Still life 

Boris Grigoriev made this still life painting, likely in the 1910s in Russia, using oil on canvas. The collection of objects invites reflection on the role of art, and particularly painting, at a time of political and social change. The presence of the brush is an explicit reference to artistic production. Set against everyday objects, like the cooking pot, rope, and food, it provokes the question: what is the relationship of art to daily life? Grigoriev came of age as an artist in a moment of institutional change and social upheaval. Artists in Russia were asking whether art should serve a social purpose. Was it simply a craft or a trade, just another form of work? Or did it have a higher calling? To answer these questions fully, a historian might consult manifestos written by artists at the time, along with government records about cultural policy and sociological studies of artistic life.