the beauty of the Russian soul. Vasnetsov creates the impression of a defenseless, but brave and fearless girl who is attracted by the unknown. The Snow Maiden demonstrates Russian fortitude.

Currently, Vasnetsov’s famous painting “The Snow Maiden” is exhibited in the Tretyakov Gallery.

Full essay description of Vasnetsov's painting Snow Maiden, 3rd grade.

Vasnetsov’s painting “The Snow Maiden” may not be as famous as his other paintings: “The Knight at the Crossroads”, “The Heroes”, “Bayan”, but it truly is the pearl of the Tretyakov Gallery.

Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov was a truly Russian painter. He grew up in a large family of a rural priest in the Vyatka province. His father Mikhail Vasilyevich was a very educated, well-read man who managed to instill in his children a love of art, science and Russian folklore. From a young age, the future painter absorbed the charm of Russian nature, the grandeur of epics, and the mystery of fairy tales and legends.

“The Snow Maiden” was created as a sketch for the design of the scenery and costumes of the characters in Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera of the same name, but the beauty and touching nature of the Snow Maiden amazed those who saw her and the canvas became an artistic masterpiece.

Even with a superficial glance at the picture, you are involuntarily imbued with sympathy for the heroine. A girl timidly walking through a snow-covered forest at night immediately puts her at ease and makes her want to help her, to protect her from the sorrows and troubles that threaten her in a world unknown to her. She has already left her native frost-bound forest and is taking her first steps through the crisp snow into a new life. Overcoming anxiety and fear, the Snow Maiden says goodbye to her past forever. She still doesn’t know how tragic her fate will be, that she, an ice girl, will dare to cross the line separating her from people and fall in love. She doesn’t know that this human act will destroy her. But all this will happen later, and now, struggling with timidity and doubts, the Snow Maiden goes to the edge of the forest.

In the distance, the yellowish lights of the village huts glow dimly and frighteningly. The Snow Maiden herself and everything that surrounds her was made by the artist in white and blue tones radiating purity. Only the trees behind her and the darkness of the night in the field contrast with the foreground, but they are also penetrated by the gentle glow emanating from the icy girl.

Everything in this canvas is fused together by the artist’s brush: light and darkness, hope and anxiety, beauty and horror. The picture fascinates and awakens the brightest and warmest feelings in the soul.

Essay based on the painting Snow Maiden by Vasnetsov

Fabulous, beautiful picture. I saw a girl in the forest in winter. I thought it was the Snow Maiden. She is so beautiful, confused, pale and beautifully dressed. But, most likely, I called this girl that as a joke. And in this picture the artist really painted the Snow Maiden.

The Snow Maiden is dressed quite warmly: beautiful outerwear (something like a coat with patterns), a hat, mittens... Everything is white with golden patterns. She's probably wearing felt boots.

This girl is walking through the snow. She looks somewhere to the side. Behind her I see the lights of the windows. It's the outskirts of the village.

There is snow and darkness all around. It's night - there are stars in the sky. It turns out that there is a bright moon in the sky, but we don’t see it. There are just such shadows in the snow that it’s clear that the moon is shining brightly. Probably, now the Snow Maiden is looking right at her. The frost is shining. If it were the Sun, then, of course, everything would sparkle, the sky would be blue, we would clearly see the village, but here a miracle happens at night. Perhaps this all happens on New Year's Eve. It's time for miracles! It seems that the whole Snow Maiden is glowing.

By the way, there are beautiful small Christmas trees in the foreground. There are also traces of some mice or hares. In theory, all these living creatures, as in cartoons, should help the Snow Maiden.

Behind the Snow Maiden (a little to the side) is a forest. She probably came out of the magic thicket and is now looking for people. It is like a fairy tale. The Snow Maiden was too bored to live in the forest, she always wanted to see people, although the warmth is dangerous for her - she could melt. So in the picture the girl’s skin is pale, like snow. There are traces behind her, that is, she is already just like a person (made of flesh and blood), she does not hover above the snow. Like a little mermaid, she is ready to give up her magic, her gift, in order to find her love among people.

There is both a film and a fairy tale about the Snow Maiden. There was also Lel - the spring one, grandparents, the king... In the finale, the Snow Maiden melted. But she continues to come to the New Year with her Santa Claus. This means that she was revived, but she has no family. That is, she tried to find love among people, but realized that they were too hot - subject to feelings, mood swings. I think she got married in the month of December, and they had a son, January, just like in another fairy tale. In general, the Snow Maiden did not despair. And she didn’t remain an eternal ice girl. Everyone knows that she has a kind heart!

