Two Sisters

Using this genre painting as an example, it is fascinating to see how things that are undoubtedly clear to the audiences of its time become obscure over the years and ultimately a puzzle for future viewers. Here is how this artwork is described on the reputed art website ar.culture.ru:

‘This canvas is a sorrowful satire by Vladimir Makovsky, depicting the breakdown of familial relationships due to monetary issues. The artist meticulously details each character, household objects, and the interior. Perhaps the viewers of the painting bear witness to an unexpected visit by one of the sisters. She has come to her father's house with certain demands ... Vladimir Makovsky emphasizes the contrast in appearance between the two sisters, highlighting the chasm of social and financial inequality between them. They are dressed differently ... Paintings hang on the walls of the study. The shelves of the étagères are filled with books and figurines. This is the artist's hint that, in the past, the house was beautifully and luxuriously furnished. However, the situation is different now: the father wears a worn-out jacket, there is a bottle on the table, inkwells are empty, and disorder surrounds the table ...’

Another way to approach this painting comes from the lesson plan in a textbook developed by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation: ‘Indicate which sister is wealthier, and what indicates the poverty of the second sister’ (Work Program for Extracurricular Activities ‘Museum in Your Classroom’ for Primary School Students in Grades 1–4).

From a contemporary standpoint, there is no visible wealth disparity between the sisters in the painting. One sister appears to be a coquette, a flirt, and a quaintrelle, while the other is simply dressed modestly in a respectable, well-tailored dress. The lady with a gold pocket watch on her waistband is certainly not destitute. Their father's studio does not show any signs of decline and destruction—especially if you look at the gold-plated writing instruments on the table. There is some creative disorder and nothing more. Moreover, the inkwells are not empty; they contain water and brushes for watercolor painting.

Thus, there is no economic motive for the conflict, although the conflict itself undoubtedly exists. Let's examine the coquettish sister's nose. On her nose, we see a lorgnette, which was usually worn on a cord and only used when one wanted to read or examine something because it was not the most convenient device for constant use. We can also see what the lady was reading—there is a discarded newspaper on the floor, which she angrily stomps on.

What was in the newspaper can be inferred by looking at the paintings that the artist kindly hung above the characters’ heads to clarify the narrative. Above the sister of modest means and their father, we see a recognizable depiction of the Holy Family. Above the head of the well-dressed sister, there is the classical representation of the penitent sinner Mary Magdalene with a tall cross and a skull. Whenever we see those attributes, they always indicate Mary Magdalene (or rather, the composite European image of her). Therefore, any educated visitor to a late nineteenth-century CE art exhibition would clearly understand that the painting depicts that one of the sisters, who was likely married, had likely been involved in a scandal, was an apparent adulterer, or, at the very least, had indulged in serious impropriety because of which she had been summoned to her parents' home. However, this Magdalene, judging by her defiantly lifted head, has no intention of being repentant.