The Raising of Jairus’s Daughter

Repin painted 'The Raising of Jairus's Daughter' in 1871, submitting it as his graduation work to the Imperial Academy of Arts — the same competition for which he simultaneously began his studies for 'Barge Haulers on the Volga.' The biblical subject, drawn from the Gospel of Mark (5:21–43), depicts Christ restoring the twelve-year-old daughter of the synagogue leader Jairus to life. Repin interpreted the scene with the naturalistic restraint that would define his entire career: rather than the miraculous moment itself, he captures the room filling with confused wonder as the girl awakens. The composition was influenced by the Dutch and Flemish old masters Repin studied at the Hermitage, as well as by the academic tradition of figure painting he was then perfecting. The Russian Museum in St. Petersburg preserves this early masterwork, which already demonstrates Repin's exceptional ability to render emotional states across a complex multi-figure scene.

The academic finish is meticulous, with careful glazing in the shadow areas and a strong central light source dramatizing the miracle. Repin structures the composition around the contrast between the still figure of the girl and the animated reactions of the surrounding figures. The tonality is warm, influenced by old master interiors.