Olga Dolgaya. A Sorrowful Reverie. 1998

A Sorrowful Reverie (Olga Dolgaya, 1998).

Olga Dolgaya. A Still-Life with a Reflection. 1999

A Still-Life with a Reflection (Olga Dolgaya, 1999)

Olga Dolgaya. A Table Set for Tea. 2000

A Table Set for Tea (Olga Dolgaya, 2000)

Olga Dolgaya. A Still-Life with Flowers. 2006

A Still-Life with Flowers (Olga Dolgaya, 2006)

Firs Zhuravlyov. A Replete Table. undated (1860s-80s)

A Replete Table (Firs Zhuravlyov, undated (1860s-80s))

This painting reminds you of a Hogarth engraving, does it not? There is the same exaggerated satire, the same biting observation of sinful–ginful humanity. Obviously, this is a depiction of  a party held by a lower official or the lower kind of merchnt. Certainly, it is not a gathering of the local gentry!

Indeed, it appears to be a cutting artistic comment on the “new men” of the period. This is GLUTTONY. Note well that the priest and deacon are sitting near the host and they are stuffing themselves as cheerfully as the rest. One can see the artist holding his nose as he stands at his easel…

Nikolai Bogdanov-Belsky. Grief. 1909

Grief (Nikolai Bogdanov-Belsky, 1909)

Whose untimely death is being mourned here? Is it a beloved wife and mother? Or, is it a little son or daughter carried away by a childhood disease? Or, is it the news of a son who is not going to return from the army because he fell on a foreign field? One doesn’t know… But, one thing is certain, no matter if the family is humble, of the middle classes, or of the nobility, the emotion felt is the same… exactly the same.

Nikolai Bogdanov-Belsky. Hitting the Books. 1915

Hitting the Books (Nikolai Bogdanov-Belsky, 1915)

Cramming for exams is no new thing… But, one can tell that some of these girls are from poorer families. They have to share the same textbook. However, the thirst for knowledge is evident.

Valery Busygin. A Cat. 1992

A Cat (Valery Busygin, 1992)

This cat reminds me of one of our cats, Poochie, a grey tomcat. No, his fur is not matted, but, he is as every bit as inquisitive and bold. Nicky named him Poochie because “he acts like a dog”, in his words. That is, Poochie is very protective and “guards the house”. It is interesting how this cat came into Nicky’s life. Nicky heard a scratching at the door, and, when he opened the door, Poochie meowed, walked in, and made himself right at home. That was ten years ago…

David Shteyngartz. Guests. 2005

Guests (David Shteyngartz, 2005)

Andrei Drozdov. It’s Getting Cold. 2000

It’s Getting Cold (Andrei Drozdov, 2000)