35 - SCHEDROVSKY, Ignatius (1815–c. 1870)

SCHEDROVSKY, Ignatius (1815–c. 1870) Coopers Oil on canvas Signed lower center 43 × 62 cm. Poor condition (significant soiling and loss of paint). In the work of Ignatius Stepanovich Schedrovsky, scenes of everyday life in St. Petersburg hold a special place. They find their most accomplished expression in the series *Scenes from Russian Folk Life*. Created between 1838 and 1839, this series of thirty-six drawings was published as a lithographed album before being expanded upon in the artist’s painted compositions during the 1840s. Several works related to this series are now housed at the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. Schedrovsky sought to depict the various segments of the urban population, their activities, habits, and relationships, transforming his observations of daily life into vivid genre scenes. The album was subsequently reprinted several times. This work is of particular interest as a testament to the genre of Russian genre painting from the first half of the 19th century. It constitutes a clear reference to the artist’s preparatory cycle. The attention paid to daily life, characteristic figures of the common people, and their surroundings lends the composition genuine documentary value. Ignatiy Shchedrovsky (1815–ca. 1870) The Cooper (“An Important Little Thing”) Oil on canvas Signed at the bottom center 43 × 62 cm. In poor condition (severe soiling and loss of paint). Scenes of everyday life in St. Petersburg, reflected in the series “Scenes from Russian Folk Life,” occupy a special place in the work of Ignaty Stepanovich Shchedrovsky. Created in 1838–1839, the series of thirty-six drawings was published as a lithographed album and was continued in the artist’s paintings of the 1840s. Several paintings related to this series are housed in the State Tretyakov Gallery. Shchedrovsky depicted members of various urban social classes, their occupations, habits, and relationships, transforming his observations of the surrounding reality into expressive genre scenes. The album was subsequently reprinted several times. In the 1852 edition, it was supplemented with texts by V. N. Savinov, including the story “An Important Thing.” An alternative title associated with this plot is “Five Coopers, a Kissing Man by the Stove with the Cooper’s Wife.” The literary accompaniment enriched the scenes of everyday life with narrative and humorous motifs, revealing the characters’ personalities and the distinctive features of the depicted setting. The work is of interest as an example of the Russian genre of everyday life from the first half of the 19th century and as a historical and cultural testament to the era. It is a clear reference to the planned series. The artist’s attention to everyday life, characteristic folk types, and their surroundings lends the painting documentary value, while preserving its independent artistic significance.