The drawing “Woman Sitting in a Chair” by the Polish artist Teodor Axentowicz takes pride of place in the Ostrogozhsk Museum of History and Art. In the history of fine arts, this artist is mostly known as the master of female portraits.

Teodor Axentowicz (1859–1938) was born into a wealthy family of Armenian ancestry, descending from the ancient family of Ter-Axent. The boy showed great artistic talent from an early age. He studied and began his creative career at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. While studying under prominent German artists, Teodor also worked as an illustrator for various journals. To develop as an artist and earn a living, he also duplicated the works of Renaissance masters: Botticelli, Titian, and Velázquez.

Axentowicz create his first vivid female image in 1882 when, inspired by Dutch art, he painted the “Italian Florist”. After that painting, portraits, especially female ones, became his main passion. The artist’s skills reached such heights that contemporaries dubbed him the master of portraits. He became increasingly popular and received commissions from London and Rome. In 1890 alone, he painted 12 female portraits for private collections and continued getting acquainted with the works of European painters — Romney, Turner, Gainsborough, and the Pre-Raphaelites — as well as contemporary American artists.

Teodor Axentowicz enjoyed prestige among Parisian artists and intellectuals who recognized his great talent as a portraitist. At different times, famous contemporaries posed for his portraits. For a long time, the painter worked as a teacher at the school of fine arts in Kraków. In 1900, Teodor managed to transform the school into the Academy of Fine Arts where he revealed his organizing abilities. Teodor Axentowicz left a mark in history as the founder of the school of painting for women and the organizer of large-scale exhibitions in Poland. For his initiative, hard work, and amazing portraits, he was honored with the highest awards.