Bridge 1880

Konstantin Alexeevich Korovin made this oil painting, called 'Bridge', sometime in his native Russia. Korovin painted this landscape in an impressionistic style, which was quite modern for the time. But look closely, and you'll see something quite old fashioned. The makeshift bridge reminds us that Russia was still largely a rural country in the late 19th century. Even after the abolition of serfdom in 1861, life in the countryside remained hard. So, why did Korovin choose to paint this scene? As a member of the 'Peredvizhniki' or 'Wanderers' movement, he and his contemporaries aimed to depict the everyday life of ordinary Russians, outside the influence of the Academy of Arts. This artistic choice can be considered both a social and political statement. To better understand such works, we can research the history of art institutions in Russia and, more broadly, the social context in which artists like Korovin operated. We learn to appreciate how art is deeply intertwined with the social structures of its time.