The Ostrogozhsk Museum houses the painting “Girl with an Umbrella” by Mikhail Lazarevich Shcherbatov. It was painted in 1885 and is believed to be a copy of the painting “Woman with an Umbrella” by Shcherbatov’s teacher Ivan Kramskoy. The latter portrayed his niece Lyudmila Fyodorovna Kramskaya (Agapitova).
The artist Mikhail Shcherbatov was born into an icon painter’s family in the village of Rudnya, former Bogucharsky Uyezd, Voronezh Governorate, in 1845. From an early age, he became interested in art and studied at an icon workshop in Voronezh. Later, he returned to his village and worked there on his own. The young man’s talent was noticed by the general’s wife Krasnova who took him to St. Petersburg. Initially, Shcherbatov attended the Drawing School where one of his teachers was Ivan Kramskoy, and later entered the Academy of Arts as a non-matriculated student. The development of his skills and talent was greatly influenced by his friendship with Kramskoy. “I became acquainted with him in 1868 and got to know his personality and character. At first, I was his student and later, until his very death, I remained his close friend, ” Shcherbatov wrote about his teacher in his memoir. The friendship between the student and the teacher was long and true. For 15 years, they painted at the same workshop. Shcherbatov continued working there after Kramskoy’s death. They were brought together by working on the portrait gallery of Russian historical figures commissioned by Vasily Dashkov for the Moscow Public Rumyantsev Museum. During that time, Mikhail Shcherbatov improved as a portraitist.
The two artists also shared the same attitude to art: they believed that it should be available to people and therefore contribute to education and development as a crucial element of the evolution of society. Both for the wholehearted teacher Kramskoy and for the altruist Shcherbatov, these ideas were not merely a topic of conversation but an instruction. Ivan Kramskoy always helped his students and friends, while Mikhail Shcherbatov funded the construction of a school for peasant children in his home village of Rudnya in 1912. Twelve years later, he was buried in Rudnya with great honors.
In 1910, Mikhail Shcherbatov visited Ostrogozhsk to attend the opening of the Art Gallery named after Ivan Kramskoy. He donated several of his paintings which are still displayed in the museum’s exhibition.
The artist Mikhail Shcherbatov was born into an icon painter’s family in the village of Rudnya, former Bogucharsky Uyezd, Voronezh Governorate, in 1845. From an early age, he became interested in art and studied at an icon workshop in Voronezh. Later, he returned to his village and worked there on his own. The young man’s talent was noticed by the general’s wife Krasnova who took him to St. Petersburg. Initially, Shcherbatov attended the Drawing School where one of his teachers was Ivan Kramskoy, and later entered the Academy of Arts as a non-matriculated student. The development of his skills and talent was greatly influenced by his friendship with Kramskoy. “I became acquainted with him in 1868 and got to know his personality and character. At first, I was his student and later, until his very death, I remained his close friend, ” Shcherbatov wrote about his teacher in his memoir. The friendship between the student and the teacher was long and true. For 15 years, they painted at the same workshop. Shcherbatov continued working there after Kramskoy’s death. They were brought together by working on the portrait gallery of Russian historical figures commissioned by Vasily Dashkov for the Moscow Public Rumyantsev Museum. During that time, Mikhail Shcherbatov improved as a portraitist.
The two artists also shared the same attitude to art: they believed that it should be available to people and therefore contribute to education and development as a crucial element of the evolution of society. Both for the wholehearted teacher Kramskoy and for the altruist Shcherbatov, these ideas were not merely a topic of conversation but an instruction. Ivan Kramskoy always helped his students and friends, while Mikhail Shcherbatov funded the construction of a school for peasant children in his home village of Rudnya in 1912. Twelve years later, he was buried in Rudnya with great honors.
In 1910, Mikhail Shcherbatov visited Ostrogozhsk to attend the opening of the Art Gallery named after Ivan Kramskoy. He donated several of his paintings which are still displayed in the museum’s exhibition.
