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First of all, we know two things about the painting: its author and, possibly, the history of the canvas. But about the fate of those who look at us from canvases, we know not so much.
website I decided to talk about women whose faces are familiar to us, but their stories are not.
Jeanne Samary
Auguste Renoir, Portrait of the Actress Jeanne Samary, 1877
The actress Jeanne Samary, although she could not become a stage star (she played mainly maids), was lucky in something else: for some time she lived not far from the workshop of Renoir, who painted four portraits of her in 1877-1878, thereby glorifying much more than her acting career could have done. Zhanna played in performances from the age of 18, at 25 she got married and had three children, then even wrote a children's book. But this charming lady, unfortunately, did not live long: at the age of 33 she fell ill with typhoid fever and died.
Cecilia Gallerani
Leonardo da Vinci, Lady with an Ermine
1489-1490
Cecilia Gallerani was a girl from a noble Italian family who was already engaged at the age of 10 (!) years. However, when the girl was 14, the engagement was canceled for unknown reasons, and Cecilia was sent to a monastery, where she met (or it was all set up) the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza. An affair began, Cecilia became pregnant and the duke settled the girl in his castle, but then it was time to enter into a dynastic marriage with another woman, who, of course, did not like the presence of her mistress in their house. Then, after the birth of Gallerani, the duke took his son for himself, and married her to an impoverished count.
In this marriage, Cecilia gave birth to four children, kept almost the very first literary salon in Europe, visited the duke and played with pleasure with his child from a new mistress. After a while, Cecilia's husband died, the war broke out, she lost her well-being and found shelter in the house of the sister of the same wife of the duke - in such a wonderful relationship she managed to be with people. After the war, Gallerani returned to her estate, where she lived until her death at the age of 63.
Zinaida Yusupova
V.A. Serov, "Portrait of Princess Zinaida Yusupova", 1902
The richest Russian heiress, the last of the Yusupov family, Princess Zinaida was incredibly good-looking, and, despite the fact that august persons, among others, sought her favor, she wanted to marry for love. She fulfilled her desire: the marriage was happy and brought two sons. Yusupova spent a lot of time and energy on charitable activities, and after the revolution she continued it in exile. The beloved eldest son died in a duel when the princess was 47 years old, and she could hardly bear this loss. With the onset of unrest, the Yusupovs left St. Petersburg and settled in Rome, and after the death of her husband, the princess moved to her son in Paris, where she spent the rest of her days.
Maria Lopukhina
V.L. Borovikovsky, “Portrait of M.I. Lopukhina", 1797
Borovikovsky painted many portraits of Russian noblewomen, but this one is the most charming. Maria Lopukhina, a member of the Tolstoy count family, is depicted here at the tender age of 18. The portrait was commissioned by her husband Stepan Avraamovich Lopukhin shortly after the wedding. Ease and a slightly haughty look seem to be either the usual pose for such a portrait of the era of sentimentalism, or signs of a melancholy and poetic disposition. The fate of this mysterious girl turned out to be sad: just 6 years after the painting, Maria died of consumption.
Giovannina and Amacilia Pacini
Karl Bryullov, Horsewoman, 1832
Bryullov's "Horsewoman" is a brilliant ceremonial portrait in which everything is luxurious: the brightness of colors, the splendor of draperies, and the beauty of models. It depicts two girls who bore the surname Pacini: the eldest Giovannina is sitting on a horse, the youngest Amacilia is looking at her from the porch. The painting to Karl Bryullov, her lover of many years, was ordered by their adoptive mother, Countess Yulia Pavlovna Samoilova, one of the most beautiful women in Russia and heiress to a colossal fortune. The Countess guaranteed a large dowry for her grown-up daughters. But it turned out that by old age she was practically ruined, and then the adopted daughters of Jovanin and Amacilia, through the court, collected the promised money and property from the countess.
Simonetta Vespucci
Sandro Botticelli, The Birth of Venus
1482–1486
The famous painting by Botticelli depicts Simonetta Vespucci, the first beauty of the Florentine Renaissance. Simonetta was born into a wealthy family, at the age of 16 she married Marco Vespucci (a relative of Amerigo Vespucci, who “discovered” America and gave the continent his name). After the wedding, the newlyweds settled in Florence, were received at the court of Lorenzo Medici, in those years famous for lavish feasts and receptions.
Beautiful, at the same time very modest and benevolent Simonetta quickly fell in love with Florentine men. The ruler of Florence, Lorenzo himself, tried to take care of her, but his brother Giuliano was the most active in seeking her. The beauty of Simonetta inspired many artists of that time, among whom was Sandro Botticelli. It is believed that from the moment they met, Simonetta was the model for all Madonnas and Venuses by Botticelli. At the age of 23, Simonetta died of consumption, despite the efforts of the best court doctors. After that, the artist depicted his muse only from memory, and in his old age he bequeathed to be buried next to her, which was done.
