Ships 1919

Pavel Filonov made this painting, Ships, in Russia, though the specific date is unknown. As an art historian, the lack of a date immediately interests me. Filonov was a part of the Russian avant-garde, but he refused to align himself with any particular movement, and his paintings were often allegorical depictions of the Russian Revolution, and, under Stalin, were censored. The painting shows what seems to be multiple ships filled with people, some joyful, some stoic, but all densely packed together. The lack of depth and the multitude of figures could symbolize the masses of people involved in the revolution and the lack of individual identity. The ships themselves could represent the state. As historians, it's our job to look at these kinds of cultural contexts to understand how art comments on the society in which it was made. Researching the specific history of censorship in the Soviet Union, and biographical information about the artist would be useful to understanding this piece better.