After graduating from the full-scale class of the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture, Ilya Mashkov received the title of a ‘non-class artist’ and the opportunity to study in the most advanced class, the portrait and genre studio of Valentin Serov and Konstantin Korovin. Simultaneously with Mashkov, Mikhail Larionov, Martiros Saryan, Pavel Kuznetsov, Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin, Vasily Rozhdestvensky, and Alexander Matveev studied at the Moscow School of Painting. The capital’s cultural life played an important role in the formation of Mashkov’s artistic style.
Portrait of a Girl
Creation period
1903–1904
Dimensions
112x100 cm
Technique
oil, canvas
Collection
Exhibition
2
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Ilya Mashkov
Portrait of a Girl
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I absorbed Moscow life, people, and culture (theaters, museums, art galleries, exhibitions, etc.) with great greed and interest, ” the artist recalled. — ‘From the exhibitions of young artists organized by the “Mir iskusstva” [“World of Art”], I was already impressed by the works of Konstantin Korovin and Igor Grabar.
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Before arriving in Moscow, Mashkov knew nothing about Serov. He shared: “I asked one of the senior students this question that worried me all the time: who is the most famous artist now? I naively expected — they would answer: “Repin”. However, their answer was Serov. I was taken aback and confused. I had not heard anything about Serov until that time.’
During this period, Mashkov wrote ‘Portrait of a Girl, ” displayed at the exhibition. This work was familiar to the audience’s view of that time as there were no experiments with color, shapes, and composition. It was a classic, almost academic portrait, but at the same time unusual for Mashkov. The portrait was painted in an aesthetic close to the paintings of Valentin Serov. The canvases of the famous painter were distinguished by a variety of poses, positions, turns, and gestures of the characters.
The composition, exquisite color, careful study of the model’s face, and transparent golden shadows of the portrait also referred to the work of Serov. Mashkov realized this influence and admitted that during his training, he could not find his style. For this reason, despite his success, Mashkov left the studio of Serov and Korovin in 1904. “I didn”t know what to do and how to do it. I stopped loving everything, and I didn”t love anything in return, ” he wrote later, recalling this period.
During this period, Mashkov wrote ‘Portrait of a Girl, ” displayed at the exhibition. This work was familiar to the audience’s view of that time as there were no experiments with color, shapes, and composition. It was a classic, almost academic portrait, but at the same time unusual for Mashkov. The portrait was painted in an aesthetic close to the paintings of Valentin Serov. The canvases of the famous painter were distinguished by a variety of poses, positions, turns, and gestures of the characters.
The composition, exquisite color, careful study of the model’s face, and transparent golden shadows of the portrait also referred to the work of Serov. Mashkov realized this influence and admitted that during his training, he could not find his style. For this reason, despite his success, Mashkov left the studio of Serov and Korovin in 1904. “I didn”t know what to do and how to do it. I stopped loving everything, and I didn”t love anything in return, ” he wrote later, recalling this period.
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Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation
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Portrait of a Girl
Creation period
1903–1904
Dimensions
112x100 cm
Technique
oil, canvas
Collection
Exhibition
2
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