Vera Mamontova
V.A. Serov, "Girl with peaches", 1887
The most famous painting by the portrait master Valentin Serov was painted in the estate of the wealthy industrialist Savva Ivanovich Mamontov. Every day for two months, his daughter, 12-year-old Vera, posed for the artist. The girl grew up and turned into a charming girl, married out of mutual love Alexander Samarin, who belongs to a famous noble family. After a honeymoon trip to Italy, the family settled in the city of Bogorodsk, where three children were born one after another. But unexpectedly in December 1907, just 5 years after the wedding, Vera Savvishna died of pneumonia. She was only 32 years old, and her husband never remarried.
Alexandra Petrovna Struyskaya
F.S. Rokotov, "Portrait of Struyskaya", 1772
This portrait by Rokotov is like an airy hint. Alexandra Struyskaya was 18 when she was married to a very rich widower. There is a legend that for the wedding her husband gave her nothing less than a new church. And all his life he wrote poetry to her. Whether this marriage was happy is not known for certain, but everyone who has been in their house paid attention to how dissimilar the spouses are. For 24 years of marriage, Alexandra gave birth to her husband 18 children, 10 of whom died in infancy. After the death of her husband, she lived another 40 years, firmly managed the estate and left a decent fortune to the children.
Together with her husband, Lisa raised five children and, most likely, her marriage was based on love. When her husband died of the plague and Lisa was also struck by this serious illness, one of the daughters was not afraid to take her mother to her and let her go. Mona Lisa recovered and lived for some time with her daughters, dying at the age of 63.
Konstantin Makovsky is a famous Russian artist who painted many paintings of boyar Russia of the 17th century. The furnishings of the boyar choirs, the clothes of the heroes of the paintings, and the boyars and hawthorns themselves are reproduced so reliably that individual chapters of the history of Russia can be studied from the artist’s paintings.
The accuracy in writing individual details and motifs of patterns woven by the hands of Russian embroiderers, or clear ornaments on carved goblets and bowls, surprises and delights viewers of the past and present.
Luxurious clothes embroidered with pearls, amazingly beautiful headdresses of that time, beautiful hawthorns adorned with precious necklaces, boyars in brocade caftans - everything is felt with what love for Russian national beauty and culture, for the rich heritage of our ancestors, these pictures were painted . You can stand near each of them for a long time - admire the Russian patterns and feel pride in yourself and at the same time sadness, sadness that much has been lost, has not been preserved and is not preserved today. Therefore, such paintings, in which unique evidence of the culture of the Russian land remained, are especially valuable for us.
Biography of the artist Konstantin Makovsky
Konstantin Yegorovich Makovsky (1839 - 1915) was born into a family where there was an atmosphere of art worship. Many famous figures of culture and art visited their house. The artist's father, Yegor Ivanovich Makovsky, was one of the largest collectors in Moscow in the second quarter of the 19th century. His hobbies were works of fine art, mostly old engravings.
And Konstantin Yegorovich, having inherited his father's passion, collected all the masterpieces of Russian ancient craftsmanship, but it was "beautiful antiquity." He skillfully added something to living rooms and workshops, and then used it in his paintings, and something he simply put in his old large ebony closet, so that later he could admire and admire the beauty and skill of Russian masters.
On the cornice of the fireplace stood old household utensils: silver ladles, cups, washstands, fans - items of boyar times. Ancient boyar brocade costumes, colorful sundresses, handrails studded with pearls, kokoshniks embroidered with pearl lace - all this can be seen in the artist's paintings. And besides the things lovingly collected by Konstantin Yegorovich, people who gathered around him also took part in his paintings. Sometimes they acted out scenes from boyar life, which were then transferred to the canvas. And this undoubtedly aroused the keen interest of the audience, because through the paintings of Makovsky they were attached to the knowledge of the history of Russia and the culture of their ancestors.
The artist's daughter in her memoirs told how "... luxurious" living pictures "from the boyars' life were staged ...". There were sometimes up to 150 people invited to these evenings, among whom were representatives of ancient families, descendants of those depicted by the artist. They "... deftly and beautifully dressed in brocade and velvet clothes ..." in order to reproduce in them the scene conceived by the artist. This is how the paintings appeared - "The Wedding Feast", "The Choice of the Bride" and many other paintings.
Paintings by Konstantin Makovsky
On the canvases of K.E. Makovsky in bright luxurious costumes from his own collection created images of beautiful women, the artist's contemporaries. You look at the picture and feel as if the Russian pattern shines, the sarafan of the Russian beauty embroidered with silk and silver gleams. And if you pay attention, we will see that in each picture the hawthorn girls wear completely different headdresses. Indeed, the artist's collection of kokoshniks and headdresses was the richest and most valuable acquisition.
Collecting objects of Russian antiquity K.E. Makovsky continued to study all his life. Collecting masterpieces of Russian masters, the artist became familiar with the history of Russia and, admiring them, was inspired by new ideas. Now, his canvases evoke in us not only admiration for the richest heritage of our ancestors, but also a desire to learn more and more about our homeland.
About how K.E. Makovsky used his collection in his work, the writer E.I. Fortunato, who was lucky enough to be his model.
