Depicted is the traditional Russian rite of the viewing of the bride by the groom''''s relatives. The painting conveys real details of peasant life of the period: the celebratory clothes and the interior of the izba with the traditional icons in what is known as the red (main) corner. This work was done for a competition for a minor gold medal and was shown at an exhibition at the Imperial Academy of Arts in 1861.

Petrov Nikolai

PETROV, Nikolai Petrovich
1834, St Petersburg - 1876, Ariccia, near Rome
Painter, genre artist, lithographer. Born into the lower middle class. Studied under Alexei Markov at the Imperial Academy of Arts (1857–1863). Con¬tributed to the exhibitions of the Imperial Acade¬my of Arts (from 1860). One of the rebellious four¬teen (1863). Member of the St Petersburg Artel of Artists (1867). Academician (1867). Contributed to Russian Art Album (1861). Moved to Italy for health reasons (1873).