Violin 1921

Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin painted this still life, titled ‘Violin,’ sometime around 1918 in Russia. It shows a violin resting casually on a musical score by Bach. At this time, the Russian Revolution was overturning old hierarchies and cultural norms, leading some artists to explore a new visual language. Petrov-Vodkin was at the forefront of the Russian avant-garde movement. ‘Violin’ offers us a look at the aesthetic values of the post-revolutionary period. Although a still life – a traditional, conservative genre – the bold colours and flattened perspective are a clear move away from the traditions of the Tsarist Academy. We see the influence of Cubism and Futurism. But, unlike the radical break with the past seen in Western Europe, in Russia there was a greater emphasis on continuity. This is reflected in the choice of subject matter. Bach represented the musical establishment and ‘high’ culture but the implication is that music and the arts now belong to the people. By researching manifestos and political debates of the period we can understand the role of art in a rapidly changing society. It shows us that art making is never neutral but is always connected to the social and institutional context of its time.