The canvas Preparations for Sowing Season was painted in 1994. The artist was 76 years old at the time. Socialist realism had long been condemned to history and new trends in art had become popular, leaving objectivity and complex thematic compositions behind. 

However, Sysoev remained committed to the principles of realism in his art. All of his works were inspired by local material. The prototypes of the characters in his paintings were fellow villagers Gorodok, Tver Region, as well as the residents of nearby villages.

The painting depicts two women sorting through potatoes in preparation for sowing. The action takes place on a bright sunny day and is set against a spring landscape. The artist skilfully created the atmosphere of a cool day, yet imbued with the spring daylight. 

The grass has started to green and the trees are beginning to leaf out. Spring fieldwork is a particularly difficult season for rural residents due to the sowing season. The most important job during this period is ploughing the land.

The scene in the painting looks as if it has been taken straight from real life. His quick, but accurate strokes convey the main plot and the atmosphere of what is taking place. Sysoev’s paintings create the feeling that the work of rural residents is not difficult and exhausting. 

The characters are dressed brightly and even festively, despite the fact that they are doing rather dirty work. In terms of colour combinations, they are balanced by the rich colours of the landscape and the blue sky. Using these techniques, the artist creates the impression of joyful and harmonious work.

There is certain nostalgia and tenderness in Sysoev’s later works. They no longer have the emotional pathos that is inherent in his narrative paintings. It is replaced by warmth and lyricism. Sysoev always had a deep love for what he portrayed. In this picture, you can clearly feel the harmony between human and the nature, the joy of an ordinary day and an everyday routine.