Janitor handing out an apartment to a mistress Vasily Perov (1833-1882)

The painting depicts a scene on a snowy day outside a rustic wooden building. A disheveled, barefoot man with a wild expression stands in an open doorway, gesturing emphatically and shouting. He is wearing a loose, pinkish shirt and tattered blue trousers. Above the doorway, a sign reads ДВОРНИК (Dvornik), indicating he is the janitor or caretaker.
Outside, facing him, are two women dressed in heavy winter clothing. The woman on the left, facing us, is wearing a fur-lined hat and coat, holding a handkerchief to her face as if crying or speaking with emotion. The woman on the right, with her back to us, is adorned in a voluminous black coat with a fur collar and a red headscarf, her posture suggesting distress or possibly defensiveness. The snowy ground is scattered with debris, including a broom and frozen refuse, further emphasizing the harsh environment.
The subtext of the painting appears to be a stark portrayal of social disparity and the harsh realities of life, potentially set in 19th-century Russia. The janitor, in his visible state of disarray and apparent anger, seems to be confronting or possibly dismissing the two women, who appear vulnerable and possibly seeking help or shelter. The title itself, Janitor handing out an apartment to a mistress, suggests a transactional and potentially morally ambiguous relationship, where the janitor might be using his position to gain favor with the women, or perhaps the women are being relegated to a subpar living situation due to circumstances, possibly involving the janitor or someone he represents. The scene evokes themes of power dynamics, poverty, and the struggles of ordinary people in a cold, unforgiving setting.