Portrait of painter Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov. Study for the picture Sadko in the Underwater Kingdom. 1875

Curator: Standing before us, we have Ilya Repin's "Portrait of painter Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov," a study from 1875 for the painting "Sadko in the Underwater Kingdom," which is currently held in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. Editor: It feels immediately dark and moody, doesn't it? A sombre palette with these bursts of golden light almost fighting against the deep blues and blacks. I see a man enveloped in shadows, regal and mysterious, thanks to the materials employed by the artist. Curator: Indeed. Repin, primarily celebrated for his realistic and socially conscious portrayals of Russian life, captures a Romantic sensibility here. This was painted in a period when artists increasingly explored themes of national identity, folklore, and heroic idealism, reflected in Vasnetsov's own artistic project of interpreting Slavic mythology through painting. Editor: And look at how Repin uses visible brushstrokes to construct form and texture. You can practically feel the plushness of Vasnetsov's fur coat and the sheen of his velvet cap. What was it about oil-paint that it was favoured? Also, I wonder what determined the style to be portrait rather than history. Curator: I find the painting reflects a growing interest in representing artists as intellectuals. During the late 19th century, their image shifts from that of a mere craftsman, reflecting their changing position in Russian society. We see it less as an exact representation, than the artist embodying something grander, his profile illuminated like a prophet. Editor: Exactly, a fascinating interpretation of both individual creativity and the artist’s increasing public status. You've really shone a light on it for me. Curator: I appreciate you sharing that viewpoint. It gives me more to consider moving forward.