Two female figures. A male figure with a donkey. 

Vasily Polenov made this oil sketch of figures with a donkey, likely during one of his travels in the Middle East. Here, Polenov participates in the visual codes of Orientalism, a cultural phenomenon of the 19th century wherein European artists depicted the "exotic" cultures of the Middle East and North Africa. Russia, with its own imperial ambitions in the region, was a key site for the production of Orientalist imagery. How might we understand this sketch in the context of Russian expansionism and colonialism? Further study of Polenov's biography, letters, and other sketches, as well as research into Russian Orientalism, might help us better understand the social conditions that shaped the creation and reception of this work. Art history allows us to consider the politics of imagery and the public role of art.