A connoisseur of folk life and culture, A. Korzhukhin in his painting “The Bachelorette” displayed an important event for any girl – seeing off the bride before the wedding. Every moment of life of a Russian person in the old days was associated with certain rituals, whether it be songs, dances, pleas or spells. And the Russian hen party was also held in full accordance with folk traditions.
In the center of the picture, the artist depicted a young girl surrounded by a matchmaker and her assistants. She just left the bathhouse, and stands in the middle of the yard, dressed in a shirt and a sheepskin coat, tied a light kerchief over her head. At the matchmaker – a rich outfit and festive headdress – a woman kika. In her hands she holds a copper basin and a poker – so that the meals and hospitality are feast in the house of the future hostess.
Each of the matchmakers also keeps their subject. Here before the bride one of them diligently waving a whisk, clearing the family road from all obstacles. At the same time, the other carries a bucket with a yoke in the side, so that the spouses hold fast to each other and no water gets up between them. The two remaining girls, dancing and rattling their household utensils, frighten off the young bride of evil spirits.
Here, on the right side of the picture, the artist depicts a feast, collecting all the married women from the bride and groom. Wearing their best clothes, future relatives treat themselves to pies and mead, follow the observance of the ritual and, of course, discuss the bride and are given memories of their already past hen parties.
The background of the picture opens the bath itself. On her porch, mesmerized by the festive action, a young girl stopped. Soon she will have to be in the center of this rite herself.
A beautiful, very lively and dynamic, saturated with bright coloring leaves only bright feelings and remains in your memory for a long time.
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