Costume design for an officer with a gun 

Jury Annenkov designed this costume for an officer with a gun using pencil, ink and watercolour. It’s difficult to say exactly when this design was made, but it likely dates to the early twentieth century when Annenkov was working as a stage designer in Russia. Annenkov's design offers a glimpse into the visual culture of the military at that time. The elaborate detailing, the vibrant red accents, and the plumed hat evoke a sense of old-world pageantry. The gun, however, reminds us of the violence that was part of Russian life during a period that included World War I, the Russian Revolution, and the Civil War. We might consider how such costume designs could both glorify and critique the military. To understand Annenkov's design better, we could research Russian military history, the history of stage design, and the artist’s biography. Art is never made in a vacuum.