19-v 2h Vasnetsov, Russian Empire

The painting is an illustration to a common motif of Russian folk fairy tales, when a hero comes to a fork in the road and sees a menhir with an inscription telling him what awaits him in each direction. In this case, the only visible words are "Как пряму ехати — живу не бывати — нет пути ни прохожему, ни проезжему, ни пролетному" (If you go straight, you will not be alive—there is no path for either the walker, the rider, or the flier."