Vasily Maksimovich Maksimov is a Russian artist, a famous genre painter. His great desire was to study the poor Russian village, to depict it on the canvas, to show the viewer all its charms and shortcomings. One of the paintings of this genre is his canvas “Everything is in the past.”
The picture amazes us with its tranquility and peace. In the foreground we see two elderly women drinking their morning tea. Apparently, one of them is the hostess of the house, and the other serves her. Perhaps not even in terms of work, but just brightens the loneliness of the old woman.
The hostess of the house looks much richer than her interlocutor. She sits on a large armchair. She has a pillow under her back and legs. She is dressed in a long yellow dress. Over it is put on a long black cape with an openwork frame. Near there is a cane, and at the feet lie a dog. On her left hand is a small table, covered with a colorful tablecloth. On it are dishes with food and a cup of tea. The other old woman is dressed more modestly. She is wearing a dark skirt and a plaid apron. Top coarse, dark jacket, and a black scarf on his head. She sits on the threshold of the house and knits something. Next to it you can see a bowl with a cup. On the step above is a samovar with hot tea. A beautiful colorful blanket hangs on the perilla of the steps.
The house is very beautiful, wooden. Next to it grows a large lilac bush. Then you can see another rather big house, all in the sun. The day is very beautiful and bright. White clouds are seen in the blue sky. The author has paid great attention to small details. He very accurately depicted the path leading deep into the village, the flowers of lilac, the faces of the old women, the sleeping dog.
With his painting “Everything is in the past”, Vasily Maximov shows us the beauty and calm of the village. These wonderful fresh days, smells of nature and the possibility of solitude.
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