Leaving the harbour, oil on canvas, 11 1/4 x 17 1/2 inches, signed. Note: “Leaving the Harbour,” as we have titled it, demonstrates Bogolyubov transitional shift from Romanticism to Realism. Bogolyubov began his artistic career studying under Maxim Vorobiev at the Saint Petersburg Academy of Arts. Vorobiev’s dedication to the romantic style heavily influenced Bogolyubov’s early works. However, once Bogolyubov graduated he spent many years travelling across Europe, working in Italy, Germany, and France. In Paris, he connected with Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot and Charles-François Daubigny, members of the Barbizon School. Bogolyubov’s work began to embrace the ways of the Barbizon School - painting the world as they saw it - without the emotive melodrama found in the predominant romantic style of the time. In “Leaving the Harbour” the visibility of the brush strokes in the sky and water point to the Barbizon Schools influence, whereas the scene itself still contains elements of Romanticism love for melodrama. The choice to depict sailors traversing choppy waters as they make their way to their ship leads the viewer to contemplate the dangers of the seas. The rough waters and subdued colour palette hint to future tumultuous storms the sailors may have to face on their journey. Despite these suggestions, the use of a softer more realistic lighting, compared to the drastic contrast of light and shadow found in romantic pieces, points to Bogolyubov’s newfound appreciation of realism. Together, these various stylistic influences make “Leaving the Harbour” an exemplary work of Bogolyubov’s transition from Romanticism to Realism. The stylistic shift he made abroad deeply affected his return to Russia. Instead of following the ways of his Russian predecessors, his works lost all traces of Romanticism and were replaced with a staunch realism that led him to work with a group of younger Russian artists, The Wanderers, in the latter part of his career. Provenance, Bertie Bruun (Norwegian), worked at a Finnish embassy during the second world war, assembled a significant art collection during this period from reputable galleries. Brunn, a successful businessman, eventually immigrated to Canada with the collection being passed down in the family, to current owners (Ottawa).