Pavel Fedotov did not have any professional training as an artist. He took drawing lessons during his time at the Moscow Cadet Corpse. Military service in the Life Guards of the Finland Regiment left time only for occasional evening-time classes at the Art Academy. Event those he started only at 19 while normally artists began their studies at 10-12. It was only in 1844 when along with his resignation from military service in the rank of staff captain “due to family circumstances”, Fedotov made a move from battle-scene to genre painting. Eventually he became Academician of Arts. Intent treatment of the “thingish” world in his early paintings reflected the artist’s vision: selecting this or that object he tried to make them look as realistic as possible.

Later on this self-referential attitude to things made way to psychological aspects of “scenes of domestic life”. A best example of which is Fedotov’s unfinished painting “Encore, more Encore!” (1851-52). The painting has a second title: “Army Officer Lodging in the Village”. Every single object in the room is discernible and recognizable. Things as such however are “silent”: their presence in the interior is subordinate to creating a special mood. The painting is about overwhelming boredom and meaninglessness of existence when nothing whatsoever: no guitar playing, no simple dinner on the table, no glowing windows in a house across the street, not even playing with the dog can relieve this inexorable relentless ennui. The world “thingish” is there to reflect the man’s feelings.