Publications in the Museums section

Tatiana before and after Pushkin: portraits of three centuries

It reads that popular name Tatyana became after the publication of the novel “Eugene Onegin”. However, even before this, this name was not uncommon among the nobility. We remember portraits of Tatiana from the 18th to the 20th centuries together with Sofia Bagdasarova.

A. Antropov. Portrait of Princess Tatyana Alekseevna Trubetskoy. 1761. Tretyakov Gallery

A. Peng. Portrait of Princess Tatyana Borisovna Kurakina. 1st half XVIII century, State Hermitage

Unknown artist. Portrait of Anastasia Naryshkina with her daughters Tatyana and Alexandra. Early 1710s, Tretyakov Gallery

Girls from the Romanov family were baptized Tatiana back in the 17th century: for example, that was the name of the sister of the first Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich and his youngest daughter. Then this name from royal dynasty disappeared, and the next Tatyana appeared in imperial family in the 1890s. However, the name remained popular among noble families of the 17th and 18th centuries. One of the most famous Tatyanas is Tatyana Shuvalova. Her son, Empress Elizabeth's favorite Ivan Shuvalov, chose his mother's name day to sign a decree establishing Moscow University. So Tatyana's day became Student's Day. The portrait of Tatyana Shuvalova has not survived.

The oldest Russian portrait with Tatiana, apparently, was family portrait Naryshkins of the 1710s. It depicts the daughter of the first commandant of St. Petersburg, Moscow governor Kirill Naryshkin, with her mother and sister. The unknown artist did not work the faces very subtly, but carefully painted the patterns on the fabric and the fashionable lace fontange (headdress) of the mother.

The court artist of the Prussian king Antoine Pen was invited to paint a portrait of the daughter of Prince Boris Kurakin - and the niece of Tsarina Evdokia Lopukhina. The director of the Berlin Academy of Arts, in the traditions of classicism, worked on chiaroscuro, folds of clothing, and even conveyed the finest shimmer of expensive fabric on the shoulders of Princess Tatyana Kurakina.

Princess Tatyana Trubetskaya - the sister of the poet Fyodor Kozlovsky - looks bright in a portrait of 1761: the artist Alexei Antropov depicted her in an outfit decorated with red and green bows and flowers. The princess with full make-up: in those years it was fashionable not only to powder, but also to apply blush and fill in the eyebrows.

D. Levitsky. Portrait of Tatyana Petrovna Raznatovskaya. 1781. State art museum Belarus

N. Argunov. Portrait of ballerina Tatyana Vasilievna Shlykova-Granatova. 1789. Kuskovo

E. Vigée-Lebrun. Portrait of Tatyana Vasilievna Engelhardt. 1797. Fuji Museum, Tokyo

Twenty years later, Dmitry Levitsky wrote Tatyana Raznatovskaya. A young woman with a proud posture looks noble and elegant. Her light blue dress and white silk cape contrast with the dark, deep background in the pictorial tradition of those years.

One of richest women Russia - Prince Potemkin's niece Tatyana Engelhardt married one of the Yusupovs and brought a gigantic fortune and the hereditary name Tatyana to their family. In the portrait by visiting French portraitist Vigée-Lebrun, Tatyana Engelhardt is weaving a wreath of roses and is dressed in a new fashion - in a high-waisted dress.

Researchers believe that among peasants the name Tatyana in the 18th–19th centuries was three times more popular than among nobles. The Sheremetev serf artist Nikolai Argunov depicted the peasant woman Tatyana Shlykova, an actress in the serf theater, in an elegant stage costume. Later, the count chose “precious” surnames for his beautiful actresses. Shlykova became Granatova, and her “colleagues” became Zhemchugova and Biryuzova.

