Kramskoy is very famous artist, which has known and unusual works art. For example, one of his most famous masterpieces is a painting called “Portrait of an Unknown Woman.” This work is full of mystery and mystery, this is its peculiarity.
The portrait is fraught with some intrigue. The mystery of this painting has survived to this day, and no one can fully unravel the idea of a portrait of an unknown woman. Very often you can hear how this painting by Kramskoy is called – Painting of the Stranger. Still, such a name cannot be considered true and correct. Because it is the artist who can set the rules associated with his work. And Kramskoy called this work – Portrait of the Unknown. Although the words unknown and stranger are quite close in meaning, nevertheless, there is a certain difference.
At all times, there were artists who painted portraits of women about whom they did not want to reveal the whole truth to the public. They tried to hide the heroines of the works. But still, after a while the truth became clear. For a long time it was not possible to keep all this secret. But as for the portrait of Kramskoy, everything is different here. Kramskoy never revealed the name of his heroine to anyone in his entire life.
Apparently, he set himself this goal, to raise many questions among his contemporaries. What were the guesses made by the people of that time? Some suggested that the girl portrayed by the artist was not attractive in appearance, and therefore Kramskoy hid her. Someone thought that the heroine was a lady from high ranks, and expected silence from Kramskoy. And others recognized in kind, famous actress of that time from the bohemia of the theater. But these are only guesses and are not facts.
No matter who the artist portrayed, the portrait was so magnificent that Kramskoy was carried in their arms out of delight when they saw this work of his. The work was simply charming and of extraordinary beauty. When Kramskoy began to be bombarded with questions, he did not answer any of them. Who is this lady, did he paint her from life, maybe the heroine is fictional? No, the writer did not consider it necessary to answer.
The portrait of an unknown artist was created in 1883. He depicted the heroine in an open carriage, and against the background beautiful city, St. Petersburg. The stranger had the appearance of an imperious, unapproachable lady. The dark-skinned beauty narrowed her eyes coquettishly, proudly casting her gaze while walking along the Anichkov Bridge. The mysterious heroine looks at visitors to the Tretyakov Gallery with a majestic and mysterious gaze. She captivates all connoisseurs of the beautiful and great.
The painting “Unknown” by Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy was painted in 1883.
This is a half-length portrait of a young woman sitting in a stroller.
The lady is dressed last word fashions of the 1880s: a velvet beret, at that time such berets were called “Francis”, reminiscent of the headdress in the painting of aristocrats of the 16th century - the same shape, the same ostrich feather attached with a gold agraph with pearls.
A heavy knot of dark hair on the neck. The coat, by association with the general’s overcoat, is called “Skobelev”, it is clearly expensive cloth,
trimmed with sable fur and silk dark blue ribbons.
The muff is also trimmed, which was fashionable then, with sable and dark blue silk ribbons. On his hands, to match the general attire, are dark blue kid “Swedish” gloves and on his left hand is a massive gold bracelet.
When analyzing this work, critics often attribute to the woman the properties of “The Lady of the Camellias,” arguing that it depicts a certain lady of the demimonde, an expensive kept woman, or perhaps an actress enjoying patronage. This is motivated by the fact that the lady is defiantly fashionably and expensively dressed.
At that time, the nobility, experiencing an economic crisis, did not have the opportunity to dress like this, and in general, strict adherence to fashion was a characteristic of the “nouveau riche”, people who came to high society thanks to money, and not origin.
Composition
The first thing the viewer sees is a dark spot of the silhouette of a woman in a stroller. The composition is such that it resembles a close-up film frame. Very unusual for that time.
Second - easy transparent background— contours of the Anichkov Palace.
Presumably, the stroller is located on the Anichkov Bridge.
The shift in scale creates a completely unexpected effect - the face becomes the main thing in the picture. The first thing we see is the eyes! A distant, sad, slightly arrogant look.
The source of light, the direction of the shadows, the warmth and density of tone indicate that the figure was painted in a studio, and the landscape was painted on location. The atmosphere of winter St. Petersburg is conveyed absolutely masterfully.
History of creation
The history of this work - Kramskoy called it not a “portrait”, but a “picture” - is contradictory. The author left no comments, letters, diary entries, accounts or donations related to this painting.
A sketch written for the painting was recently found in the private collection of Dr. Dusan Friedrich in Czechoslovakia in the city of Prague.
It is known that the person who posed for the same sketch was not a professional model, but someone’s acquaintance, who by chance ended up in Kramskoy’s studio and served as a model for him and several of his colleagues for a full-scale study.
