As I perused the selection of 19th century works, I saw a dreamlike quality in Briullov’s portfolio. This emerges through a number of methods. For starters, his key works lack absolute internal consistency. Portrait of Maria Bek and Her Daughter is a prime example. The lighting mechanics seem to vary with the object struck; it seems as though the statue, human subjects, column, and sofa are subject to different light sources (with zero cross-illumination). The perspective of the room has a similar effect. I should also point to The Siege of Pskov by Polish King Stefan Batory with the skew red cross and fortress. Furthermore, the use of rectilinear forms for the axe-wielding soldiers and curvilinear forms for the people in the bottom left represents another contrast. Adding to the effect is the medley of Ancient Greek, Orthodox, and contemporary images in any given work. The deformation of space and time shows a mastery of all of the constituent elements of style.

In terms of significance, I am reminded of Gogol’s “The Nose” and Pushkin’s mythical works. Both the St. Petersburg myth and Briullov blend the contemporary Russian state with a litany of mythologies, and both conceive of worlds and narratives that grapple with the disparate pieces of 19th century Russia. Indeed, Briullov’s works show no lack of structure or narrative logic. The Siege of Pskov by Polish King Stefan Batory captures several layers of drama: the illuminated parishioners, the obscured casualties, the slashing axemen and distraught women on the fringes of the light. A balanced composition emphasizes this contrast. In effect, the piece exhibits a conflict between the divine sanction for the military campaign and the brutality of war. Looking at the historical context, Russia did grapple with both sentiments at the time due to its imperialist ventures and the legacy of the Napoleonic Wars. Hence, Briullov brings the subconscious conflict out into the open and directs its ascension to mythic heights.