Scenes from Russian Folk Life n.d.

This lithograph, *Scenes from Russian Folk Life*, was created by Ignatii Stepanovich Shchedrovskii. It shows a workshop, and the various roles involved in woodworking. Observe the shavings on the floor, a testament to the direct, physical labor involved. The men depicted are likely peasants, engaged in craft production within a semi-industrial setting. Consider the process of lithography itself, a method that allows for the relatively easy reproduction of images. This print would have made accessible a scene of everyday life, and perhaps aimed to ennoble the virtue of labor. The artist has taken a scene of menial work and elevated it into the realm of art. The level of detail suggests that Shchedrovskii had firsthand experience of this craft, and the material conditions required for its production. It challenges the division between artistic representation, and the social realities of labor and class in 19th century Russia.