Color portraits of historical figures - history in photographs

Of all, the most popular is considered to be a portrait, which allows you to capture a person or a group of people on canvas. According to a long-standing legend, this one originated during the Ancient Greece, when the girl said goodbye to her lover who was leaving for war and, in order to forever perpetuate his image in her memory, she circled the shadow falling from him on the wall. Over the centuries, the art of painting improved and reached the pinnacle of its mastery by the 18th century. It was at this time that portraits began to appear famous artists, which depicted not only the appearance of the hero, but also conveyed his feelings, experiences, and temperament.

Features of paintings from the Peter the Great era

In European fine arts The 18th century is rightly called the time of the dominance of the portrait genre. It is this type of painting that becomes predominant, because everyone wanted to get paintings with their image. In Russia, the popularity of portraits was brought by Peter I. The progressive reforms of the emperor contributed to the beginning of close cooperation between the state and European countries, and Russian painting began to gradually be enriched with elements of Western secular art. However, despite the influence of foreign culture, portraits of famous artists of the 18th century living in Russia did not lose their originality and expressiveness.

Types of paintings

Initially, portraits were divided into ceremonial and chamber portraits. The first type included paintings in which a person was depicted in full height during the celebration (if the hero was painted waist-high, then the picture was considered semi-ceremonial). He was dressed in magnificent clothes and stood in a proud pose, surrounded by a luxurious background. Such paintings were exhibited in the reception hall for public viewing.

Chamber portraits were the opposite of ceremonial portraits: here the sitter was depicted in a relaxed pose, immersed in his thoughts and activities. This type of work of art was intended to decorate the walls of small rooms, away from prying eyes.

In the 18th century, ceremonial and chamber paintings still did not lose their popularity, but another type of painting was added to them - intimate painting. Here the artist tried not only to depict a person, but also to convey his inner world with the help of a brush. The luxurious background was ignored. Many famous portraits of Russian artists were often painted in an intimate style.

Transformation of paintings in the 18th century

Notable figures in the art of that time were such painters as I. Nikitin, F. Rokotov, I. Argunov, A. Antropov, D. Levitsky, V. Borovikovsky, A. Matveev and others. Portraits of famous artists are imbued with high respect for the individual person. If in the first half of the 18th century, paintings in this genre were parsuns (flat, frozen images of noble people, made using icon-painting techniques), then gradually the masters begin to move away from this, introducing the breath of life, light and emotions into their works. Creative heritage painters of the 18th century were largely determined future fate Russian portrait.

Creativity of I. Nikitin

The artist Ivan Nikitin (born in the mid-1680s - died around 1742) was the pride of Peter the Great. The Emperor highly appreciated creative skills painter, considering him a portrait painter of European level. The artist's early works were made in a parsun style with its inherent gloom, flatness of the image, and fuzzy play of light and shadow. But, despite this, Nikitin’s portraits painted in initial stage his works are particularly realistic and psychological; they completely lack flattery towards the hero of the picture, which was abused by many ceremonial painters of that time. Gradually, Nikitin moved away from parsuns and improved his skill, maintaining in it the realism of the image and a subtle understanding inner world person.

The painter's brush includes several paintings depicting Peter I, as well as many other noble persons (the emperor's wife, his daughters Elizabeth, Anna and others). The artist’s most successful work is considered to be “Portrait of a Floor Hetman” (circa 1725). The picture impresses with the tragic image of the hero - an old man, on whose face there is strength, power, emotion and sorrow. To this day, it is not known exactly who exactly Ivan Nikitin painted on his canvas. The painter enhanced the dramatic effect of the painting with a skillful selection of shades of paint. This canvas, like other portraits of famous artists, depicts not just a person, but an entire era.

Rokotov - creator of the semi-dress style

If Ivan Nikitin was a particularly brilliant painter of the early 18th century, then the second half of the century became famous (1735 - 1808). He was especially good at portraits of women. There weren’t many famous artists who could convey a lady’s tenderness and grace on canvas, and Rokotov was in great demand. He wrote many of his works in a semi-ceremonial style.

The master’s talent captivated Catherine II, and in 1763 she specially invited him to create her coronation portrait. The painter depicted the empress in profile, successfully emphasizing her stately figure and thoroughbred face. Catherine liked the painting so much that she continued to order artists to paint her portraits, copying Rokotov’s style. The painter’s brushes belong to Struyskaya, Princess Yusupova, Peter III and other noble persons of that time. He paid main attention to the customers’ faces, making them soft, gentle, as if glowing from within. Thanks to this approach, his portraits turned out to be realistic; they conveyed the feelings of the people from whom they were painted.

