Portrait of the Author Feodor Dostoyevsky 1872

Vasily Perov painted this portrait of the author Feodor Dostoevsky in 1872 using oil on canvas. The portrait creates meaning through its visual codes and historical associations. We can consider how Russian culture at the time might have influenced the work, including its social classes, political movements, and economic structures. Perov was part of the "Peredvizhniki," a group of Russian realist artists who formed as an artistic cooperative in protest to academic restrictions. The Peredvizhniki aimed to depict Russian life, especially the difficulties of the poor. In this portrait, Dostoevsky appears world-weary, in simple clothes, and with rough hands, signifying his connection to the Russian soil and perhaps, his sympathy for the lower classes. As historians, we can look at letters, archives, publications, and other resources to better understand the social and institutional context of this painting. We see that it embodies the social and political ideals of its time.