A boy selling brew 1861

Vladimir Makovsky painted 'A boy selling brew' in Russia, but we don't know exactly when. It invites us to consider the conditions of everyday life in Russia at the time. The image creates meaning through visual codes, such as the boy's clothes and the objects he carries that tell a story of poverty and labor. Makovsky's choice of subject matter reflects a broader trend in 19th-century Russian art to represent the lives of ordinary people, often with a critical eye towards social inequality. As art historians, we use resources like historical archives and literature, to understand how the painting participates in broader cultural and political conversations about social reform, class, and childhood in Russia. By exploring these contexts, we can appreciate the painting not just as a beautiful image, but as a powerful commentary on the social structures of its time.