Nicolai Nikolaevich Baskakov (1918 – 1993) was born in a village near Astrakhan city on the Volga River. In 1933-1939 Baskak. ‘Milkmaids Novella’ depicts three women taking a break from milking cows. They are pictured resting on the grass, laughing loudly besides the milk urns, with cows grazing behind the fence in the background. The women’s simple white working robes and industrial size milk urns suggest that they work at a collective farm.

While the painting conforms to the socialist realism principles as it depicts ordinary working people the context in which the characters are shown is unique and not typical of Soviet State Art. Baskakov, who also painted more heavy-handed political messages like portrays of Lenin, sometimes indulged in depicting working people in light hearted situations, like sharing jokes or mocking each other.

SKU: 8557
Creator: Nicolai Baskakov
Date: 1962
Original Medium: oil on canvas
Original Size: 47 x 90 1/4 in.
Location: Museum of Russian Art
Nikolai Nikolaevich Baskakov