This picture is good at any time of the year. It reminds you of a holiday, a fairy tale. I like her very much. I'm even going to put it on my phone screensaver closer to the New Year holidays.

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V. M. Vasnetsov, the great Russian artist, painted his famous “Snow Maiden” in 1899. Initially, this picture was supposed to become a decoration, which the author dedicated to the work of the same name by the great Russian writer A. N. Ostrovsky.

In the picture, the viewer can see a girl of extraordinary beauty, who seems to have recently emerged from the thicket of the forest to the edge of the forest and now stands alone and peers into the depths of the forest.

V. M. Vasnetsov took the basis for creating this masterpiece in Russian oral folk art. The fairy tale dedicated to this mysterious beauty tells that the Snow Maiden is the daughter of Frost and Spring.

The artist depicted a girl in white dresses - in this way he tried to emphasize the fact that the Snow Maiden is a wise, kind, innocent girl, she is naive, since she lives far from human society.

V. M. Vasnetsov painted a village in the background of his painting, the outskirts of which are illuminated by lights. The Snow Maiden seems to be in confusion, it is obvious that she wants to meet people, but at the same time she feels that she belongs to nature.

To paint his picture, the artist chose cold tones, mainly white. This indicates not only the time of year depicted in the picture, but also the purity and whiteness of the meek girl’s soul.

V. M. Vasnetsov wrote a large number of paintings on fairy-tale themes, one of his famous works is “The Snow Maiden”.

Cold winter night. Silence. Glade. Moonlight illuminates the lonely figure of the Snow Maiden. In her appearance there is tenderness, purity, inaccessibility. Her eyes are inexpressibly beautiful. She

I was thinking about something. Maybe about the transience, the short duration of life? Or about the impossibility of hopes, about the uniqueness of every moment, about the inevitability of parting with the indescribable beauty that is nearby?

The dark sky and the stars on it complement the fabulous mystery of this night. Together with the Snow Maiden, we peer into the winter night, feel the silence of the forest and wait for miracles to begin to happen.

Magical beauty, spontaneity of feelings, richness of content - all this makes the picture very attractive to the viewer.

Essay based on the painting “The Snow Maiden” by Vasnetsov

Winter has come. It was frosty. Sitting by the stove, warming up, you just want to tell a story that will amuse both adults and children. Perhaps this is how the fairy tale about a girl who was cold at heart and came to people from unknown where and unknown why was born. She lived with people for a short time, but left many fables, stories, and even paintings in memory of herself. One of the works of art belongs to the brush of the great painter V.M. Vasnetsova.

How mysterious the fairy-tale beauty looks on the artist’s canvas. It is known that the work was made as a decoration for the production of Ostrovsky’s play. But it is made so masterfully that it perfectly conveys many details, she herself can perform solo and tell the story of a girl who was looking for love, perhaps even guessing what the price of this would be.

Now there is a look of confusion on the Snow Maiden’s face. She doesn’t know where to go, and even the footprints in the snow won’t tell her: only a sideways bunny ran along the edge of the forest and hid in a spruce forest. But wait a little longer, she will look around and see lights in the distance that will wave and beckon to her so friendly. The girl has a long way to go, but after going through it, she will find what she is looking for. First - the warmth of human souls, that they are ready to show hospitality to a completely unfamiliar girl. Strangers will accept the Snow Maiden into their family, call her so affectionately and tenderly: granddaughter, and will protect her from any evil word. And then the beauty will meet the joy of love. They will love her, but this will not be enough for the girl, because she is the daughter of Spring, and she needs much more, she needs to love herself. And this will also happen in the life of the Snow Maiden, but it will become the reason for her disappearance. Beauty will be gone, but so much will be said and done in her memory.

And right now the young girl is confused. She is beautiful, as perfection itself can be beautiful. Her face and her outfit are magnificent and deserve the most exquisite epithets. And yet, she wants more than to be beautiful, she wants to be loved. She waits for this feeling with all her heart. And she will wait for him. The artist did a great job of presenting to the viewer that the action was beginning, and that it would definitely unfold in full force, and this story was worthy of being captured, and we unwittingly became a part of it.

