Mullahs going to Bazaar 

Vasily Vereshchagin made this painting, Mullahs going to Bazaar, with oil paint on canvas. He skillfully uses the inherent qualities of oil paint, its viscosity and blendability, to depict a seemingly mundane scene along a sun-drenched road. Look closely at the garments worn by the men. Vereshchagin captures the striped patterns and folds of the cloth with detailed brushwork, indicating the labor-intensive processes of weaving and dyeing that produced these textiles. The donkeys, too, are rendered with careful attention to their form and movement. Consider the labor these animals would have provided, transporting goods and people through the arid landscape. Vereshchagin was a war artist, and his work often explores cultural encounters. By focusing on the material culture of this scene, he prompts us to consider the social and economic systems at play, challenging any easy distinction between fine art and the everyday realities of labor and exchange.