Aleksei Kivshenko. The Military Council at Filyakh. no date (1870s-1880s)

The Military Council at Filyakh (Aleksei Kivshenko, no date (1870s-1880s))

This depicts a scene from the First Great Patriotic War against Napoleon. Most Americans are unaware that the Russians led the coalition forces that eventually defeated the French aggressors, and that the Russian forces led the way into Paris in 1814.

This led to an interesting exchange at Potsdam in 1945. President Harry Truman (a man known for his uneducated and buffoonish gaffes) was convinced that the Soviet forces were “too far to the west”. He accused Iosif Stalin, saying, “Your forces are too far west!” Iosif Vissarionovich puffed on his pipe placidly, and replied, “Yes… in 1814… we were in… PARIS”.

The scene portrayed is Marshal Kutuzov, the commander of the Russian forces in the 1812 campaign with his staff officers holding a military council in a peasant izba. Marshal Kutusov is the older man seated to the left.

Ilya Repin. On The Turf Bed. 1876

On the Turf Bed (Ilya Repin, 1876)

To be honest, the stresses of the last week, with a larger than usual amount of posting, with a larger translation load, makes me want to use my art to escape from it all for a while. Therefore, the theme of the day is “a summer day at the dacha”, with nothing more serious to attend to than digging the potatoes, going for a walk in the fields, and a nice evening tea. Ahh…

Ilya Repin. At the Academic Dacha. 1898

At the Academic Dacha (Ilya Repin, 1898)

Ilya Repin. On the Terrace. 1908

On the Terrace (Ilya Repin, 1908)

Pyotr Bezrukov. In the Country. 2002

In the Country (Pyotr Bezrukov, 2002)

For a modern compare and contrast, I wanted the same carefree and holiday mood exuded by the Repin works. This, I think fills the bill. There is nothing serious in this painting, thank God! Do not mistake me, that does not make it of small worth, it simply portrays one of the more simple and straightforward things in life, which we need to reconnect with at one time or another, or, we go crash…