A. Bryullov. Portrait of Tatyana Borisovna Potemkina. 1830s. VMP

V. Tropinin. Portrait of Tatyana Sergeevna Karpakova. 1818. Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Tatarstan

K. Reichel. Portrait of Tatyana Vasilievna Golitsyna. 1816, State Russian Museum

Among those immortalized on Tatiana’s canvases there are other actresses. In 1818, Vasily Tropinin portrayed the young dancer Karpakova. Her parents played in the Imperial Theaters, and she herself was fond of ballet since childhood. Tatyana Karpakova danced on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater from the age of 12; her contemporaries admired her expressive facial expressions, ease of dance and impeccable technique.

In the same year, a portrait of Princess Tatiana Golitsyna was created. Daughter-in-law of Natalia Golitsyna, the prototype of Pushkin Queen of Spades, is depicted wearing a black beret. In the first third of the 19th century, these headdresses were traditionally worn by married ladies. True, more often fashionistas preferred bright colors - crimson, green, scarlet.

“The width of the beret extends to twelve inches; the upper part is one color, the lower part is another color. The materials from which such berets are made are also different: satin and velvet. These berets are put on the head so crookedly that one edge almost touches the shoulder.”

Excerpt from a 19th century fashion magazine

A watercolor by Alexander Bryullov from the 1830s depicts Tatyana Potemkina. In it, the model is dressed in an outfit that covers not only the shoulders, but also the neck, ears and hair of the princess: Potemkina was very religious. Having become the spiritual daughter of Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov), she took care of the spread of Orthodoxy, built churches, gave huge amounts of money to charity and, of course, did not allow herself to wear a neckline.

V. Vasnetsov. Portrait of Tatyana Anatolyevna Mamontova (1884, Tretyakov Gallery)

I. Repin. Portrait of Tatyana Lvovna Tolstoy (1893, Yasnaya Polyana)

F. Winterhalter. Portrait of Tatyana Alexandrovna Yusupova (1858, State Hermitage)

In 1825–1837, Alexander Pushkin's Eugene Onegin was published in parts. Tatyana Larina became the “first Tatyana” of Russian literature - before that, writers preferred other names. After the release of the novel, the name became much more popular - many named their daughters in honor of the romantic and virtuous heroine of Pushkin.

But not many portraits of Tatyana from these years have survived. Among them is a canvas on which the fashionable portrait painter Franz Xaver Winterhalter depicted Tatyana Yusupova. The heroine of the portrait inherited it from her grandmother Tatyana Engelhardt, and Yusupova named one of her daughters the same way.

Portraits of the daughters of Leo Tolstoy and Anatoly Mamontov were created in the 1880–90s, they were painted by B. Kustodiev. Portrait of Tatyana Nikolaevna Chizhova. 1924. Ivanovo Regional Art Museum

M. Vrubel. Portrait of Tatyana Spiridonovna Lyubatovich as Carmen. 1890s. Tretyakov Gallery

By the beginning of the twentieth century in Moscow and the Moscow province, the name Tatyana became the fifth most popular name after Maria, Anna, Catherine and Alexandra.

The portrait of one of Tatiana also belongs to the brush of Mikhail Vrubel. Opera singer Tatyana Lyubatovich is depicted in the role of Carmen - at the beginning of the twentieth century this was a very popular image among artists and the heroines of their paintings.

In 1908, Saratov artist Alexander Savinov painted the canvas “Harpist”. Its heroine was the wife of the famous philosopher Semyon Frank, Tatyana Frank (nee Bartseva). Savinov created an ornamental portrait with a textured tone and muted colors in the traditions of the growing new style - modernism.

In this artistic circle of Tatiana, the “Portrait of the artist Tatyana Chizhova” is noteworthy; Boris Kustodiev painted it in 1924. The title of the picture is inaccurate. After Kustodiev’s death, the portrait was transferred to the Russian Museum, and the abbreviation in the signature “arch.” deciphered as “artist.” In fact, Tatyana Chizhova was an archaeologist. The portrait shows her in her favorite dress and with her grandmother’s ring on her finger.

Konstantin Makovsky is a famous Russian artist who painted many paintings of boyar Rus' in the 17th century. The furnishings of the boyar mansions, the clothes of the heroes of the paintings, and the boyars and boyars themselves are reproduced so faithfully that from the artist’s paintings one can study individual chapters of the history of Rus'.

The precision in the writing of individual details and motifs of patterns woven by the hands of Russian embroiderers, or clear ornaments on carved cups and bowls surprises and delights viewers of the past and present.

Luxurious clothes embroidered with pearls, amazingly beautiful headdresses of that time, beautiful boyars decorated with precious necklaces, boyars in brocade caftans - in everything one can feel 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 and at the same time sadness, sadness that much has been lost, has not been preserved and is not preserved today. Therefore, such paintings, which contain unique evidence of the culture of the Russian land, are especially valuable to us.

Biography of the artist Konstantin Makovsky

Konstantin Egorovich Makovsky (1839 - 1915) was born into a family where there was an atmosphere of art worship. Many people have been to their house famous figures culture and art. The artist’s father, Yegor Ivanovich Makovsky, was one of the largest collectors in Moscow in the second quarter of the 19th century. His passion was writing fine arts, mostly antique engraving.

And Konstantin Egorovich, having inherited his father’s passion, collected all the masterpieces of Russian ancient craftsmanship, but these were “beautiful antiquities.” He skillfully arranged some things in living rooms and workshops, and then used them in his paintings, while others he simply displayed in his large old ebony cabinet, so that he could later admire and admire the beauty and skill of Russian masters.

On the cornice of the fireplace stood ancient household utensils: silver ladles, cups, washstands, fans - items from boyar times. Ancient boyar brocade suits, multi-colored sundresses, armbands 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 scenes from boyar life were played out, which were then transferred to canvas. And this undoubtedly aroused the keen interest of the audience, because through Makovsky’s paintings they became familiar with the history of Rus' and the culture of their ancestors.

The artist’s daughter in her memoirs told how “... luxurious “living pictures” of boyar life were staged...”. Sometimes there were up to 150 people invited to these evenings, among whom were representatives of ancient families, descendants of those whom the artist depicted. They “...cleverly 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 Bride’s Choice” and many other paintings.

Paintings by Konstantin Makovsky

On the canvases of K.E. Makovsky in bright luxurious suits from his own collection created images beautiful women, contemporaries of the artist. You look at the picture and feel as if the Russian pattern is glowing, the embroidered sundress of the Russian beauty is glistening with silk and silver. And if you pay attention, you will see that in each picture the hawthorn girls are wearing completely different headdresses. Indeed, the artist’s collection of kokoshniks and hats was his richest and most valuable acquisition.

Collecting Russian antiquities K.E. Makovsky continued to study throughout his life. By collecting masterpieces of Russian masters, the artist became familiar with the history of Russia and, admiring them, was inspired by new ideas. Now his paintings evoke in us not only admiration for the rich heritage of our ancestors, but also a desire to learn more and more about our homeland.

Writer E.I. spoke about how K.E. Makovsky used his collection in his work. Fortunato, who was lucky enough to be his model.

K.E. Makovsky was not only an artist. Communicating with major 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 Rus', whose main task was the preservation, study and promotion of Russian antiquity.

It is bitter and sad that the collection, collected over half a century, which occupied such an important place in the artist’s life, which became 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 car on one of the streets of Petrograd. Having received a severe head injury, the artist died two days later. Sudden death ruined all the 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 Baron Stieglitz School of Technical Drawing, and Moscow museums. Many items were bought by representatives of Moscow antique firms. Authentic suits, silver cups, ladles, glasses passed into the hands of prominent Moscow collectors.

But not everyone admired K. Makovsky’s paintings and his style of work.

At the beginning of his creative path K. Makovsky shared the views of the Itinerant artists; he painted peasant children (“Children Running from a Thunderstorm,” “Date”), but already in the 1880s the artist irrevocably moved away from them and began organizing personal exhibitions.

