Singers on the kliros 1870

Vladimir Makovsky painted Singers on the kliros in oil on canvas. It depicts a choir in what appears to be a Russian Orthodox church. Makovsky made this painting at a time of questioning and reform in Russia. The painting gives us an insight into the state of the church and its role in Russian society. The singers, in their ornate robes, stand in front of religious icons, but their expressions are far from divine. The painting seems to invite reflection on the relationship between religious ritual and genuine spiritual experience. To understand this painting fully, we need to consider the social and political context in which it was made. Research into the history of the Russian Orthodox Church, its relationship with the state, and the broader intellectual currents of the time, would shed more light on Makovsky's artistic choices and the painting's cultural significance.