1901
oil on canvas
90 х 206,5

With the strength of his imagination, the artist transposes us to the Rus before Peter the Great, into the colourful 17th century. The wedding procession fills the grey, sleepy streets of an old town with bright flashing colours. The landscape conveys the indeterminate state of early spring, at the time when the day is dying. The last pink rays of the setting sun glide over the domes of churches, wisps of smoke, like feathers of a firebird. These nuances of the painting underline the subtle magic of the unfolding scene. The wedding procession's whirl of figures and bright clothes makes it difficult to catch details and faces. By placing a solitary young woman, lost in her thoughts, in the foreground, Ryabushkin creates an emotional contrast to the scene, enhancing its lyrical impact. A frozen puddle projects an image of time paused: a vision flashes by like a reflection in the mirror surface of thin ice - to be seen no more. And somnolence will stifle everything again.

at 10, Lavrushinsky Lane, Hall 38