KE Makovsky was not only an artist. Communicating with prominent historians, he himself became a great specialist in the field of Russian antiquity. K.E. Makovsky sought to preserve the artistic heritage of Russia. Therefore, it is no coincidence that in 1915 he became a member of the Society for the Revival of Artistic Russia, whose main task was to preserve, study and promote Russian antiquity.
It is bitter and sad that the collection, which has been collected for half a century, which has occupied such an important place in the life of the artist, which has become a reflection of an entire era in Russian culture, will be put up for auction just six months after his death. In September 1915, K.E. Makovsky was hit by a street cab on one of the streets of Petrograd. Having received a severe head injury, the artist died two days later. Sudden death ruined all plans...
More than 1,000 items were listed at the auction, some of them went to the capital's museums: the Russian Museum, the Hermitage, the Museum of the School of Technical Drawing of Baron Stieglitz, and Moscow museums. Many items were bought up by representatives of Moscow antique firms. Authentic costumes, silver goblets, ladles, glasses passed into the hands of prominent Moscow collectors.
But not everyone admired the paintings of K. Makovsky and his manner of working.
At the beginning of his creative career, K. Makovsky shared the views of the Wanderers, he painted peasant children (“Children running from a thunderstorm”, “Date”), but already in the 1880s the artist irrevocably moved away from them and began to arrange personal exhibitions.
In 1883 he painted The Boyar Wedding Feast in the 17th Century, followed by The Choice of a Bride by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (1886), The Death of Ivan the Terrible (1888), Dressing the Bride to the Crown (1890), Kissing rite" (1895,). The paintings were successful both in Russia and at international exhibitions. For some of them, at the World Exhibition of 1889 in Paris, K. Makovsky was awarded a gold medal.
The prices for his paintings were always high. P.M. Tretyakov sometimes could not get them. But foreign collectors willingly bought canvases of the "boyar" cycle, so most of the artist's works left Russia.
Thanks to this success, K.E. Makovsky became one of the richest people. Throughout his life, he was surrounded by luxury, which no Russian artist dreamed of. Makovsky fulfilled any order on any topic with the same brilliance. It was the latter that caused many misunderstanding, and even condemnation. Some, apparently, envied the success, others believed that the people with their daily lives should be present in the paintings. But such paintings were sold out not so willingly, and many believed that Makovsky wrote on those topics that were in demand, that is, for the sake of his own enrichment.
However, he always lived as he wanted and wrote what he wanted. His vision of beauty simply coincided with the requirements and demands of those people who were willing to pay a lot of money for his paintings. His easy success was the main reason for the negative attitude towards him and his work of the Wanderers. He was accused of using art and his talent for material gain.
K.E. Makovsky began his artistic journey together with the Wanderers, exhibiting paintings on the theme of the life of the people. However, over time, his interests changed, and from the 1880s he became a successful salon portrait painter. The fact that this happened for the sake of material wealth cannot be believed. After all, this is evidenced by his numerous collections and multifaceted talent. But it cannot be denied that Makovsky did not seek recognition abroad. In addition, Europeans were interested in Russian history, so his work was quickly sold.
In his personal life, Makovsky was also happy. His pleasant appearance, sociability, always open and smiling look of clear eyes made Konstantin Yegorovich always a welcome guest. He was married three times. His first wife, Lenochka Burkova, an actress at the Alexandrinsky Theatre, lived with him for a short life. A charming and gentle girl brought a lot of joy and warmth into his life. But illness carried her away from earthly life early.
Carefree and greedy for the joys of life, Konstantin Yegorovich quickly consoled himself when he saw a girl of extraordinary beauty at the ball - Yulenka Letkova. The girl was only sixteen years old, and the charming painter was thirty-six. The wedding took place soon after. Having lived twenty years of a happy family life, Konstantin Yegorovich painted many paintings, most of which contain a cute image of his young wife. For many years, Yulia Pavlovna Makovskaya was his muse and model for portraits.
In 1889, Konstantin Makovsky went to the World Exhibition in Paris, where he exhibited several of his paintings. There he became interested in the young Maria Alekseevna Matavtina (1869-1919). In 1891, an illegitimate son Konstantin was born. I had to confess everything to my wife. Yulia Pavlovna did not forgive betrayal. A few years later, a divorce was filed. And Konstantin Yegorovich continued a happy family life with his third wife, whom he also used as a model. He also often depicted his children from both his second and third marriages on his canvases.
Vishnyakov, Ivan Yakovlevich
Portrait of S. E. Fermor. OK. 1750
Canvas, oil. 138 x 114.5
State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg The portrait of Sarah Eleonora Fermor is one of the best works of Vishnyakov and the most poetic children's portraits of the 18th century.
As an old inscription on the back of the canvas testifies, Sarah Fermor is depicted at the age of ten. According to archival sources, she was born in 1740. Thus, the portrait was painted no later than 1750.
A ten-year-old girl is depicted as an adult lady. She is presented in a solemn pose, her gestures are a little mannered, and on her lips there is a “secular” smile. The background gives the portrait a representative pomp. The girl's thin hands and her pale, thin face with irregular features, full of liveliness and emotionality, look like a touching contrast of splendor.
