Holiday Makers 1957 - 1961

Anatoli Kaplan made this print, "Holiday Makers," using lithography, a technique that allows for rich textures and tonal variations. Kaplan was a Soviet artist, and while the exact date of this work is unknown, the figures depicted offer a glimpse into the complexities of Soviet society. We see two men, dressed in what appears to be bourgeois attire: top hats, canes, and patterned suits. This imagery is striking given the Soviet Union's official rejection of capitalist aesthetics. Were these men relics of a pre-revolutionary past? Or were they new elites enjoying the fruits of a system that, despite its rhetoric, still produced its own forms of social stratification? The ambiguity of the image invites questions about the lived realities versus the stated ideals of Soviet life. Understanding art like this demands that we dive into the social and institutional context. By researching Soviet fashion, social policies, and artistic censorship, we can gain richer insights into Kaplan's work. After all, art always speaks to—and often challenges—the world around it.