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Date Made: 1991
Country: Soviet Union

Measurements: 70 cm x 100 cm; 27 9/16 in x 39 3/8 in

Joseph Stalin and Mihkail Gorbachev are arm-wrestling over Lenin’s mausoleum, the symbolic heart of the Soviet Union. Stalin’s skin is painted entirely in blue, giving him the appearance of a monument as opposed to Gorbachev’s more realistically-colored visage. The title of the work, a single question mark, reflects the political uncertainty of 1991, when the future of Russia was at a crucial point of departure from its Communist past and its more democratic future. The blue bird on Gorbachev’s shoulder, the same shade of blue as Stalin, hints that the Communist past continues to be reflected in Gorbachev’s policies and views.

Accession Number: 2009.053.175

Item Name: Painting
Credit Line: The Ferris Russian Collection, Donated by Tom and Jeri Ferris
Collection/Series: The Ferris Russian Collection, Donated by Tom and Jeri Ferris


		

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