The lyricism of the work is based on the color scheme, which harmoniously combines gray, green and bluish tones. The general mood is supported by a "talking" landscape with thin trees and transparent foliage.
In the work of Vishnyakov, there is still a connection with the parsun tradition. This affected the planar image of figures, shallow space and abstractly uniform lighting, as well as writing clothes that do not feel the volume of the body. Along with such obsolete conventions, the portrait shows the influence of Western European painting with its natural authenticity in conveying details. The fabric of the dress is written out so accurately that modern English experts recognize in it a sample of silk from the middle of the 18th century, produced in England according to French designs.
Sarah Eleanor is the daughter of General-in-Chief V. V. Fermor and his wife Dorothea Elizabeth, née Bruce. In 1765, Sarah married the "Estlandian Landrat" Count Jacob Pontus Stenbock. The heroine of Vishnyakov's portrait died after 1805.
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Rokotov, Fedor Stepanovich. Portrait of A.P. Struyskaya. 1772. Tretyakov Gallery
Canvas, oil. 59.8 x 47.5
The woman in the portrait seems to emerge from the darkness, he is half absorbed in the haze. Only expressive eyes are clearly defined - bright, eye-catching. Particularly successful in the portrait of Struyskaya, the eyes are always interesting in Rokotov's portraits. They express a range of feelings, they are always especially bright and form the center of the portrait. They even talk about "Rokotov's eyes" as a special "know-how".
The portrait was commissioned by Nikolai Struysky, Alexandra Petrovna's husband. At the same time, Rokotov also painted a portrait of Nikolai Struysky himself. Performed in the same manner, Nikolai Struysky is still much less known. This portrait can also be seen in the Tretyakov Gallery, in another room.
Presumably, paired portraits were ordered for the wedding, and in this case, Alexandra Struyskaya is no more than 18 years old in the portrait.
Rokotov for many years remained a friend of the Struysky family, and Nikolai Struysky was almost the only admirer of Rokotov's talent, and he was the first to collect a collection of his works.
Many conflicting stories are told about Nikolai Struysky. Being fond of painting and literature, being engaged in publishing, he nevertheless remained a tyrant in his household, for the serfs - a petty tyrant.
The "strange gentleman", by the way, fancied himself a poet and devoted bunches of clumsy cumbersome verses to his adored wife. Ironically, none of them went down in history, but the poem dedicated not to the beauty herself, but to Rokotov's portrait, became a textbook.
This is the famous "Portrait" of Nikolai Zabolotsky, painted in the 20th century, after the death of all three characters: the artist and both of his models.
Love painting, poets!
Only she, the only one, is given
Souls of changeable signs
Transfer to canvas.
Do you remember how from the darkness of the past,
Barely wrapped in satin
From the portrait of Rokotov again
Did Struyskaya look at us?
Her eyes are like two clouds
Half smile, half cry
Her eyes are like two lies
Covered in mist of failures.
Combination of two mysteries
Half delight, half fright
A fit of insane tenderness,
The anticipation of death torments.
When darkness comes
And the storm is coming
From the bottom of my soul flicker
Her beautiful eyes.
Borovikovsky Vladimir Lukich
Portrait of M.I. Lopukhina
1797
Canvas, oil
72 x 53.5
"She has long passed, and there are no longer those eyes
And there is no smile that was silently expressed
Suffering is the shadow of love, and thoughts are the shadow of sorrow,
But Borovikovsky saved her beauty.
So part of her soul did not fly away from us,
And there will be this look and this beauty of the body
To attract indifferent offspring to her,
Teaching him to love, suffer, forgive, be silent"
(Y. Polonsky)
Borovikovsky has a mysterious thing - a portrait of M. I. Lopukhina, no doubt, his best work, his masterpiece. First of all, the light with which the figure of a woman is flooded is striking, as T. Alekseeva aptly noted, it “absorbs the brightness of color”, and color spots (we will use her remark, which, however, relates, however, to another portrait of Borovikovsky) arise “as if from the depths of the air background". Lopukhina is immersed in this air stream.
As always with Borovikovsky, she is in a white dress and a colored scarf, as always she is slightly moved to the right so that we can see the landscape. She is a little flirtatious in a turn, extremely independent and sovereign, looks with some defiance. But this light gliding over a young face, these flying curls, these lips so tenderly outlined (they just don’t tremble) - everything in this captivating face is full of softness and lyricism - the very gullibility that inspires perfect confidence. But the feeling of lightness, lyricism and gullibility disappears at once, one has only to look into her eyes - they have the hard green of a grape. No, even more: they are alienated, almost hostile. In any case, the barrier is even more distinct and sharp than that of Rokotov's models. With what realistic skill Lopukhina's face is written out, and yet the highest reality turns out to be an unknown deep experience that we guess about (which, more precisely, we are trying to unravel). No matter how different the two artists may be, even polar ones, in the manner of writing, in style, in relation to the model, in the worldview, Borovikovsky still draws closer to Rokotov in his best work, and the common ground for rapprochement is proximity to the unknowable and the feeling of a veil.
