In 1864, Henryk Siemiradzki, later the author of academic 'machineries' on ancient themes known throughout Europe, graduated from the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of the Imperial Kharkiv University on the basis of his thesis On the Instinct of Insects, earning the title of candidate of natural sciences. The first course of study was determined by his father's ambitions, the second by his own dreams. Therefore, already in the autumn of that year, he began studying painting at the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts in St Petersburg. Due to the fact that he exceeded the legal age limit for admissions (up to 21 years of age), he initially studied as a free student and only managed to obtain student status after two years. Siemiradzki quickly found his feet in the academy environment, winning praise, distinctions and medals at successive annual exhibitions and, consequently, recognition from the rector himself, Fyodor Bruni. He enthusiastically devoted himself to painting the official academic subjects required by the university curriculum. But in his spare time, in order to save his budget, he sometimes painted "obstalunki", i.e. paintings for private commissions, mainly portraits and genre scenes.

In a letter to his parents in February 1867, Siemiradzki was pleased to report that the brother of his acquaintance, a doctor from Odessa, Mr Nawrocki, had placed an order for a painting of the artist's own composition (Letter no. 46, [February] 1867; Archives of the Pontifical Institute of Church Studies in Rome, PISE, D 10, pp. 121-123). They set the remuneration at 80 roubles. The theme of the work was to be taken "from the petro-Russian existence", i.e. the everyday life of the people of Malorossiya, a term used in the 19th century to describe the Ukrainian lands that were part of the Russian Empire. Having a largely free hand with the main motif, the artist decided on a theme related to the folklore of his homeland, painting the rituals associated with the Kupala Night celebrations. In the folk tradition, this festival of the summer solstice, probably of pre-Christian origin, is connected with, among other things, the customs of weaving garlands and lighting fires. Fire was supposed to ensure health, good luck in love and protection from spells, which is why on this summer night in almost the entire Slavic area, young women in particular jumped over the flames to ensure their happiness and to foretell the date of their marriage. Siemiradzki made the bonfire an important point in his composition. Although the silhouettes of the young people gathered around it are largely obscured by the flames, their warm glow brings out from the gloom the details of the figures in folk costumes and wearing wreaths of wild flowers on their heads. One of the girls is preparing to jump, which arouses interest and even alarm among her companions. Henryk Siemiradzki, who grew up in a village near Kocharki, undoubtedly had the opportunity to observe, and perhaps even participate in, the Kupala Night celebrations on many occasions. He was therefore able to paint this scene from his own observations and experiences, imbuing it, in keeping with the nature of the title holiday, with an atmosphere of slightly fairytale mysticism and slightly frivolous romanticism.

On the other hand, the influences of other artists, by whom the artist was probably inspired, are clearly visible in this canvas. The same motif of jumping over a bonfire on a Saturday night became the subject of a famous work painted in 1856 by Ivan Sokolov, a generation older graduate of St Petersburg's Academy of Fine Arts, who at the time of Siemiradzki's studies was still in contact with his alma mater and already held the honoured title of academician. On the other hand, the characteristic treatment of contrasting two sources of light - the natural moonlight and the artificial light emanating from a bonfire - in a single nocturnal scene was popularised by the 18th-century landscape painter Claude Joseph Vernet and his numerous imitators. Siemiradzki may have had the opportunity to observe it during his many visits to the Hermitage, where he is said to have been passionate about not only admiring but also copying the works of European masters.

Although Siemiradzki's painting is not free from drawing flaws, workshop shortcomings and a certain stiffness (it should be remembered that he painted it when he was only in his third year of studies), it may have met the commissioner's expectations and received a warm reception due to its mood and authenticity in depicting folk customs. Indeed, in November 1867 the artist reported the auspicious news in correspondence to his parents:

'Nawrocki received a letter from his brother in which he reports to him that my Night on Ivan Kupala has already reached him and has pleased him immensely as well as all his friends; he told me to declare my gratitude' (Letter no. 56, 11 November 1867; Archives of the Pontifical Institute of Church Studies in Rome, PISE, D 10, pp. 147-150).

The new owner was so pleased with the work he received that he planned to send it to the next art exhibition in Odessa. More than a century later, in 1983, it was purchased from the heirs of the first owner for the collection of the Lviv National Art Gallery, thus completing the rich collection of Siemiradzki's works in the Lviv museum.

The painting is interesting in that it is not only one of the few surviving works from the artist's youthful period, but, moreover, represents a genre subject rare in his oeuvre. As has already been mentioned, during his period as a student, aiming to become financially independent from his parents, Henryk Siemiradzki also created works with commercial motives, made to commissions or intended for sale, trying to adapt to the expectations of the audience of the time. Among the motifs sought at the time were scenes from everyday life. Several similar works by the painter are known to have been executed in the hope of earning money: for the St Petersburg collector Alexander Ivashov, he made a composition with a bandleader who is given a drink by a girl at a well; several times he exhibited unknown genre paintings in the salon of the local art dealer Beggerov; in the same exact year that he painted Night on Ivan Kupala, hoping for a monetary reward, he took part (without success) in a competition of the St Petersburg Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts for 'scenes from St Petersburg life'. Tracing his work to the market, the young painter probably consciously chose themes that were light and pleasing to the eye and likely to appeal to potential customers. Most of these works are unknown today. But a certain analogy to the Sobotka scene, through its aura of mystery and nocturnal character, can be drawn with the painting St Andrew's Night - The Fairy from the same 1867 (private collection).

Over time, however, everyday themes began to disappear in the artist's work, increasingly displaced by mythology and antiquity. In his biography of the painter, Józef Dużyk quoted an anecdote according to which, towards the end of his studies, Siemiradzki was invited to visit the court of Grand Duke Vladimir. The tsar's patron of the arts asked him about his current activities, and when he heard about painting small genre pictures, he reproached Siemiradzki, believing that his talent was made for large historical compositions (J. Dużyk, Henryk Siemiradzki. A biographical tale, Warsaw 1986, pp. 97-98). It is not certain whether this discussion had a decisive influence on the artist's choice of path, but ultimately it was in antique subjects that Siemiradzki found his vocation. Especially when, after completing his studies, he was able to travel to Italy thanks to a government scholarship, where he succumbed to his admiration for the Italian sky and the monuments of antiquity.

Location: Lviv National Art Gallery, Lviv