Ilya Yefimovich Repin, Unvarnished Realism

Ilya Yefimovich Repin, Unvarnished Realism

104 Pages Fully Illustrated

Repin's career and achievements mirror the story of Russia itself. Born in Chuguev in the Russian Empire (now Ukraine), this Ukrainian-born Russian painter came from military stock; his father had served in an Uhlan regiment and dealt in horses. Repin began painting icons at sixteen.

On his canvases, the history of his homeland comes alive with all its possibilities, its restless striving and brooding, uncertain power. His portrait series forms a pantheon of Russia's greatest minds, while his naturalistic and historical compositions capture with compelling force both a turbulent present and an opulent medieval past. Above all, Repin's art stands as a distinctly nationalistic expression.