Seabed 

Konstantin Korobov painted “Seabed” in Russia, though the exact date isn’t known. At first glance, we see a rider on horseback in a desert landscape, but on closer inspection, the surreal details suggest a deeper commentary on Russia's economic reliance on oil and gas extraction. The desert is actually a seabed. The oil rig in the background is framed as a natural part of the environment. Korobov seems to be critiquing the normalization of the fossil fuel industry in contemporary Russian society. The rider's garb suggests a fusion of traditional nomadic attire with an oil-slick aesthetic, symbolizing a culture subsumed by the petroleum industry. As historians, we can analyze this painting through the lens of Russia's post-Soviet economic policies, the rise of its oil tycoons, and the environmental consequences of such practices. This artwork prompts us to consider the political role of art and the social conditions that shape artistic production, inviting a dialogue on the complex relationship between culture, economy, and environment in contemporary Russia.