One of the participants, a colleague at TPVC, writes about this episode in his memoirs. It seems that this model is depicted in the sketch for the painting.
The sketch is written in the same color and from the same perspective, but the facial features are not so correct, the hairstyle is different, the expression is different, harsher.
There are a few different versions creation of this work. One of them is a portrait of Kramskoy’s deeply beloved daughter, Sophia, also an artist with a tragic fate.
It is also assumed that this is a commissioned portrait of Ekaterina Dolgorukova, the morganatic wife of Emperor Alexander II, who remained with the artist after the death of the emperor.
There is a version that says that this is a portrait of Matryona Savvishna, who, as a maid on the Bestuzhev estate, charmed the young Count Bestuzhev with her unusual beauty - he married her and brought her to St. Petersburg, where the artist met her.
One of the attractive and quite probable theories is that the painting depicts Varvara Turkestanova, a Georgian princess. Ivan Nikolaevich saw her cameo portrait, learned about her tragic fate, and this inspired him to create the painting.
Resonance
The painting was first shown at the 11th exhibition of the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions, where it had the effect of a bomb exploding. The composition, plot and mood of this piece did not correspond at all to either the concept of the Partnership or the ideas of that time about what was permitted.
Tretyakov initially refused to purchase it, but in the end he bought the work despite not exhibiting it for many years.
At Soviet power and during the period of democratization of society this work is presented in Tretyakov Gallery as one of the most popular works I.N. Kramskoy, symbolizing Russian culture.
All these theories do not clarify the real identity of the "Unknown". Perhaps this was precisely the task of the artist who wrote collective image women of their time.
One of the most famous paintings Russian painting is kept in the Tretyakov Gallery. There have always been a lot of rumors around this intriguing work, but its author has not revealed the main mystery, which concerns the woman depicted in the picture. Many artists who painted portraits often kept the subjects of their paintings secret, but over time, everything secret became clear.
Unsolved mystery
The painting “The Stranger” caused a real stir and gave rise to speculation among contemporaries who dreamed of finding out who posed for Kramskoy. However, the creator did not reveal the secret, and all the gossip was devoid of arguments.
At present, no one can reliably say who served real prototype a work that remains misunderstood to this day. An imperious, proud stranger looks at the audience, captivating with her gaze. We will figure out what the mystical appeal of the work is and what are the main versions regarding the prototype of the beauty sitting in an open carriage.
Birth of a masterpiece
The history of the painting “The Stranger” by Kramskoy began in 1883, when famous painter painted a portrait beautiful lady, about which there is not a single mention in the master’s notes. The canvas was put on public display at the exhibition of the Itinerants, and the public, who reacted with delight to the work, carried the painter in their arms, who did not expect such fame. Everyone vied with each other to ask who the seductive lady who posed for Kramskoy was, but the creator remained silent, which gave rise to many rumors and versions. Everyone began to passionately solve the fascinating puzzle in order to identify the stranger who had caused such a resonance in society.
Literary character?
The image of the beautiful lady excited and disturbed minds, caused concern, and contemporaries were at a loss. Many admitted that they could not determine who this woman really was, and critics were unanimous in their opinion: “An entire era sits within her, and it does not matter whether she is decent or corrupt.”
The painting "Stranger" appeared after the publication of Tolstoy's novel "Anna Karenina", and many decided that Ivan Nikolaevich depicted main character, who succumbed to passion and lost social status. Opponents of this version found similarities between the unknown charmer and Nastasya Filippovna, who rose above her position, from Dostoevsky’s “The Idiot.”
Daughter or Georgian princess?
Many art historians believe that his daughter posed for the artist. If you compare “The Stranger” with the portrait of Sofia Kramskoy (“Girl with a Cat”), then you cannot deny the visible similarity of the two women. Russian journalist and the writer I. Obolensky does not agree with any version and put forward his own. In his opinion, the prototype was V. Turkestanishvili, the favorite of Tsar Alexander I. After she gave birth to the emperor’s daughter, the autocrat lost interest in the maid of honor and her child. Distraught with grief, Varvara committed suicide. When Kramskoy found out tragic fate favorite and saw her portrait, he was amazed by the beauty of the Georgian princess and wanted to convey the image of a proud woman in his work.
Collective image?
Art critics adhere to the version that the painting “Stranger” (often called “Unknown”) is a collective image of a woman who is not talked about in polite society.
Painted lips, an applied blush, fashionable expensive clothes reveal her as a kept woman who is supported by some rich man. The art critic and art historian Stasov even called the painting “Cocotte in a Carriage.”
