The artwork titled “Two Hawks (Bashi-Bazouk)” is an oil on canvas painting created by Vasily Vereshchagin between the years 1878 and 1879. This piece belongs to the Realism and Orientalism art movements and falls under the genre of genre painting. It is currently housed in the Museum of Russian Art (Tereshchenko Museum) in Kyiv, Ukraine.
The artwork depicts two figures seated on the ground, dressed in vibrant and richly detailed traditional attire, with their hands bound behind their backs. The men appear to be resting against each other, gazing in different directions. In the background, a soldier in uniform stands guard with a long rifle, observing a campsite filled with tents. The vibrant hues and meticulous details in the attire of the seated figures contrast with the more subdued tones of the background, encapsulating a scene that embodies the everyday life and cultural context of the depicted period. The clear, blue sky overhead creates a vivid atmosphere, adding to the realism and dynamic narrative of the piece.
