This is a portrait of a young woman sitting in an armchair. She has a long face, large dark eyes, a straight nose, and a slightly open mouth. She seems to be looking directly at the viewer and smiling softly. Her black hair is combed back. The woman is wearing a red turtleneck dress, decorated with a pearl brooch and two strands of pearls. A burgundy velvet coat trimmed with light-colored fur falls from her right shoulder. The armchair is red, while the background is a rich cherry color. The portrait was painted by Nikolay Bodarevsky.
Nikolay Bodarevsky was born into a noble family in Odessa in 1850. He studied at the Drawing School of the Odessa Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts, which was affiliated with the Imperial Academy of Arts. In 1869, he enrolled at the Academy. In 1875, he was awarded the title of class artist of the first degree. Later, he became a full member of the Academy.
In 1880, Nikolay Bodarevsky started displaying his works at exhibitions organized by the Society for Traveling Art Exhibitions. Four years later, he became a member of this association. Their collaboration lasted until 1918.
Critics often accused Bodarevsky of being sentimental and his paintings of lacking social awareness. Nevertheless, he remained a very popular artist. Along with Viktor Vasnetsov, Mikhail Nesterov, and Andrei Ryabushkin, he participated in decorating the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg. In 1889, Bodarevsky received a large commission to paint portraits of 14 famous composers for the future Grand Concert Hall at the Moscow Conservatory.
“The Lady in Red” from the collection of the
National Gallery was painted in 1903. This image is largely in line with the
concept of a Turgenev girl as described by the poet Innokenty Annensky. The
model has a kind and open face with arched eyebrows. She is gazing directly at
the viewer, which is either a challenge or at least an invitation to a
conversation. Her half-open lips create the impression of a slight ironic smile
or a question she wants to ask. She seems to be just as surprised by the viewer
as the viewer is by her.
