Nikolai Mylnikov created this painting in 1830’s. The artist portrayed the merchant Ivan Semenovich Sobolev. It looks as if the man’s figure has been inserted into the shape of an isosceles triangle making it monumental. Subtle obscure background matches serious and calm mood of the character.
The portrait of Ivan Sobolev has a ‘pair’ — the portrait of his wife. The paintings made a harmonious ensemble: the female portrait was decorative and festive, while the male one was laconic and strict. The artist shifted the man’s figure a little to the right of the painting center, and the woman’s figure a little to the left — the man and the woman seem to have turned to each other. The author brought out the businesslike nature of the man in his portrait, while the woman’s portrait emphasizes her gentleness and sweet temper.
The portraits became a part of the family gallery of the Sobolev merchant family in Yaroslavl. The merchants ordered the artist a series of six paintings. Mylnikov painted them in accordance with the then canons of Yaroslavl merchant portraits formed in the late XVIII century.
The portrait of Ivan Sobolev has a ‘pair’ — the portrait of his wife. The paintings made a harmonious ensemble: the female portrait was decorative and festive, while the male one was laconic and strict. The artist shifted the man’s figure a little to the right of the painting center, and the woman’s figure a little to the left — the man and the woman seem to have turned to each other. The author brought out the businesslike nature of the man in his portrait, while the woman’s portrait emphasizes her gentleness and sweet temper.
The portraits became a part of the family gallery of the Sobolev merchant family in Yaroslavl. The merchants ordered the artist a series of six paintings. Mylnikov painted them in accordance with the then canons of Yaroslavl merchant portraits formed in the late XVIII century.