Stary Krym 1902

Konstantin Bogaevsky painted this landscape, Stary Krym, using oil on canvas, but the date is unknown. Bogaevsky was born in the Crimea and much of his work reflected the landscape of this region. In the early 20th century, Russian artists sought a national artistic identity, often looking to the past, to folklore and mythology, and to the Russian landscape for inspiration. Bogaevsky, however, created fantastical landscapes with classical architectural motifs that had a metaphysical or spiritual dimension. In this painting, the artist presents us with a high horizon line and a red sky, which evoke a sense of timelessness and spirituality. The stark, arid landscape with its suggestion of ancient ruins might reflect on the transformations that Russia was undergoing at this time, in particular, the collapse of the old order and the search for a new kind of society. If we want to know more about the role of landscape painting in the Russian artistic imagination, we can study exhibition reviews and artistic manifestos from the period. The way we understand this painting depends on the historical and cultural context that we bring to it.