Aleksandr Savko
Another Tea Party
Lot 59 Year: 2018Material, technique: Oil on canvas, mixed media
Size: 120 х 120 cm Estimate: $2740 Start bidding: $1644
In this work, Vasily Perov’s Tea Party in Mytishchi (1862) from the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery is opposed to the current reality. A summer scene in this genre painting still depicts a priest drinking tea in the shade of the spreading trees. He is easily recognizable by his posture and beard despite the fact that his cassock was replaced with a garment with the symbol of Batman. In the popular culture of the second half of the 20th century, priests, as mediators of God, were replaced with superheroes based on simplified Christian axiology. Instead of the beggars that plague the relaxing priest with their presence, we can see two Jokers. The author preserved the satirical essence of Perov’s work, while those who can understand the irony of these comparisons will especially enjoy the game of meanings.