The artist is Semiradsky
Semiradsky remained in the history of Russian and European art as an inspired singer of antiquity. The artist’s outstanding picturesque skill, a deep knowledge of his ancient archeology, the ability to combine catchy spectacular performance with entertainment with the topic invariably attracted viewers to his canvases. The plot of the picture was borrowed by an artist from ancient Greek history. The depicted event transfers us to 364 BC. The famous Geter Frin, the favorite model of the sculptor of the Praxist, depicts the goddess of love and beauty Aphrodite on one of the Evzinsky festivities. Under the delighted glances of the audience, Frina drops his clothes, so that, descending the steps, to plunge into sea waves. On the left are poets who sang her beauty, on the right are the people who throw flowers at the girl’s feet. Henry Semiradsky wrote about the plan of his picture: “I wanted to capture the delight of the artist people at the sight of a beautiful woman of my time”.
The scene built like a theatrical one takes place against the backdrop of a magnificent southern nature, filled with the sun. Different bright crowd, numerous objects „ancient luxury “merge on the canvas into a huge still life, where each item occupies a strictly defined place for it. By building a composition, Semiradsky sought to create the appearance of the reality of the event. Nevertheless, the picture contains all the typical features of the picturesque system of late academism.
The Russian Museum. From the icon to the present. 2005. With. 184-185.
It is also noteworthy that the idea of creating in St. Petersburg the Museum of National Art for the first time became the public after visiting Alexander III of the exhibition Henry Semiradsky, with which the emperor bought Frin at the festival of Poseidon in Evzin.
Henry Semiradsky. Frina at the holiday of Poseidon. E.AT.Yakovlev
