Vladimir Egorovich Makovsky was a Wanderer, that is, a member of the Society for Travelling Art Exhibitions, and a master of genre painting. He was born in 1846 in Moscow. He graduated from the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture and studied under the artists Sergey Zaryanko and Yevgraf Sorokin. He was one of the most lyrical Wanderers. He became famous as an unsurpassed master of genre painting, whose canvases expressively reveal the very spirit of the era. In his numerous works, Vladimir Makovsky represented the life of almost all social groups and social estates in Russia.
The heyday of Vladimir Makovsky’s art fell on the 1880s and 1890s — the time when the presented work from the National Art Museum of the Sakha Republic was also created.
The portrait was displayed at the 26th exhibition of the Wanderers in 1898 as the “Portrait of Mrs. S.”. It depicts the daughter of the famous Russian gynecologist Vladimir Fyodorovich Snegiryov — Elena. Her father treated his wife, who died early, with the deepest respect and love. Vladimir Fyodorovich was actively engaged in bringing up his daughter Elena and son Konstantine, giving them both a great education. Vladimir Makovsky rarely turned to portraiture, his etchings in this genre are better known.
The “Portrait of Elena Snegiryova” attracts with a special harmony and soundness. At the same time, one could feel an inner note of sincerity, which gives rise to deeply emotional, melancholic melodies in the viewer’s mind. This effect is achieved by the soft light falling from the left that creates subtle tonal transitions, weakening the color contrasts, which the artist uses. The focal point of the canvas is the face and the hands of the young lady, clutching a handkerchief on her laps. Subtly and carefully, with soft strokes, the artist models her face. The overall mood of the portrait is incredibly calm and peaceful. However, there is a sense of inner drama in it: the artist applies short strokes with a wide brush. This manner of painting involuntarily draws the viewer’s attention to the face of the portrayed, to her preoccupation with herself and her thoughts, which makes her image amazingly realistic and relatable.
The heyday of Vladimir Makovsky’s art fell on the 1880s and 1890s — the time when the presented work from the National Art Museum of the Sakha Republic was also created.
The portrait was displayed at the 26th exhibition of the Wanderers in 1898 as the “Portrait of Mrs. S.”. It depicts the daughter of the famous Russian gynecologist Vladimir Fyodorovich Snegiryov — Elena. Her father treated his wife, who died early, with the deepest respect and love. Vladimir Fyodorovich was actively engaged in bringing up his daughter Elena and son Konstantine, giving them both a great education. Vladimir Makovsky rarely turned to portraiture, his etchings in this genre are better known.
The “Portrait of Elena Snegiryova” attracts with a special harmony and soundness. At the same time, one could feel an inner note of sincerity, which gives rise to deeply emotional, melancholic melodies in the viewer’s mind. This effect is achieved by the soft light falling from the left that creates subtle tonal transitions, weakening the color contrasts, which the artist uses. The focal point of the canvas is the face and the hands of the young lady, clutching a handkerchief on her laps. Subtly and carefully, with soft strokes, the artist models her face. The overall mood of the portrait is incredibly calm and peaceful. However, there is a sense of inner drama in it: the artist applies short strokes with a wide brush. This manner of painting involuntarily draws the viewer’s attention to the face of the portrayed, to her preoccupation with herself and her thoughts, which makes her image amazingly realistic and relatable.
