This painting is simply titled, River. It is the Oka River (or at least a tributary) which flowed near Vasily's home. Rivers, lakes, seas and ponds were often a source of inspiration for the artist. I used to say to the teenaged students in my school, "Let me look through your camera lens and I'll tell you who you are." Don't these paintings reveal the interior life of Vasily Polenov?
Rivers seem to call us to stop and look more closely. Notice the reflection of the sky in the slow moving water, the thin path that runs along the right bank and the other small places where water has pooled. I like the plants and wispy grasses around the tree stump. There's some art historian conversation about the season — is it summer or fall? There are hints of yellow in the grasses, so perhaps it is summer moving into autumn which is just beginning to show itself. One art critic calls the scene, "juicy" which is to say there is still a lot of life in the elements — the air, water, grass and dense bushes.
This might be a day we would call Indian Summer — still sunny and warm. But while the river is the main event, let's not forget to look beyond to the horizon. There we see mountains touched with pink and blue, and lovely clouds moving along.
A thought about that tree stump — maybe Vasily has kindly placed it there so we might imagine sitting to rest awhile. "He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He refreshes my soul." Psalm 23:2,3
