A delicate 1905 watercolour by Sergey Solomko, depicting a formal encounter between a man in traditional Russian dress and two women in Edwardian attire.

Sergey Solomko, a Russian artist active during the turn of the twentieth century, produced this watercolour in 1905 while residing in Rome. The work captures a moment of social encounter, featuring a male figure in historical Russian attire positioned in the foreground, while two women in contemporary Edwardian-style hats observe from the background. The juxtaposition of these two distinct sartorial eras creates a narrative tension, typical of Solomko's interest in historical costume and romanticised social scenes.

Solomko was known for his technical proficiency in watercolour, a medium he used to achieve delicate textures and soft transitions of tone. The male figure wears a traditional cap and a tunic adorned with decorative braiding, rendered with careful attention to the fabric's weight and drape. His gaze is directed away from the viewer, towards the women who stand near an architectural archway. The background figures are depicted with lighter, more ethereal washes, which helps to establish a sense of spatial depth despite the relatively flat composition.

The palette remains largely restrained, relying on muted yellows, soft greys, and pale pinks to maintain a sense of harmony. Solomko's signature, along with the location and date, is visible in the lower right corner, confirming the work's origin during his period of travel in Italy. This piece reflects the broader European fascination with historical revivalism and the stylised aesthetic of the Art Nouveau period, where the focus often shifted toward the decorative qualities of clothing and the subtle interactions between figures in a staged setting. The work remains a representative example of his illustrative style, which frequently appeared in periodicals and luxury editions of the era.