The artist Alexander Mikhailovich Gerasimov stood at the origins of the new, Soviet painting art. He painted many official, “ceremonial” and informal, “everyday” portraits of the leaders of the top officials of the state, including Lenin and Stalin, representatives of the Bolshevik and communist intelligentsia. He also captured the most important events in the life of the country - the opening of the metro station, the round anniversary of the celebration of the October Revolution. A multiple winner of the Stalin Prize, awarded medals and orders, including the Order of Lenin, Honored Artist, First President of the Academy of Arts, Alexander Mikhailovich, at the same time, did not consider these works to be the main ones in his work. His most expensive creation was a small canvas, very simple in plot, which, however, reflected the true soul of the great Artist, the Master.
"Wet Terrace"
This is Gerasimov’s painting “After the Rain”, the second title of which is “Wet Terrace”. It is known to every schoolchild for generations now and is included in the school curriculum as a teaching tool for teaching essay writing. Reproductions from the canvas are placed in Russian language textbooks for grades 6-7 (various editions). Gerasimov’s painting “After the Rain” itself is in one of the exhibition halls of the Tretyakov Gallery. It is painted in oil on canvas, the size of the work is small - 78 by 85 cm. Spectators invariably crowd in front of the canvas, carefully peer into the details, study, admire, and absorb into themselves.
Best creation
In Soviet painting, especially in the first half of the 20th century, there are very few works of the same type as Gerasimov’s painting “After the Rain.” Subtle lyricism, amazingly accurate rendering of the poetically pure, fresh atmosphere of summer nature, washed by rain, rich color, special energy - all this makes the artist’s work completely special. No wonder the master considered her and only her his best creation. Time has confirmed the prioritization. Of course, the author’s brilliant talent is clearly demonstrated in his other works. But it was Gerasimov’s painting “After the Rain” that survived ideological storms and disputes and turned out to be timeless, beyond the politicization of art, proving its true aesthetic value.
Creating a Masterpiece
Let's go back to 1935. What is happening at this time in the USSR? Firstly, the 7th Congress of Soviets, significant for important government decisions. The Congress of Shock Workers and Collective Farmers, at which the working peasantry reports to the government about their loyalty to the chosen course. The movement of multi-loom weavers begins. The first line of the Moscow metro is being launched. Being in the thick of events, Gerasimov responds to them with bright, original creativity. By 1935, he moved to the forefront of the best masters of socialist painting. However, the artist feels more and more clearly a certain spiritual breakdown, fatigue and a desire to abandon everything and go to his homeland, to the distant provincial town of Kozlov, in the Tambov region, to relax.
Gerasimov’s painting “After the Rain” was painted there. The story of the creation of the masterpiece has come down to us in the memoirs of his sister. The artist was delighted with the garden completely transformed after a heavy downpour, the wet terrace sparkling like a mirror, the extraordinary freshness and fragrance of the air, the most unusual atmosphere reigning in nature. In feverish impatience, taking up the palette, Alexander Mikhailovich in one breath, in just 3 hours, painted a canvas that was included in the golden fund of Russian and Soviet landscape painting.
Starting to analyze the work (lesson element)
As already mentioned, Gerasimov’s painting “After the Rain” is discussed in the school course. An essay based on it helps to develop the skills of coherent written speech, the creative abilities of students, and contributes to the formation of aesthetic taste and a subtle perception of nature. Let us also take a closer look at this wonderful painting. We already know in what year Gerasimov’s painting “After the Rain” was painted - in 1935, in the summer. In the foreground we see a corner of a wooden terrace. It shines dazzlingly, as if carefully polished and varnished. The heaviest summer rain had just ended. Nature has not yet had time to come to its senses, it is all alarmed and disheveled, and the last drops are still falling with a resounding thud onto the wooden floorboards. Dark brown, with standing puddles, they reflect every object like a mirror. The breaking sun leaves its warm golden reflections on the floor.
Foreground
What is unusual about Gerasimov’s painting “After the Rain”? It is difficult to describe the canvas in parts and fragments. It leaves a stunning impression on the viewer as a whole. Every detail of Gerasimov’s work is significant and harmonious. Here are the railings and the bench. Closer to the inside of the veranda they are darker, since this part of the terrace is less illuminated. But where the sun still rarely hits, there are more and more golden highlights, and the color of the tree itself is warm, yellow-brown.
