The primary model for Ivan Silych Goryushkin-Sorokopudov’s female portraits was his wife, Klavdiya Petrovna. They got married before the artist moved to Penza. The art gallery houses a large antique mirror in a wooden frame, which the artist lovingly gifted to his bride on their wedding day many years ago. There is a belief within the museum community that if a couple stands by the mirror holding hands, everything will turn out well for them.

The first known portrait of Ivan Goryushkin-Sorokopudov’s wife dates back to 1904. In this work, Klavdiya Petrovna, née Kholdina, is depicted leaning on the back of a chair while wearing an elegant white dress. The background features a dark green pattern of decorative flowers. Ivan and Klavdiya were together for fifty years.

The graphic portrait from the 1910s is infused with admiration for female beauty. In this work, the artist sought to emphasize the aristocracy and sophistication in his wife. This intention is also evident in other portraits by Goryushkin-Sorokopudov, which align with the new aesthetic aspirations of the era and reflect the Art Nouveau style.

Ivan Goryushkin-Sorokopudov painted many portraits, primarily of women, using charcoal and pastel. In some works, the soft golden surface of the cardboard or paper plays a significant role as an additional color. In the portrait of his wife, the meticulous elaboration of her face is evident, combined with a picturesque soft contour line that emphasizes the shape of her body and the individual details of her clothes.

The artist painted a head-and-shoulders portrait of his wife dressed in a black gown, adorned with a gold brooch and a lilac motley scarf draped over her shoulders. Goryushkin-Sorokopudov applied an accent of white to the collar that enriched the overall color palette. The influence of Valentin Aleksandrovich Serov, another student of Ilya Efimovich Repin, is evident in the technique and style of this portrait. Goryushkin-Sorokopudov’s circle of subjects was quite limited, as he rarely painted portraits on commission. Most of his models were acquaintances and relatives, and the portraits of Klavdiya Petrovna Goryushkin-Sorokopudova stand out as particularly expressive.

In the painting “Mother with a Child”, Goryushkin-Sorokopudov created a deeply heartfelt image. Although the artist did not have children, he skillfully conveyed the special tenderness a woman feels when holding a baby in her arms.