Morning in a Pine Forest

The Morning in a Pine Forest (Russian: Утро в сосновом лесу), formerly The Bear Family in the Forest^[a] (Russian: Медвежье семейство в лесу), is a painting by Russian artists Ivan Shishkin and Konstantin Savitsky.

Morning in a Pine Forest
Artist	Ivan Shishkin, Konstantin Savitsky
Year	1889
Medium	Oil on canvas
Dimensions	139 cm × 213 cm (55 in × 84 in)
Location	Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Creation

Initially, the painting, which measures 139×213 cm, did not include bears. However, the artist Konstantin Savitsky, who knew Shishkin well, proposed to supplement the painting with figures of living creatures - bears. At the request of Shishkin, who had some doubts about his abilities as an animal painter, Savitsky depicted a family of wild animals playing carefree between the roots and trunks of fallen pine trees, making the painting more dynamic. Before Pavel Tretyakov bought the painting, it bore the signatures of two artists: I. I. Shishkin and K. A. Savitsky.^[2]

It is believed that Shishkin painted the pine trees near Vologda forests on Gorodomlya Island, which is located on Lake Seliger - a territory untouched by human civilization.^[3]

Controversy

Soon after its creation, in 1898, art collector Pavel Tretyakov purchased Shishkin's large painting The Bear Family in the Forest, where Savitsky had painted the bears.^[4] Shishkin suggested that Savitsky sign the painting, which he did, but after Tretyakov bought the painting, he was upset to see Savitsky’s signature. Tretyakov ordered the signature to be removed with turpentine. Later, Savitsky came to the gallery and noticed his signature was gone. When he asked about it, Tretyakov explained the situation, stating that "from idea to performance, everything discloses the painting manner and creative method peculiar just to Shishkin", so the painting is now sometimes credited solely to Shishkin.^[4][5][6]

Legacy

In the late 1880s, the head of the candy factory Ferdinand Theodor von Einem (after nationalization - “Red October” (Krasny Oktyabr)) decided to give one of the products a ceremonial appearance.^[7] They concluded an agreement with the owner of the painting Morning in a Pine Forest, thus getting an opportunity to make a copy of the masterpiece. The factory produced the first batch of candies "Clumsy Bear" (“Mishka Kosolapyj”) in the early 1890s. The candy received the highest mark of distinction at the All-Russian Industrial and Art Exhibition in Nizhny Novgorod (1896), and in 1900 Paris Exposition won the Grand Prix. The authorship of the design of the famous candy belongs to the artist Manuil Andreev, who in 1913 placed on the wrapper the subject of the painting “Morning in a Pine Forest” framed by green spruce branches and drew six-pointed stars of Bethlehem, because in those years candy was the most expensive and desirable gift for Christmas.^[8]

According to one poll, the painting is the second most popular in Russia behind Bogatyrs by Viktor Vasnetsov.^[9]

Feedback

Walk away by a look into this grey fog of the forest distance, into The Bear Family in the Forest… and you will realise what a connoisseur of the forest, what a strong objective artist you are dealing with.

— Vasily Mikheyev ^[ru], The Artist, 1894, March, No. 35, p. 132