Realism in Art: Vesper Chimes by Isaac Levitan

Behind the church, there was the birch forest that appear a lot in Isaac Levitan paintings. The birch forest covered the hustle and bustle of the city and blocked the secular vanity, making the quiet and beautiful land of idyllic beauty presented in front of us. Vesper Chimes depicted the countryside scenery when the dusk fell.

In the middle of this landscape painting, there was a quiet river and a dense forest across the river. From the forest, a church with blue dome was seen. Next to the church was the bell tower of the monastery with red and white. The spire had a small golden dome and the reflection of the church and bell tower was loomed in the river. Two boats were placed in the one side of the river, revealing a bleak and chilly smell and an artistic conception of “the remaining boat without people in the wild”.

The sunset was reflected in the winding river near the village

which showed the painter’s yearning for peace and quiet to free from the agitated restless life mood. This was a painting with warm colors. Large tracts of the golden sunset spread around in the grass, scattered in the calm lake with no waves, and the steeple of the church, which plated a layer of golden light for the scenery and brought a scared, solemn and holy sense. This became a beautiful silhouette existing in the canvas and in Levitan’s paintings.

Vesper Chimes 1892 by Isaac Levitan
Vesper Chimes 1892