Vasily Vereshchagin
Vasily Vereshchagin was a skilled artist and a prominent member of the Russian intelligentsia in the 19th century. He travelled far and wide for over 10 years and visited many exotic lands. His artworks are a chronicle of the impressive life and journey of one of the greatest master painters of the style of Orientalism.
In 1874, Vereshchagin and his wife embarked on a two-year expedition to India to gather ethnographic materials that he used to create a series of studies of the Indian subcontinent. It was a perilous journey through deep valleys and glacial conditions of the Himalayas. This composition details the main peak of the Himalayas covered in snow. The muted browns in the shadowy foreground remind the viewer of the desolate heights of this great mountain range that has only been witnessed by a few.
The couple journeyed the region on the backs of horses and bulls and sometimes on foot. Along the way they confronted dangerous wild animals, sub-zero temperatures in the Himalayas, and a near-drowning, but nothing could dissuade Vereshchagin's enthusiasm. The India series featured several studies of mountain passes, native people, temples, cultural life, and architecture realistically captured with painstaking attention to detail.
- Maya Tola
P.S. India is a huge and mesmerizing country. No wonder Vereshchagin was charmed. Here you can see a part of it and read about the artistic patronage of Akbar the Great.