The Pond

Borisov-Musatov began The Pool at Zubrilovka in 1902 and finished it the following year. His sister and fiancée posed for him. Their recognisable faces appear within a deliberately arranged scene of figures, clothing and water.

His sister Elena stands on the left beside the reflections of trees. The upright lines of her clothing repeat vertical shapes already present in the water.

Elena Alexandrova, the artist’s fiancée, sits on the right. The pale lace of her blouse echoes the clouds reflected in the pool. Similar whites appear on both sides of the bank in quite different objects.

The sky appears only as a reflection. There is no conventional horizon separating land and air. Water fills almost the entire background and can initially be mistaken for a continuation of the landscape.

The blue skirt’s contour repeats the curve of the bank. These broad rounded shapes remain visible from a distance. Drawing and colour connect the women to the pool with very little narrative action.

A narrow strip of the opposite bank runs along the upper edge. It helps establish where the reflection ends. The painter leaves this landmark very little space, giving most of the background to water.

Small flowers and leaves at the women’s feet appear against broad areas of dress and bank. The change of scale strengthens the painting’s decorative structure. Large colour shapes establish the figures; smaller patterns become legible on closer inspection.

Borisov-Musatov is associated with Symbolism. This scene emphasises an imagined arrangement and decorative pattern over the record of a particular meeting. Tempera and pastel on coarse canvas produce a matte surface, with blues and greens linking clothing, trees and water.