To the left of the viewer on the terrace there is a table on graceful carved legs. The figured tabletop, dark in itself, seems completely black because the wood is wet. Like everything around, it sparkles like a mirror, reflecting an overturned glass, a jug with a bouquet, and the increasingly lighter sky after a thunderstorm. Why did the artist need this piece of furniture? It fits organically into the surrounding environment; without it, the terrace would be empty, giving the impression of being uninhabited and uncomfortable. The table brings into the picture a hint of a friendly family, hospitable tea parties, and a joyful, cordial atmosphere. A glass glass, turned over by a whirlwind and miraculously not falling, speaks of how strong the wind and rain were. The disheveled flowers in the bouquet and scattered petals hint at the same thing. White, red and pink roses look especially touching and defenseless. But we can imagine how sweet and tender they smell now, washed by the rain. This jug and the roses in it look incredibly poetic. 
Background of the painting
And outside the terrace the garden is noisy and wild. Raindrops roll down from the wet leaves in large beads. It is clean, dark green, bright, fresh, the kind that only happens after a refreshing shower. Looking at the picture, you begin to very clearly feel the heady smell of wet greenery and sun-warmed earth, flowers from the garden and something else very dear, close, dear, for which we love nature. Behind the trees you can see the roof of the barn, in the gaps of the branches - the white sky, brightening after a thunderstorm. We feel lightness, enlightenment, and the joy of being while admiring Gerasimov’s wonderful work. And we learn to be attentive to nature, to love it, to notice its amazing beauty.
Preparation for an essay based on the painting by A.M. Gerasimova “After the Rain” The presentation was made by a teacher of Russian language and literature from MBOU secondary school No. 17 a. Psebe Pashchenko S.N.
Objectives: to introduce students to a work of Russian painting of the early 20th century; collect the materials necessary to write an essay; contribute to enriching students’ speech, expanding their horizons by familiarizing themselves with works of art
Let's review Genres of painting Portrait Still life landscape Types of texts Narration Description Reasoning
Alexander Mikhailovich Gerasimov
Family portrait of A.M. Gerasimov was born into a merchant family in Kozlov (now Michurinsk), and studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. Portrait painter, landscape painter, master of thematic painting. People's Artist of the USSR, full member of the USSR Academy of Arts, Doctor of Art History.
By 1935, having painted many portraits of V.I. Lenin, I.V. Stalin and other Soviet leaders, A.M. Gerasimov, tired of the struggle for official recognition and success, went to rest in his home and beloved city of Kozlov. This is where the “Wet Terrace” was created.
The history of the creation of the painting “After the Rain” I made the sketch in two hours. It happened like this: I was painting a group portrait of my family on the terrace. The sun was hot, scattering bright spots across the greenery. And suddenly clouds rolled in. A gusty wind, tearing off rose petals and scattering them on the table, knocked over a glass of water. The rain poured down, and my family disappeared into the house. And I was overcome with unexpected delight. From fresh greenery and sparkling streams of water that flooded the table with a bouquet of roses, the bench and the floorboards. Fortunately, I had a stretcher with a canvas at hand, and I feverishly began to paint. There was no need to rearrange or add anything - everything that was in front of my eyes was so beautiful.
Conversation about the painting What is shown in the painting? What genre would you classify the painting by A.M. Gerasimova? By what details of the picture do we guess that it has just rained? Did the artist manage to convey the feeling of freshness after the rain? The painting has two titles. Why do you think? Which title more accurately conveys the author's intention? What type of text will your essay be classified as? A. M. Gerasimova “After the rain (Wet terrace)”
Describe what you see. A round table, a bouquet of flowers in a jug, carved table legs, an overturned glass, the shine of wet surfaces, shadows from objects.
Vocabulary work. Summer rain; everything is filled with moisture; everything shines; fresh, rain-washed foliage; in the foreground and background; Roses flame in the glass decanter; damp shine, dim sunlight; there are also lines from the poem by A.Ya. Yashin; overturned glass; through the thick green foliage you can see the roof of heaven; I feel the freshness of the air and the silence; te rra asa, per rila.
A. Yashin After the rain The rain passed along the garden path. Drops hang on the branches like earrings. If you touch a birch tree, it will perk up and laugh. He will laugh until he bursts into tears. The rain rustled across the wide meadow. Even the flowers were surprised at each other: In the cups of the leaves, on each blade of grass There was a little light, a piece of silver.
Syntax. Punctuation. Write down the sentences, place punctuation marks: I remember the lines from the poem by A.Ya. Yashin After the rain Drops on the branches hang like earrings In the cups of the leaves on each blade of grass there is a sparkle of silver. Everything shines in the foreground, the railing, the bench, the floor on the terrace and the table top. The roses are flaming in the glass decanter, and raindrops are also hanging on them. There is a damp shine and dim sunlight all around, and you can clearly feel the freshness of the air and the silence of the moment that comes immediately after the rain.
