A Russian Paints America
Author | : Pavel P. Svin'in |
Publisher | : McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP |
Total Pages | : 378 |
Release | : 2008-10-17 |
ISBN-10 | : 9780773577251 |
ISBN-13 | : 0773577254 |
Rating | : 4/5 (51 Downloads) |
Book excerpt: A Russian Paints America presents the first complete English translation of Svin'in's fascinating memoir. Thirty-one original watercolours complement his provocative views on topics such as slavery, religion, politics, and the fine arts. Introductory essays by Marina Swoboda and William Whisenhunt examine Russian-American relations, consider Svin'in's life and particular role in Russian history, and set his work in the context of the genre of picturesque travel - Svin'in clearly did not set out to produce a scholarly account of the United States but a work of literature, at a time when Russian literary language was in its earliest stages of development.