One of the favorite models of the artist Ivan Silych Goryushkin-Sorokopudov was Antonina Nikolayevna Sobolshchikova-Samarina, the daughter of the theater director Nikolay Ivanovich Sobolshchikov-Samarin. The artist created a series of her portraits even before her debut on the stage. In 1908, the painter moved to Penza where he painted this portrait. Between 1903 and 1917, Nikolay Sobolshchikov-Samarin engaged in acting, directing, and theater management in provincial drama theaters in Kazan, Rostov-on-Don, Penza, and Odessa.

Antonina Sobolshchikova-Samarina was close friends with Faina Georgiyevna Ranevskaya. The two met in Rostov-on-Don in 1910, and their friendship lasted throughout their lives. Antonina Sobolshchikova-Samarina made her stage debut in 1917 at the theater of miniatures in Odessa.

Subsequently, she established herself as an actress in classical comedy and lyrical drama. Among her notable performances were “Anna Karenina” and “Filumena Marturano”, in which she played the lead roles, as well as plays by Shakespeare. In 1948, she was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the RSFSR, and in 1959, she received the prestigious status of People’s Artist of the RSFSR.

Antonina Sobolshchikova-Samarina was a remarkable person. It is no wonder that the music scholar Sofia Mikhailovna Khentova described her as follows,

The actress knew how to appreciate every day. This can be felt in the portrait on display. The artist used a combination of techniques, enhancing the effect on the viewer with the matte tempera surface. There is no pretense or affectation in this painting, just femininity and authenticity. A white lace collar gives the image a sense of youth.

The last role of Antonina Sobolshchikova-Samarina in theater was that of Abbess Martha in a play based on the 1968 lyrical tragedy “The Swan Princess” by Ilya Lvovich Selvinsky. The actress passed away in 1971 at the age of 79.