Test yourself I remember the lines from A.Ya. Yashin’s poem “After the Rain”: “Drops hang on the branches like earrings”, “In the cups of the leaves, on each blade of grass there is a little light, a piece of silver.” Everything shines in the foreground: the railing, the bench, the floor on the terrace and the table top. The roses are flaming in the glass decanter, and droplets of rain are also hanging on them. There is a damp shine and dim sunlight all around, and you can clearly feel the freshness of the air and the silence of the moment that comes immediately after the rain.
An excerpt from L.N. Tolstoy’s story “Adolescence” “But the rain becomes finer; the cloud begins to divide into wavy clouds, brighten in the place where the sun should be, and through the grayish-white edges of the cloud a piece of clear azure is barely visible. A minute later, a timid ray of sun is already shining in the puddles of the road. I feel an inexpressibly gratifying feeling of hope in life. My soul smiles just like refreshed, cheerful nature. I lean out of the chaise and greedily drink in the fragrant air. Everything is wet and shines in the sun, as if covered with varnish. I can’t sit in the chaise, I run to the bushes, tear the wet branches of the blossoming bird cherry, hit myself in the face with them and revel in their wonderful smell.”
Let's select synonyms to avoid repetitions. Painting - canvas, landscape Artist - painter, landscape painter Drew - depicted, showed
Color and mood Color in a painting is of great importance. Using color, the artist creates an image, conveys his attitude towards the hero, and evokes a certain mood. We see soft, calm colors: light green and dark green, pinkish-yellow, burgundy tones. These combinations create a summer mood. The silver tint on all items gives a feeling of coolness. The artist loves his garden and his native nature very much. He likes to depict changes in nature.
Approximate plan 1. Before us is A. M. Gerasimov’s painting “After the Rain.” 2. Wet terrace. 3. Garden after the rain. 4. Color of the picture. 5. The mood that the picture creates.
“After the Rain” is one of the best landscapes by the artist Alexander Mikhailovich Gerasimov. Like others, this picture is distinguished by its simplicity, clarity and festivity. A heavy summer rain has just passed. He left his marks on everything. The bushes and trees were saturated with moisture. Fresh, rain-washed foliage glistens on wet branches. “Drops hang on the branches like earrings,” wrote the poet A. Ya. Yashin. And I also remember the lines from his poem “After the Rain”: “In the cups of the leaves, on each blade of grass there is a little light, a piece of silver.” Everything glitters: the roof of the barn, in the distance, in the background, and what is in the foreground: the railing, the bench, the floor on the terrace, the table top. Everything reminds of the raging elements. There is still a lot of water on all these items. The roses are flaming in the glass decanter, and droplets of rain are also hanging on them. And next to it lies an overturned glass: it’s clear that the rain was heavy. There is a damp shine all around, dim sunlight breaking through the parting clouds, and you can clearly feel the freshness of the air and the silence of that moment that came immediately after the rain.
Homework Write a draft essay
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK
Literature: Russian language. 6th grade. Textbook For general education institutions. At 2 o'clock /(M.T. Baranov, T.A. Ladyzhenskaya, L.T. Trostentsova and others; scientific editor. N.M. Shansky) - M.: Education, 20013. Khodyakova L.A. The use of painting in teaching the Russian language. - M.: Enlightenment. 1983 Internet resources: Russian general education portal. Collection: MHC. Gerasimov A.M. - http://artclassic.edu.ru/catalog.asp?ob_no=%2016527 template - http://whynotra.moy.su/_nw/14/15329.jpg Paintings by A.M. Gerasimov: http://www .amgerasimov.michmuzei.ru/paints/ger00avtoportret.jpg http://artclassic.edu.ru/attach.asp?a_no=6487 http://artclassic.edu.ru/attach.asp?a_no=6457 http:// www.amgerasimov.michmuzei.ru/paints/ger04tropinka.jpg http://www.tstu.ru/win/kultur/kul_img/mus_img/ger_img/terrasa.jpg House Museum - http://www.tstu.ru/ win/kultur/kul_img/mus_img/ger_img/terr.jpg After the rain - http://www.e1.ru/fun/photo/view_pic.php/p//view.pic
Preview:
Summary of a Russian language lesson in 6th grade.
Teacher – Svetlana Nikolaevna Pashchenko, MBOU secondary school No. 17 a. Psebe
Subject : “Preparation for an essay based on the painting by A. M. Gerasimov “After the Rain (Wet Terrace).”
