Perfecting her artistic skills, Vera Khlebnikova left Astrakhan for several years, first moving to St. Petersburg, then to France and Italy. After returning from Europe, the Astrakhan period of the artist’s work began, which lasted from 1917 to 1924.
It is characterized by a pronounced interest in eastern motifs. During this period, she painted “Camels”, “Young Woman with a Swan”, and “Eastern Ornament”. After Velimir’s death in 1922, Vera began working on a series of illustrations for his works, creating “Vila”, “Wind”, “Leshak”, and “Mermaids”.
In 1924, she married Pyotr Vasilyevich Miturich and moved to Moscow. The financial situation of the family was unstable. They spent “winter”, that is, the period from autumn to spring, trying to earn money: before his dismissal, Miturich taught at VKhUTEMAS; the spouses often worked in tandem on book design or large commissions. They were forced to live in a room of 30 square meters, in which there was a gas stove — the only way to heat water, in the “most economical” mode.
Summer was the time for the soul: they went to the Volga, Sudak or Dzhubga, to Solotcha or Spas-Zagorye. They could freely be creative. It was not always possible to go on vacation, and there were more “winters” than “summers” in their life.
Pyotr Vasilyevich recalled that for about half a month they “were well-fed and paid off their debts, ” and for the second half a month they lived on “loans” and relied on the services of a junkman.
Due to the birth of her son May, the move to Moscow of her elderly parents Vladimir Alexeyevich and Ekaterina Nikolaevna, and other everyday worries, Vera Khlebnikova had less and less time for art. At the same time, the most ordinary things gained special artistic value for her: clothes on the dryer, a kettle, a sugar bowl… Bright saturated colors of both watercolors and colored pencils made her difficult life shine with festive colors.
The canvas “Still Life with Tangerines” was also painted in the late 1930s. Bright fruits are a reference to the southern generosity of Astrakhan in its best years. The product of the Imperial Glass Factory, a cobalt glass mug, turned with its handle from the viewer and visually slightly narrowed downwards, resembles a Chinese bowl for tea — a gaiwan. By playing with familiar objects, the artist managed to return to her favorite eastern motifs.
