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Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan on 16 November 1581
Ilya Repin · Realism & Academic
- Artist
- Ilya Yefimovich Repin (1844–1930)
- Date
- 1883–1885
- Dimensions
- 199.5 x 254 cm
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Location
- State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia
This painting shows Tsar Ivan IV, called the Terrible, cradling his son and heir, whom he has just struck a fatal blow to the head with his staff in a fit of rage. Blood pours from the young man's temple.
A closer look
The tsar clutches his son, pressing his hand to the wound in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding. His eyes are wide with horror and madness as he realises what he has done. The dying son, pale, seems almost to forgive him, a tear running down his cheek. The overturned chair, the crumpled carpet and the staff lying on the floor show the violence of the moment. Repin said he was inspired by the bloody events of his own time, including the assassination of Tsar Alexander II in 1881. The authorities briefly banned the painting from exhibition.
