Ivan Shishkin painted ‘Birch Tree Forest’ in 1896. He portrayed the real place — the birch tree forest near Preobrazhenskaya station in the vicinity of Petersburg. The painting shows a shady path among tall trees. The painter gives a realistic portrayal of the field woodland with details of rough bark, different pattern on birch trees, curved branches on trunks.
By the time the painting was created contemporaries had already named Shishkin ‘the hero of Russian forest’ for his loyalty to the subject. Another nickname ‘leaf accountant’ pointed to his artistic method. In his paintings Shishkin focused smallest details: the structure of wood, grass, leaves.By the time the painting was created contemporaries had already named Shishkin ‘the hero of Russian forest’ for his loyalty to the subject. Another nickname ‘leaf accountant’ pointed to his artistic method. In his paintings Shishkin focused smallest details: the structure of wood, grass, leaves.
