Itinerants

The Peredvizhniki, or "Wanderers," were a group of Russian painters in the latter half of the 19th century who broke away from the Russian Academy's traditional, foreign-influenced classicism. They championed a new style of realist and nationalist art intended to serve the common person. Believing art should be useful and convey humanitarian and social ideals, they depicted everyday Russian life, focusing on both inspiring and pathetic subjects in an accessible, literal manner.

In 1870, they established the Society of Wandering Exhibitions to bring their art to people across Russia through mobile displays. This movement, which dominated Russian art for about 30 years, included prominent artists such as Ivan Kramskoy, Ilya Repin, and Vasily Surikov. The Peredvizhniki's artistic creed emphasized realism, national feeling, and social consciousness, influencing later movements like Socialist Realism in the Soviet Union.12