5/6/2011 added 9 paintings, at the top of the section of paintings. Repin created many hundreds of works of art in a number of mediums. I wonder if a complete list of them exists anywhere.

4/16/2011 added 3 paintings: Portrait of the Actress Pelageya Antipovna Strepetova in the Role of Yelizaveta, Portrait of S.Iu.Witte, and Portrait of Baroness Varvara Ikskul von Hildenbandt

7/30/09 added 2 paintings: Portait of Nadya Repin, and Spurning Confession, and changed 8 more to better, larger images.
8/27/09 improved 2 images, added dates to many, more info about left-handedness.

Personal note: The more I see and learn about Repin, the more impressed I become. He was a master of every aspect of painting and drawing. For me, his work surpassed every other master artist, and his production was enormous. He painted until he literally wore out his right hand in the late 1890's, then learned to paint with his left, hanging his palette from his shoulder. He stated that "State Council" he painted entirely left-handed. He was so admired in his time that many strenuously tried to twist him and his work to benefit their own agendas. So many masterpieces in one lifetime! My own favorite? Portrait of Nadya Repin, his daughter.


Ilya Efimovich Repin was born in 1844 in a small Ukrainian town of Tchuguev in the family of a military settler. As a boy he was trained as an icon painter. At the age of 19 he entered the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. His arrival to the capital coincided with an important event in artistic life of the 60s, the so-called ‘Riot of the Fourteen’, when 14 young artists left the Academy having refused to use mythological subjects for their diploma works. They stood on the point that art should be close to real life. Later Repin would be closely connected with some of them, the members of the Society of Peredvizhniky.

For his diploma work Raising of Jairus' Daughter (1871) Repin was awarded The Major Gold Medal and received a scholarship for studies abroad. Barge Haulers on the Volga (1870-1873) was the first considerable work painted by Repin after graduation. It immediately won recognition. 		In 1873, Repin went abroad. For some months he had been traveling in Italy and then settled and worked in Paris up to 1876. It was in Paris that he witnessed the first exhibition of the Impressionists, but, judging by the works created then and by his letters home, he didn't become the ardent follower of this new Paris school of painting, though he didn't share the opinion of some of his country-men who saw a dangerous departure from “the truth of life” in Impressionism.

After returning to Russia, Repin settled in Moscow. He was a frequent visitor in Abramtsevo – the country estate of Savva Mamontov, one of the most famous Russian patrons of art. It was a very fruitful period in his creative activity. During 10-12 years Repin created the majority of his famous paintings.

In 1877, he started to paint religious processions (krestny khod): Krestny Khod (Religious Procession) in Kursk Gubernia (1880-1883). The composition was based on the dramatic effect of different attitude of the participants of the procession to the wonder-working icon carried at the head of the procession. There were two different versions of the picture. The second one, completed in 1883, became the most popular. At first glance, the spectator discovers an abundance of social types and human characters in the crowd.

 A series of paintings devoted to the revolution theme deserves special attention. The artist was no doubt interested in creating the character of a fighter for social justice. The range of social, spiritual and psychological problems, which attracted Repin, is revealed in his works: Unexpected Return (1884) and Refusal from the Confession (1879-1885).

Repin is the author of many portraits, which are an essential part of his artistic heritage. Repin never painted faces, he painted real people, managing to show his models in their natural state, to reveal their way of communicating with the world: Portrait of the Composer Modest Musorgsky (1881), Portrait of the Surgeon Nikolay Pirogov (1881), Portrait of the Author Alexey Pisemsky (1880), Portrait of the Poet Afanasy Fet (1882), Portrait of the Art Critic Vladimir Stasov (1883), and Portrait of Leo Tolstoy (1887) and many others are distinguished by the power of the visual characteristic and the economy and sharpness of execution.

Repin rarely painted historical paintings. The most popular in this genre is Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan (1895). The expressive, intense composition and psychological insight in rendering the characters produced an unforgettable impression on the spectators. Another popular work of the genre is The Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks to Sultan Mahmoud IV (1880-1891). The faithfully rendered spirit of the Zaporoguus freemen, who, according to the artist, had a particularly strong sense of “liberty, equality and fraternity” undoubtedly gives the picture its significance. The contemporaries saw it as a symbol of the Russian people throwing off their chains.

