Portrait of members of State Council Ivan Logginovich Goremykin and Nikolai Nikolayevich Gerard. Study. 1903

Editor: Here we have Ilya Repin's 1903 oil painting, "Portrait of members of State Council Ivan Logginovich Goremykin and Nikolai Nikolayevich Gerard. Study," currently housed in the Tretyakov Gallery. The palette feels constrained, yet somehow intense. It’s hard to tell what's going on between these two figures. What strikes you most about it? Curator: It’s fascinating how Repin captures these two figures in this 'study.' The term 'study' is important, because it reveals insights into the construction of power in Tsarist Russia. The rushed quality undermines any sense of a noble state portrait. Editor: How so? Curator: Well, consider the date, 1903. This was a period of intense socio-political unrest in Russia, leading up to the 1905 Revolution. The work is more about process than outcome, more sketch than polished representation, it conveys the sense of the Council always struggling to contain political fissures. The men almost huddle together conspiratorially in close quarters, surrounded by encroaching shadows. Editor: That’s a much different take than what I initially thought. Are you suggesting Repin was being critical? Curator: Perhaps subtly so. The very act of painting these figures, but leaving the work unfinished, creates a potent image. It acknowledges the State Council but avoids idealizing it. Instead of being celebrated, they are shown looking weary and wary. This raises questions about art's role within institutions of power, even one commission by them! Do you agree that seeing it as an incomplete work adds meaning? Editor: Absolutely. I came in expecting just another stately portrait, but I leave seeing something much more politically charged and visually insightful!