Panfilov’s Soldiers Before the Battle

Description

Author: Nasedkin, Nikolay. 1918-1991
A battle scene dedicated to Panfilov’s heroes before the Battle of Moscow. Set within a snow-covered trench in the foreground, soldiers are portrayed wearing sheepskin coats and fur-trimmed winter caps: on the right, a young wounded warrior with a bandaged head sits alongside an older soldier clutching a grenade, while to the left stand a commander drawn to his full height and a rifleman aiming an anti-tank gun toward the enemy line. On the snow to the left lie anti-tank hedgehogs, while in the background depth, a snowbound field and a belt of forest stretch beneath a heavy winter sky. The color palette is built upon the cool hues of the winter landscape, punctuated by the warm ochre tones of the coats. At the lower left - signature and date.