Oil painting Before he died Yulia Lihina

№Lih 20

The oil painting titled "Before He Died" offers a profound and emotionally charged interpretation of a climactic scene from the 2005 film "King Kong." The artist’s rendition is both a tribute to the cinematic icon and a reflection on the poignant narrative of the movie. In the painting, King Kong is portrayed with an expression that is at once powerful and infused with a somber resignation, capturing the tragic majesty of the character. The gorilla's eyes, deeply set beneath furrowed brows, are full of life and an almost human-like sadness, as if reflecting on his fate far from his jungle home. His posture is protective and gentle, with the enormous hand that once wreaked havoc now delicately holding a figurine, likely representing Ann Darrow, the character played by Naomi Watts. The backdrop features an evocative sunset sky, with deep blues and fiery oranges streaking across the canvas, symbolizing the closing of a day and perhaps the end of an era. The skyline of New York City, a stark contrast to Kong's natural habitat, is visible in the distant horizon, its buildings silhouetted against the fading light. The artist shares their thoughts on the contrasting interpretations of King Kong in Peter Jackson’s film and the original 1933 classic. While acknowledging the technical advancements that brought a new level of realism to the modern depiction, they highlight the emotional depth of the relationship between Kong and Ann as a central theme. This relationship, and Kong’s portrayal as a more sensitive and relatable creature, strikes a chord with the viewer and becomes the heart of the story. "Before He Died" is not merely a visual recount of a scene from a film; it is a commentary on the evolution of storytelling in cinema, the advancements in filmmaking technology, and the timeless appeal of King Kong as a tragic hero. The painting invites viewers to ponder which version of the story resonates more deeply with them, opening a dialogue about the impact of technological progress on the emotional core of a narrative.

*** ABOUT THIS PAINTING ***
* TITLE: "Before he died" - Scene from the film: King Kong
* ARTISTS: Yulia Lihina
* SIZE: 70x100 cm/'27.55x39.37 inches'
* MEDIUM: oil, canvas
* HAND PAINTED: Original painting from our collection
* CONDITION: we tried to convey the maximum information with the help of photos about this product

About the artist: Yulia Lihina, born on November 10, 1984 in Kharkov, Ukraine, was a very restless and stubborn child. At three years old, her mother showed her how to draw to calm her down. Julia attended art studio and art school from 1989 to 2002. This experience helped her understand how to live further, since she could not imagine her life without colors and art.

She graduated with honors from the Kharkov Art School (2002-2007), painting department, becoming an artist and teacher. During her studies, Julia painted many paintings to order, including stills from films, which was an interesting experience for her.

After graduating from school, she got married and soon became the mother of two children. After the divorce, she tried to return to painting, but her children did not allow her to do so. While working for a network company while on maternity leave, she saw how artists painted and sold their paintings, which inspired her to take up painting again. She quit her online business and started over with support from family and friends.

In 2019, Yulia began studying how artists work on the Internet. In 2020, she took a course on blogging and selling paintings abroad, starting to paint during the quarantine period. She considers the Internet the best direction for developing and promoting her creativity around the world.

On February 24, 2022, war began in her country. Initially, Yulia thought that everything would end quickly, but then she had to leave home, experiencing pain and depression. She quickly coped with it, started volunteering and received a grant to purchase art materials. This gave her the motivation to move forward and do something she had wanted to do since she was three years old.

Julia draws inspiration from films, loving the genres of biography, thriller, crime, detective, comedy, history, sports, drama and romance. She loves to convey the complex emotional states of actors on camera and finds cinema a special source of inspiration.

Her favorite artists are Levitan, Polenov, Serov, Repin and many others in this style. She specializes in drawing, painting and landscapes, working primarily in oil, charcoal and pastel. Julia primes the canvases herself, using the techniques of the old masters and imprimatura.