The composition of Vasnetsov’s painting “The Northern Territory”


Victor Mihajlovich Vasnetsov – the artist-painter, whose pictures invariably left the trace in my heart. But most of all I was affected by his picture “Northern Territory”. This picture simultaneously scares, and admires the beauty of nature and its grandeur.

The painting depicts the nature of the northern edge in all its glory. Such a nature can not be seen in the city or its surroundings, because of what the picture seems truly fantastic and unreal. Nature is not yet affected by civilization, and people have not yet seized power in this region, so there are forest trees, pines and a river, from which I can not look away.

The picture shows a late evening. The sun clouded the clouds and it gradually sits beyond the horizon, so that the northern edge plunged into darkness. But for the time being the sun is lit by a dark green fir forest, the trees in which are already quite old and stand so close that no one can walk freely in the forest more often. It seems to me that in this way the artist wants to show us how wild this region is and how dangerous it is for city residents.

And next to the forest there is a river that goes beyond the horizon, where she meets the sun, retiring to rest, so that a beautiful moon may rise to the sky instead. This river, unlike the dark forest, is depicted in light blue tones that attract and attract the eye. She seems smooth and silky, she wants to touch through the picture to feel her tenderness. But this impression is deceptive, because such northern streams are scorchingly icy…

The picture of Vasnetsov is amazing and unique. It shows how little we still know about our vast Homeland, how many more there are corners where the human foot has not walked. And it’s good, because there must be places on earth where animals and plants will feel really free and not depend on the momentary whims of people.


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The composition of Vasnetsov’s painting “The Northern Territory”