The artist is Solomatkin
In the picture in a somewhat grotesque form, the arrival of the mummers in the family of a wealthy official is depicted. The two weeks followed Merry Christmas, were the time of unbridled fun, marked by various rituals and fun. The custom widespread in Russia was to dress up – to put on masks, larvae. This was due to the believe that the devils, wandering around the ground for eight days after Christmas, can torture or captivate a person if they cannot be deceived, raising themselves into a devilish guise. Mummers, scaring the demons, moved from home to the house where the owners had to treat them with food and drink.