Anastasia Kuznetsova-Ruf

The Cherry Orchard

No one does it like this series

Russia

2020

Canvas, charcoal pencil, tempera

145x104 cm

Artist about this artwork In my garden, just outside my room's windows, there's a large cherry tree. It has a thick trunk but rarely bears many berries. Once, my grandmother suggested cutting it down. She thought it wasn't very useful, and it shaded the house, depriving it of sunlight.
I objected, saying, "Nobody does that! Who would cut down such a beautiful tree, especially when it serves such an important purpose?"
Perplexed, my grandmother asked, "What purpose does it serve?"
"It's where your great-granddaughter climbs up to read books!" I replied.
With conviction, she stated, "Nobody does that!" And that settled our discussion. The cherry tree still stands today, gracing the garden with its presence.