The Art of Lawrence Supino

I painted this for a gentleman who wanted me to replicate one of the most famous paintings in Russia, by artist Ilya Repin in 1880-1891. It took me 13 months to complete.
The painting depicts the drafting, in 1676, of a partly amusing and partly offensive letter of reply to a threatening letter from the Sultan of Turkey, Mehmed IV, which had demanded that these self governing Cossacks of the Ukraine submit to his authority and start paying taxes.
The Sultan has many different names and the Cossacks are mocking every one of them by substituting them with all sorts of other less flattering names...That's why they are all laughing.