I've been trying to find something written about folk art Soviet military snapshot portraits of this sort but have turned up nothing. There are other examples out there, which it seems most apt to describe as a form of trench art, since from what I've found they were limited to portraits of soldiers, who decorated the borders around their portraits, as here (those flourishes embedded in the print, not drawn on top.) I really love the effect, executed here in a manner that feels akin to prison tattoos and bathroom graffiti, and also (all those flowers, and the wavering quality of the line rendering them) very tender. And all amplifying a sense of how young this soldier was, too. On the reverse is a handwritten message, which I believe at least partially translates to: As a keepsake. Wait I will come. Do not forget. Your husband, Grisha.
3 1/2" x 2 5/16". WW2 I believe, Good condition, general wear, all to the good I think.
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