Artist – Petrov -Vodkin
The objects of the still life written by Petrov-Vodkin in 1918 reflect the harsh time in which it was created. Bread, potatoes and herring – the main food of people during the Civil War and devastation in Petrograd. The artist depicts each of these objects not only carefully, but also solemnly, trying to give them monumentality and beauty. Potatoes seem especially heavy and material on a pink background, shading and warm tones of bread; Hider scales burn and shimmers in the rays of light, like a jewel.
The laconicism and artistic concept of the still life “Herring”, appealing to the fundamental symbols, religious and cultural primordials of being, direct humanity, compassion for spiritual and physical hunger, make it the main plastic sign of the post -October pore, parallel to the revolutionary “formulas” of Paul Filonov.