Essay on the painting “Snow Maiden” 3rd grade

The painting by Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov depicts a girl in winter clothes. She stands in a dense forest in a clearing. The forest clearing is covered with a thick layer of snow, as evidenced by the deep footprints left by the girl. There are beautiful, green fir trees and some bare trunks scattered around; probably, in the warm season, these bare trunks turn into lush birch trees.

Judging by the title of the picture, this is not just a girl walking or lost in the forest, but a real Snow Maiden.

She is dressed in a rich outfit of a fur coat and hat, decorated with beautiful patterns. The Snow Maiden was traveling through the winter forest and suddenly noticed something and froze in place. What did she see? Not the artist Vasnetsov? We won't know. Whatever it was, the picture has a magical, New Year's atmosphere, bringing fragments of fairy tales into our world.

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1. Artist Vasnetsov

2.Description of the painting

a) the heroine of the picture

c) paint the picture

3.The image of the Snow Maiden in culture

Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov is a Russian artist. Coming from a village, he truthfully portrayed characters from Russian folklore. One of his most famous paintings is “The Snow Maiden”. It was created in 1899. Initially, Vasnetsov created this picture with the goal of making it one of the settings for Ostrovsky’s folk play.

The painting depicts a girl standing in a snowy forest. She is dressed in a light robe, painted with a golden pattern. Hat with fur trim. The color of her clothes matches the color of the snow, and it seems as if the Snow Maiden herself is made of snow. She looks a little confused: she spreads her arms to the sides, with a surprised expression on her beautiful face. She has a white face and red lips, but there is no blush on her face.

Russian nature in this picture is also good. The winter night is shown in all its glory. The snow sparkles, shadows dance on the snow cover. Behind you can see lights - fireflies, there is a lonely birch tree. In the foreground there are fir trees dusted with snow. Gray-blue tones became dominant in the canvas. There is very light in the foreground, but almost no light in the background. The background of the picture is very expressive, it emphasizes the originality and unusualness of the main character.

The material for painting was folk art. The Russian folk tale "The Snow Maiden" tells the story of the difficult fate of the Snow Maiden, who was the daughter of Spring and Frost. The Snow Maiden knew that death awaited her if she experienced earthly feelings. And yet she became part of ordinary earthly life. The model for the creation of the painting was the daughter of the merchant Mamontov, Sashenka. The Snow Maiden is one of the most famous characters in Russian folklore. She was depicted by artists of both the 18th and 19th centuries. But the work of Viktor Vasnetsov can be considered one of the most outstanding. His Snow Maiden is a masterpiece that will be appreciated by people for a long time.

Essay on the painting Snow Maiden by Vasnetsova, grade 3

1.Artist Vasnetsov

2.Description of the painting

a) Snow Maiden

b) nature

3.My opinion

Viktor Vasnetsov is a Russian artist who painted the painting “The Snow Maiden” in 1899.

At the artist's work we see the heroine - the Snow Maiden. She is dressed in a beautiful light-colored brocade fur coat. Gold pattern throughout. On his head is a white hat with fur trim. The mittens are also light. The Snow Maiden looks warily into the distance, as if listening to something. Her arms are spread out to the sides. She wants to go to people, the lights of houses attract her. But she is afraid, scared and lonely.

The dark forest is illuminated by the moon and rare stars in the sky. White snow sparkles in the moonlight. Traces of little animals are visible near the low fir trees. What awaits her? Miracles or disappointment?

I liked the picture. She is fabulously magical, looking at her you expect a miracle.

Vasnetsov managed to reveal this image. The scenery said one thing, but the artist’s painting was inspired by many details. He re-read the play several times, collected and carefully preserved in his memory the patriarchal morals that existed in Russia of his time, the most vivid images of folk tales and, of course, the surrounding nature.

Nowadays, the Snow Maiden has become one of the personifications of Russian beauty. She is an indispensable companion of Santa Claus during the New Year holidays, the residents of Kostroma decided to celebrate her birthday in April, and if you are a fan of the Gaza Strip, you will find a song (with very frivolous content) dedicated to this heroine of fairy tales.

Description of the painting “Snow Maiden” by V. Vasnetsov

Each of us knows the story of the Snow Maiden since childhood. We can’t imagine New Year’s parties without Santa Claus’s granddaughter, who is most often either a mischievous girl or a young girl. True, as children, we did not focus our attention on the fact that the Snow Maiden is nothing more than a relic of pagan beliefs, identical to angels in Christianity or demons in Ancient Greece.

