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Russian Realism

Ilya Repin

Ilya Repin was the foremost painter of Russian Realism and a member of the Peredvizhniki (The Wanderers). His Barge Haulers on the Volga depicted the backbreaking labour of ordinary people with near-documentary honesty and made the 26-year-old artist famous across Russia.

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1844-1930 · Russian Realist painter

Repin set the standard for socially engaged Realism for a whole generation of Russian painters and remains one of the most revered figures in the history of Russian art.

From the artist's life

For the Barge Haulers, Repin travelled to the Volga twice (1870 and 1872), making studies from life and giving each face in the gang portrait-like precision; he worked on the painting in 1870–1873.

Source: Wikipedia / Wikimedia
  • Barge Haulers on the Volga brought Repin nationwide fame in 1873, when he was about 28–29.
  • Studied real barge haulers on location over two trips (1870 and 1872) to achieve portrait-level accuracy.
  • A member of the Peredvizhniki, the key movement of 19th-century Russian Realism.
Realismpainteroil on canvasmuseum route
Portrait: Ilya Repin
Portrait: Wikimedia Commons / Wikipedia.

Key works

Where to start

Complete list of key works

Works with a dedicated ArtAtlas page are highlighted in gold.

List checked against Wikidata
  • Barge Haulers on the VolgaOn ArtAtlas
  • Reply of the Zaporozhian CossacksListed for reference
  • Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan on November 16, 1581Listed for reference
  • They Did Not Expect HimListed for reference
  • Religious Procession in Kursk ProvinceListed for reference
  • SadkoListed for reference
  • Ceremonial Sitting of the State Council on 7 May 1901 Marking the Centenary of its FoundationListed for reference
  • Saint Nicholas of Myra saves three innocents from deathListed for reference
  • Slavic composersListed for reference
  • DuelListed for reference
  • Portrait of M. P. MusorgskyListed for reference
  • Grand Duchess Sofia at the Novodevichy ConventListed for reference

1870-1873

Barge Haulers on the Volga

Repin studied real barge haulers on the Volga over three consecutive summer seasons rather than inventing the figures in his studio.