Description of the picture:
Preference – Victor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov. 1879. Oil on canvas
Warm summer evening, wide open doors to the balcony. Five officials spend their leisure time at their favorite card game. In fact, there are only three in the game. The fourth, turning away from everyone, overturns another shot glass. The fifth, the youngest, does not take part in the game. Dying of boredom, he yawns openly, widely and sincerely. Three at the table are passionate about the game. The old man blindly looks at his cards. The other two eagerly look into his alignment, not at all embarrassed. The meanness of what is happening does not bother at all, it aroused some predatory excitement in the heroes.
Boredom, tin boredom – this is the atmosphere created by Vasnetsov. At the same time, the inner emptiness of all participants in this stuffy evening is striking. They cannot think of anything else; they are doomed to such evenings: the same and meaningless.
The light from the candle creates huge shadows on the walls of the living room, emphasizing the insignificance of those present. The lurid bas-relief decorating the fireplace, the portrait on the wall – everything is tasteless, gone, stupid. The clock in the corner is the only living organism in the picture. Process in progress "killing" time."