Russian art of the XIX century

The second half of the 19th century is traditionally called the era of realism in Russian art. Masters of critical realism were interested in social and psychological conflicts; they saw the dark sides of Russian reality and sought to portray them truthfully. The spirit of democratism prevailed in the Society of Itinerants, which was established in 1871 and arranged its exhibitions in different cities of Russia.

However, at the time, there were other movements in art, i.e. academic and salon art. The former related to the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts and continued its traditions, which stemmed from classicism and romanticism. Close to academic art was salon art, which distracted one from the boredom of everyday life, enlightened and, at the same time, delighted the eye. Masters of these art directions often demonstrated their works at exhibitions arranged by the Academy. Many of them were far from being innovative and commonly took advantage of the variety of styles of the past.