Artwork
Gogol burning the manuscript of the second part of "Dead Souls".
Gogol burning the manuscript of the second part of "Dead Souls". is an oil painting by the Realist artist Ilya Repin. It dates from 1909 and is held in the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery.
About this work
Overview
Ilya Repin’s 1909 oil painting captures the dramatic moment when the Russian writer Nikolai Gogol, in a state of despair, destroys the manuscript of the intended second volume of his novel *Dead Souls*. Executed in the realist tradition, the work is part of the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow and reflects Repin’s late‑period focus on psychological intensity.
Subject & Meaning
The scene alludes to the author’s reported act of burning his unfinished work shortly before his death, symbolising artistic self‑destruction.
The composition centers on a solitary figure seated in a dark chair, clutching a manuscript that appears ready for combustion. Gogol’s expression is tense, his face a study in inner conflict, suggesting a profound disillusionment with his own creative project. The scene alludes to the author’s reported act of burning his unfinished work shortly before his death, symbolising artistic self‑destruction.
Technique & Style
Repin employs a stark chiaroscuro, allowing the limited light to illuminate Gogol’s face and the manuscript while the surrounding space recedes into shadow, heightening the emotional focus. Thick impasto in the foreground contrasts with smoother glazing in the background, creating a tactile sense of heat and tension that reinforces the painting’s dramatic atmosphere.
History & Provenance
Completed in the final year of Repin’s life, the canvas was acquired by the State Tretyakov Gallery shortly after its exhibition. It has remained in the museum’s permanent collection, where it is displayed as a key example of early‑20th‑century Russian realism and as a visual commentary on Gogol’s troubled final days.
Artist & collection
Artist
Ilya Yefimovich Repin (5 August 1844 – 29 September 1930) was a Ukrainian-born Russian painter.
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