Woman with a dagger

A woman holding a sharp dagger, exuding a mysterious aura.

She might appear to be the heroine of some terrifying incident or a historical figure consumed by vengeance. However, in reality, this woman is a 'mermaid'.

This is one of the oil studies (esquisses) created by the painter Repin for his monumental painting Sadko in the Underwater Kingdom, which is based on a traditional Russian epic poem.

In the story, the protagonist, the merchant Sadko, is introduced to hundreds of multinational mermaid princesses by the Sea King and commanded to choose a bride from among them. This exotic woman with a dagger was also depicted as one of the 'enchanting candidates' who passed before Sadko's eyes.

At that time, the young Repin was studying abroad in Paris, the glamorous city of art. However, despite being in the midst of cutting-edge Western culture, he suffered from intense homesickness and a sense of alienation in a foreign land. This woman, carrying a dangerous item like a dagger, might embody the 'beautiful yet perilous, and somewhat rejecting allure of foreign culture' that Repin faced in Paris at the time.

Even in the face of these women, radiating overwhelming beauty and a dangerous aura, the story's protagonist Sadko remained unswayed, ultimately choosing a simple Russian village girl who stood at the very end. This thrilling study is a reflection of the painter's 'quiet determination' to reject the dazzling temptations of foreign lands and to wholeheartedly embrace the 'Russian soul' that was his root.