Vladimir Makovsky, a master of genre painting, created the painting On the Eve of the Wedding. Farewell in 1894. The subjects for his paintings were situations from the lives of ordinary people.

He showed the inner world of his characters, their experiences and feelings with artistic means, details of the interior décor and carefully painted faces of the characters.

Vladimir Makovsky depicted the scene of the bride’s farewell to her old and sick father on this canvas. The girl is wearing a white wedding dress and her head is decorated with a long veil. There are tears in the girl’s eyes. She is not looking at her father: the bride’s desperate look is directed away. The painting’s main character will go down the aisle with a man she does not love, and the artist managed to convey her emotions and thoughts.

Her elderly father, in a worn black coat and a rumpled shirt, is squeezing his daughter’s palm with both hands, as if trying to calm her. He is seated in a wooden armchair, with a shabby Book of Psalms on his lap. Everything in the image of the bride’s father reflects his confusion and sadness. The humble furnishings in the background speak of the low social status of the characters. The bride is to sacrifice herself for the family well-being. Vladimir Makovsky was one of the Itinerants who often depicted the theme of unequal marriage in their creative works. Through art, they drew the viewers’ attention to social issues.

The interior decoration is painted in the ochre-brown tones. The artist chose warm autumn shades for the monochrome wallpaper that casts a yellowish color, the bright brown screen, the table where we can see liquids in dark bottles. The bride stands out as a bright white spot. Her outfit and matte porcelain skin contrast with her surroundings.

Vladimir Makovsky was born in Moscow in 1846. He came from a creative family. Famous painters, actors and writers often visited the would-be artist’s parents. The head of the family, Yegor Makovsky, was one of the founders of the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, which Vladimir Makovsky later graduated from. The boy showed his talent for drawing early on. His first teacher of painting was the famous portraitist Vasily Tropinin. After graduating, Vladimir Makovsky was awarded a silver medal for one of his works. He continued his studies in the capital of the Russian Empire. In St. Petersburg, the talented young man entered the Academy of Arts and soon got the gold medal — the highest award.

The painting On the Eve of the Wedding. Farewell was purchased by merchants Shikhobalovs, who lived in Samara. Their private collection featured three works by Vladimir Makovsky. The head of the family, Anton Shikhobalov, was known for his love of art. The merchant was touched by the sincerity and simplicity of Vladimir Makovsky’s paintings. After the October 1917 Revolution, the paintings were handed over to the museum.