Ivan Kramskoy painted "The Mermaids" as he developed an interest in folklore and fantasy as well as to deviate from academic restrictions as part of the Peredvizhniki movement. Peredvizhniki meant the Wanderers and they were a group of realist artists who fought against the academic conventions placed upon art by bringing their art to the people.
This painting is therefore unique in it's setting within Slavic folklore as the mermaids in this painting are the rusalki, a group of mythical river spirits who emerged from the river or lake at night to sing and dance. They were also said to lure unsuspecting young travellers to their watery grave. There are 19 rusalki depicted here and they are engaged in various activities, wringing the water out of their hair, braiding flowers into it, emerging from the water, and lounging around the bank of the lake.
The rusalki are not the main focus of the painting, rather, it has been painted as a scenery that one might usually happen upon in the Slavic countryside. The tones are fairly grey and cold, with only the pale moonlight highlighting the rusalki and the surroundings. The artist has painted the women in a way that they are the last thing the audience notices, as the eye wanders from the house down the path, and finally to the lake with the gathering of strange mythical women.
This haunting group of rusalki creates an eerie and melancholic mood, illustrating their tragic origins leading them to emerge at night, luring men to their deaths. Kramskoi has used cold moonlight to suspend time and emphasise the supernatural. He has drawn a tension between romantic imagination and loneliness of death and longing.