Goals
educational: get acquainted with a brief biography of the artist, learn to “read” a painting, collect working materials for an essay;
developing : develop oral and written coherent speech, creativity and emotional sphere, interest in painting, expand vocabulary, develop teamwork skills in a group;
educational : to cultivate a feeling of love for nature, native land.
Lesson type : speech development lesson
Technology : lesson-workshop
Forms of organization of cognitive activity:individual, frontal, group (children work in a group)
Equipment : presentation; reproduction of the painting “After the Rain”, portrait of the artist, easel, brushes, paints, audio recording “Thunderstorm. Calm. Joyful singing of birds”, handout – an excerpt from L. N. Tolstoy’s story “Adolescence”, textbook, explanatory and spelling dictionaries.
Progress of the lesson.
1. Introductory speech by the teacher.
Hello guys. You are in an artist's studio. What do you see here? (Easel, paints, sketches, canvases...) With their help, the artist creates a picture, a real miracle that lives and delights us for centuries. Today you and I will also try ourselves in the role of artists, but not ordinary ones, but artists whose instrument is the word.
2. Appeal to the emotional and visual memory of children. Induction.
Please close your eyes. Listen to the recordings.
(The recording “Thunderstorm. Calm. Joyful singing of birds” is turned on.)
What picture did you present? Tell me.
Do you like summer rain? Imagine that you went outside after a thunderstorm. What did you see? What did you feel? (Exchange impressions.) So today you and I will prepare for an essay based on the painting by A. M. Gerasimov “After the Rain (Wet Terrace)” (Slide 1) and talk about what the artist A. M. Gerasimov saw after the rain, when I went out onto my terrace.
Let's repeat. What genres of painting do you know? What types of text? (slide 3)
Are you interested in learning about the artist and how this painting came about?
3. A story about the artist and his painting. (slides 4-7)
A.M. Gerasimov was born into a merchant family in Kozlov (now Michurinsk), and studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. Portrait painter, landscape painter, master of thematic painting. People's Artist of the USSR, full member of the USSR Academy of Arts, Doctor of Art History.
The artist A. M. Gerasimov lived in Moscow for a long time and was a Kremlin painter: he painted pictures of the leaders Stalin, Lenin, and other leaders of the country. But soon he moves to his hometown of Kozlov (now the city of Michurinsk, Tambov region). He loved his house and garden very much. He especially liked to watch nature during or after rain. His sister recalled that he was once shocked by the sight of their garden after a heavy summer rainstorm. The artist shouted to his assistant to quickly give him a brush and palette. So in three hours the painting “After the Rain” was created, which Gerasimov considered one of his best paintings.
What interesting things did you hear about the artist and his painting? (The painting “After the Rain” was created in three hours!)
4. Formulation of the topic and objectives of the lesson.
An artist works with paints, and in our studio we will work with words. Tell me, what can you come up with from words? Right. Phrases, sentences, text. What kind of text can you write about the painting? (Story, essay.) Formulate the topic of the lesson. (“Preparation for an essay based on A. M. Gerasimov’s painting “After the Rain.”)
What do you think it means to write an essay based on a painting?
Understand the artist's intention. Trace how the artist realized his plan in the painting (composition, color scheme). Convey your attitude towards what is depicted on the canvas, your thoughts, feelings.
How to prepare for an essay?
You need to collect the necessary words, phrases, sentences to make a good text; make an essay plan. Then it will be easier for us to write it.
So you said the objectives of our lesson. Tell me, why did we sit in groups?
We will work together, listen to each other and help each other.
Right. But don’t rush to take someone else’s, maybe your option is also good, because the motto of our workshop is “You are all capable!”
5. Lexical work. Deconstruction.
Highlight the keywords in the title of the picture. Write them down in a column. Rain, terrace, wet. Explain the word "terrace". You can look up the meaning of the word in the explanatory dictionary. (Summer open (without walls) extension to a house or building.) Pay attention to how this word is spelled.
Is it possible to see terraces in our area?
Terraces are built in central Russia, in the south, but here, in the north, there are verandas next to houses.
Find synonyms for the words “rain”, “wet”. (Reading synonyms aloud.) Why do you need to select them? To avoid repetitions. Choose adjectives for the nouns “terrace”, “rain”. Adjectives enrich the content of the sentence with which we will compose the text.
6. Re-examination of the picture. Deconstruction and socialization (slide 8)
What is shown in the picture?
What genre would you classify the painting by A.M. Gerasimova?
