Daryal pass. Moonlight Night 1895

Arkhyp Kuindzhi painted "Daryal Pass. Moonlight Night" with oil on canvas. The image seems to capture an idea of sublime nature that was popular in the 19th century. But instead of the vastness of the ocean or the height of the mountains, Kuindzhi shows us a narrow pass, as if to suggest that nature can be appreciated even in a small space. It was made in Russia, in the 1890s, when landscape painting was becoming increasingly popular, in part due to the rise of national consciousness and the desire to celebrate the beauty of the Russian land. The image creates meaning through the way it captures light. We know from historical accounts that Kuindzhi experimented with new techniques to achieve his striking effects of light and shadow. Perhaps these can be tied to the increasing industrialisation and electrification of Russia. Looking at paintings like this helps us to understand how Russian artists were engaging with the ideas of their time, and how they were using their art to shape the way people saw the world. We can use a range of different research methods, from archival research to art historical analysis, to gain a deeper understanding of the context in which these paintings were made.