Soviet graphic Engelsiana: From Marx's shadow to a comic character

The article reviews the evolution of the image of Friedrich Engels in Russian painting,
sculpture and cinematography. Particular attention is given to the analysis of paintings
and drawings by the Soviet artists, including N.I. Feshin, N.N. Zhukov, V.I. Lapin, I.I.
Zakharov and others. The author emphasizes the supporting role of the character of
Engels in the depiction of historical events as well as him being secondary in relation to
characters such as primarily Karl Marx. At the same time, it is noted that even such ideologically standardized material was sometimes pictured ingeniously.