Vasily Rozhdestvensky’s painting “Metallurgical Plant” with the image of a working foundry belongs to the later period of his creature. At this time, the artist is travelling a lot across the young Soviet country. The main themes of his works in the 30s and 40s of the XX century are socialist construction, industrial enterprises, portraits of masters and workers. This is directly evidenced by the names of personal exhibitions of Rozhdestvensky, held from 1935 to 1945: Nature and construction in the USSR, Nature and architecture, Portraits of masters of folk art. The paintings of the 30s are very different from the early paintings that were full of revolutionary artistic ideas. 

Rozhdestvensky didn’t finish his studies at college. In 1910, he was expelled for breach of discipline. All this did not prevent him from leading an eventful and productive life in the next decade and a half. During that period, he became a founding member and board member of the art society ‘Jack of Diamonds’, travelled to Italy and Austria.

However, in the period before his conscription into the army during the First World War and after demobilization in 1917, the style of Rozhdestvensky changed, acquiring the features of cubism, as it is clearly seen in Still Life with Liquor.

Further changes in technique happen during the formation of the Soviet state. Then, he started moving away from the canons of ‘Jack of Diamonds’ into realism, writing a lot from life, filling his painting with traditional techniques of Savrasov and Levitan.

The late canvases of Rozhdestvensky contain a noticeable influence of French impressionism and Vrubel, judging by sharp, almost dramatic color combinations and uneven movement that can be described as a ‘shaking’ stroke, creating a unique ‘carpet’ ornament.