“Moonlit night”, Stanislav Yulianovich Zhukovsky – description of the painting

Description of the picture:

Moonlit night – Stanislav Yulianovich Zhukovsky. Canvas, oil. 88 x 115 cm

This painting for its time was a manifestation of innovative techniques and fresh trends in painting. Before Zhukovsky, few tried to portray a snowy manor estate, flooded with cold moonlight. Thanks to the undoubted artistic merits of the canvas, it was acquired at the Tretyakov Gallery, where it is located to this day.

The painting depicts a manor house covered with snow. The plot was written on a moonlit night, so everything around is flooded with a cool yellowish-green light. It is reflected in the glass of a large house with wings, creating additional light and color accents.

The house stands on a high basement, a rather steep snowy staircase leads to the entrance. The building itself is also located on a hill, which is emphasized by the two stone elements of another staircase in the garden located in the foreground. Thus, it seems that the house rises above the viewer, and above its roof you can see the dark blue night sky with shining cold stars.

Moonlight flooding the space outlined clear dark shadows cast by thin, bare trees and shrubs. They further deepen the perspective and make the space voluminous. The non-standard color distribution also “plays” – light below (snow) and dark above (blue night sky).

The one-story wooden building is no different, but the snow is depicted with unrivaled craftsmanship. Traces, shadows, overflows of light are visible on it. Thanks to the talented image, the snow cover seems real, voluminous and fluffy.

The masterly mastery of colors and the ability to correctly distribute light makes the picture vibrant, voluminous and impressive. The simplicity of the plot used only emphasizes and enhances the impression of the artistic talent of the master."