Mikhail Nesterov and Aleksandr Blok: Feminizing Russian landscape around 1900

That the work of the Russian painter Mikhail Nesterov and poet Aleksandr Blok warrants a comparative analysis has been proven by a number of recent studies. This article explores the link between two concrete works that have not yet been examined in this light: Nesterov's painting 'In the Hills' (1896) and Blok's play 'Song of Fate' (1908). Close analysis reveals that the depiction of the heroine in Blok's drama mirrors Nesterov's painting at a textual level. More importantly, both works can be interpreted within the context of a political-cultural discourse that reigned supreme around 1900, in which traditional or rural Russia was allegorized as a beloved woman.