1900
Cardboard, pastel, water-colour, graphite pencil
46 х 58,6

The painting is one of Borisov-Musatov's first compositions, in which he creates his image of the past. Small in terms of size and subdued in its impact, the painting seems to transpose the viewer to the phantom world of the past, to meet the shadows of former owners of the manor estate. The sun light of the artist's early works gives place to mystical dull luminescence, which envelops the interior. The lady and gentleman sitting in chairs are removed from the composition's foreground by a spatial interval, filled with misty reflections. This gives a feeling of remoteness, detachment of the heroes, lost in silent contemplation. Their figures seem to be shrouded in a mist of memories, they look like dreams. By taking advantage of the idea of a picture in a picture, Borisov-Musatov presents his subjects as images from ancient portraits, come alive, their traits hard to identify. Produced using a combination graphic technique featuring pastel, the work is notable for its exquisite, ephemeral rendition.