Georgy Semyonovich Lee Girsu was an ethnic Korean painter who lived most of his life in the Russian Far East. He carefully studied impressionist painting and then combined the best features of different art schools in his work, creating his own recognizable style.

Georgy Lee Girsu traveled extensively along the Amur River and communicated with the locals in ethnic settlements. He knew how to listen to people and enjoyed doing so, which always made a good impression.

The genre painting “Going to the Celebration” depicts a day in the life of the indigenous people of the Amur Region: three boats are most likely carrying people to a neighboring village to celebrate some joyful event.

Lee Girsu, like impressionists, strove to convey the atmosphere of the fleeting moment, and with that purpose, he chose a light, cheerful color palette and a light, “airy” manner of painting. The artist used his signature brushstrokes to paint the river, creating an impression of the water moving and shimmering in the sun. The artist paid great attention to the texture of the clothes and wooden boats, but instead of meticulously outlining the elements, he focused on combining the perfect colors, applied in short quick brushstrokes. The schematic images of objects create a clear picture of what is happening.

Lee Girsu “moved” the harsh beauty of the Far Eastern taiga far beyond the hills and brought bright colors to the foreground. The yellow and orange outfits of the young women are complemented by the blue of the boats, while the vivid emerald color of the forest, adorned with pink flowers, harmonizes with the silvery water.

The foreground seems somewhat flat, painted in the traditions of Korean painting; the forest in the background adds volume to the picture.

The painting is dynamic — the depicted people are not posing; they seem to freeze for just a moment before continuing with their lives. This impression is emphasized by the ripples on the water and the balanced combination of modern motorboats with traditional outfits and decorations.

Georgy Lee Girsu worked with various genres, favoring portraits, landscapes and philosophical and symbolic paintings. The picture “Going to the Celebration” encompasses the image of the river on a sunny day, people in the immediate moment of life, the idea of intertwining eras, and the celebration of life. It reflects everything that the artist sought to convey to his audience, what he strove to give people, who lived near him. The artist used to say,