Gathering by Natalia Goncharova

“Gathering” is not a suite about agricultural work, but a series of images with Christian symbols. Representing Christ surrounded by grape branches, the artist turned to ancient iconographic sources, when the symbol of the Christ-winegrower was especially common, and grape pickers were treated as those who are faithful to Christ or are going to join the Christian faith.

All the movements of the winegrowers-carrying grapes, awkwardly dancing, feasting peasants-are filled with considerable solemnity of the ritual. Winegrowers in Goncharova’s paintings are biblical characters with epic slowness of movements and facial expressions.