Oil painting In the cold steppes Oleksiy Ivanyuk

№Kalen 1627

The oil painting on Canvas titled "In the Cold Steppes" conveys a profound sense of solitude and resilience amid a vast, weathered landscape. Through a subtle, almost subdued palette and carefully orchestrated composition, the artist captures not just a place, but a feeling—one of quiet perseverance and the dignity of rural endurance. The scene evokes the stark beauty of the steppe, where life continues despite the chill in the air and the muted tones of the season. The central focus of the painting is a scattered herd of cows, grazing calmly across an expansive field. Their presence is modest and grounded, painted with earthy browns, deep reds, and flecks of white that allow them to emerge just enough from the frosted grass without disturbing the natural harmony. The animals are rendered with restrained detail, their forms softened by distance and atmosphere, which strengthens the painting’s immersive, meditative tone. The field stretches across the entire foreground, covered in tall, brittle grasses that seem to whisper of early frost. These grasses are painted in layered brushstrokes of gray, pale gold, ochre, and lavender, subtly shifting with the contours of the land. The artist’s treatment of this terrain emphasizes texture over form, allowing the grasses to blur slightly into one another, creating a mist-like quality that evokes a brisk wind or creeping fog. A line of trees rises along the horizon, their branches bare or nearly so. Painted in a blend of dusky browns, indigo, and steel blues, they anchor the composition and suggest the looming stillness of late autumn or early winter. Behind them, the sky is heavy with dark clouds, depicted in sweeping strokes of muted gray-green, with only a thin sliver of cool light breaking through near the edge of the sky—an eerie yet beautiful touch that hints at the cold breath of dusk or an approaching storm. To the left, almost hidden in the shadow of the forest line, a small human figure appears, draped in pale white or gray. Whether shepherd or wanderer, their stillness contrasts with the slow movement of the grazing herd. This quiet presence adds a poetic element, reinforcing the relationship between humanity and the untamed land.

*** ABOUT THIS PAINTING ***
* TITLE: "In the cold steppes"
* ARTISTS: Oleksiy Ivanyuk
* SIZE: 100x130 cm/'39.37x51.18 inches'
* MEDIUM: oil, canvas
* HAND PAINTED: Original painting from our collection
* CONDITION: Photos provide accurate information about the product.

About the artist: Born March 13, 1954, in the city of Piryatin, Poltava region. He graduated from the C.n Art College named after N. Samokish (1887). Teachers in the specialty: V. Grigoriev, M. Morgun, L. Gracer. Painter. The main genres are landscape, still life. The paintings are distinguished by emotional openness, warmth, affirm the harmony of life. Dominants of creativity are the deep roots of national traditions, Ukrainian cultural heritage. Member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine (2008). He taught fine art at the Pyryatinsky school - gymnasium of aesthetic education (1988-2008). At creative work. Participated in exhibitions: national and international (since 1978). Personal exhibitions - in Kiev (2003, 2007-2009), Lubny (Poltava region, California (USA; 2006), Poltava (2007, 2010), Priluki (Chernihiv region, 2008), Warsaw (2009). Main works: “Flowers field ”(2007),“ Still life with a daffodil ”(2004),“ Indian summer ”(2007),“ Birch ”,“ Spiral panychi ”,“ Kalina red ”(2004),“ Field of the sun ”,“ Apple blossom ”, “Evening Breath” (2005), “Silence”, “Summer” (2006), “Sunflowers” (2007), “Plowed Field”, “Such is Life ...”, “In the Garden” (2009), “It's Cold” (2010). Individual paintings are stored in the National Museum of Art, National U. T. Shevchenko, Museum of Cultural Heritage in Kiev, Poltava Museum of Local Lore, lived and worked in the city of Poltava.