I will not! 1892

Editor: Standing here, looking at Vladimir Makovsky's oil painting, "I will not!" from 1892, you immediately get a sense of... well, it's undeniably tense. A woman, a child, and an older man locked in a silent conflict on what seems like a cold city street. What's your take on the story Makovsky's telling here? Curator: Story is a good word for it, actually. I think it's about stubbornness. He's obviously down on his luck, look at his tattered clothes, but the look on his face, a defiant set to the jaw, tells me something more complex. You feel like there's an undercurrent here, the "I will not!" almost like a shouted thought that shapes everything we see. I bet, Editor, if you imagined yourself *in* the scene, as the old man maybe, how would the painting's colours suddenly taste, would they sting like a slap on a winter day, perhaps? Editor: Definitely. I see what you mean. The red scarf around his neck pops out, it’s almost like a flag of rebellion or maybe some symbol of what little warmth he has left. So, what’s your impression of why Makovsky chose this particular moment to capture? Curator: Moments like this, tiny acts of defiance against a rising tide, fascinate me. Is it social commentary? Maybe. He lived through some turbulent times, and the plight of the common man wasn't lost on artists like Makovsky. Yet, there’s that red again…blood, revolution…it hints at larger movements stirring beneath the surface. But ultimately, it strikes me as incredibly personal; about clinging to one's dignity. That small act against whatever storm is brewing around them. What do you make of it? Editor: It's a powerful and bleak, and I am just amazed how one piece of art can be a glimpse of resistance and an introspective study, too. Curator: Precisely.