Peace Labor Happiness 1957

Valerii Lamakh made this painting, *Peace Labor Happiness*, using gouache and tempera. Look at the confident young worker rendered in warm brown hues standing in front of those soft blue skies. The artist must have seen the crane operator as a figure of strength, hope and progress. I wonder what Lamakh was thinking when he painted the doves, symbols of peace, so close to the machinery of labor. It’s like the artist wanted to capture a very particular moment in time. Think about the way the poster is constructed. The text, which boldly declares ‘Peace, Labor, Happiness!’, anchors the composition, while the upward gaze of the worker and the soaring doves lift the viewer's eye towards the sky. There's an optimism here that reminds me of Soviet-era art, but with a tenderness that feels very personal. Lamakh wasn't just creating propaganda; he was searching for his own vision. It reminds me of the way artists like Malevich also combined utopian visions with new forms of painting. It’s all one conversation, you know, each artist answering the call of the other.