Portrait of Alexei Ivanovitch Strelkovsky 1889

Vladimir Makovsky painted this portrait of Alexei Ivanovitch Strelkovsky in Russia, though the exact date is unknown. Makovsky was a prominent member of the Peredvizhniki movement, also known as The Wanderers. This group of Russian realist artists formed as a protest against academic restrictions. The Wanderers aimed to depict the everyday life of the Russian people and to use art as a means of social commentary. They organized travelling exhibitions to reach a wider audience, outside of the established art institutions of Moscow and St. Petersburg, bringing art to rural areas and promoting progressive ideas. In this context, the portrait of Alexei Ivanovitch Strelkovsky reflects the Peredvizhniki's commitment to realism and their interest in portraying individuals from various social backgrounds. Historians can delve into the archives of the Peredvizhniki movement to understand the artistic and social concerns that shaped their work and grasp the meaning of art as contingent on social and institutional context.