Still Life with Cactus 

Alexander Semenovich Verdernikov created this "Still Life with Cactus" using an unknown medium. Although the exact date of this artwork is not confirmed, we can look at the life of the artist, who was born in 1898, to understand more about the social structures that might have influenced its creation. Verdernikov was born in the Russian Empire, later known as the Soviet Union. Still life as a genre has a history linked to secularization, the rise of science, and the development of a merchant class. Verdernikov’s cactus and flowers can be seen to reflect these developments. Looking at the art market and critical reception of art at the time, we can get a clearer picture of the role this painting may have played in society. Through library and archive research, we are able to uncover the meaning of artworks as contingent on social and institutional contexts.