Chaikovskaya O.G. "Like a Curious Scythian...": Russian Portrait and Memoirs of the Second Half of the 18th Century. - M.: Book, 1990. S.267.
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Valentin Alexandrovich Serov
Girl illuminated by the sun (Portrait of M.Ya.Simonovich)
Canvas, oil. 89.5x71 cm.
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
Maria Yakovlevna Simonovich (1864-1955), his cousin, posed for the artist. The originality of the composition was expressed in the fact that the model is placed under the canopy of trees. With fractional strokes, Serov conveys the play of sunbeams, the flickering of colored shadows. Warm, gentle rays do not disturb the spellbound state of the young heroine. Her relaxed posture enhances the impression of dissolution in light reflections and iridescent flashes. Only the face, white blouse and hands of the girl are covered with color impressionistic reflexes, and the details framing her figure are painted in dark colors. The artist's skill in depicting the model's eyes, from which a quiet light seems to flow, is striking. Thus, an image of the interpenetration of sunlight and the light of the human soul arises.
Somov Konstantin Andreevich
(1869-1939)
Portrait of E.P. Nosova. 1911
Canvas, oil. 138.5 x 88 cm
State Tretyakov Gallery
In 1910, in the days when Somov arrived in Moscow and started working on a portrait of Evfemia Pavlovna Nosova, he wrote in letters: “Blonde, thin, with a pale face, a proud look and very smart, good taste at the same time.”
Evfimiya Pavlovna is known to have been the daughter of one of the Ryabushinskys, famous merchants and industrialists in the third generation, direct participants, led by the architect Shekhtel, in the development of Russian Art Nouveau. She was born in 1883 (they also indicate 1881, but the year of death is in doubt). In any case, in the book “K.A. Somov. The world of the artist. Letters. Diaries. Judgments of contemporaries. Moscow, 1979, which I held in my hands in the same 1979, it was reported that E.P. Nosova lives in Rome.
The portrait was ordered from Somov, who came to Moscow to paint a portrait of G. L. Girshman, apparently in connection with a wedding, upcoming or past, in the same 1910. With the date of birth and death, there is still complete disagreement. If Evfimiya Pavlovna (name from a grandmother from an Old Believer family) was born in 1883, it is strange that she marries only at 27 years old. She studied music and painting, was fond of the theater, perhaps she dreamed of a stage? And according to other sources, she was born in 1881, she died in 1970. So, she got married only at 29 years old? Is this a beautiful and rich bride?
There is also data on birth and death: 1886-1976. Even the days and months are listed. It seems that these are the most faithful. She marries at 24, and we see a young woman at a turning point in her life, proud and obstinate in her youth. The book I mentioned was ready for publication two or three years before its publication, if not earlier, according to the plan, books were published at that time, and Evfemia Pavlovna could still live in Rome.
And her portrait by Somov ended up in the Tretyakov Gallery along with her collection, where she transferred it in 1917 for storage. Her collection included paintings by Rokotov, completely forgotten at that time, Borovikovsky, Kiprensky, Venetsianov. Strange, I don’t remember if I saw a portrait of E.P. Nosova in the walls of the Tretyakov Gallery? I might not know anything about the artist yet, but the type of beauty of his model would certainly have caught my attention.
Somov wrote: “She is sitting in a white satin dress, decorated with black lace and corals, it is from Lamanova, she has 4 pearl strings around her neck, her hair is breathtaking ... like some kind of huge beetle on her head.” It can also be seen from the reproduction in the book: Evfimiya Pavlovna is, in fact, an extraordinary model. And this is not only in wealth, but in style, a child of Russian modernity, its living model, while not a shadow of decadence, but beauty and the power of life-affirmation.
Somov wrote: “I was in the box of Nosova, who was dressed breathtakingly, a bright blue satin dress, embroidered with mother-of-pearl silks with pink tulle shoulders, on her neck a riviera with long hanging ends of diamond large trefl, connected by diamonds...”
Evfimiya Pavlovna, socialite and collector of paintings by Russian artists of the 18th - early 19th centuries, 27 years old. We will consider 24. The best age of female beauty, when youth still peeps through mature femininity, but not a shadow of frivolity and vanity, but thoughtful seriousness and the most natural pride of an outstanding personality.
"She is very beautiful. But what a torment her dress is, nothing comes out ... ”- the artist directly falls into despair. But posing for a brilliant beauty day after day is not an easy task. It should also be noted that the dress from Lamanova was not easy for her. Not because of the price. Nadezhda Pavlovna Lamanova (1861-1941) created dresses as a work of art and not in general, but under a model, moving from a mannequin to a living model, alterations and processing, like a painter, often bringing her to fainting. The ladies endured, because they knew: she would wear out, but the dress would come out like from Paris. From a historical perspective it is clear - better than from Paris.
Somov makes a note: "I confessed to my failure, she invigorates me, says that she is stubborn and patient."
Possessing artistic taste, she knew that both the dress by Lamanova and her portrait by Somov would be masterpieces, and she stubbornly and patiently sought for her part the same as these artists, each in his own sphere, and her own sphere was life itself in its highest manifestations.
