“Swans. Harmony” – Original Symbolic Painting by Marina Stognieva

The Story Behind the Painting

“Swans. Harmony” is an original painting by Ukrainian artist Marina Stognieva, created in 2025. The work is painted in oil on canvas, measures 75 × 95 cm, and is presented unframed on a gallery-wrapped canvas.

In this winter landscape, the artist depicts two swans — one white and one black. Their contrasting silhouettes appear on opposite sides of a partly frozen lake, while the overall composition evokes the ancient symbol of Yin and Yang — two opposing forces that exist in connection with one another and form a unified whole.

Swans have long been associated with love, devotion, and fidelity. In this painting, that symbolism is combined with the idea of balance: black and white, cold and light, moving water and frozen ice, two different elements belonging to the same landscape.

“Swans. Harmony” displayed in an interior.

The composition is built around a strong visual contrast. A deep dark area of water occupies one part of the canvas, while the pale frozen and snow-covered surface forms the other. The white swan appears within the dark area, while the black swan is placed against the light, creating a clear visual association with the principle of Yin and Yang.

This contrast transforms the scene from a simple winter landscape into a symbolic image. The opposites do not compete with one another — they balance each other. The lake becomes a metaphor for harmony, complementarity, and the natural equilibrium between different forces.

Marina Stognieva during the creation of “Swans. Harmony”.

During the painting process, Marina Stognieva developed the composition through large areas of light and darkness, gradually introducing the two swans into the space of the lake. The restrained winter palette strengthens the contrast between black and white and allows the symbolic idea to remain at the centre of the work.

Marina Stognieva with the completed painting “Swans. Harmony”. United Kingdom, 2025.

The large 75 × 95 cm format gives the composition a strong presence in an interior. The simple silhouettes of the swans, the dark surface of the water, and the pale winter landscape allow the work to be read simultaneously as a landscape and as a symbolic statement.

The painting was created and is kept at the artist’s art residence in the United Kingdom. For Marina Stognieva, “Swans. Harmony” is about a harmony that is born not from sameness, but from balance between differences — light and darkness, stillness and movement, two forces that together create a complete whole.

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Artwork Details

Original Artwork & Collectible Fine Art Prints

“Swans. Harmony” is an original artwork by Marina Stognieva, created by hand in oil on canvas. It is a unique one-of-a-kind painting on a gallery-wrapped canvas and can be displayed without an additional frame.

Collectible Fine Art Prints personally signed by Marina Stognieva may also be available for selected works. Available formats, materials, prices, and other details can be discussed before ordering.

Payment & Worldwide Shipping

Payment can be made via PayPal, bank transfer, or another agreed method.

The original painting is currently kept in the United Kingdom, so shipping is arranged from the UK. Worldwide shipping is available, with costs and estimated delivery times calculated individually according to the destination.

The gallery-wrapped canvas is carefully packaged to protect the painted surface and ensure safe transportation. All purchase, payment, packaging, and international shipping details can be discussed directly with the artist before ordering.

“In this painting, I wanted to unite two images — swans as symbols of love and fidelity, and the principle of Yin and Yang as a symbol of balance. Black and white do not oppose one another here; they create unity. For me, true harmony is born when differences find balance.”

— Marina Stognieva