On the railroad. H. 1868, 52h66 am GTG Vasily Perov (1833-1882)

In the painting On the Railroad (1868) by Vasily Perov, a group of peasants are gathered at a railroad crossing on a snowy winter day. A lowered barrier gate suggests an approaching train, or perhaps the crossing itself is a new and unfamiliar sight. The figures are dressed in traditional, rustic clothing, cloaks and headscarves, indicating their rural background.
The central figures are two men, one with a long, gray beard and a stern, observant expression, and another bearded man with a wide, almost unsettling grin, who appears to be gesturing expansively. To the left of these men, three women and a bearded man are looking intently towards something off-canvas to the left. Their faces register a mixture of curiosity, apprehension, and perhaps awe. To the right, a woman stands by the gate, holding a chain, with a young child huddled at her feet, also looking towards the unseen event. In the background, a horse is visible, tethered to the gatepost, and beyond it, a sparse, snow-covered landscape with trees.
The painting captures a moment of transition and the encounter of rural life with the burgeoning industrial age. The subtexts likely revolve around the impact of the railway on traditional Russian society. The reactions of the peasants – their apprehension, wonder, and the contrasting expressions of the two main male figures – suggest a range of feelings towards this new technology. The older bearded mans gesture and the younger mans unsettling smile could represent bewilderment, fear, or even a sense of opportunity and change. The presence of the child and the woman holding the gate chain could symbolize the grounding of tradition and family amidst the unfolding progress. The overall mood is somber yet charged with anticipation, highlighting the profound societal shifts occurring in Russia during the period of industrialization, represented here by the imposing, yet unseen, force of the railroad.