In the 19th century, Ivan Goncharov’s books were not yet illustrated. However, there were some drawings and paintings based on his works. Some of them were published in the late-19th century magazines, while others became famous on their own, as was the case with the portrait of Vera, the main character of “The Precipice” novel, created by the Polish artist Michał Elwiro Andriolli. The photo taken from this painting is currently housed by the Ulyanovsk Museum of Local History named after Ivan Goncharov.

Goncharov did not find the artist’s portrayal of Vera convincing. The playwriter Vasily Bibikov recalled one particular instance where Goncharov showed the painting to his colleague saying,