Painting and Sculpture

Golden Autumn

Golden Autumn is a landscape painting by Russian painter Isaak Levitan (1860–1900), completed in 1895. The painting, which measures 82 × 126 cm, is part of the State Tretyakov Gallery's collection in Moscow (Inventory No. 1490). Levitan began working on the canvas in the autumn of 1895, while living in the Gorka estate in the Tver Governorate, where he painted the first sketches. Researchers of the artist's work believe that the painting depicts the Syezha River. It is thought that the work was completed in Moscow at the end of the year. The painting Golden Autumn was exhibited at the 24th exhibition of the Society for Travelling Art Exhibitions ('Peredvizhniki') in February 1896 in Saint Petersburg, and later in March of the same year in Moscow. It was also displayed at the All-Russia industrial and art exhibition 1896 in Nizhny Novgorod. In that same year, Pavel Tretyakov purchased the painting from the author. Golden Autumn belongs to a series of joyous paintings by Levitan created between 1895 and 1897. The series includes other canvases such as March (1895), Fresh Wind. Volga (1895), and Spring. Big Water (1897). This series is considered a characteristic example of the influence of Impressionism on Levitan's work. According to art historian Alexei Fedorov-Davydov, the painting Golden Autumn "amazes and captivates with the fullness and beauty of its emotional content, so clearly expressed in the splendour of the colours, in the joyful tone of the golden colouring." Art historian Dmitry Sarabianov wrote that the artist was inspired by the "unusual, striking effect of the colour scheme, in which the contrast between gold and blue plays the leading role." According to art historian Faina Maltseva, Levitan's aim in creating Golden Autumn was not only to convey the vibrant autumn colours, but also to show "such precious features that help us see the image of great integrity and poetry behind this elegant, somewhat decorative form."

Also on this shelf

See also

• ▸Erasmus Quellinus the Younger
• ▸Iru hillfort
• ▸Edmund Marion Ashe

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Text from Wikipedia; plate via Wikimedia Commons. Text CC BY-SA 4.0; plate freely licensed (see Commons). Source record. Images and catalogue data are reproduced from open-access collections.