The Arctic in the paintings of Russian artists (PICS)
The image of the cold northern region and its exploration has captivated painters since the 19th century. It has been depicted both as a harsh, ice-bound world and as a mysterious place accessible only to brave polar explorers.
Alexander Borisov. In the Realm of Eternal Ice. (Summer), 1897
Alexander Borisov. Spring Polar Night, 1897
Alexey Rybnikov. The First Lena Ship in the Ice, 1934
Konstantin Korovin. Fishing on the Murman Sea, 1896
(Panel for the ‘Far North’ pavilion at the All-Russian Industrial and Artistic Exhibition in Nizhny Novgorod - Ed.)
Mitrofan Beringov. Northern Sonata, 1927
Igor Ruban. Not for Tourists, 1964
Andrey Yakovlev. The Happy One, 1974
Fedor Reshetnikov. The First Heroes, 1976
Alexey Martins. From the ‘Polar Explorers’ series, 2010
Denis Fontanov. Streams of Time. From the ‘Portrait of Water’ series, 2018
These and other paintings can be seen in the ‘Arctica. The Pole of Color’ exhibition at the Tretyakov Gallery from December 12, 2025, to June 21, 2026.