Family (Russia Series)

This painting is based on a photo-reportage that appeared in the Russian daily newspaper Izvestiya (The News). It shows a family during the Gorbachev years when Soviet society was examining its past and present with a new truth and openness. The image struck me because of its pathos. The pregnant mother looks wistful, while her man looks less happy than stoically content. Both are trying to bring up their kids in a world that will be better than the one they grew up in. Ultimately, as is known, Gorbachev’s reform project failed, and the country and its dreams disappeared.