Portraits of the artist’s parents have been on display in the Pavel Vlasov Hall in the Boris Kustodiev House Museum since 2002.

Pavel Vlasov was born on January 13, 1857 in the city of Novocherkassk, the cultural capital of the Don Cossacks. The father of the future artist, Alexey Vlasov, was a military foreman and held the honorary position of “supervisor of fishing”. His mother also came from a Cossack background. The Vlasov family enjoyed well-deserved fame in the city, as there were very worthy and successful people in their family, including heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812.

At the end of the 1890s, Pavel Vlasov, who at that time was living in Astrakhan for several years, made a trip to his homeland, where he created his best male portrait — “Portrait of the Father (With a Book)”. It cannot be called an official portrait. This masterfully executed realist painting depicts an elderly man in a brown housecoat over a white shirt. He looks as though he was distracted from reading only a few minutes ago. The artist not only conveys the appearance of his father, but also allows the viewer to look over the veil into his inner world. The father holds a folio of sheet music in his hands. A person who can sight-read and knows how to “hear” music without a musical instrument, is undoubtedly an educated, refined and passionate person. Glasses and a stack of books in the background indicate that this is something he does quite often. His calm face, soft gray hair, thoughtful, serious gaze provide an image of old age — quiet and peaceful, despite the military past. The notes may hint at harmony that was finally established in the family after a long discord instigated by Pavel Vlasov’s marriage.

This painting is not the only portrait of Vlasov’s father, but it serves as a testament to the artistic progress of the master. The artist’s work gained depth, softness, naturalness and confidence. The portrait of Pavel Vlasov’s father is very realistic — by meticulously emphasizing detail work, he created a truthful and deep image of an old military man — authoritative, intelligent, reserved.