How Dressed in the Old Days (Lady and Cavalier) - Konstantin Somov

A refined watercolour study by Konstantin Somov, depicting a lady and cavalier in eighteenth-century costume with characteristic Rococo-inspired elegance.

Konstantin Somov, a founding member of the Mir Iskusstva (World of Art) group, frequently turned his attention to the aesthetics of the eighteenth century. This work, titled How Dressed in the Old Days, captures a staged, theatrical encounter between a lady and her cavalier. The figures are rendered with a deliberate artifice that recalls the French Rococo period, yet they possess the distinct, slightly melancholic irony characteristic of Somov’s oeuvre.

The composition is sparse, placing the two figures against a neutral background to focus entirely on their elaborate attire. The lady wears a voluminous gown in shades of rose and cream, featuring layered ruffles and lace detailing. Her partner is dressed in a fitted coat and breeches, his posture suggesting a courtly dance or a moment of flirtatious performance. Somov employs a delicate, precise line quality to delineate the textures of the fabric, from the heavy folds of the skirt to the fine trim on the cavalier’s jacket.

Somov’s fascination with the past was not an attempt at historical accuracy. Instead, he treated the eighteenth century as a costume drama, a mask to be worn by his subjects. The expressions on the faces of the figures are subtle, bordering on the porcelain-like, which adds to the sense of distance between the viewer and the scene. The palette is restrained, relying on soft pinks, greys, and creams to maintain a light, airy quality. This piece reflects the artist's broader interest in the intersection of theatre, history, and personal fantasy, presenting a vision of the past that is filtered through the lens of early twentieth-century Russian modernism.