“Such Times, Such Fruits” (2025) – Acrylic painting on canvas, by Nataliya Bagatskaya (Ukraine)

This painting reimagines Valentin Serov's iconic "Girl with Peaches" from the emotional and psychological perspective of contemporary Ukraine. In Serov's original, the young girl sits in a room filled with soft light, simple fruit, and the quiet promise of a peaceful everyday life—symbols of a world that once felt stable, familiar, and almost innocent. In this modern reinterpretation, the atmosphere is altered. The peaches—symbols of domestic harmony—are replaced by grenades, objects that have tragically become commonplace in a country living under war. The tranquil interior remains, but it is fraught with tension. The young woman, dressed in a delicately embroidered summer dress, reflects the attitude of Serov's heroine, but her gaze carries a deeper meaning: an awareness of insecurity, resilience, and the fragile balance of normal life during an ongoing conflict. The black cat beside her becomes a silent witness, its attentive presence mirroring the vigilance that has become part of everyday life for Ukrainians. The warm red wall and the sunlit landscape outside reinforce the contrast between inner perseverance and the vast, unpredictable world beyond the window.