Ivan Silych Goryushkin-Sorokopudov expressed the character and features of the portrayed person through techniques and materials. To achieve this, the master skillfully employed brush movement and fine glazes, applying paint in translucent layers that allowed the confident lines of the drawing to emerge through the surface.
Working on portraits in mixed media, Ivan Goryushkin-Sorokopudov demonstrated a harmonious combination of the matte surface of tempera, which provided a decorative effect, with the velvet texture of pastel and the richness of charcoal. In the portrait of Nina Savkova from the first half of the 20th century, the artist showcased his mastery of both graphic and painting techniques, employing these artistic properties with meticulous care and economy.
The Savkov family were close friends of the artist, and the gallery collection features two portraits of the family members. Ivan Goryushkin-Sorokopudov depicted Nina Nikolayevna Savkova in a garden setting, while her father, Nikolay Mokiyevich Savkov, was portrayed in his study.
Goryushkin-Sorokopudov’s portraits of women are characterized by a bright, cheerful quality, and are filled with sunlight, while his portraits of men often conveyed a sense of severity in both the depiction of the sitter and the painting style. This contrast is evident in the portrait of Nina Savkova, where the entire space is infused with light and air, allowing the artist to emphasize her youth and beauty. In addition to his signature on this work, Goryushkin-Sorokopudov included a dedicatory inscription for Nina’s father, Nikolay Mokiyevich Savkov, a surgeon and doctor of medical sciences.
The art gallery’s collection also includes portraits of the artist Iosif Semyonovich Tomars and his wife. These two portraits exhibit a greater degree of compositional uniformity compared to Goryushkin-Sorokopudov’s other works, although they may be less compelling in terms of the sitters’ depictions. In general, the portraits by Ivan Goryushkin-Sorokopudov were characterized by a sketchy quality and unfinished details, with a strong emphasis on the sitter’s face. The nuances of the portraits and the emphasized color transitions showcased the artist’s mastery in working with various techniques, methods, and materials, highlighting their advantages.
