This family portrait reveals the artist not as a witness of history, but as a father observing the emerging personalities of his children. The composition captures two contrasting temperaments already visible in childhood: one inward, thoughtful and inclined toward solitude, the other lively, open, and drawn to movement and companionship.
Rather than an idealized image, Maltsev presents a quiet psychological study. The children are shown with seriousness unusual for their age, suggesting the artist’s attentive gaze and his desire to preserve not only likeness, but character.