By what details of the picture do we guess that it has just rained?
Did the artist manage to convey the feeling of freshness after the rain?
The painting has two titles. Why do you think? Which title more accurately conveys the author's intention?
What type of text will your essay be classified as?
Describe what you see (slide 9)A round table, a bouquet of flowers in a jug, carved table legs, an overturned glass, the shine of wet surfaces, shadows from objects.
7. Let’s do vocabulary work (slide 10): Writing in notebooks
Summer rain; everything is drunk o moisture; everything shines; fresh, washed shower of foliage; on the front in the background; the flames are burning in the glass fine roses; wet shine, naya bright sunlight; vsp about m and I find lines from the poem about creations of A.Ya. Yashin; def about a thrown glass; through the thick green foliage you can see the roof of heaven; I feel fresh there is air and silence and on; te rra asa, per rila.
8. Referring to additional sources. Break. (slide 11)
Both poets and writers - masters of words - write about what happens in nature after rain. Listen to one poem (read by heart by a trained student). What do the poem and the painting have in common? This is a poem by the poet A. Yashin “After the Rain”. It's in your textbook. What unusual words did the poet find to more clearly show changes in nature? Compare with your text to see if you have any unusual words. In the group, look at which words from the poem will fit our picture. Write them out. Consider whether there are artistic means here. (“Drops hang on the branches like earrings” - simile; “In the cups of the leaves, on each blade of grass there is a little light, a piece of silver” - metaphor.) What is the role of these artistic means? Can these lines be used in an essay? How to arrange this?
Syntax. Punctuation. Let's make up sentences and write them down in a notebook, check what we've written. (slides 12-13)
- I remember the lines from A.Ya. Yashin’s poem “After the Rain”: “Drops hang on the branches like earrings”, “In the cups of the leaves, on each blade of grass there is a light, a piece of silver.”
- Everything shines in the foreground: the railing, the bench, the floor on the terrace and the table top.
- The roses are flaming in the glass decanter, and raindrops are also hanging on them.
- There is a damp shine and dim sunlight all around, and you can clearly feel the freshness of the air and the silence of the moment that comes immediately after the rain.
Here is an excerpt from L.N. Tolstoy’s story “Adolescence”. Read it expressively (slide 14):
“But the rain is getting shallower; the cloud begins to divide into wavy clouds, brighten in the place where the sun should be, and through the grayish-white edges of the cloud a piece of clear azure is barely visible. A minute later, a timid ray of sun is already shining in the puddles of the road. I feel an inexpressibly gratifying feeling of hope in life. My soul smiles just like refreshed, cheerful nature. I lean out of the chaise and greedily drink in the fragrant air. Everything is wet and shines in the sun, as if covered with varnish. I can’t sit in the chaise, I run to the bushes, tear the wet branches of the blossoming bird cherry, hit myself in the face with them and revel in their wonderful smell.”
What mood does spring rain create in Tolstoy's hero?
Are your feelings that you experience looking at the picture similar to the feelings of the hero?
Find those combinations that can be used in your essay.
Pay attention to what amazing words masters of words find in order to show the picture more expressively and more accurately express the feelings of the characters. Let's learn this skill.
Let's select synonyms to avoid repetitions (slide 15)
- Painting - canvas, landscape
- Artist - painter, landscape painter
- Drew - depicted, showed
9. Discussion of ways to analyze the picture.
What first caught your eye when you looked at the painting? (Terrace.) So, how best to describe the picture? (First the foreground, then the background.)
What else are we talking about when we describe an artist’s painting? (About the colors the artist used)
Why are paintings created? (The artist wants to say with his painting how beautiful our land is. We, the audience, enjoy the created images and are imbued with a good mood.)
Right. This means that in the essay you also need to express your mood.
10. Talk about the color scheme of the painting. (slide 16)
What colors did the artist use? Write it down in your notebook. Speak up in the group and say it out loud.
Why did the artist use these particular colors?
Color in a painting is of great importance. Using color, the artist creates an image, conveys his attitude towards the hero, and evokes a certain mood. We see soft, calm colors: light green and dark green, pinkish-yellow, burgundy tones. These combinations create a summer mood. The silver tint on all items gives a feeling of coolness.
What can you say about the artist - the author of the picture? (He loves his garden and his native nature very much. He likes to depict changes in nature.)
11. Talk about the mood of the audience (students).
Look carefully at the picture again. Do you like her? How? What mood does it create? What are your feelings? Write down 1-2 sentences.