Somov, always dissatisfied with himself, always despaired in the course of work, painstakingly worked where others would not have found what else could be done, and created something unique. The portrait was completed in 1911. An interesting assessment of Mikhail Nesterov, who seemed to have not seen the well-known beauty in Moscow, a participant in the meetings of the Society of Free Aesthetics.
From a letter from M. Nesterov dated March 3, 1911 (Moscow):
“Well, to finish my writing with dignity, I’ll tell you about the new large portrait of Somov with a certain Nosova exhibited here at the World of Art - here, brother, is a true masterpiece! - a work of long-awaited, on which you relax. So it is penetrating, restrained-noble, masterfully finished. This is not Levitsky and not Kramskoy, but something close in beauty to the first and in seriousness to the second. Immediately the man grew to a very great master.
The artist sees first of all the work of the artist, meanwhile it is clear: the basis of success is an extraordinary model with its interest in art, especially in Russian painting of the 18th - early 19th centuries. And to the Renaissance in Italy.
Evfimia Pavlovna, having married V.V. Nosov, the son of a textile manufacturer, settled in a mansion on Vvedenskaya Square, the interiors of which were immediately altered to her liking. She attracted famous architects and artists to her idea, even Valentin Serov, with whom, they say, she did not get along, but most likely he died soon, and even sent Mstislav Dobuzhinsky to Italy, probably to visit where she had already been, and he On his return, he created a fresco in the spirit of those seen in the palace of Cosimo Medici: on a cobalt background with gilding, a mythological plot is reproduced with the inclusion of portraits of the owners of the mansion. They talk about neoclassicism when there is the same Renaissance aesthetic as Sandro Botticelli's.
Alterations in the interior of the mansion, the creation of a fresco in the spirit of the Renaissance went hand in hand with Somov's work on the portrait of E.P. Indeed, a masterpiece, a world masterpiece of Russian art. Somov has nothing of the kind. A pure classic among his romantic fantasies.
Petr Kile
Serebryakova Zinaida Evgenievna. Behind the toilet. Self-portrait. 1909.
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
Canvas on cardboard, oil.
75x65 cm
The composition is presented as a reflection in a mirror, which is traditional for the self-portrait genre. This technique brings a touch of intimacy and at the same time creates the necessary detachment. The artist behind the morning toilet seems to be looking at herself from the side, as if at a posing model. The motive of "through the looking glass" does not evoke a sense of mystery. Even candles, which usually symbolize the transience of time in painting, seem to forget their meaning in the bright atmosphere of the picture. The space of the room is filled with shades of white. From the huge shiny brown eyes, the friendly face of the heroine radiates warmth. Hands and hair frame the face. Instead of the attributes of painting, there are attributes of female beauty on the dressing table. Serebryakova does not demonstrate her belonging to her fellow artists in any way. There is a feeling that the self-portrait was written for close people of the family circle.
ALTMAN Natan Isaevich (1889-1970)
"... Altman was struck by her appearance, her magnificent ability to bear the burden of her sudden fame, which already gave this young woman, his age, something regal. When Altman asked Akhmatova to pose for him, she agreed, although she was already the owner of a stunning drawing by Modigliani, which, however, Altman could not see: Anna Andreevna, the young wife of Lev Gumilyov, could not show it to anyone. At first, N. Altman made a friendly caricature with one stroke, little known today. The famous portrait appeared later, when long sessions began in the attic studio on Vasilyevsky Island , where Anna Akhmatova lived in a student dormitory. Natan Altman lived nearby, either in the "furnished house New York", as Akhmatova later recalled, or in the furnished rooms "Knyazhy Dvor", as he himself recalled. Altman painted a woman of the futuristic era , which is akin to urban rhythm, wrote in it self-confidence, health, almost acrobatic flexibility of the figure. subtext and hidden dramaturgy. And one can only guess about the motives that forced Altman to rethink the image of Akhmatova. When this portrait was painted, Anna Andreevna lived alone in St. Petersburg, having left Tsarskoe Selo and Gumilev's house. Her final break with Gumilyov came, and it was as if another life began, she experienced a feeling of a new birth, and, probably, she herself had no idea what she would be like. At least, such a conclusion can be drawn from Akhmatov's poems about this portrait of himself:
As in a mirror, I looked anxiously
On a gray canvas, and every week
All the more bitter and strange was the resemblance
Mine with my new image...
This is one of Altman's finest portraits, one where his passion for connecting the unconnected has had an unexpected effect. If we omit the lyrical overtones, then the portrait of Akhmatova is a typically secular portrait and, at the same time, an avant-garde portrait. There is both sharpness and aesthetic justification in such a mixture of styles. The portrait of Akhmatova became a sensation at one of the art exhibitions in St. Petersburg in 1915. The well-known critic L. Bruni wrote that "this is not a thing, but a milestone in art" ... The power of Altman's portrait not only fixed the image of Akhmatova in the minds of contemporaries, but turned out to be hypnotic many years later, when other portraits of her already existed, and Akhmatova herself was already different. The portrait was remembered even five years after its appearance: “I know you and love you from the day I saw your portrait of Akhmatova,” Vyach wrote. Ivanov in the artist's album in 1920. Remembered twenty years later. M.V. Alpatov, who first saw Akhmatova in the 1930s, recalled the same portrait: "At that moment the door opened, and she herself entered the room, inaudibly and easily, as if she had stepped off Altman's portrait." It is interesting that Akhmatova herself never liked Altman's portrait, repeating again and again that she does not like Altman's portrait "like any stylization in art." She was intolerant of the mythological image that had taken shape back in the 1910s and that had followed Akhmatova all her life, although her own fate was not at all according to this portrait.
