A Work of Art (Chekhov)
Short summary
A young man named Sasha Smirnov visited Dr. Koshelkov to express gratitude for saving his life during a dangerous illness. As a token of appreciation, Sasha presented the doctor with an antique bronze candelabra, insisting he accept it despite the doctor's reluctance.
The candelabra featured two nude female figures in suggestive poses, making it inappropriate for the doctor's family home. After Sasha left, the doctor decided to give the embarrassing item to his lawyer friend Uhov as a gift.
The lawyer, also uncomfortable with the risqué artwork, passed it to a comedian as a benefit night gift. The comedian, unable to keep it in his private apartment, sold it to an antique dealer. Two days later, Sasha burst into the doctor's office, exclaiming:
Doctor! imagine my delight! Happily for you we have succeeded in picking up the pair to your candelabra! Mamma is so happy... I am the only son of my mother, you saved my life...
The doctor was speechless as he realized the candelabra had completed a full circle, returning to him with a matching pair.
Detailed summary
Division into chapters is editorial.
Sashas gift to the doctor
Sasha Smirnov visited Dr. Koshelkov's consulting room carrying a package wrapped in a newspaper. With a sentimental expression, he thanked the doctor profusely for saving his life during a dangerous illness. Sasha emphasized that as the only son of his mother, they were deeply grateful but, being poor, could not properly repay the doctor for his services.
I am the only son of my mother and you have saved my life... you have brought me through a dangerous illness and... we do not know how to thank you... we are poor people and cannot of course repay you.
Instead of money, Sasha offered the doctor a gift - an antique bronze candelabra that had belonged to his late father. He explained that his father used to buy and sell antique bronzes, a business that he and his mother now continued. Sasha then unwrapped and placed the candelabra on the table with great solemnity.
The doctors dilemma with the inappropriate statue
The candelabra was an artistic bronze piece featuring two female figures in extremely revealing poses - essentially nude - supporting a candlestick. The doctor was immediately uncomfortable with the risqué nature of the gift. He scratched behind his ear nervously and tried to explain that the statue was not appropriate for his family home, where children and ladies frequently visited.
The serpent-tempter himself could not have invented anything worse... Why, to put such a phantasmagoria on the table would be defiling the whole flat... I am a family man, my children run in here, ladies come in.
Sasha was offended by the doctor's reaction, insisting that the doctor was failing to appreciate the artistic value of the piece. He argued that true art transcended earthly concerns and filled one's soul with reverence. The young man pressed his case, reminding the doctor again that he was the only son of his mother and that refusing the gift would wound both him and his mother deeply.
Reluctantly, the doctor gave in and accepted the candelabra. After Sasha left, Dr. Koshelkov stared at the bronze for a long time, acknowledging its beauty but feeling it was impossible to keep. He pondered what to do with the inappropriate gift and to whom he might pass it along.
Passing the gift to the lawyer
After much deliberation, the doctor decided to give the candelabra to his friend Uhov, a lawyer who had handled legal matters for him without charging a fee. Since Uhov was a bachelor and easygoing, the doctor thought the gift would be appropriate for him and would serve as a suitable thank-you for his legal services.
Without delay, Dr. Koshelkov took the candelabra and went to Uhov's home. He presented the bronze as a token of gratitude for the lawyer's assistance. Upon seeing the provocative statue, Uhov was initially delighted and impressed by its artistic merit, chuckling at the audacity of its design and praising its exquisite craftsmanship.
The lawyers predicament
Despite his initial enthusiasm, Uhov quickly realized he could not keep the candelabra. Like the doctor, he expressed concern about propriety, explaining that his mother visited him occasionally, as did his clients. He was also embarrassed at the thought of his servants seeing such a risqué object in his home.
What a specimen! Ah, deuce take it, to think of them imagining such a thing, the devils! Exquisite! Ravishing!... Only you must carry off your present, my boy... I can't take it... my mother is here at times, my clients... besides I should be ashamed for my servants to see it.
The doctor refused to take back the gift, insisting that rejecting it would offend him. He left Uhov's home quickly, relieved to have passed the problematic candelabra to someone else. Left alone with the bronze, the lawyer examined it thoroughly before facing the same dilemma as the doctor - what to do with such an inappropriate yet valuable art piece.
The gift reaches the comedian
After careful consideration, Uhov decided to present the candelabra to Shashkin, a comic actor who was known to appreciate such things. It was also Shashkin's benefit night at the theater, making it a perfect occasion for a gift. That evening, the lawyer delivered the carefully wrapped candelabra to the actor's dressing room.
Throughout the evening, men crowded into Shashkin's dressing room to admire the provocative bronze, filling the room with enthusiastic laughter. When actresses approached the door asking to enter, the comedian refused them entry, claiming he wasn't dressed.
After the performance, however, Shashkin found himself in the same predicament as the previous owners. He lived in a private apartment where actresses visited him, and he couldn't keep such an inappropriate object there. Unlike a photograph that could be hidden in a drawer, the candelabra was too conspicuous to conceal.
Well what am I to do with the horrid thing? Why, I live in a private flat! Actresses come and see me! It's not a photograph that you can put in a drawer!
The candelabra returns to its source
The actor's hairdresser offered a practical solution to his dilemma. He suggested that Shashkin sell the bronze to an old woman in the neighborhood who was known to buy antique bronzes. The hairdresser specifically mentioned Madame Smirnov, saying that everyone knew her.
Shashkin followed this advice and sold the candelabra to Madame Smirnov, unwittingly returning it to its original source - the very same business run by Sasha and his mother. The circle was now complete, with the bronze making its way back to where it had started.
The doctor receives the second candelabra
Two days after getting rid of the candelabra, Dr. Koshelkov was sitting in his consulting room contemplating the acids of the bile when his door suddenly opened. Sasha Smirnov burst in, beaming with happiness and carrying another package wrapped in newspaper.
Sasha excitedly announced that they had managed to find the matching pair to the doctor's candelabra. He explained that his mother was overjoyed about this fortunate discovery. Once again, he expressed their gratitude to the doctor for saving his life, emphasizing that he was the only son of his mother.
With trembling gratitude, Sasha placed the second candelabra - identical to the first one - in front of the stunned doctor. Dr. Koshelkov was so shocked that he opened his mouth to speak but found himself completely speechless, unable to utter a single word as he stared at the matching bronze figure that had found its way back to him.