A great and unprecedented rage

August 6, 2010 10:50 AM

Russian Satirical Journals of 1905. MeFi's own peacay presents a selection of the amazing images produced after the lifting of censorship in Russia following the 1905 Revolution: "For a few brief months the journals spoke with a great and unprecedented rage that neither arrest nor exile could silence. At first their approach was oblique, their allusions veiled, and they often fell victim to the censor’s pencil. But people had suffered censorship for too long." Much more available at Beinecke, USC, and Wisconsin.
posted by languagehat (8 comments total)

Holy damn, not only are these awesome, but hello origin-appropriate tattoo material!
posted by griphus at 11:18 AM on August 6, 2010

Um. Wow.

Seriously compelling -- in some cases morbidly so -- stuff. Thanks!
posted by a small part of the world at 11:30 AM on August 6, 2010

Fascinating work from an insanely great moment in Russian visual arts. What makes these works triply poignant is the fact that there were a legitimate response to very real injustices, and that they inadvertently helped usher in a regime whose monstrous cruelties surpassed all but their most extreme caricatures. Answered prayers?
posted by Faze at 1:30 PM on August 6, 2010

To be fair, the very same artists (and their spiritual descendents) would have satirised the excesses of the Communist regime, as well. That is, if they didn't end up dead or in gulags.
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:28 PM on August 6, 2010

BibliOdyssey is one of the essential blogs out there. It is a doorway to the coolest historical images and illustrations available on the web.
posted by Rashomon at 2:34 PM on August 6, 2010 [2 favorites]

--..great moment in Russian visual arts--

That's it exactly. I was totally blown away by the incredible diversity of illustration styles.

Thanks 'hat!
posted by peacay at 8:48 PM on August 6, 2010

Amazing. Thank you.
posted by jokeefe at 11:14 PM on August 6, 2010

Thanks languagehat, and peacay. Fun and moving at the same time.
posted by Rumple at 7:59 AM on August 7, 2010