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Marina Tsvetaeva "Anna Akhmatova"
Narrow, non-Russian camp -
Above the folios.
Shawl from Turkish countries
Fell like a mantle.
You will be handed over to one
Broken black line.
Cold - in fun, heat -
In your despair.
Your whole life is a chill
And it will end - what is it?
Cloudy - dark - forehead
Young Demon.
Each of the earthly
You play - a trifle!
And an unarmed verse
Aims at our heart.
In the morning sleepy hour
- I think it's a quarter past five, -
I loved you
Anna Akhmatova.
Petr Fedorovich Sokolov (1791-1848)
The vast expanses of Russia, the diversity of nature and the diversity of the peoples that inhabited it, gave rise to special, diverse types of female beauty. Russia absorbed everything, and southern Turkish blood, and western German, and northern Polish ... What beauties you will not meet in its open spaces ...
"Portrait of an unknown woman in a red beret"
Sokolov is the founder of the genre of Russian watercolor portrait from nature, which supplanted in the 1820-40s. portrait miniature. His watercolor portraits are windows into the past, through which secular beauties who have long since left the world look into the 21st century. The beauty of soft colors, the charm inherent in the images, make us, even now, after more than a hundred and fifty years, highly appreciate his art.
"Portrait of a girl in a red dress"
Pyotr Fedorovich graduated from the Academy of Arts in 1809 in the class of historical painting. For "Andromache's Lament over the body of Hector" he received a second (small) gold medal. At first he was in poverty, but pretty soon he began to give painting lessons and began to study watercolor, which was a great success because of the speed of execution, the ability to write without tiring posing. Having your own collection of watercolors before 1917 was considered a sign of good taste and wealth. But, creating beautiful portraits, the artist actually killed himself with the thought that he was not writing large plot canvases that should have immortalized him...
"Portrait of I.G. Poletika" Second half of the 1820s
Idalia Grigorievna Poletika (1807–1890), illegitimate daughter of Count G.A. Stroganov. At the age of 19, she married the cavalry guard A.M. Poletika and over the years became quite a prominent lady of St. Petersburg society. She personified the type of a charming woman not so much with her pretty face as with the turn of a brilliant mind, cheerfulness and liveliness of character, which brought her constant, undoubted success everywhere. She played a tragic role in the pre-duel story of A.S. Pushkin, was his worst enemy.
"Portrait of A.S. Glinka-Mavrina"
Alexandra Semyonovna Glinka-Mavrina (1825-1885) - wife of Boris Grigoryevich Glinka, St. Andrew's Knight, adjutant general, nephew of V.K. Kuchelbecker. In 1830, Glinka served as an intermediary between Pushkin and Kuchelbecker in an attempt to publish works. Pushkin was acquainted with his wife.
"Portrait of P.N. Ryumina" 1847
Praskovya Nikolaevna Ryumina (1821-1897). The portrait was commissioned for the wedding. V.A. Sollogub wrote that the groom “obliges himself to the most ridiculous extravagance ... Indispensable gifts are coming. A portrait painted by Sokolov, a delicate bracelet, a Turkish shawl…”
"Portrait of S.A. Urusova" 1827
Princess Sofya Alexandrovna Urusova (1804–1889) “... The daughters of Prince Urusov were rightly considered an adornment of the Moscow society of that time,” wrote the French historian Marc Runier. In the spring of 1827, Pushkin often visited the Urusovs’ house, on whom “the beauty and courtesy of the young housewives acted excitingly, and he was very cheerful, sharp, talkative”
"Portrait of Grand Duchess Alexandra Feodorovna" 1821
Grand Duchess Alexandra Feodorovna (1798–1860) was the wife of Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich, the future Emperor Nicholas I, from 1817. She became the idol of a whole generation, many poets of the Pushkin era dedicated their poems to her.
This portrait is one of the undoubted masterpieces. The airy mother-of-pearl-pearl outfit of the august person, masterfully drawn out, contrasts with the cold look of her eyes, creating a very ambiguous image.
"Portrait of E.K. Vorontsova" about 1823
This portrait is one of Sokolov's masterpieces. The famous St. Petersburg beauty was painted by many artists, but no one portrayed her as charming and feminine. The artist uses the surface of white paper in the image, creating an airy background with a light watercolor fill. The portrait of Vorontsova delights with the perfection of the filigree finish, the sophistication of subtle color combinations.