In 1883, he created the painting “Boyar Wedding Feast in XVII century”, followed by “The Choice of the Bride by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich” (1886), “The Death of Ivan the Terrible” (1888), “Dressing the Bride for the Crown” (1890), “The Kissing Rite” (1895,). The paintings were a success both in Russia and at international exhibitions. For some of them, at the 1889 World Exhibition in Paris, K. Makovsky was awarded a gold medal.

Prices for his paintings were always high. P.M. Tretyakov sometimes could not acquire them. But foreign collectors willingly bought paintings from 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 that no Russian artist had ever dreamed of. Makovsky fulfilled any order on any topic with equal brilliance. It was the latter that caused misunderstanding and even condemnation among many. Some, apparently, were jealous of the success, others believed that the people with their own people should be present in the paintings. everyday life. But such paintings were not sold so readily, and many believed that Makovsky wrote on 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 demands and demands of those people who were willing to pay a lot of money for his paintings. His easy success became the main reason for the negative attitude of the Itinerant artists towards him and his work. He was accused of using art and his talent for material benefits.

K.E. Makovsky started his artistic path together with the Itinerant artists, 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, his numerous collections and multifaceted talent speak about this. But it cannot be denied that Makovsky did not seek recognition abroad. In addition, Europeans were interested in Russian history, so his works sold quickly.

In his personal life, Makovsky was also happy. His pleasant appearance, sociability, and the always open and smiling look of his clear eyes made Konstantin Egorovich always a welcome guest. He was married three times. His first wife Lenochka Burkova, an actress at the Alexandrinsky Theater, did not live with him long life. A charming and gentle girl brought a lot of joy and warmth into his life. But illness took her away from earthly life early.

Carefree and greedy for the pleasures 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. Soon the wedding took place. Having lived twenty years of a happy family life, Konstantin Yegorovich painted many paintings, most of which contain a sweet image of his young wife. Throughout 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). Born in 1891 illegitimate son Konstantin. I had to confess everything to my wife. Yulia Pavlovna did not forgive the betrayal. A few years later, a divorce was filed. And Konstantin Egorovich continued the 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.

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We first of all know two things about the painting: its author and, possibly, the history of the canvas. But we don’t know much about the fates of those who look at us from the canvases.

website I decided to talk about women whose faces are familiar to us, but their stories are not.

Zhanna Samari
Auguste Renoir, Portrait of the Actress Jeanne Samary, 1877

Actress Jeanne Samari, 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 studio of Renoir, who painted four portraits of her in 1877-1878, thereby making her famous much more than her acting career could do. Zhanna played in plays from the age of 18, at 25 she got married and gave birth to 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 at the age of 10 (!) was already engaged. However, when the girl was 14, the engagement was broken for unknown reasons, and Cecilia was sent to a monastery, where she met (or it was all set up) with the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza. An affair began, Cecilia became pregnant and the Duke settled the girl in his castle, but then the time came 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 Gallerani gave birth, the duke took his son for himself, and married her to the impoverished count.

In this marriage, Cecilia gave birth to four children, ran almost the very first literary salon in Europe, visited the Duke and enjoyed playing with his child from his new mistress. After a while, Cecilia’s husband died, war came, she lost her well-being and found shelter in the house of the sister of that same Duke’s wife - it was in such wonderful relationships that she managed to be with people. After the war, Gallerani returned 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 beautiful, and, despite the fact that her favor was sought, among others, by august persons, 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 effort on charitable activities, and after the revolution she continued it in exile. Her beloved eldest son died in a duel when the princess was 47 years old, and she could hardly bear this loss. With the outbreak 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 representative of the Tolstoy count family, is depicted here at the tender age of 18 years. The portrait was commissioned by her husband Stepan Avraamovich Lopukhin shortly after the wedding. Ease and a slightly arrogant look seem either to be a common pose for such a portrait of the era of sentimentalism, or signs of a melancholic and poetic disposition. The fate of this mysterious girl turned out to be sad: just 6 years after painting, Maria died of consumption.

