Still Life with Lilacs 

Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky painted ‘Still Life with Lilacs’ in oil on canvas. The work recalls the traditions of Russian still life painting, but we can also connect it to wider social and cultural contexts. The arrangement of lilacs in a glass vase, set against a simple wooden backdrop, speaks to the Russian love for nature and the beauty found in everyday life. As with much realist painting, this is not the glamour of court or aristocracy, but an image of intimate domesticity, made at a time when Russia was undergoing rapid social and political change. What does it mean to focus on something as simple as a vase of flowers? Bogdanov-Belsky lived through the Russian Revolution and two World Wars, and a more comprehensive understanding of the artwork would involve researching the effect of these upheavals on artists and art institutions. This artwork provides a window into understanding this complex period of Russian history.