At the turn of the 20th century, the popularity of Feodor Chaliapin flourished as he performed his best roles at the Mariinsky and Bolshoi Theaters and the Savva Mamontov Moscow Private Opera. The opera “Faust” with Chaliapin as Mephistopheles enjoyed a resounding success in Milan: the La Scala Theater gave ten performances of the opera in a row.

The writer Leonid Andreyev was deeply impressed by Chaliapin’s talent and dedicated an article to him. He wrote that Chaliapin’s talent was “reigned by genius” and that it was essential to collect information about him and use it to publish a book dedicated to Chaliapin so that future generations could grasp the scale of his talent. Andreyev appealed to artists to capture the image of the genius singer and his characters and perpetuate him in “a beautiful, long-lasting statue”. The writer’s words also resonated with photographers who made a series of pictures of the singer with and without makeup.

Feodor Chaliapin was a brilliant draftsman and make-up artist, and each of his stage appearances delighted audiences and professionals alike. Leonid Andreyev noted all his metamorphoses: Mephistopheles “with all the sharpness of his features and satanic mind”, Boris Godunov and his “beautiful tyrant face burnt with passion”, and “sternly beautiful and savage” Holofernes. Here and there, “the good-natured and softly outlined face of the Vyatka peasant” would occasionally shine through. Chaliapin gladly gave his photographs to friends and admirers.

On February 3, 1907, Feodor Chaliapin took part in a concert given by the Russian conductor and pianist Alexander Siloti at the Saint Petersburg Assembly Hall of the Nobility. Accompanied by the orchestra, the singer performed “Byron’s Monologue” from the opera “The Miserly Knight” by Rachmaninoff, the scene of Lanciotto and Francesca from the opera “Francesca da Rimini”, “Pimen’s Tale” from the opera “Boris Godunov” by Mussorgsky, “The Wolves” by Anton Arensky and other songs.

The photo was taken in a studio on Kuznetsky Bridge in Moscow in the early 20th century. It was made by Karl Fischer, one of the founders and chairman of the Russian Photographic Society and chief theater photographer in Moscow and Saint Petersburg.