The last quarter of the 19th century is the best period in Repin’s work, though his creative activity continued in the 20th century (the artist died in 1930), he did not paint any masterpieces then. After the bolsheviks’ revolution in 1917 he lived and worked in his estate Penates in Finland. There is a Repin museum. The museum visitors have the opportunity of gaining a detailed knowledge of the artist's life and work.
A collection of images of works by Repin. Click on any image to view a larger version.
Assembled by Bob Smith, December 2006

First 3 images added 1/15/08

Portrait of Lydia Kuznetsova 1901
Portrait of artist Nikolai-Vladimirovich Remizov 1917
Slavonic Composers 1872 4.8 x 13 feet
The painting depicts Russian composers: Mikhail Glinka talking with Mikhail Balakirev, Vladimir Odoyevsky and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (foreground, in military uniform). Alexander Dargomyzhsky sitting behind the group, Ivan Laskovsky can be seen behind. Alexei Lvov (right, wearing a court dress) listening to Alexei Verstovsky. Brothers Anton and Nikolai Rubinshtein playing the piano. Alexander Serov standing between Anton Rubinshtein and Alexander Lvov. Behind them there is a group including Alexander Gurilev, Dmitry Bortnyansky and Pyotr Turchaninov. Polish musicians, against the background of the door: Stanislaw Moniuszko (leftmost), Fryderyk Chopin, Michal Oginski and K. Lipinski. Czech composers, left row: Eduard Napravnik (leftmost), Bedrich Smetana, Franz Bendel and Vaclav Horak. From the collection of the Moscow State Conservatoire.

Ilya Repin self portrait at work
Portrait of the physiologist Ivan Petrovich Pavlov 1924
Temptation or Get thee behind me Satan

Portrait of Vera Repina 1925,
painted at age 81
Portrait of Maria Khlopushina 1927,
painted at age 83
Hopak, Cossack national dance of Ukraine 1929,
painted at age 85, 6 x 7 feet

Repin's final painting, unfinished

Many of Repin's paintings were monumental in size.

For example, Easter Procession in the District of Kursk is 5'8" tall and 9' 2" across. The largest is shown to the right:

State Council Meeting painting in the museum 13 x 29 feet in size

(title unknown)
(title unknown)
Cossacks from the Black Sea coast 1908-1909

Burlak on Volga (1870-73)
The Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks to Sultan Mehmed IV of Turkey (1880-91)
Pushkin Reciting His Poem Before Old Derzhavin (1911)

Ceremonial session of the State Council 1900
17 October 1905, (1906-1911)
Easter Procession in the District of Kursk (1880-83). On exhibit in the Tretyakov Gallery

Grand Duke Choosing His Bride 1885
Party 1883
Christ raising Jairus' daughter from the dead 1871

Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan 1870-1873
Apples and Leaves 1879
St Nicholas of Myra in Lycia 1889

Composer Modest Mussorgsky 1881
Portrait of Leo Tolstoy 1893
Vladimir Stasov 1883

Portrait of writer Alexander Zhirkevich 1894
Konstantin Pobedonostsev (sketch for State Council) 1903
Aleksey Pisemsky 1880

Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov 1883
Portrait of Mendeleev 1885
Afanasy Fet 1882

Portrait of Leo Tolstoy 1887
Emperor Nicholas II (sketch) 1896
Anton Rubinstein 1887

Tsarina Sofya in the New Maiden Convent at the Time of the Execution of the Streltsy and the Torture of All Her Servants in 1698 - 1879br>

A Lively Girl Vera Repin - 1894
Sadko in the Underwater Kingdom (1876) The Russian Museum, St Petersburg

Autumn Bouquet. Portrait of Vera Repin - 1892
Portrait of Nadya Repin 1881
Spurning Confession 1879-1885

Portrait of the Actress Pelageya Antipovna Strepetova in the Role of Yelizaveta 1881 Tretyakov museum
Portrait of S.Iu.Witte 1903 Tretyakov museum
Portrait of Baroness Varvara Ikskul von Hildenbandt 1889 Tretyakov museum
Many more Repin paintings at http://www.abcgallery.com/R/repin/repin.html

