Repin: Sadko

Ilya Repin (1844-1930), one of Russia’s most renowned painters, turned briefly to folklore and fantasy after the success of his painting Barge Haulers on the Volga and in response to his viewing of the Impressionists’ collection in Paris. In the artwork above, he depicted merchant, musician and adventurer Sadko, an East Slavic folklore hero, later also popularised by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov in his 1898 opera of the same name. According to the folklore, Sadko of Novgorod got rich after the Sea Tsar heard him play on his gusli musical instrument and was so enchanted that he decided to reward him. In the painting, Repin portrays Sadko in the Underwater Kingdom. The Sea Tsar of the Kingdom demanded that Sadko choose his bride among the presented sea maidens, who each represents different overseas countries. Sadko is seen looking at Chernava, the Sea Tsar’s daughter, instead (pictured near the top of the painting), obviously picking her as his bride, as one of the sea maidens is seen eyeing him slily, obviously being displeased by her potential suitor’s interest in another girl.

Sadko was exhibited in Paris in 1876, but did not gain much success, becoming more popular in Russia. It was purchased by Grand Duke Alexander, later Alexander III of Russia, the same year. Perhaps the artwork finds itself at cross-purposes. On the one hand, we should be intrigued by Sadko’s interest in Chernava, but the intensity of this romantic moment is somewhat lost by the vivid portrayal of a number of eccentric sea maidens who line up in front of Sadko, diverting our attention from the two potential lovers. It does not help that we do not really see Sadko’s eyes and can just observe the direction of his curious gaze, fixed upwards, towards Chernava. On the other hand, if the artwork’s intention was to focus our attention on the sea maidens and the marine life then Sadko’s romantic curiosity is almost secondary, and the emotive element is also half-delivered. Nevertheless, the painting is fascinating, piquing our interest in the story. The Sadko of the painting is allegedly modelled after another prominent Russian artist Viktor Vasnetsov, and Sadko himself is said to represent the state of the Russian art at the time, being at a crossroads: will it follow foreign trends, symbolised by the overseas beauties in the artwork, or should it remain faithful to its Slavic roots, represented by the more familiar-looking Chernava in this painting? The artwork is currently housed in the Russian Museum in Saint Petersburg, its home since 1897.