This painting is considered to be one of the best Repin’s portraits in the museum’s collection. It was commissioned in 1890 — and Repin confessed that ‘there is no harder thing than painting commissioned portraits.’ All the same, he performed the job to the best of his abilities.
The painter portrayed a famous philanthropist Olga Alexandrova-Heinz. In the painting, she sits on a couch in a luxurious living room. Sumptuous furnishings and the woman dressed in black velvet seem to be in perfect harmony. The artist paid particular attention to the model’s facial features. Ilya Repin and Olga Heinz were not well acquainted, but that did not prevent him from perfectly rendering her character — strict and confident, she looks at the viewers calmly and attentively. The painter paid very close attention to realistic detail, such as plant leaves and a variety of fabrics.
Olga Heinz was the daughter of a Kazan merchant Sergey Alexandrov, who made a fortune selling cheap tea. In Kazan, she was known as a philanthropist and art collector. Olga often donated money to help the poor, as well as the Russian and Muslim communities. She also acted as a trustee for a number of education establishments.
At the age of 45, she married her old acquaintance Alexander Heinz, the general who was also the governor of Kazan in 1880–1882. They settled in Saint Petersburg, but Olga often visited the residents of the Alexandrinsky orphanage and the students of the Kseninskaya Girls’ School in Kazan. After her husband’s death, Heinz wholeheartedly dedicated herself to helping others. The unique building of the Alexandrovsky department store is her gift to the city.
Repin created two versions of Olga Heinz’s portrait, both of them are in the museum’s collection. The painter reminisced many years later:
The painter portrayed a famous philanthropist Olga Alexandrova-Heinz. In the painting, she sits on a couch in a luxurious living room. Sumptuous furnishings and the woman dressed in black velvet seem to be in perfect harmony. The artist paid particular attention to the model’s facial features. Ilya Repin and Olga Heinz were not well acquainted, but that did not prevent him from perfectly rendering her character — strict and confident, she looks at the viewers calmly and attentively. The painter paid very close attention to realistic detail, such as plant leaves and a variety of fabrics.
Olga Heinz was the daughter of a Kazan merchant Sergey Alexandrov, who made a fortune selling cheap tea. In Kazan, she was known as a philanthropist and art collector. Olga often donated money to help the poor, as well as the Russian and Muslim communities. She also acted as a trustee for a number of education establishments.
At the age of 45, she married her old acquaintance Alexander Heinz, the general who was also the governor of Kazan in 1880–1882. They settled in Saint Petersburg, but Olga often visited the residents of the Alexandrinsky orphanage and the students of the Kseninskaya Girls’ School in Kazan. After her husband’s death, Heinz wholeheartedly dedicated herself to helping others. The unique building of the Alexandrovsky department store is her gift to the city.
Repin created two versions of Olga Heinz’s portrait, both of them are in the museum’s collection. The painter reminisced many years later:
