Through the vast mass procession, Ilya Repin described all levels of Russian society and all kinds of characters. The central figure in the oil painting was the female landlord wearing a headscarf and holding the icon. Next to her were the idle rich businessmen who also had the same authority consciousness. The arrogated chief priest with a long beard walking in the middle wore brocade vestments. He was the representative of all the rulers of the holy.
After living in Moscow for six years, Repin returned to Petersburg and resumed the close contact with Stasov. At this time Repin created this Realism painting which was recorded in Russian history. The painter depicted the vast mass procession.
In the painting, Krestny Khod Religious Procession In Kursk Gubernia, different people had different clothes and behaviors and attitudes, which was the epitome of Russia. The artist's brush touched everyone, village head, police officers, farmers and the beggar packed with the painting. They had every kind of social psychological burden. The religious procession with hundreds of people was led by the landlord and the priest and farmers and beggars only kept to the roadside. Especially in the front a lame beggar, the peasant woman and the child with small stick all showed the painter’s attitude. Originally the painter only paid attention to the performance of light and color. After seeing, Tolstoy pointed that the painting did not attach importance to portray itself and not to draw the basic idea of the work. Repin accepted his opinion. The completed painting depicted the moving crowd in the hot sun. Here the light strengthened the portrayal of characters and profoundly revealed the essence of characters and era. This genre painting with bright color and open movement composition gave the audience the huge visual impact.
Krestny Khod Religious Procession In Kursk Gubernia 1883
