Boyaryshnya 

Konstantin Makovsky created this oil painting called Boyaryshnya in Russia, but the exact date is unknown. It depicts a young woman, likely from the upper class, lost in thought. The image creates meaning through the visual codes of Tsarist Russia. The subject's elaborate headdress and refined features speak to a specific social position. Makovsky often created idealized portrayals of Russian life and culture. The image, reminiscent of folk traditions, romanticizes pre-modern Russian society, perhaps in response to the social and political changes happening at the time. To fully understand Makovsky's work, we can look at the history of Russian art institutions and the evolving patronage systems of the time. Researching the representation of women in Russian art would also offer a better understanding of the role of images like this. The meaning of art is always contingent on social and institutional context, and historians help us see this complexity.