Birches

Mediums: oil, tempera.
Location: State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow (Russia).

In paintings by Golovin, the favourite theme of all Russian landscape painters, white-birch birches, is traditional and poetic. He chose a place in the park where the trees stand on an island, enveloped by a narrow channel. This allowed the master to “see” their reflections in dark water and to solve compositional problems peculiarly. The dense greenery of a small grove is highlighted with golden shades of the sky. The realistic landscape depicted in accordance with all the rules of perspective is very lyrical and gives the viewer a sense of calmness, while quiet but flowing water evokes philosophical thoughts.