by 
Abram Arkhipov was born in a village in the Ryazan Territory, and therefore the theme of the village can be traced in many of his works. The “Arkhipovsky” style is so unique that it is difficult to confuse it with any other. This is reflected in the grotesque sweep of the brush movement, the brightness of color, the richness of life in each of his paintings.
From the beginning of the 1910s, his painting became wide to sweeping, colors – intensely bright, decorative and sonorous. Typical in this respect is the painting “Away”.
The heroines of Arkhipova are young Ryazan peasant women, each of whom embodies the popular idea of female beauty. These are strong, healthy, blooming women with a blush all over their cheeks, who know their worth. In their appearance, postures, gestures – stateliness, confidence, dignity. Despite the generalization of the images, given mainly in the originality of the outwardly catchy appearance, and the typification of the faces, the artist also conveys the individual features of his models.
Applying the principle of a circular composition in the placement of four female figures on the canvas, Arkhipov shifts this entire group to the right and focuses the viewer’s attention on it with lusciously taken, widely spaced spots of clothes lit by the sun.
The same color strokes – from pale pink and lilac to carmine, yellow, white and green, that sound in the figures of peasants, the artist gives in the still life of the left side of the canvas, creating a feeling of festivity and some kind of irrepressible cheerfulness.
After painting the painting “Away”, the artist was so intoxicated with his success that he decided to exhibit it at the opening day, but being quite superstitious, he categorically refused to show it to anyone before the exhibition.
“Away” was a logical continuation and completion of the previous picture “On a spring holiday”. Arkhipov was looking for ways, colors, faces and, finally, reached the apogee of creativity, reducing the area of the interior and at the same time increasing the number of figures participating in the composition.
The picture really was a success and became the best in the work of Arkhipov of this period. The disciples, of whom there were many, sincerely praised the artist’s work.
Arkhipov was interested in artists and art critics of that time. KF Yuon gave a short but succinct description of his work. He personified him as a lover, a national poet, nourished by Ryazan songs, village girls, who knows how to “write vividly” and gives his whole soul to the art of painting.
Year of painting: 1915.
Dimensions of the painting: 105 x 154 cm.
Material: canvas.
Writing technique: oil.
Genre: genre painting.
Style: impressionism.
Gallery: State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia.
