Latgal Girls 1920

Curator: Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky's oil painting, "Latgal Girls," completed around 1920, captures two young women in a moment of quiet contemplation. What's your immediate response to it? Editor: It evokes a powerful sense of yearning, almost melancholy. The bright colours are deceptive; look at their faces. It's tinged with the knowledge of something lost, or perhaps something yet to be attained. Curator: I agree, there’s an interesting tension at play. Considering Bogdanov-Belsky's biography—born into poverty, he later became a celebrated academician—it's tempting to read this work through a class lens. The painting suggests a narrative of rural life, and of women specifically in this region of Latvia. Editor: Absolutely. And beyond simple representation, how does it function politically? These women aren't just subjects; their gaze feels intentional, challenging. The garb indicates the rural class, while the application of colours elevates their very existance into a matter of attention in this canvas. I'm curious to explore the political subtext further, particularly regarding the role of women during the interwar period. What are the burdens that rest on their shoulders? Curator: I think it's also useful to discuss the painterly handling here. While superficially realist, there’s a definite impressionistic touch in the broken color and the attention to light. He manages to straddle the line between academic art and the burgeoning Russian avant-garde. Editor: You're right, the brushstrokes are very expressive. It lends a contemporary feel that counters the seemingly simple genre scene. And I believe this piece actively combats some deep seated historical misconceptions that are related to issues of class, race, and gender. What this image communicates across the years that it elevates Latgal women and girls, their thoughts and dreams, to something iconic that deserves notice. Curator: Well said. Bogdanov-Belsky gives us a portrait that functions as a powerful emblem. It’s more than just a pretty picture, isn't it? Editor: Exactly, a powerful political claim regarding Latgal women made subtly through intimate portraiture. Food for thought.