Early Life and Training
Valentin Alexandrovich Serov, a renowned Russian painter, was born on January 19, 1865, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. He was the son of Alexander Serov, a Russian composer and music critic, and Valentina Serova, a composer in her own right. Raised in an artistic milieu, Serov's early creativity was sparked by the realistic art of
Ilya Repin and the strict pedagogical system of
Pavel Chistyakov. He studied in Paris and Moscow under these influences.
Artistic Style and Influences
Serov's early period was marked by portraits, such as
The Girl with Peaches (1887) and
The Girl Covered by the Sun (1888), both in the
Tretyakov Gallery. These works showcased his focus on spontaneity of perception and nature. As he developed, his style became characterized by psychologically pointed characteristics of his subjects, often using a dominant scale of black-grey or brown tones.
Notable Works and Associations
*
Portrait of Konstantin Korovin (1891),
Isaac Levitan (1893), and
Nikolai Leskov (1894) in the
Tretyakov Gallery
*
Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich (1897),
S.M. Botkin (1899), and
Felix Yusupov (1903) in the
Russian Museum in St. Petersburg
* Intimate, heartfelt portraits of children and women, such as
Children (1899) in the
Russian Museum
Later Period and Legacy
From 1900 onwards, Serov's style developed a more modernistic approach, yet retaining its truthful and realistic comprehension of nature. He became a member of
The World of Art, an influential Russian art association and magazine. His later works include heroic portrait images, such as
Maxim Gorki (1904) in the
Tretyakov Gallery.
Key Dates:
* January 19, 1865: Born in Saint Petersburg, Russia
* 1880-1885: Studied at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts
* 1894: Joined the Peredvizhniki (The Itinerants)
* December 5, 1911: Passed away