Sketch and canvas: differences
And after a study for the painting was discovered in a private Czech collection, experts came to the conclusion that the author of the painting “Stranger” really wanted to portray an arrogant lady looking down on those around her. There is no understatement or uncertainty in a pictorial sketch. A daring woman looks at the audience, in whose face one can read satiety with life. What she does leaves an imprint on her appearance, and one of the signs that characterizes a lady is vulgarity. However, in the final version, Kramskoy ennobled the external features of the charming woman, teasing with her beauty. He admires his heroine, her aristocracy, majestic posture, delicate skin. The master sees in her a real queen who rises above other people.
Description of the painting "Stranger"
The canvas depicts a young woman dressed in latest fashion: hat with feathers, coat trimmed with satin ribbons and sable fur, leather gloves. However, this does not indicate belonging to high society, but only emphasizes the elegance of the lady.
Although famous buildings St. Petersburg are written in the form of sketches, they are quite recognizable, and experts named the place of action, which does not raise any doubts - Nevsky Prospekt. A beautiful lady, whose wardrobe details are carefully detailed, drives across the snow-covered Anichkov Bridge in an open carriage. Proud and arrogant, she shows off her beauty, and in this one can see a certain challenge to society.
The pinkish-white frosty haze seems to give off a feeling of cold, because the talented painter Ivan Kramskoy had a great command of techniques that convey air and light. “The Stranger” is not a salon portrait, but a complex, intriguing canvas. Urban bustle helps to understand the spirituality of the image of the unknown. The dark-skinned charmer seems to tease the viewer with sensual beauty, and a slight sadness can be read in her eyes. Kramskoy shows inner world a lady who feels unprotected and suffers from the falseness of people. Her drama lies in the fact that she cannot come to terms with the cold calculation of society. The author touches eternal questions who tormented humanity. The painting “Stranger” is his reflections on morality and beauty, as well as on the relationship between these two concepts.
It is curious that in Soviet time The image of the lady who caused a scandal in the 19th century was rethought and acquired a romantic aura after the release of Blok’s “The Stranger.” The majestic beauty, whose name is unlikely to be recognized by anyone, has become the ideal of sophistication and spirituality. Today viewers, with bated breath, look at the canvas on which female character the author brilliantly showed “from the inside,” and new generations will peer into the woman’s huge eyes to find out her secret.
Kramskoy. Unknown. July 21, 1883 in St. Petersburg at the vernissage of the great portrait painter Ivan Kramskoy secular society was delighted, shocked, shocked and even offended. The portrait depicted a lady during an hour of walking along Nevsky Prospekt. She emerged from the winter fog in an open carriage. Leaning back in the stroller, the stranger looked at those around her with the pride of a woman aware of her charm. Her gaze could even be called arrogant, if not for the hidden sadness in her large, dark eyes.
The artist, whose attention and time were sought by the richest people of high society, exhibited “The Unknown,” which no one really knew, as the central canvas. How could this be, because she is so beautiful, so magnificently and exquisitely dressed.
– Truly respected Mr. Kramskoy decided to shock our audience at this exhibition!
– As for his portraits, they were all boring, dry and inexpressive. Here the master finally showed his elegance of taste.
– I think this face is essentially a fiction, inspired by the images of our respected writers!
This is how the public reacted to “Unknown”.
Kramskoy. Unknown. Anna Karenina?
Many were inclined to think that Kramskoy depicted Anna Karenina in the portrait. After all, everyone remembered that the first portrait of Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was painted by Kramskoy at the time when the writer was working on this work.
“By one glance of this lady, Vronsky determined that she belonged to high society. When he looked back, she also turned her head. Shiny gray eyes, seemingly dark from thick eyelashes, rested friendly on his face, as if she recognized him. And immediately they were transported to the passing crowd, as if looking for someone.”
Kramskoy. Unknown. Nastasya Filippovna?
Although it is unlikely. At the first glance at the picture, viewers understood that it was not a noble lady depicted. Most likely - a rich kept woman. Nastasya Filippovna? In January 1881, Russia said goodbye to F.M. Dostoevsky. IN last years no one painted portraits of the writer. And Kramskoy himself, famous portrait painter, did not address this topic... How to fix this?
“The prince came closer to the light and began to look at the portrait of Nastasya Filippovna. The portrait truly depicted a woman of extraordinary beauty. The eyes are dark, deep, the forehead is thoughtful, as if there was immense pride and contempt, almost hatred, in this face. And at the same time, something trusting, something surprisingly simple-minded. These two contrasts even seemed to arouse some kind of compassion when looking at these features.” 
