Q: 19th c. Russian painting

[Mark Pepevnak]

Dear listreaders:

I don't think I've started a wild goose chase, but if I did inadvertently,
I'm very sorry to all... hopefully, I can reduce the chaos with a revised
posting of my query.

I'm looking for the artist, date, precise Russian title, and an art book
containing a colour reproduction of the following:

A 19th c. Russian painting entitled, if memory serves..., *At The Muslim
Barber's*. That said, another possibility is the title *At The Turkish
Barber's* ('Turkish' in this context, meaning 'some Central Asian
Turkic-speaking peoples') .

My guess of Vereshchagin as the artist, was very much an uneducated one; I
am a little bit familiar with some of his "Turkestan"  works; e.g., the
painting *Dveri Timura* (At the Palace Doors of Tamerlane), the paintings
of the Taj Mahal. It was based on that connection, and that he was a 19th
c. painter, that I went 'on record' suggesting Vereshchagin.

The painting, itself, shows centrally two men: one a barber, standing,
with a single, old-fashioned blade in one hand; the other man, seated
below him, either having his beard shaved, or his head. If memory serves,
it's a fairly dark painting. (It's been three years since I saw it.)

Perhaps this will help: the mood, texture and use of light in the painting
*Koc^egar* (Stoker, Fire-stoker) by N.A. Jaros^enko is reminiscent (to me)
of the painting I'm seeking.

Yesterday, when I posted the query, I was 99% sure that I saw it in the
(at the time) newly re-opened Tretyakov Gallery (May 1992). Today I'd go
as far as to say maybe it was in the Russian Museum in Petersburg. I'm
about 85% sure I saw it in the Tretyakov; it's in one of the two, I know
that much.

Thanks to all who've considered this query.

Best,

Mark

Mark Pepevnak
MA student
Department of Linguistics
University of Toronto



> I've had a look in the most recent Vereshchagin exhibition catalogue (1994)
> from the Tretiakov and also the catalogue of the Tretiakov collection
> (paintings only) and I don't see anything by Vereshchagin with even
> approximately that title.
>
> It's not Polenov either.  Do you remember what it looks like?  What the
> subject's location is?
>
> If you have any other ideas, I'd be glad to check the Tretiakov catalogue
 again.
>
> Charlotte Douglas (douglas at acfcluster.nyu.edu)
>