Collage 332

Pierre returns to Moscow. Polar opposites figure prominently throughout this novel, starting with the title - War and Peace. Another pair is Petersburg and Moscow. Petersburg is hypocrisy, darkness, falseness, influence, fakery. Pierre is miserable there: "Only the skeleton of life remained: his house with his brilliant wife, who now enjoyed the favors of an important person; acquaintance with all Petersburg; and service with its dull formalities. And that former life suddenly presented itself to Pierre with unexpected vileness. He ceased writing in his diary, avoided the company of the brothers, began going to the club again, began drinking heavily again, became close again with bachelor companies, and began leading such a life that Elena Vassilievna felt it necessary to reprimand him sternly. Pierre felt that she was right and, to avoid compromising his wife, left for Moscow." -- Otto

Otto Mayr
from page 671-672 of original text
collage,acrylic paint
made 2/8/11
page 534-536 Pevear/Volokhonsky translation