Maria Bashkirtseva was known both as a paintress and a writer. Her paintings are exhibited at the Tretyakov Gallery, at the Russian Museum, and at some major Ukrainian museums, as well as at museums in Paris, Nice, and Amsterdam. Maria Bashkirtseva was born in 1860 in Gavrontsy, Poltava province, in the family of the local marshal of the nobility Konstantin Bashkirtsev. She studied vocal and dreamed of becoming a singer, but by the age of fifteen, she lost her voice, because she was diagnosed with tuberculosis. Bashkirtseva was fluent in several foreign languages, including Latin and Greek, she studied history, philosophy and physics, and was interested in politics and feminist ideas. However, painting and sculpture were her favorite hobbies.
In 1877, Maria Bashkirtseva moved to Paris and entered the famous school of painting — Julian Academy. It took her just two years to complete a seven-year educational course at this prestigious school. After several years of hard work, when she daily spent 8 — 10 hours in the studio, her paintings were accepted for participation in the famous Paris Salon. However, despite the appreciation and numerous praises in the press, she did not get any awards, perhaps only because she was a woman.
Bashkirtseva created the landscape painting ‘Grenada’ during her trip to Spain. In her diary the artist wrote: ‘Oh what a bliss! I left this terrible Seville. I say “terrible”, because I am now in Grenada, since yesterday, and since morning we’ve been rushing along the city streets, and what have I seen — the inevitable Cathedral and part of the Gypsy caves. I’m really excited.’ In a small landscape painting she depicted a view of a narrow Spanish street, in the shadow you can see a woman walking and carrying a child in her arms. Behind her is the wide open space, bathed in the sun. The artist painted a narrow passage between the wall and a high stone fence with large sweeping strokes. Maria Bashkirtseva emphasized the contrast of bright sunlight and the shaded street. And the figure of a woman with a child brought some dynamism and rhythm to the peaceful southern landscape.
In 1877, Maria Bashkirtseva moved to Paris and entered the famous school of painting — Julian Academy. It took her just two years to complete a seven-year educational course at this prestigious school. After several years of hard work, when she daily spent 8 — 10 hours in the studio, her paintings were accepted for participation in the famous Paris Salon. However, despite the appreciation and numerous praises in the press, she did not get any awards, perhaps only because she was a woman.
Bashkirtseva created the landscape painting ‘Grenada’ during her trip to Spain. In her diary the artist wrote: ‘Oh what a bliss! I left this terrible Seville. I say “terrible”, because I am now in Grenada, since yesterday, and since morning we’ve been rushing along the city streets, and what have I seen — the inevitable Cathedral and part of the Gypsy caves. I’m really excited.’ In a small landscape painting she depicted a view of a narrow Spanish street, in the shadow you can see a woman walking and carrying a child in her arms. Behind her is the wide open space, bathed in the sun. The artist painted a narrow passage between the wall and a high stone fence with large sweeping strokes. Maria Bashkirtseva emphasized the contrast of bright sunlight and the shaded street. And the figure of a woman with a child brought some dynamism and rhythm to the peaceful southern landscape.
