Artwork
Appointment of a prisoner with his family
Appointment of a prisoner with his family is an unspecified painting by the Realist artist Vasily Vereshchagin. It dates from 1868 and is held in the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1868 by Russian painter Vasily Vereshchagin, *Appointment of a Prisoner with His Family* presents a quiet, interior scene in which a detained man meets his relatives. The work belongs to Vereshchagin’s early realist period, before his later fame for battlefield depictions, and is part of the Tretyakov Gallery’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a prisoner, identifiable by his striped clothing and ankle chain, seated on a bench beside a woman cradling an infant and an older child. The figures are gathered in a modest, stone-walled room, their faces marked by sorrow and concern, suggesting the personal toll of incarceration on family life.
Technique & Style
Vereshchagin employs a stark chiaroscuro, allowing light to fall on the faces of the family while the surrounding space recedes into deep shadow. This contrast heightens the emotional weight of the encounter. The brushwork is precise yet restrained, reinforcing the documentary quality that characterizes the artist’s early realist approach.
History & Provenance
The painting was produced during Vereshchagin’s formative years, a time when his unvarnished depictions often faced limited exhibition. Despite its somber subject, the work entered the Tretyakov Gallery, where it remains on view as an example of the painter’s commitment to portraying unidealized social realities.
Artist & collection
Artist
Vasily Vasilyevich Vereshchagin (Russian: Васи́лий Васи́льевич Вереща́гин; 26 October 1842 – 13 April 1904) was a Russian painter, war artist, and traveller.
