'Winter Landscape'

            When I had seen the painting “Winter Landscape” by Russian artist Nikifor Krylov I realized his name has not been familiar to me at all, although I know some Russian artists. 

I think the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin's poem goes well to Krylov's painting:

The snow below the azure skies,
As though a magic carpet lies,
And in the light of day it shimmers.
The woods are dusky. Through the frost
The light-green fir-trees are exposed;
And under ice, a river glitters. 

Krylov painted a winter landscape from a high bank of Tosno river near Saint Petersburg and presented a wide panorama of the countryside. The road comes down from hillside to the river, its banks covered with shrubs are visible and the strip of dense conifer forest darkens far away. 
Nikifor Krylov finely felt the nature in a winter day. Bluish shadows lie on the snow, the sky is covered with clouds, objects are clearly silhouetted against the snow. Human figures enliven landscape, people are busy daily chores: two women met on the way to the ice-hole where they rinsed their linen, a high stately peasant woman carries water in wooden buckets on a yoke, a young farmer leads a horse by the bridle.

About the Nikifor Krylov's life is known that in his youth he painted the iconostasis in the Tver province monastery. Also in the monastery Krylov began to draw from nature and to paint portraits. In 1825 he arrived in St. Petersburg starting the drawing classes at the Academy of Fine Arts.
Nikifor Krylov's paintings are too little known. His work “Winter Landscape” (or “Russian Winter”) appeared on the Academy of Fine Arts exhibition in 1827 and made a strong impression on the audience.

There is evidence about this landscape history in the documents of the Company to promote artists. Patrons of art were found when young Krylov intented to fulfill the winter view from nature. He chose a place near the village of Tosno close to Saint Petersburg. There the patrons built a studio for him, the artist were given a cash benefit on all the time of his work.

Working on the landscape, Nikifor Krylov remained faithful to principles derived by the Academy of Fine Arts professors: "nothing else than to depict nature and obey it."

 

Today the landscape has changed. Near the river a speed railway runs.  Several times a day express trains from St. Petersburg to Moscow and back break the silence of the woods. Now standing on the high bank of the river Tosno you can see and hear the rushing express train.

Do you love winter landscapes or you think they are boring? Thank you!

Birthday and Herring Under a 'Fur Coat'

There is the book "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by English writer Oscar Wilde. If someone of you my friends bloggers have read it or seen the film about the Dorian Gray's portrait you remember his story: since the day his portrait was ready Dorian wanted the portrait would grow old in his place and so Mr. Gray remained young all his strange life. Unlike him, we all get older and wiser with age! 

 

I am writing this because today is my birthday. I have been thinking about my age and I realized that I rejoice every passing year, each day in the garden. I remember all the good things happened during the years, successes and failures. Therefore, each new birthday is my "A Moveable Feast" as American writer Ernest Hemingway said.

The day before I made a new fresh salad which is called Herring under a 'fur coat'. I've bought herring fillet pieces, potatoes, beets and eggs. People usually cook this salad with mayonnaise but I prefer sour cream. A layer of potatoes, layer of herring,  layer of beet, sour cream and layer of egg. I love the special mixed taste of salt fish and sweet beet. 
Here's how I did it:   (recipe)

 

 

I've also bought some salmon (red) caviar (it is expensive!) and put it in my favorite old vase and beautifully adorned it with a flower of butter. Then I have decided to decorate the salad too and made a rose of kiwi. Salad and caviar are in the fridge now waiting for the evening when my family and friends come.

This morning I've received the gift of orchids, I'm pleased them very much! Can't wait for delicious cake with nuts, fruit and cream and a glass of good vine in this evening.

 

Reading Catalogs In Wintry Evening

              It is pleasant time to read catalogs of flowers, plants, fruit trees in a wintry evening, to plan something, to think about where to grow, to transplant or to cut. Wherefore I've been thinking about the small bulbous flowers, I enjoy them in spring and early summer.

These are Bluebell (Scilla) and Pushkinia. Scilla is a wonderful well known plant, it is difficult to imagine a spring garden without it. Bright blue spots of Scylla are as pieces of the spring sky on flowerbeds or among the shrubs. The flowers can be single, bluish, purple, white, pink. After flowering, Scylla forms the fruit with little black seeds, but I rarely collect them because bulbs also form little ones for breeding.

Pushkinia is a charming little plant with pale blue or nearly white flowers, with two or three leaves, which appear simultaneously with buds. Flower stalks about 15 cm have 12-15 buds sometimes up to 30 flowers, they have strong fragrance during flowering and attract many bees and butterflies.

Pushkinia is better to watch it in a short distance. I want to try them for spring forcing! Several years ago I planted small bulbous plants in a shady place, there they grow well as in sunlit flower beds. They are frost resistant that is important for my Northern garden, I usually do not cover them for wintering. Although it is thought they can not tolerate acidic and marshy soils but I grow them in different soils and I don't see any backlog in blooming.

Do you grow these flowers? Did you like them for forcing?

Thank you!