The Premier Site for Russian Culture
Arkhip Kuinji’s canvas opens a series of north Russian landscapes painted in the direct aftermath of visits to Balaam. This picturesque island in the north of Lake Ladoga is home to the Balaam Monastery of the Transfiguration.
The artist’s attention is focused on reproducing the effect of the stony bottom of the lake, showing through the crystal-clear water. Kuinji introduces this particular motif into the Russian school of painting for the very first time in this work.