Giovanina and Amacilia Pacini
Karl Bryullov, “Horsewoman”, 1832

Bryullov’s “Horsewoman” is brilliant ceremonial portrait, in which everything is luxurious: the brightness of the colors, the splendor of the draperies, and the beauty of the models. It depicts two girls who bore the surname Pacini: the eldest Giovanina is sitting on a horse, the younger Amatzilia is looking at her from the porch. The painting was ordered to Karl Bryullov, her long-time lover, by their adoptive mother, Countess Yulia Pavlovna Samoilova, one of the most beautiful women Russia and the heiress of 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 bankrupt, and then the adopted daughters Giovanina and Amatsilia, through the court, recovered the promised money and property from the countess.

Simonetta Vespucci
Sandro Botticelli, "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 and were received at the court of Lorenzo de Medici, which in those years was famous for its magnificent feasts and receptions.

Beautiful, at the same time very modest and friendly, Simonetta quickly fell in love with Florentine men. The ruler of Florence, Lorenzo, himself tried to court her, but his brother Giuliano sought her most actively. Simonetta's beauty inspired many artists of the time, among whom was Sandro Botticelli. It is believed that from the moment they met, Simonetta was the model for all Madonnas and Venuses painted by Botticelli. At the age of 23, Simonetta died of consumption, despite the efforts of the best court doctors. After this, 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 The master portrait of 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 to Alexander Samarin, belonging to the famous noble family. After honeymoon In 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 half-hint. Alexandra Struyskaya was 18 when she was married to a very rich widower. There is a legend that for her wedding her husband gave her nothing less than new church. And all my life I wrote poetry to her. It is not known for certain whether this marriage was happy, but everyone who visited their house paid attention to how different the spouses were from each other. Over 24 years of marriage, Alexandra bore her husband 18 children, 10 of whom died in infancy. After her husband's death, she lived for another 40 years, firmly managed the estate and left her children a decent fortune.

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 with her and left her. Mona Lisa recovered and lived for some time with her daughters, dying at the age of 63.

Pyotr Fedorovich Sokolov (1791-1848)

The vast expanses of Russia, the diversity of nature and the diversity of the peoples who inhabited it gave birth to special, diverse types female beauty. Russia absorbed everything, and southern Turkish blood, and Western German, and northern Polish... What kind of beauties you will not meet in its vastness...

"Portrait of an unknown woman in a red beret"

Sokolov is the founder of the genre of Russian watercolor portrait from life, 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 the dim colors, the charm inherent in the images, force us even now, after more than a hundred and fifty years have passed, to highly value his art.

"Portrait of a girl in a red dress"

Pyotr Fedorovich graduated from the Academy of Arts in 1809 in the class historical painting. For "Andromache's Lament over the Body of Hector" he received a second (minor) gold medal. At first he was poor, but pretty soon he began giving painting lessons and began to study watercolors, which had great success due to the speed of execution and the ability to paint without tedious posing. Before 1917, having your own collection of watercolors was considered a sign good manners and welfare. But, creating beautiful portraits, the artist actually killed himself with the thought that he was not painting large narrative 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 cavalry guard A.M. Poletika and over the years became quite a prominent lady of St. Petersburg society. She personified the type of charming woman not so much by her pretty face as by her brilliant mind, cheerfulness and liveliness of character, which brought her constant, undoubted success everywhere. She played a tragic role in the pre-duel history of A.S. Pushkin and was his worst enemy.

"Portrait of A.S. Glinka-Mavrina"

Alexandra Semenovna Glinka-Mavrina (1825-1885) - wife of Boris Grigorievich Glinka, Knight of St. Andrew, adjutant general, nephew of V.K. Kuchelbecker. In 1830, Glinka served as an intermediary between Pushkin and Kuchelbecker in an attempt to publish his works. Pushkin knew his wife.

