Leo Tolstoy Relaxing in the Forest, 1891

Artist: Ilya Repin
(1844–1930)

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Oil on canvas
60 × 50 cm

Repin and Tolstoy had known each other since 1880. Repin painted several portraits of Tolstoy, often taking an unconventional approach and capturing the warmth of their friendship.

This portrait was inspired by Repin’s stay at Yasnaya Polyana in the summer of 1891. A few days after returning to rainy St. Petersburg, he began work on the painting. His memories carried him back to the Tolstoy estate:

“Lev Nikolaevich was lying nearby with a book in his hands, in a peaceful spot beneath the trees, resting in the shade. Sunlight filtering through the branches fell across him in such beautiful patches! I kept studying them, recalling the scene and savouring it. What a lovely picture it would make…”

canvas echoes