Listing of Repin works
- Preparation for the Examination. 1864. Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
- Portrait of a Boy. 1867. Picture Gallery, Taganrog.
- Portrait of Tatyana Repina, the Artist's Mother. 1867. National Gallery, Prague.
- Job and His Friends. 1869. Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
- Barge Haulers by Campfire. 1870. Museum of the Academy of Arts, St. Petersburg.
- Barge Haulers on the Volga. 1870-1873. Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
- Raising of Jairus' Daughter. 1871. Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
- A Newspaper Seller in Paris. 1873. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- Portrait of E. Mamontova. 1874-1879. State Art Museum Abramtsevo.
- A Fisher-Girl. 1874. Irkutsk Art Museum, Irkutsk.
- Sadko. 1876. Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
- Portrait of Vera Repina. 1876. Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
- On a Turf Bench. 1876. Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
- River Bank. 1876. K. Savitsky Picture Gallery, Penza.
- Ukranian Girl by a Fence. 1876. Art Museum of Belarus, Minsk, Belarus.
- Portrait of the Artist Vasily Polenov. 1877. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- Portrait of the Artist Arkhip Kuinji. 1877. Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
- A Shy Peasant. 1877. The State Art Museum, Nizhniy Novgorod.
- A Peasant with an Evil Eye. 1877. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- An Archdeacon. 1877. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- Self-Portrait. 1878. Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
- Girl with Flowers. Daughter of the Artist. 1878. Academy of Arts, St. Petersburg.
- Portrait of the Artist Pavel Tchistyakov. 1878. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- Tsarevna Sophia Alexeevna in Novodevitchy Convent. 1879. Tretyakov Gallery.
- Apples and Leaves. 1879. Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
- On a Bridge in Abramtsevo. 1879. Private collection.
- Portrait of Polixena Stasova. 1879. Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
- Portrait of Efim Repin, the Artist's Father. 1879. Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
- Refusal of the Confession. 1879-1885. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- Portrait of Tschegolionkov. 1879. Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
- Portrait of Savva Mamontov. 1880. A. A. Bakhrushin Theatre Museum, Moscow.
- Portrait of the Author Alexey Pisemsky. 1880. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- Portrait of the Artist Nikolay Gay. 1880. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks to Sultan Mahmoud IV. 1891. Russian Museum.
- Putting a Propagandist Under Arrest. 1880-1892. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- Krestny Khod in Kursk Gubernia. 1880-1883. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- Portrait of Nadya Repina. 1881. A. N. Radishchev Museum of Arts, Saratov.
- Portrait of the Composer Modest Musorgsky. 1881. Tretyakov Gallery.
- Portrait of the Composer Anton Rubinstein. 1881. Tretyakov Gallery.
- Portrait of the Surgeon Nikolay Pirogov. 1881. Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
- Portrait of the Artist Ivan Kramskoy. 1882. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- Portrait of the Poet Afanasy Fet. 1882. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- Portrait of the Military Engineer Andrey Delvig. 1882. Tretyakov Gallery.
- Portrait of the Actress Pelageya Strepetova. 1882. Tretyakov Gallery.
- Portrait of Vera Repina, Artist's Wife. 1882. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- Portrait of T. A. Mamontova. 1882. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- The Revolutionary Meeting. 1883. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- Student-Nihilist. 1883. Far East Fine Arts Museum, Khabarovsk.
- Annual Memorial Meeting of the Communards. 1883. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- Portrait of Art Critic Vladimir Stasov. 1883. The Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
- Portrait of Pavel Tretyakov. 1883. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- Portrait of Alexandra Molas. 1883. The Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
- Portrait of Nadezhda Stasova. 1884. The Russian Museum, St. Petersburga.
- Unexpected Return. 1884. The Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- Dragon-Fly. Portrait of Vera Repina. 1884. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- Choosing a Bride for a Grand Duke. 1884. The Perm Picture Gallery.
- Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan 1581. 1885. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- Portrait of Dmitry Mendeleev. 1885. The Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- Portrait of the Artist Vasily Surikov. 1885. The Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- Portrait of the Artist Grigory Myasoedov. 1886. The Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- Self-Portrait. 1887. The Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- Portrait of Alexander Glazunov. 1887. The Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
- Portrait of Anton Rubinstein. 1887. The Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
- Portrait of Leo Tolstoy. 1887. The Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- Portrait of the Composer Mikhail Glinka. 1887. The Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- The Surgeon E. Pavlov in the Operating Theater. 1888. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- Portrait of the Art Critic Vladimir Stasov. 1889. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- Portrait of Sophia Dragomirova. 1889. Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
- Portrait of the Lawyer Vladimir Spasovitch. 1891. Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
- Leo Tolstoy in His Study. 1891. State Literature Museum, Moscow.
- Portrait of Sidor Shavrov. 1892. Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
- Autumn Bouquet. Portrait of Vera Repina. 1892. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- Portrait of Nikolay Rymsky-Korsakov. 1893. The Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
- Portrait of Alexander Verzhbilovich. 1895. Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
- Portrait of Countess Natalia Golovina. 1896. Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
- Portrait of Maxim Gorky. 1899. Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
- Portrait of Nadezhda Repina. 1900. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- Portrait of V. K. Pleve. 1902. Art Museum of Belarus, Minsk, Belarus.
- What a Freedom! 1903. The Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
- Ceremonial Meeting of the State Council. 1903. Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
- Portrait of K. Pobedonostsev. Study. 1903. Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
- Portrait of the Author Leonid Andreev. 1905. Museum of Fine Arts, Omsk.
- Portrait of Maria Andreeva. 1905. Art Museum of Belarus, Minsk, Belarus.
- Portrait of Ivan Zvetkov. 1907. The Art Museum, Ryazan.
- Portrait of the Author Vladimir Korolemko. 1912. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.