Artwork
Girl Peeling Berries
Girl Peeling Berries is an oil painting by the Realist artist Nikolai Mikhailovich Bykovsky. It dates from 1890 and is held in the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery.
About this work
Overview
Nikolai Mikhailovich Bykovka’s 1890 oil on canvas, Girl Peeling Berries, depicts a domestic interior in which a young girl is seated at a modest table, attentively removing the skins from a handful of berries. The composition is anchored by a simple wooden wall, a low bed with a white sheet, and a window framed by a modest plant arrangement, creating a quiet, everyday scene.
Subject & Meaning
The work focuses on a moment of ordinary labor, emphasizing the concentration of the child as she prepares the fruit. By presenting this unglamorous task in a calm, intimate setting, the painting reflects a broader 19th‑century interest in the dignity of rural or domestic work and the quiet rhythms of daily life.
Technique & Style
Bykovka employs a restrained palette of warm earth tones, softened by diffused daylight that filters through the window. The brushwork is smooth, rendering the fabric’s striped sleeves and the glossy berries with subtle detail, while the overall handling remains gentle, lending the scene a sense of calm realism.
History & Provenance
Created in 1890, the painting entered the collection of Moscow’s Tretyakov Gallery, where it remains on display. Its acquisition reflects the gallery’s early commitment to representing Russian genre painting and the everyday experiences of its people.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Nikolai Mikhailovich Bykovsky (1834–1917) was an artist, born in Russian Empire.
