Valentin Aleksandrovich Serov was born in St. Petersburg in 1865. He lived with his mother in Munich, where he learned to draw first from the German engraver Karl Kepping, then from I.E. Repin.
Serov became friends with Ilya Efimovich, stayed with him in the summer in Abramtsevo, traveled with him around the Crimea, and then around Ukraine.
In 1889, he married Olga Trubnikova. Valentin Aleksandrovich began to give private lessons, wrote many paintings on order.
He died in 1911 due to an attack of angina pectoris, he was only 46 years old. But for his not-so-long life, he managed to write many memorable paintings, was a recognized master of portraiture, a famous painter and graphic artist.
The most famous paintings by Serov, their photos, are still recognized and loved, even people who are far from the art world know their names.
10. Peter I
Picture "Peter I"Appeared in 1907. Knebel Publishing House decided to release a series of historical paintings, manuals that would be used to educate students. But instead of the usual portrait, a picture full of life and dynamics turned out.
Now this work of the artist is considered one of the best, and once was little appreciated.
In the center of the canvas we see the king, who is heading to the place of construction of his beloved city - St. Petersburg.
On his face is a terrible and domineering expression, his eyes are burning, his hair is developing in the wind. The viewer seems to look at them from the bottom up. For the king are people dressed in foreign dresses. These are the craftsmen who were invited to build a new capital.
In the background we see a construction site, as work has already begun on the construction of a great city.
9. Self portrait
Picture "Self portrait"Refers to 1880, it was created in oil on canvas. Here we see a young painter.
Striking deep, green eyes of the artist. He has an attentive look, as if reflecting his complex character.
Serov has always been considered a master in creating portraits. Creating a self-portrait was for him a bit of a personal exam, which he could pass.
8. A woman with a horse
Serov loved to show rural Russia. But he did not seek to reproduce her wretchedness or to emphasize the beauty of nature.
He looked at everything as a realist, and showed the audience simple village paintings, painted with kindness and cordiality.
One of them - "Woman with a horse", Created in 1889. We see a cheerful young girl with rosy cheeks. She stands next to her horse, holds her by the bridle.
The artist wrote that he wanted to convey the feeling of Russian frost. When he began to paint, he was surrounded by peasants, watched his work and admired his skills.
He later said more than once that it was the approval of the common people that made him proud of his work.
7. Portrait of Maria Akimova
In the picture "Portrait of Maria Akimova"Shows a woman whose face reads tiredness of the soul, exhaustion.
The result was a masterpiece that struck contemporaries. Serov managed to feel the difficult fate of a woman and convey his feelings to the audience.
Maria Nikolaevna Akimova really had a difficult life. As soon as she got married, she immediately became a widow, because her husband, a gambler and a motorbike, drowned, rushing into the river. The woman had to fend off creditors.
She was able to find her happiness only after she married again. It was at this time that her portrait was painted by Serov. But after that she did not live long. Survived misfortunes undermined her health, she soon died due to illness.
6. Portrait of Nicholas II
Created in 1900. Nicholas II decided to give his wife his portrait and ordered it from Valentin Alexandrovich.
Contemporaries believed that he was able to show, first of all, a man, not a king. His pose is relaxed, in the guise of Nicholas II there is no arrogance or pathos.
Before us is an intelligent man in whose eyes anxiety and experience are visible. The result was a “warm” picture.
5. The girl, lit by the sun
The model for this picture was the cousin of the artist, Masha Simonovich. He decided to write it on the background of the estate in Domotkanovo. It turned out a wonderful work through which Serov tried to convey the feeling of delight and tenderness that he appears when he sees real Russian beauty.
The portrait is full of life. We see summer, fragrant, green, the sun plays with the rays and heats the earth. Tired of its bright rays, the girl sat under the trees, but even there she could not hide from the sunlight.
It is difficult to tear your eyes away from a slightly thoughtful but pacified look, a bright blush on the cheeks.
Picture "Sunlit girl"Was one of Serov's favorite creations.
4. The abduction of Europe
Picture "The abduction of Europe"Was established in 1910. Her plot was taken from mythology.
Zeus fell in love with the daughter of King Agenor Europe. He appeared to her and to her friends in the guise of a beautiful bull. The girls played with him. And when Europe sat on the back of the bull, he swam with her to Crete. There she became the wife of Zeus.
The artist came up with the idea to write this painting after visiting Crete in 1907, where he studied the remains of the Knossos Palace.
He got a monumental panel. His bull is red and not white, as before it was customary to draw him. The color was not chosen by chance. Against the background of the blue-violet sea, a bright orange stain looks especially expressive.
3. Children
Carotene "Children"Appeared in 1899. It depicts the children of V.A. Serova, two boys, one of whom, Sasha, is 7 years old, and the second, Yura, is 5. They are standing on the terrace of the summer residence.
They are very similar to each other, with dark hair that curls and falls on the forehead, moreover, they are equally dressed. The oldest boy looks at the Gulf of Finland, and the youngest - at the viewer.
Gestures and postures convey the characters of children. The older brother is watching intently, and the younger is looking forward dreamily and pensively.
Serov painted this picture for himself. He managed to portray children in natural poses, as well as draw an amazing landscape that conveys the mood of the author: evening sky, water surface, heavy clouds.
2. Portrait of Mika Morozov
In the picture "Portrait of Mika Morozov»You see a 4-year-old boy born in the family of a wealthy industrialist who was also a well-known philanthropist.
When he grew up, he was able to become a famous literary critic and theater critic, studied the work of William Shakespeare, was the editor-in-chief of the English-language magazine News.
In the meantime, we see a boy painted in his favorite chair. He sits, but noticeably his desire to jump up and run away as soon as possible.
The portrait turned out to be very expressive. The eyes are filled with naive playfulness, the child's mouth is a little open and as if he wants to talk about something.
Critics call this picture the anthem of a carefree childhood. Mikhail’s friends have repeatedly noted how the artist accurately portrayed the boy, because the resemblance was obvious even when he matured.
1. Girl with Peaches
It was created in 1887 in the estate of Abramtsev, owned by Savva Mamontov. In the portrait we see Vera Mamontova, which at that time was 11 years old. In front of her are 4 peaches.
In 1871, the Mammoths acquired peach trees that were planted in their greenhouses. In August, the girl ran into the house with a peach and sat at the table. Serov, seeing her, invited her to pose, which she did every day for 2 months.
When the picture "Girl with Peaches"Was finished, he presented her to the mother of the girl. The artist admitted that he sought to convey a special freshness, which is felt in kind, but not displayed in the picture.