"Portrait of P.N. Ryumina" 1847

Praskovya Nikolaevna Ryumina (1821–1897). The portrait was commissioned for a wedding. V.A. Sollogub wrote that the groom “obliges himself to the most ridiculous extravagance... There are inevitable gifts coming. A portrait painted by Sokolov, a sensitive bracelet, a Turkish shawl..."

"Portrait of S.A. Urusova" 1827

Princess Sofya Alexandrovna Urusova (1804–1889) “...The daughters of Prince Urusov were rightly considered the adornment of Moscow society of that time,” wrote the French historian Mark Runier. In the spring of 1827, Pushkin often visited the Urusovs’ house, on whom “the beauty and courtesy of the young housewives had an exciting effect, and he was very cheerful, witty, and talkative.”

"Portrait 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 Pushkin’s time dedicated their poems to her.

This portrait is one of the undoubted masterpieces. The august lady's masterfully designed, airy mother-of-pearl outfit contrasts with the cold gaze of her eyes, creating a very ambiguous image.

"Portrait of E.K. Vorontsova" around 1823

This portrait is one of Sokolov's masterpieces. Many artists painted the famous St. Petersburg beauty, but no one depicted her so charming and feminine. The artist uses the surface of white paper in the image, creating an airy background using light watercolor shading. The portrait of Vorontsova delights with the perfection of filigree decoration and the sophistication of subtle color combinations.

"Portrait of Yu.P. Sokolova" Around 1827

Yulia Pavlovna Sokolova (1804–1877), since 1820 the wife of P.F. Sokolov. “Live, flirtatious, almost a child, she was never bored with him. Loved social 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 heartfelt portraits, was created “in one session, in one morning”

"Portrait of A.O. Smirnova - Rosseti"

Alexandra Osipovna Smirnova (1809–1882), friend of Pushkin, Gogol, Zhukovsky, Vyazemsky, Aksakov... Almost all poets of the Pushkin era dedicated poems to her. Gogol was the first to read the chapters of the 2nd volume to her. Dead souls" She left the most interesting memories of the secular, literary and spiritual life of the 19th 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 the genius of Pushkin. The artist managed to convey in the portrait the great spiritual generosity, kindness and nobility of nature of this extraordinary woman. The portrait was painted a year before the death of Elizaveta 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 E.G. Chertkova"

Chertkova Elena Grigorievna (1800-1832), née Countess Stroganova. Paternal sister I.G. Poletiki.

"Portrait of a Woman" 1830

Portrait of Alexandra Grigorievna Muravyova (1804-1832)

"Portrait of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna"

"Princess Golitsyna Alexandra Alexandrovna" 1840s

"Portrait of S.F. Tolstoy"

Sarah Feodorovna (1821-1838) - daughter of Count Fyodor Ivanovich Tolstoy. The girl was known for her extraordinary talent as a poet.

"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 a state dames

Greetings to you friends, subscribers and site visitors!

Have you ever wondered who is depicted in the paintings of various Russian artists? Who are they, such sweet, beautiful, well-groomed and sophisticated women? What kind of life have you lived? What was the fate of these lovely ladies?

Looking at the portraits of the “lovely half of humanity,” these questions fly through my head. Moments from life and mesmerizing views captured on canvases excite me. And today I decided to talk about them... lovely, young and such different women.

“Portrait of Princess Zinaida Yusupova”, 1900. V.A. Serov

A woman of extreme beauty is depicted in the painting by V.A Serov. Princess Zinaida Yusupova was the last of a famous family and the richest heiress, whose hand many men sought.

But the princess believed in real feelings, which soon became part of her life. In a happy marriage, Zinaida gave birth to two children. The princess was also involved in charity work throughout her life.

