Ilya Efimovich Repin (1844–1930), a Russian realist, a peredvizhnik (member of the Society for Traveling Art Exhibitions), professor and teacher, was originally from the provincial town of Chuguev. He described his youth in the book “Far Away, Close By, ” which he wrote in 1915. It was published after the artist’s death.

Ilya Repin recalled,

Having saved up the necessary money, Ilya Efimovich went to St. Petersburg to enroll in the Academy of Arts, but the educational institution opened its doors to him only a year later — in 1864. As a student, Repin proved himself to be a gifted portraitist.

A striking example of the young artist’s skill was the study “Vera Shevtsova, ” which he completed during his studies at the Academy. In the portrait, the artist depicted his future wife, Vera Alekseevna Shevtsova (1854–1918). She was the younger sister of his friends.

A fourteen-year-old girl is depicted reclining in an armchair. The outline of the backrest was used by the artist as a background, which he left unfinished. At the same time, Ilya Efimovich executed the heroine’s face masterfully, with clear and small strokes in soft pink tones. The young artist painted Vera’s white dress with a larger and wider brushstroke. The position of the left hand with a thin wrist lying on the hip, conveying a serene state, is aptly captured. The study shows a burst of inspiration and the artist’s desire to convey the inner world of the person portrayed.

The artist graduated from the Academy in 1871 with a gold medal and the right to a six-year trip to Europe at government expense. However, already in February 1872, according to the metric record of the Church of St. Catherine at the Imperial Academy of Arts, Ilya Efimovich married Vera Alekseevna. In their marriage, they had three daughters and a son — Vera, Nadezhda, Tatiana and Yuri. This marriage lasted 15 years.