12. Making a plan. Socialization. (slide 17)
How will we arrange the material that you have collected? Make your plan. Then discuss them as a group and select the best ones. Read them out loud. (The plan might be something like this:
1. Before us is a painting by A. M. Gerasimov “After the Rain”.
2. Wet terrace.
3. Garden after the rain.
4. Color of the picture.
5. The mood that the picture creates.
13. Compilation of text. Reconstruction.
Tell me, can we compose the text now? Compose your text based on the available material. Then read it to the group. Discuss. Decide whose texts are better. We will be happy to listen to them. Good luck to you! Remember: you are all capable!
14. Listening to the best texts, group performances. Evaluation of other groups. Advertising. (slide 18)
What did you like about the essay? Lucky moments?
What needs to be added?
15. Homework. (slide 19)
Supplement the text with notes from a notebook, figurative means, individual impressions and write a draft essay.
16. Reflection.
What did you learn today?
What discovery did you make today?
What's your mood?
Did you enjoy working as a group?
Which of your comrades surprised you? How?
What didn't work out so well in group work? Why do you think?
List of used literature.
1.Russian language. 6th grade. Textbook For general education institutions. At 2 o'clock /(M.T. Baranov, T.A. Ladyzhenskaya, L.T. Trostentsova and others; scientific editor. N.M. Shansky) - M.: Education, 20013.
History and description of the painting “After the Rain” by the famous Soviet painter A. M. Gerasimov.
The author of the painting, the description of which is presented here, is Alexander Mikhailovich Gerasimov (1881-1963). Considered one of the outstanding Soviet artists. He was the First President of the USSR Academy of Arts (1947-1957), Academician of the USSR Academy of Arts. In 1943 he was awarded the honorary title of People's Artist of the USSR. Became a laureate of four Stalin Prizes. He painted many paintings, which today are considered true masterpieces of Russian painting. His works are in such large museums as the Tretyakov Gallery and the State Russian Museum. One of the artist’s works that deserves special attention is the painting “After the Rain.”
The painting “After the Rain” was painted in 1935. Also called "Wet Terrace". Oil on canvas. Dimensions: 78 x 85 cm. Located in the State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
By the time the painting was created, Alexander Gerasimov was already considered one of the brightest representatives of socialist realism. He painted portraits of Soviet leaders, among whom were Vladimir Ilyich Lenin and Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin. The painting, which is somewhat different from socialist realism, was painted during the artist’s vacation in his hometown of Kozlov. The painter’s sister later spoke about how the painting was created. According to her, Alexander Mikhailovich was shocked by the appearance of their gazebo and garden after heavy rain. Water was literally everywhere, it sparkled “creating an extraordinary picturesque chord,” and nature smelt fragrant with freshness. The artist simply could not pass by such a spectacle, and created a picture that subsequently amazed all lovers and connoisseurs of painting.
Having decided to paint this picture, Alexander shouted to his assistant: “Mitya, hurry up the palette!” As a result, the painting was completed in three hours. The work, which was written in one breath, literally breathes freshness and pleases the eye with its naturalness and simplicity. Many of us have repeatedly seen something similar after rain, but with a lot of things to do and thoughts, we often simply did not pay attention to how beautiful the renewed nature is after ordinary rain. Looking at the painting of this artist, you understand how much beauty there is in such an ordinary phenomenon, which the talented painter conveyed with the help of a quick sketch of a small corner of the gazebo and the garden surrounding it.
The sun that breaks through the clouds makes the puddles on the terrace boards truly enchanting. They shine and shimmer in different shades. On the table we can see a vase of flowers, a glass that was knocked over by rain or wind, which further creates the feeling of past bad weather, petals stuck to the table. The trees of the garden are visible in the background. The branches of the trees bent from the moisture that accumulated on the leaves. Behind the trees you can see part of a house or outbuilding. Thanks to the fact that A. M. Gerasimov created the picture very quickly, in one breath, being amazed and inspired by the unexpected transformation of nature, in the picture he was able to capture not just the appearance of the environment after the rain, but also his feelings and emotions from the beauty he saw.
To write an essay on the topic “After the Rain” with a description of the painting, we will draw up a plan according to which the text itself will then be written.
Essay plan
In the introduction it is worth giving general words about the time the painting was painted and the personality of the artist. Then - about how the picture was painted, what is depicted on it. Next, you need to talk about the impression this work made on you. At the end of the essay you should make a short conclusion.
So, the plan for an essay on the topic “After the Rain” is as follows:
Introduction.
1. The history of the creation of the painting.
2. What and how is depicted.
3. My impressions of the picture.
Conclusion.