V.A. Serov, 1900, St. Petersburg, Russian Museum

The terrible loss left a terrible imprint on the woman’s heart; the elder’s son died as a result of a duel. Looking for peace of mind the Yusupov couple went to Rome, leaving St. Petersburg / at a time of great changes in Tsarist Russia,/ and after the death of her husband, the woman went to Paris to see her son, where she lived until her death

“Portrait of M.I. Lopukhina", 1797. V.L. Borovikovsky

Countess Maria Lopukhina posed with an arrogant look and some ease at the age of 18. This “piercing” portrait was commissioned by the husband of young Maria from the artist V.L. Borovikovsky, a famous master of portraits of that time.

The Russian portrait painter had a keen sense of female nature and painted many paintings depicting women enchanting with their beauty. Six years after the painting was created tragic fate took a young woman /died from consumption/.

Beautiful, charming, with a gentle and flirtatious look, Maria Lopukhina from the Tolstoy family lived her short life... But her image, captured for centuries, will remain with us forever!

V.L. Borovikovsky, 1797 Moscow, Tretyakov Gallery

“Portrait of Struyskaya”, 1772. F.S. Rokotov

Alexandra Petrovna Struyskaya is an amazingly beautiful woman depicted on the artist’s canvas. At the age of 18, she became the wife of a wealthy landowner, a widower and a poetry lover. During her marriage, which lasted 24 years, Struyskaya gave birth to 18 children. But fate decreed that 10 children died in infancy.

Very different, but such happy spouses lived their family life together, the husband dedicated poems to Alexandra, singing his feelings in them. After the death of her husband, A.P. Struyskaya lived for another 40 years, successfully taking care of family affairs, which helped her leave a decent fortune for her children.

F.S. Rokotov, 1772 Moscow Tretyakov Gallery

"Horsewoman", 1832. Karl Bryullov

The artist’s luxurious and dynamic canvas depicts the heirs of the Pacini family, the daughters Italian composer: the eldest is Giovannina, sitting on a handsome black man, and the youngest is Amatsilia, who is captivatingly watching her sister from the porch of the house.

The girls' adoptive mother, Countess Yulia Pavlovna Samoilova, ordered a portrait of her stepdaughters from her lover Karl Bryullov. The Russian countess, in addition to her amazing beauty, had enormous wealth, which she planned to leave to her daughters. The girls recovered the promised dowry in court, since in her old age Countess Yu.P. Samoilova practically went bankrupt.

Karl Bryullov 1832 Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

“Girl with Peaches”, 1887 V.A. Serov

The most famous painting The artist was painted on the estate of S.I. Mamontov. The artist’s painting depicts a twelve-year-old girl, the daughter of the landowner Savva Ivanovich Mamontov. The girl grew up, turned into a beauty and became the wife of the successful nobleman Alexander Samarin. She gave her husband and the world three children.

Family happiness lasted only 5 years and at the age of 32, a charming woman named Vera Savvishna Samarina died of pneumonia. Her husband never married again...

Valentin Serov 1887 State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

“Merchant's Wife at Tea”, B.M. Kustodiev, 1918.

Kustodiev’s very bright creation, full of emotions and mood, dates back to the period of post-revolutionary famine. The painting depicts the brightness and satiety of Russia, which in 1918, such abundance was no longer acceptable.

The picture majestically shows off Galina Vladimirovna Aderkas, a real baroness of a noble knightly family. Neighboring with the artist, Galina’s colorful appearance was noticed by the artist’s wife Kustodiev.

A 1st year student of the Medical Department of Astrakhan became the “merchant for tea.” After receiving a medical education and working for some time as a surgeon, Galina Aderkas found her calling in film scoring, choral singing and circus arts.

Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev 1918 State Russian Museum St. Petersburg

Life story you can leave it on paper for posterity by writing a biography... and also create another story, a history of views, a history of charming eyes, enchanting poses...

Probably, you too would like your descendants to get to know you through a portrait. No, not through a photograph on paper, but through a portrait! After all, it is he who, through the brightness and richness of colors, conveys all the beauty and mystery of our soul!!!
After all, a woman is a mysterious creature... like a book that you want to read and reread. Who knows, maybe they will write to you someday, what do you think?

And for dessert: video about why we buy paintings, why we need them

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