Ukrainian-born Russian artist Ilya Yefimovich Repin created many depictions of his daughter Nadezhda Ilyinichna Repina including this 1892 oil painting portraying her wearing a hunting outfit with a rifle slung over her back.
She wears a simple, loose-fitting, off-white tunic-style garment that appears well-worn. Over this, she has a dark green strap across her body, carrying a long rifle across her back. Her black hat is slightly tilted, and she has dark hair partially visible under it. Her expression is serious and somewhat impatient. Her right hand rests on her hip where a thick leather belt is cinched, and the other hand rests at her side on the butt of the rifle.
The background is a blurry, impressionistic landscape of muted greens and browns, suggestive of fields or farmland. The overall impression is one of quiet independence and resilience, possibly hinting at themes of rural life, war, or resistance. The muted color palette and the focus on the woman's countenance create a contemplative mood.
Repin became one of the most renowned artists in Russia in the 19th century. Born in Chuguev, Ukraine, he began painting icons at 16. He failed at his first effort to enter the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts in Saint Petersburg, but went to the city anyway in 1863, audited courses, and won his first prizes in 1869 and 1871. In 1872, after a tour along the Volga River, he presented his drawings at the Academy of Art in St. Petersburg. Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich awarded him a commission for a large scale painting, “The Barge Haulers of the Volga,” which launched his career. He spent two years in Paris and Normandy, seeing the first Impressionist expositions and learning the techniques of painting outdoors.
In May 1872, he married Vera Alexeievna Shevtsova and his second daughter, Nadezhda, was born in 1874 … which makes her about 18 in this painting. By this time, Repin had already met writer Natalia Nordman, who became his common-law wife.
“Portrait of Nadezhda Ilyinichna Repina, the artist's daughter in a hunting suit” by Ilya Repin (Ukrainian-Russian) - Oil on canvas / 1892 - Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts (Moscow, Russia) #WomenInArt #IlyaRepin #Repin #ИльяРепин #ArtText #portraitofawoman #russianart #womensart #ГМИИ #Pushkin