Dispute, Yuri Pimenov - Description of the Painting

The picture titled the "Dispute" was created by Yuri Ivanovich Pimenov back in 1968, at the end of his glorious creative path, when the master was sixty-five. But, as one can easily see from this genre scene, the artist, considered the patriarch of socialist realism, used to be deeply interested in the problems and aspirations of the young people.

The subject painting depicts a dining room, decorated in a minimalistic style. It is easy to say that is shows a quite inexpensive catering establishment. This is clear when you see the painted walls with the cheap checkerboard linoleum on the floor, and plastic furniture.

The people sitting by the table are dressed dimly. There is a girl wearing a worn brown blouse and a faded black skirt, with the gray-blue tights mismatching with the other colors, and wrinkled demi-season boots. The man is shown dressed dapper, having on him a dark smoky suit and polished leather shoes. The guy’s hair is neatly slicked back and, if one notices the sheen, he applied some hair styling products.

Looking at him, one could assume that the guy pays more attention to his appearance than his interlocutor, and that he must have more financial opportunities for that. That must be the reason why he is evidently more confident, as can be concluded from his relaxed posture. The young man persistently attempts to prove something, gesticulating and leaning forward to the opponent.

The girl, resting her chin thoughtfully, is depicted in a rather tense pose and, apparently, is pondering the answer. When looking at her concentrated half-asleep expression, in combination with poor clothing, we can say that she is just so tired, most probably because the talk is taking place after her work shift.

The guy, conversely, is full of healthy enthusiasm, as, judging by his smart appearance, he does not need to work. The fashionista is definitely going to outargue his opponent.