Alexei Venetsianov’s skill in painting the most mundane lives of those considered to be almost less than human is genuinely striking. In the most basic sense, the usage of bright colors completely changes the perspective on peasants. In previous styles, it was not uncommon to see peasants wholly drained of their humanity, looking like they were on their last dregs of life, and utterly depressed. Venetsianov uses light colors, framing his paintings as not sad scenes, but scenes of everyday life of a commoner. The light colors give those in the paintings a dignified and dream-like appearance, seeming to indicate the idea that, although peasant life was extraordinarily hard, it was possible to be happy and even joyful.
The painting of the Spring, Plowland, painted in the early 1820s, shows this colorful depth (among many other meaningful elements). The bright blue sky and the deep green landscape seems reminiscent of the surroundings the artist himself may have grown up with in childhood. These bright colors give more to the picture, creating a background of happiness. The central peasant woman is barefoot and wearing a pink dress, which seems to be an almost beautiful take on a woman who is the lowest of the low in Russian society. The inclusion of the baby also seems to symbolize motherhood and the desire to care for something. These peasants seem to be living a lyrical and dignified lifestyle, contrary to what we have seen previously. Many of Venetsianov’s paintings are like this: his focus on dignifying the peasants and giving them an ethereal lifestyle represents a new style of painting that had previously been uncommon.