Versailles in winter

In the 1890s, Iakunchikova divided her time between Russia and France, spending the mild winters in Paris and the warm summers on the estates of the Polenovs and Mamontovs. 'Versailles in winter' is a striking work which combines a confident brushstroke with a challenging compostion. The strong diagonals provided by the sloping steps lead the eye to the horizon, forcing the viewer to engage with the scene and become part of the landscape. The simplicity of this work is misleading; each component of the composition is invested with properties which contrast with its neighbour. For example, the stark white horizontals of the steps are met by the silvery-grey vertical stripes of the plinth.