Snowy mountain peaks. Caucasus. 1895

Arkhyp Kuindzhi painted ‘Snowy mountain peaks. Caucasus.’, likely in the late 19th century, with oil on canvas. This work presents a sublime view of the Caucasus Mountains, a region of strategic importance in the Russian Empire. The image creates meaning through its visual codes, presenting nature as both majestic and untamed. The Caucasus, with its diverse ethnic groups, was seen as a frontier, a space to be mapped and controlled. Kuindzhi's romanticized depiction, bathed in ethereal light, arguably served the Empire’s project of idealizing its territories. We must not forget that Imperial art institutions often promoted such representations, celebrating expansion. Historical records, travelogues, and studies of Imperial Russian art can help us understand the social and institutional contexts of the time. By understanding the values of Imperial Russia we can then understand art as something contingent on social and institutional context.