Painting by Makovsky “Convicted”


Artists who created their masterpieces in the 60-70s of the 19th century, aspired to convey the revolutionary mood in their works, what was going on at that time in Russia. Among many artists who advocated the happiness of the people, there was also V. Ye. Makovsky. In his works, he strove to show the reality of Russian life as realistically as possible, quite often he had to criticize the existing social order. Among the revolutionary works is the painting “Condemned”, it was written in 1879.

If it was a photograph, its genre would be a reportage. We see that a young man is being taken out of the hall where the trial is taking place. His expression expresses brooding and sullenness, with grief and sympathy this young man looks at his mother. She rushed to him, begging for mercy. Next we see the father standing. he is thoughtful, it can be assumed that for the whole family this is a great sorrow. Very contrasted, the artist depicted the costumes of the guards, their imperturbable faces, on which there is not a single drop of sympathy and understanding for what is happening. They must follow their service impeccably, without raising suspicions and censures. Very well chosen color coloring the walls of the building, creating a calm atmosphere.

When you look at this picture, involuntarily there is a feeling of pity and sympathy for the family of the convicted guy. It seems that here, here you will hear, mother’s cry, and father’s heavy breathing. In my opinion, the artist sympathizes with his characters, because the image conveys the whole moment of tragedy. This picture, one of the few, in my opinion, which is truthful in the narrative, its unique content is different from other paintings, it touches on acute topics and deserves special attention.


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Painting by Makovsky “Convicted”