Artwork
Wevala, geef tuvel
Wevala, geef tuvel is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Vasily Polenov. It dates from 1889 and is held in the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1889, *Wevala, geef tuvel* is an oil painting by Russian landscape artist Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov. The work belongs to the collection of Moscow’s Tretyakov Gallery and exemplifies the artist’s affiliation with the Peredvizhniki, a group that sought to bring realistic, socially aware art to a broader public.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas depicts an elaborate ecclesiastical structure, dominated by a wide arched portal richly adorned with carved motifs and vivid tiles. A soaring steeple rises behind the façade, emphasizing the building’s vertical grandeur and suggesting themes of spiritual aspiration and communal harmony.
Technique & Style
Polenov renders the scene with meticulous attention to surface texture, employing a palette that captures subtle shifts of light across stone and tile. While grounded in realistic representation, the handling of color and atmospheric effects reflects an impressionistic sensibility within his broader realist approach.
History & Provenance
After its completion, the painting entered the holdings of the Tretyakov Gallery, where it remains on display. Its acquisition aligns with the museum’s mission to preserve key works of the Peredvizhniki and to illustrate the development of Russian landscape painting in the late nineteenth century.
Artist & collection
Artist
Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov (Russian: Василий Дмитриевич Поленов; 1 June 1844 – 18 July 1927) was a Russian landscape painter associated with the Peredvizhniki movement of realist artists.