Introduction
The painting “After the Rain” by Alexander Mikhailovich Gerasimov (the second version of the title is “Wet Terrace”) was painted in 1935, when the artist had already become a mature master. His work today is usually attributed to the direction of socialist realism. Gerasimov painted many paintings. Among them are portraits, genre scenes, landscapes, and still lifes. Such a quantity required enormous efficiency and creative concentration from the master. I think most of his life was spent at the canvas.
As you know, Gerasimov was especially popular with Joseph Stalin. Today it is even customary to say that he was the leader’s favorite artist. The painter has many canvases depicting Stalin, Lenin, Voroshilov and other communist figures. The creation of these official and pretentious canvases imposed demands on the artist for increased responsibility. Any errors or inaccuracies were unacceptable. This is approximately the same as if a student from our school began to paint a portrait of the school principal or even the mayor of the city. Although, of course, in the case of Stalin everything was much more serious.
I am writing all this because it is clear that such a number of “commissioned” works could not but be created by the artist precisely at the request of the leader. It would hardly have been possible otherwise at that time. Moreover, as you know, Klimenty Voroshilov once saved Gerasimov’s family from dispossession (the artist’s father was a merchant-cattle breeder), helped preserve the estate and introduced him to the leader.
Well, and then - “master of socialist realism”, “Stalin’s favorite artist”, as well as completely official regalia (first president of the USSR Academy of Arts, four-time winner of the Stalin Prize, People’s Artist of the USSR). And all this had to be justified by constant and fruitful work. Which, it seems to me, could not but leave an imprint on the artist’s work as a whole.
The history of the painting
One of the indicators of this is the painting “After the Rain. Wet terrace." The artist’s sister said that the artist created it in literally three hours, inspired by the view of the terrace and garden refreshed after a rainstorm.
According to the memoirs of contemporaries, Alexander Gerasimov, as a person and an artist, was partial to flowers. His favorite flowers were always peonies and roses. The artist’s brushes include many canvases with images of various bouquets or simply flowers growing in a meadow. And in the garden of his house in the provincial town of Kozlov (now the city of Michurinsk) both peonies and roses grew.
Alexander Mikhailovich himself said that he felt his duty as an artist to reflect “these beautiful creatures of nature.” But, he added, “Konstantin Alekseevich Korovin, of course, did it better than me. His roses have more tenderness, poetry, and airiness. As a steppe dweller, I have something else in my roses: the power and abundance of the earthly forces of black earth fertility.”
Yes, his writing style is close to Korovin’s (as you know, Konstantin Korovin was his teacher), but why is the sophistication and lyricism of Korovin’s style so clearly felt in comparison with some of the simplicity and clumsiness of Gerasimov’s? Even when Korovin does not write down the details, but paints almost sketchily, the faces of his portraits are so interesting that you want to peer into them and figure out who these people were, how they lived, what they thought. On the faces and poses of the heroes of Gerasimov’s portraits, the artist depicted everything he wanted to depict, and there is no need to unravel anything. Compare the canvases with images of people or genre scenes of both of these artists, and you will understand what I am talking about.
What and how is shown
Gerasimov’s painting “Wet Terrace” depicts a terrace flooded after the rain, on which there is a table with a bouquet of flowers. Behind the terrace is a garden, wet and disturbed by the downpour.
Of course, the painting was made by a master. There can be no doubt about this. It has a lot of space and light colors. And the wet floors of the terrace, and the bench, and the table, and the flowers - everything was painted with love and skill, with confident and at the same time soft strokes. The rain-drenched terrace and table turned out to be especially realistic.
But for some reason it seems to me that some moments in this picture are far-fetched and the whole composition is built in such a way that everything is immediately clear to the person looking at it. As they say - “head on”.
There is an overturned glass on the table. The artist seems to be saying: “It started to rain, a strong wind blew, the glass was knocked over by a gust of this wind, feel it!” Why didn’t the glass roll off the table and fall on the floor? It’s just that the bad weather ended as suddenly as it began, everything calmed down.
What about a bouquet of peonies? After all, everyone knows: peonies are very delicate flowers, they fall off easily. If the wind had blown so hard that the glass had tipped over, the bouquet would have lost many more petals than shown in the picture. It is possible, and even most likely, that the vase would not have stood. But the petals under the vase are drawn, or rather, marked, only slightly so that we believe in artistic production.
