By the Edge 2017

Gennady Mironov painted "By the Edge" with oil on canvas, presenting us with a landscape where trees, draped with moss, stand as silent sentinels. These trees, with their drooping, shroud-like moss, evoke a sense of melancholy, reminiscent of the weeping figures found in ancient burial scenes. The moss, like the veils of mourners, covers the trees, transforming them into symbols of mourning, their forms echoing the draped figures of classical antiquity. Think of the countless depictions of the Mater Dolorosa, the sorrowful mother, her face veiled, her form bent with grief. Here, the trees embody a similar emotional weight, speaking to our shared human experience of loss and remembrance. The scene's muted tones further amplify this emotional undertone, inviting us to contemplate the cyclical nature of life and death, as these symbols have resurfaced across time. The landscape is a mirror reflecting the enduring power of human emotions across generations.