A present to Comrade Stalin

Description

Author: Kasteyev, Abylkhan. 1904-1973
A multi-figure genre composition capturing a scene of Kazakh village life set against a majestic mountain landscape. In the foreground, two men and a woman wearing a white kimeshek sit upon a spread-out carpet. To their left, two women hold up an unrolled carpet woven with a portrait of Stalin. Behind them, a young woman emerges from a yurt, while an automobile and a second yurt appear in the right distance. The gathering evokes an artistic council evaluating the craftswomen’s work. The detailed and meticulous execution connects the piece to the tradition of realist easel painting, while the subject reflects the era’s characteristic theme of a nationwide tribute to the leader. At the lower left - signature and date.