Two young peasant women in colorful shawls 

Filipp Malyavin made this drawing of two peasant women with crayon on paper. The artist produced this work at a time when Russian art institutions were torn between the lure of Western styles and the need to create a distinctly Russian art, and the image makes reference to both of these. The bright colors and expressive drawing recall Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, both of which were increasingly popular in Russia at the time. But the subject is drawn from the Russian peasantry, who were seen as the embodiment of Russian national character. The peasant costume, rendered in such vivid color, evokes the beauty and dignity of the Russian people. At the same time, one has to remember that Russian peasants at this time were among the poorest people in Europe, with little education and no political rights. Malyavin seems to be commenting on the social structures of his own time. To better understand this drawing, we could research Russian art academies and the debates surrounding national identity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In doing so, we see how the meaning of art depends on its social and institutional context.