General, requiring horses. Sketch for the painting 'The scene at the post office' 1866

Vasily Perov made this sketch using graphite as preparation for his painting, 'The Scene at the Post Office'. The image offers a glimpse into the rigid social hierarchy of 19th-century Russia. We see a portly general, demanding horses, presumably for official travel. His posture is imposing, his uniform meticulously detailed to signify rank and authority. In contrast, the post office worker appears subservient, his gestures suggesting deference or perhaps helplessness in the face of the general's demand. Perov was part of the Peredvizhniki movement, also known as the Wanderers, a group of Russian realist artists who aimed to depict the realities of Russian life, often highlighting social injustices and the plight of the common person. The Wanderers challenged the academic art establishment, seeking to make art more accessible and relevant to a wider audience. To fully appreciate this sketch, we might turn to historical records, social commentaries, and analyses of Perov's other works, to further understand its critical stance toward the inequalities in Tsarist Russia. Art, as we see here, is always embedded within broader social and institutional frameworks.