The table seems alien on this canvas. It stands on the side, completing the composition and filling the hole leading out of the terrace. It was necessary for an artist who was solving a specific compositional problem. And he first saw the terrace and the wet garden, took a deep breath of the humid summer air and was delighted. And then he brought and set the table, a bouquet of peonies, after shaking them so that they dropped a few petals. Nearby, he carefully placed a glass on its side - so that we could understand: a man was sitting at the table, drinking something, looking into the garden, admiring the flowers on the table, thinking... And suddenly - rain! And such a wind that the man from the terrace rushed into the house, leaving everything behind.
Opposite the terrace, behind the trees, there is an old barn. I will never believe that people who own such a generally simple and not very well-kept household would put a finely crafted table with bent elegant legs on the terrace to deteriorate in the rain and winds. But this can be called just nitpicking, I understand.
My impressions
Overall, I was not impressed with the picture. The simplest things prevented me from perceiving all this lyricism, which the viewer should have to imagine here - the humid air, the freshness, the fragrance of wet grass and trees, the quiet breeze, already only hinting at the passing thunderstorm, which I talked about in my essay on the topic " After the Rain" based on a painting by Gerasimov. In my opinion, the composition of the picture is empty and something is missing in it - something more lively and interesting than an overturned glass. Therefore, as a viewer, I became bored.
When Gerasimov later called this painting “favorite,” he probably meant the admiration he experienced from the terrace, and the very process of working on the painting. But the admiration was not conveyed to me personally. But a table and a bouquet placed in the right place is not enough.
Conclusion
An essay on the topic “After the Rain” (6th grade) is dedicated to the painting of the same name by Gerasimov. This is a really beautiful picture. It is no coincidence that today it is on display at the State Tretyakov Gallery.
Gerasimov’s canvas is light and should please me, but it’s not interesting to me. But I’m not an artist, and in my essay on the topic “After the Rain” I can talk about this viewer’s impression of mine.
I present one of the possible options for understanding this work of art in this mini-essay on the topic “After the Rain.” It is hardly possible for everyone to agree on this picture. As well as about any story, poem, song.
If a person likes or doesn’t like something, let him ask himself - why? It is not enough to trust emotions; you must try to comprehend what you see or listen to. In my essay on the topic “After the Rain” (Gerasimov A.M.) I did exactly this.
The artist in his painting tried to convey something to us. Whether he succeeded, only we will decide, but each in his own way.
"Wet" effect in Gerasimov's painting "After the Rain".
Let's look together at the painting "After the Rain" by Alexander Gerasimov. What is this? A genre scene without people? Still life? Scenery? This picture includes elements of different genres and is interesting in themes. We see a terrace on which, perhaps, only an hour ago people were sitting - drinking tea, reading newspapers, someone, probably, embroidering on the now empty bench. This could be a genre scene. The artist could have depicted people running away from the terrace due to the sudden onset of rain. We can only guess at this, but the setting is typical of a good genre scene. We see a table on which there is a vase of flowers and an overturned glass (apparently a gust of wind turned it over) - a typical still life. In the background we see a clean, beautiful landscape - a summer garden washed by rain.
Looking at the picture, we feel the freshness after the rain, the humidity of the air. The artist very well managed to convey exactly the atmosphere that arises after a summer rain. Everything we see is wet from the rain. And this, perhaps, is the most amazing thing, how successfully the painter managed to paint rainwater on literally all surfaces. It can be seen that the rain has just passed and not a bit has dried out or evaporated. The water glistens, thanks to the sun that has already come out, we see its rays breaking through in the garden. All surfaces - table, floor, bench, foliage, in glare. The rainbow highlights are painted with great skill and we have no doubt - if we could put our palm on this bench or run our hand along the foliage of a tree, drops of water would remain on it.
Not every artist was able to paint nature after rain so reliably. Not everyone knows how to accurately convey the “wet” effect. But the Russian artist Gerasimov always loved and knew how to depict him. Once, when he was already a very famous master, he came to his parents in the city of Kozlov, where on a summer day the whole family was sitting on the terrace. Suddenly it began to rain, so hard that even the terrace, protected by railings and roof, instantly became wet. Immediately the sun came out. Everything sparkled with such cleanliness and looked so delightful that the artist did not wait even a minute, grabbed the canvas and palette and immediately began to paint the picture. We can imagine where he placed the easel - at the back of the terrace. Gerasimov used darker colors in the foreground of the picture, bright colors in the middle, and very light colors in the background. Our gaze strives for the brightest, sunny. The painter managed not only to depict the beauty of the moment, but also to convey the mood - admiring, elated.
Gerasimov wrote many outstanding works during his life, for which he received prizes and awards. But the painting “After the Rain. Wet Terrace” was his favorite. He considered it his best painting.
