Portrait of a chorus girl 1883

Konstantin Alexeevich Korovin painted this portrait of a chorus girl in oil, though the exact date remains unknown. The subject matter offers an interesting glimpse into the social fabric of late 19th century Russia. Chorus girls, employed in the burgeoning theater scene, occupied a precarious position, both admired and stigmatized. This painting challenges the traditional high-society portraits, bringing a working woman into the frame. Korovin's loose brushwork and informal composition suggest an attempt to capture a more immediate, 'real' representation, perhaps influenced by the Realist movement gaining traction at the time. Investigating theater archives, newspapers, and social commentaries from that period could reveal the complex role of chorus girls in Russian society and shed light on the artist’s possible motivations for portraying this particular subject. The beauty of historical interpretation lies in its ability to connect art to the broader currents of its time.