Valentin Serov painted the portrait of American opera singer Marie van Zandt in 1886. In 1880-s, van Zandt went on tour across Europe, and in 1885 she arrived to Russia to participate in a private opera project of Savva Mamontov, famous merchant, patron and admirer of arts. Mamontov offered Valentin Serov to paint a portrait of the prima donna, and the artist agreed with pleasure. Soon Marie van Zandt got bored of sitting during numerous long sessions, hence, the painting remained unfinished.

In those days, Marie van Zandt was 28 years old. The artist had enough time to draw the details of her face, while her dress and the background remained unfinished. The soft vermilion of the young woman’s complexion accentuates the cornflower-blue color of her eyes. Her brooding eyes are fixed on something far away. The artist chose warm coloring for his painting.

The singer’s rich brown hair are pinned up, its color is in line with her dress. The young woman is dressed in conformity with the latest fashion of the 19th century: her dress has high stand-up collar and drop sleeves. Smooth soft lines and pastel coloring emphasize the charm of youth.

Marie van Zandt was Dutch by origin. She was born in 1858 in New York to a musicians’ family. In her tender age, she moved to Italy and studied in Milan conservatory in the class of Francesco Lamperti, a famous teacher of the art of singing. Her debut on the stage took place in Torino in 1879, when she performed the part of Zerlina in the opera Don Giovanni.

In 1898, Marie van Zandt married Mikhail Cherinov, a Russian count, and deserted the stage. She lived in Paris together with her husband, where she died in 1919.

Valentin Serov was born in Saint Petersburg in 1865. His father was a composer and a music critic, and his mother – a pianist and the first in Russia woman-composer. Starting from the time he turned six, the future artist live in Munich. There he went to painting classes of Carl Copping, the German engraver, and of young Ilya Repin. In 1880, Valentin Serov moved to St.-Petersburg and started attending the Academy of Arts. In 1888, together with his fellow-artists he displayed his paintings at the exhibition of the Itinerants. After that, Valentin Serov received recognition from both the public and the critics. He painted Russian Emperors Alexander III and Nicholas II. He is the author of the famous painting Girl with Peaches, where Vera, Savva Mamontov’s daughter, was his model. In addition to portraits, Valentin Serov created historic paintings and landscapes, illustrated books, created theatre scenery. He also taught the art of painting.