Pionery i shkolniki, razvodite krolikov [Pioneers and Schoolchildren, Start Raising Rabbits!], a poster by V. Orlova [Vera Orlova, 1904-1993]. Iskusstvo, Moscow, 1942, 29.5 x 47.5 cm.

The relatively mundane topic of raising rabbits periodically attracted close attention from Soviet visual propagandists. It appears that the state's interest in rabbit-raising picked up at times when the regular system of feeding Soviet cities came under strain — like during the war, as is the case with the poster being offered here. For an earlier example of a poster on the same topic, see lot 11.

Vera Orlova is thought of primarily as a genre painter and portraitist, but an essay about Orlova by O. Stekolshikova mentions that in the 1930s both she and her husband artist K. Finogenov relied on producing posters for IZOGIZ for income. Those interested in details of the artist's biography are referred to her page on www.maslovka.info.