Stories about the granddaughter of Santa Claus have appeared since the fairy tales of Afanasyev, published in 1869. His volume was collected throughout Russia, where Snezhevinochka (one of the names of the Snow Maiden) was loved and pampered. As you know, they made this girl out of snow, and bring her to life. The daughter brought joy to her adoptive parents, and then, with the onset of spring, she melted away.

The artist V. Vasnetsov saw the folklore Snow Maiden somewhat differently. True, he was always attracted to the themes of Russian fairy tales, but the master of the brush did not even plan a painting with a girl made of snow as the main character. He could not even imagine that out of all the scenery and costume designs, Savva Mamontov, who decided to stage A. Ostrovsky’s play “The Snow Maiden,” would choose his work!

So, Vasnetsov designed the play “The Snow Maiden”, the performance opened a new direction in the domestic art of scenery and was so loved by the public, first in Abramtsevo, and then in other cities, that a new work was born. It was N. Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera “The Snow Maiden”, the scenery and costumes for which were traditionally designed by Vasnetsov.

Only he was able to combine in a small canvas (only 116 by 80 cm) the stunning details of the architectural art of Ancient Rus', folk embroidery, wood carving and the image of a fairy tale. Choosing homespun canvas for the costumes of the characters in the play, the artist introduced notes of this into the clothes of the Snow Maiden herself. Her fur coat and hat not only create a unique decor, but are also one of the girl’s main characteristics.

It was after the painting, painted in 1899, that the public became convinced that a fairy tale and Vasnetsov are two inseparable concepts. After all, only this person could find the image of an icy beauty that an ordinary Russian person would accept and love. The Snow Maiden by Vasnetsov is rightly considered the ideal of a Russian woman, an example of Russian beauty and a stunning unity of heavenly and earthly things. Moreover, not only art critics, but also Russian beauties themselves think so.

If you take a close look at this canvas, painted in pale blue and white tones, you will certainly realize that the artist is not just presenting the image of a beauty from fairy tales. He tells us a story filled with drama.

The central object in the picture is the Snow Maiden walking through the winter forest. Take a closer look at the girl’s facial expression – it’s not just beautiful. Her eyes, hands spread in a questioning gesture, slightly hesitant gait are a single ingot of real human experiences. You can read absolutely everything in the eyes: inexplicable fear, self-doubt, impulses to move forward and incredible, not fantastic, but human sadness. Many who have ever seen the picture say that Vasnetsov forgot to write tears to the Snow Maiden. However, she cannot cry - tears will melt her snowy heart.

The mysterious, gloomy atmosphere of the picture itself matches the fairy-tale girl. Either Ostrovsky inspired it, or Rimsky-Korsakov inspired it, or Russian fairy tales... We will never know. The only thing we know for sure is that on a small-sized canvas we will see a unique night in a snowy forest. A country road flooded with moonlight and the starry sky above the head of the Snow Maiden, ready to take the first step towards people, create an aura of mystery and enigma.

Now she is no longer a fairy-tale heroine, but an ordinary frightened girl who has become deathly pale from worries. The lights of the village in the distance simultaneously attract the Snow Maiden and at the same time plant doubts in her soul - is it worth leaving her home?

A trap is visible in the snow, and the glow from the trees creates the effect of open eyes and mouths, as if warning the girl of danger. Behind the Snow Maiden’s back we can see the silhouette of a person, but we don’t understand who: either the mother, or Santa Claus. This vague outline seems to carry a question of choice: whether to stand in safety, in the familiar forest, or take a few steps towards the bright, but so unkind lights of the village.

The picture is shrouded not only in present anxiety, but also in anticipation of trouble in the future. According to A. Ostrovsky's play, the Snow Maiden will bypass the trap, but will fall into a more terrible trap. The sun, the ancient Slavic god, will kill this fragile beauty because she dared to know love without having a human soul.

However, she is the daughter of the forest, of virgin nature. Even this girl’s sheepskin coat, hat and mittens are strikingly combined with the dazzling white snow, blue-green night and young fir trees in the foreground. It is worth noting that the figure of the Snow Maiden itself is surrounded by a special, Stephen King-like mystical radiance. It’s not without reason: such an iridescent shade does not attract, but, on the contrary, repels. It’s strange, but this hostility somewhere in the depths of the soul attracts every person. She makes you perceive the Snow Maiden not as a character in a play, fairy tale, painting or opera, but as a very real girl who will go towards her goal in spite of everything.

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