The painting "The Beekeeper" by Ivan Kramskoi is an expressive peasant figure against the backdrop of a landscape

"The Beekeeper" is a painting created by the unique master Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoi. On the canvas, against the backdrop of a summer landscape, an elderly beekeeper is depicted, sitting on an old log to rest. In front of the protagonist, there are thickets of grassy plants, and behind him, there is a beehive. The years have bent the old man's back, but a smile illuminates his wrinkled face. The viewer is presented with an astonishing type of peasant who, even in mature age, retains a youthful state of soul and joy from contemplating the natural world. In his somewhat romanticized image, a sharp sense of reality and a philosophical attitude towards it are combined. The artist imbues the old man's character with a sense of harmony with nature and a desire to preserve it for future generations. The beekeeper is dressed in a spacious white shirt, his feet are bare, and he holds a scythe in his hand. Certain details speak of the character, to which the author paid close attention: calloused hands, an Orthodox cross, a key on a ribbon tied to the belt, and a neatly trimmed beard. It is evident that despite the laborious work and remoteness from people, the old man enjoys his job on the apiary. The composition of the artwork is unusual. The path leading into the forest seems to divide the space into two parts, marking the boundary of the bee kingdom. Various shades of green and a pale range of beige colors are used in the painting. This combination symbolizes constancy both in self-awareness and in all forms of self-assertion. The master brilliantly conveys the sense of a hot summer and a feeling of freedom. The positive mood is emphasized by the contrast of brightly illuminated objects in the foreground and the darkening of details in the background.

Ivan Kramskoi. The Beekeeper, 1872

• Title of the painting: "The Beekeeper" (Russian: «Пасечник»).
• Artist: Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoi (Russian: Ива́н Никола́евич Крамско́й) (1837-1887).
• Year of creation: 1872.
• Size: 63.5 x 49.2 cm.
• Style: Realism.
• Genre: Portrait.
• Technique: Oil painting.
• Material: Canvas.
• Location: State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia.

Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoi was a brilliant Russian painter of the 19th century, a renowned art theorist, a talented educator, and an ideological inspirer of the Society for Itinerant Art Exhibitions. The main focus of his work was portrait painting. The master accurately observed the profound characteristics of a person's character and virtuously portrayed them on canvas.

The subject of the unknown old beekeeper belongs to the peasant series. This masterpiece was exhibited at the third itinerant exhibition in 1874 and received high praise from people with democratic views. For several years, the artwork was held by a private collector before becoming accessible to the general public at the Rumyantsev Museum. In 1901, the painting was transferred to the custody of the Tretyakov Gallery.

Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoi's painting "The Beekeeper" is one of the first portraits painted against a landscape. The artwork captivates the imagination of viewers with its profound philosophical meaning, tranquility, and serenity.