"Portrait of Yu.P. Sokolova" Around 1827
Yulia Pavlovna Sokolova (1804–1877), wife of P.F. Sokolov since 1820. “Live, flirtatious, almost a child, she never got bored with him. She loved secular life, and her husband, who was in love with her to the point of adoration, apparently completely shared her tastes, ”recalled their granddaughter A.A. Isakova. This, one of the most soulful portraits, was created "in one session, in one morning"
"Portrait of A.O. Smirnova - Rosseti"
Alexandra Osipovna Smirnova (1809–1882), a friend of Pushkin, Gogol, Zhukovsky, Vyazemsky, Aksakov… Almost all the poets of the Pushkin era dedicated poems to her. Gogol was the first to read to her the chapters of the 2nd volume of Dead Souls. She left the most interesting memories of the secular, literary and spiritual life of the XIX century.
"Portrait of E.M. Khitrovo"
Elizaveta Mikhailovna Khitrovo (1783–1839), daughter of M.I. Golenishchev-Kutuzov. European-educated, Elizaveta Mikhailovna was at the same time a sincere patriot, a devoted guardian of her father's glory, an ardent admirer of Russian literature and an enthusiastic admirer of Pushkin's genius. The artist managed to convey in the portrait the great spiritual generosity, kindness and nobility of the nature of this outstanding woman. The portrait was painted a year before the death of Elizabeth Mikhailovna.
"Portrait of M.T. Pashkova with her daughter Alexandra"
"Portrait of an unknown woman in a blue cape with an ermine" 1843
"Portrait of a Woman" 1847
"Portrait of Countess A.P. Mordvinova"
"Portrait of Countess Shuvalova"
"Portrait of Chertkova E.G."
Chertkova Elena Grigorievna (1800-1832), nee Countess Stroganova. Paternal sister of I.G. Poletiki.
"Portrait of a Woman" 1830
Portrait of Alexandra Grigoryevna Muravyova (1804-1832)
"Portrait of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna"
"Princess Golitsyna Alexandra Alexandrovna" 1840s
"Portrait of S.F. Tolstoy"
Sarra Feodorovna (1821-1838) - daughter of Count Fyodor Ivanovich Tolstoy. The girl was known for her extraordinary talent as a poetess.
"Portrait of Countess Sologub N.L."
Sologub Nadezhda Lvovna (1815-1903) countess, maid of honor.
"Portrait of Countess O. A. Orlova" 1829
Countess Olga Alexandrovna Orlova (1807–1880) In 1826 she married Count A.F. Orlov. In 1847 she was granted the status of ladies
The majestic and diverse Russian painting always pleases the audience with its inconstancy and perfection of art forms. This is the peculiarity of the works of famous masters of art. They always surprised with their unusual approach to work, reverent attitude to the feelings and sensations of each person. Perhaps that is why Russian artists so often depicted portrait compositions that vividly combined emotional images and epicly calm motifs. No wonder Maxim Gorky once said that an artist is the heart of his country, the voice of the entire era. Indeed, the majestic and elegant paintings of Russian artists vividly convey the inspiration of their time. Like the aspirations of the famous author Anton Chekhov, many sought to bring into Russian paintings the unique flavor of their people, as well as the unquenchable dream of beauty. It is difficult to underestimate the extraordinary canvases of these masters of majestic art, because truly extraordinary works of various genres were born under their brush. Academic painting, portrait, historical painting, landscape, works of romanticism, modernism or symbolism - all of them still bring joy and inspiration to their viewers. Everyone finds in them something more than colorful colors, graceful lines and inimitable genres of world art. Perhaps such an abundance of forms and images that Russian painting surprises with is connected with the huge potential of the surrounding world of artists. Levitan also said that in every note of lush nature there is a majestic and unusual palette of colors. With such a beginning, a magnificent expanse appears for the artist's brush. Therefore, all Russian paintings are distinguished by their exquisite severity and attractive beauty, from which it is so difficult to break away.Russian painting is rightly distinguished from world art. The fact is that until the seventeenth century, domestic painting was associated exclusively with a religious theme. The situation changed with the coming to power of the tsar-reformer - Peter the Great. Thanks to his reforms, Russian masters began to engage in secular painting, and icon painting separated as a separate direction. The seventeenth century is the time of such artists as Simon Ushakov and Iosif Vladimirov. Then, in the Russian art world, the portrait was born and quickly became popular. In the eighteenth century, the first artists appeared who switched from portraiture to landscape painting. The pronounced sympathy of the masters for winter panoramas is noticeable. The eighteenth century was also remembered for the birth of everyday painting. In the nineteenth century, three trends gained popularity in Russia: romanticism, realism and classicism. As before, Russian artists continued to turn to the portrait genre. It was then that world-famous portraits and self-portraits of O. Kiprensky and V. Tropinin appeared. In the second half of the nineteenth century, artists more and more often depict the simple Russian people in their oppressed state. Realism becomes the central trend of painting of this period. It was then that the Wanderers appeared, depicting only real, real life. Well, the twentieth century is, of course, the avant-garde. The artists of that time significantly influenced both their followers in Russia and around the world. Their paintings became the forerunners of abstractionism. Russian painting is a huge wonderful world of talented artists who glorified Russia with their creations