Kramskoy. Unknown. Feedback from the public
“A cocotte in a stroller is not a painting, but an effort,” Stasov wrote to Tretyakov, “how far she is from the portraits of Grigorovich and Leo Tolstoy. How I wish the old Kramskoy was. I think he’s on a slippery slope now!”
Kramskoy was attacked by men, but he never named his model. Critics noted not only the beauty of the woman, but also her rare aristocratic type, the endless arrogance of a lady who knew no equal, masterfully conveyed by the artist.
Kramskoy. Unknown. The Mystery of the Portrait
The critics could be wrong. It was not arrogance, but grief and pain. They said that this was a tragedy for the artist himself. Bestuzheva’s nephew stopped by his aunt’s estate for just one day. He saw a young maid brought from the village, and, smitten, fell at the feet of his aunt, asking permission to marry. The aunt could not resist the requests of her beloved nephew and the young people got married.
It turned out to be very easy to teach the young Bestuzhev manners, as well as languages and singing. The ability to dress was given to her from above. And every man who entered the couple’s house became her slave. The young husband was tired of challenging his opponents to a duel. Kramskoy himself became a prisoner of the model’s beauty, and obtained permission to paint her portrait. The husband's jealousy reached the point of madness. When her relatives obtained permission for divorce, the young woman went to the village to live with her sister. Kramskoy rushed after her, but found only her grave. “Unknown” remained only on his canvas.
Too far-fetched? And the young Bestuzhev, if there was one, should have been known in the world... There was also talk about the Cinezelli circus, that the wife of the circus owner was depicted, especially since the portrait showed an ethnically southern type of person... Later, after the artist’s death, in his papers found pencil sketch female face, taken at the station, the features of which were very reminiscent of “Unknown”...
During his lifetime, the artist never revealed his secret... She still looks at us with her long, sad gaze...
You can find other stories about paintings and artists in the or section.
"Unknown" by KramskoyIn 1883, Kramskoy completed this “strange” painting and called it sharply, defiantly, “Unknown.” The mystery has tormented those who look at this painting for almost more than 160 years. Who is this woman? A secret sealed with seven seals. Kramskoy did not say a word or a hint about her either in his diaries or in his numerous letters.
This is probably the most famous work Kramskoy, the most intriguing thing, which remains incomprehensible and unsolved to this day. By calling his painting “Unknown,” the clever Kramskoy forever attached to it an aura of mystery.
Contemporaries were literally at a loss. Her image evoked concern and anxiety, a vague premonition of a depressing and dubious new thing - the appearance of a type of woman who did not fit into the previous system of values. “It is unknown who this lady is, decent or corrupt, but a whole era sits in her,” some stated.
In our time, Kramskoy’s “Unknown” has become the embodiment of aristocracy and secular sophistication. Like a queen, she rises above the foggy white cold city, driving in an open carriage along the Anichkov Bridge. Her outfit - a “Francis” hat, trimmed with elegant light feathers, “Swedish” gloves made of the finest leather, a “Skobelev” coat, decorated with sable fur and blue satin ribbons, a muff, a gold bracelet - all these are fashionable details of a women’s costume of the 1880s years, claiming expensive elegance. However, this did not mean belonging to high society, rather the opposite - the code of unwritten rules excluded strict adherence to fashion in the highest circles of Russian society.
A young woman in furs with an arrogant expression on her face was called “a fiend” by critics big cities" The picture was seen as having an accusatory meaning. However, in the heroine’s face one can see not only arrogance, but also sadness and hidden drama.
History of a possible prototype:
Other versions:
It is also believed that the artist’s wife, Maria Pavlovna Yaroshenko, posed. The portrait of Kramskoy’s niece (his older brother’s daughter) is also similar in face... Or maybe it’s just a collective image.
It is assumed that
in 1878, Emperor Alexander II became a father, he had a daughter, but his daughter was not born to him by the legitimate empress, but by his last and ardent love, Catherine Dolgorukaya. Therefore, Kramskoy kept the secret. Ekaterina Mikhailovna and her children were not recognized by the emperor's relatives. She expressed a desire to Kramskoy to indicate the place she should pass by in the stroller in the picture. This is Anichkov Palace, where the emperor’s heir and his family lived.
Kramskoy worked on the portrait for a long time and redid it many times. Two years passed and... the customer of the portrait, Emperor Alexander II, was killed. The meaning of the work was lost. Dolgorukaya and her children were sent abroad.
The portrait sadly stood in the studio and only three years after the death of the emperor, in 1883, the artist exhibited the painting at a traveling exhibition, calling it “Unknown”...
Compare: is Ekaterina Dolgorukaya similar to “Unknown”
