Lilacs by the window 

Editor: This is Pyotr Konchalovsky's "Lilacs by the window", an oil painting that seems to capture the fleeting beauty of the scene. It feels incredibly intimate. How do you interpret this work through a historical lens? Curator: Given the stylistic nod to Impressionism and the title, "Lilacs by the Window," one immediately considers the domestic sphere. How was the "domestic" or the "intimate" portrayed in painting when this was created, and for whom? Was this displayed in a private home, or for a public audience? Were the lilacs painted from life? Editor: Those are all excellent questions I never thought to ask! I’d assumed the window framed the outside view, as one might expect. Curator: Exactly! And if it was meant for public consumption, we need to understand the purpose. Was it about presenting an ideal of bourgeois life, or about conveying personal sentiment? This piece makes one wonder what public values are attached to it, which we need to understand. How did the politics of imagery and public perception influence its reception, particularly given the artist's background and the period it was created in? Editor: So the scene isn't necessarily the point, but more about what it might *represent* in that time and space. I am seeing it differently already. Curator: Precisely. Context gives works social power. Considering how society impacted the art and the artist and visa versa will deepen your appreciation of "Lilacs by the Window" beyond face value. Editor: Thank you; thinking about who the art was intended for, and its place within societal ideals is really illuminating.