Something Doesn’t Stack Up Here
Matryoshka dolls are the famous Russian nesting dolls that have graced shelves with their beautiful, intricately hand-painted designs since the 1890s. Many of them feature designs of flowers, fruit, or landscapes, while others give us screenshots of traditional Russian tales. The number of dolls always varies, but the quality typically stays the same within a stack.
As the dolls get smaller, it becomes increasingly more difficult to pack in more detail, resulting in less defined features, but it looks like the artist in charge of painting this set tossed in the towel early. There’s already a significant difference between the two largest dolls, suggesting the artist was in a hurry to get to their afternoon nap rather than continue painting.