V. Borovikovsky - glorifier of the female image

When looking at portraits of girls by famous Russian artists, one cannot help but mention Vladimir Borovikovsky (1757-1825). Fame came to him in last decade 18th century. Borovikovsky created intimate portraits, emphasizing the sentimentality and tenderness of his sitters. He painted not only rich women, but also simple peasant women, conveying on canvas the whole feminine beauty that era. Images of Lopukhina, Naryshkina, Arsenyeva, peasant woman Khristinya, double portrait The maids of the Lvov family, Lizonka and Dashenka, are the most masters. Women with soft hair, a gentle blush and a luminous gaze look touchingly from the canvases. Despite the fact that all the author’s paintings are written in the same style, they are a true work of art of that time.

D. Levitsky and his paintings

Dmitry Levitsky (1735-1822) is another famous portrait painter of the 18th century. Like other artists, he skillfully depicted in his works the beauty of the inner world of man. Levitsky became famous as a master of ceremonial style. He wrote the characters very realistically, without flattery or embellishment of the client’s appearance. Levitsky left behind a whole gallery of portraits, depicting Catherine II, E. Vorontsova, A. Kokorinov, P. Demidov, Ursula Mnishek and many other of his famous contemporaries.

Features of surviving paintings

The 18th century left as a reminder of itself paintings-portraits of famous artists, which today can be seen in Tretyakov Gallery, Russian and Pushkin Museums, private collections. The painted canvases are so realistic that they amaze art fans with the level of skill of past painters. Portraits of women by famous artists look especially colorful, they exude life, youth and extraordinary believability of the image.

Nicholas II Alexandrovich Romanov
(May 6, 1868, Tsarskoe Selo - July 17, 1918, Yekaterinburg)
Emperor of All Russia, Tsar of Poland and Grand Duke Finnish,
the last Emperor Russian Empire(October 20, 1894 - March 2, 1917).
From the Imperial House of Romanov.
Colonel (1892); In addition, he had the following ranks from British monarchs:
- Admiral of the Fleet (May 28, 1908)
- Field Marshal of the British Army (December 18, 1915).

George, Duke of York , future King George the Fifth, 1893

George V (eng. George V; June 3, 1865 - January 20, 1936) -
King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
from May 6, 1910 until his death;
second son of the Prince and Princess of Wales (later Edward VII and Queen Alexandra)

His mother - Alexandra of Denmark , have to sister Maria Fedorovna —
wife of the Russian Emperor Alexandra III
And mother of the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II.

George V was very similar in appearance to Nicholas II, his maternal cousin:
Georg's mother Alexandra and Nikolai's mother Dagmar were daughters King Christian IX of Denmark
and Queen Louise, née Princess of Hesse-Kassel...

German Emperor Wilhelm II was also his cousin.

As the second son, Georg received a naval education.
During three years from 1879 he served as a midshipman on a corvette HMS Bacchante .

During the last years of his life, George V was chronically ill with pulmonary diseases.
and several times his condition became extremely serious.
George V died at Sandringham on January 20, 1936.
Only 50 years later it became known that his physician Baron Bertrand Dawson
By own initiative performed euthanasia of the king who fell into a coma after severe bronchitis,
personally injecting him with morphine and cocaine.

Queen Elizabeth,Queen Mother

Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon(August 4, 1900, London - March 30, 2002, Windsor) -
king's consort George VI (second son of King George V and his wife, Queen Mary.
/ see the film “The King’s Speech” directed by Tom Hooper/)
and Queen Consort of the United Kingdom 1936–1952,
as Queen Elizabeth
last Empress of India (1936-1950),
Lord Warden of the Cinque Havens (1978–2002).

Mother of the now reigning Queen Elizabeth II , after the death of her husband she wore,
to distinguish her from her namesake daughter, the title Queen Mother.

The Queen Mother is one of two members of the British royal house,
lived over 100 years (the other one was Duchess of Gloucester Alice ,
née Montagu, 1901–2004).

Winston Churchill S. 1943

Abraham Lincoln (Abraham Lincoln) (February 12, 1809, Hodgenville,
Kentucky - April 15, 1865, Washington) - American statesman,
16th President of the United States (1861-1865) and the first from the Republican Party,
liberator of American slaves, national hero of the American people.

April 14, 1865, Good Friday, at the play “My American Cousin”
(at Ford's Theater) pro-Southern actor John Wilkes Booth entered the presidential box
and shot Lincoln in the head. The next morning, without regaining consciousness,
Abraham Lincoln died the first US president to be assassinated.

Included in list of the 100 most studied personalities in history .

William Henry Harrison (William Henry Harrison)
(February 9, 1773, Charles City County, Virginia - April 4, 1841, Washington) -
American military leader, politician and 9th President of the United States America
(4.03 - 4.04. 1841).

Harrison was in office for the shortest time
of all US presidents: having caught a cold during his inaugural address,
He died a month after taking the oath.

Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt (Theodore Roosevelt)
(October 27, 1858, New York - January 6, 1919, Sagamore Hill, Oyster Bay, New York)
- American politician, 25th Vice President of the United States, 26th President of the United States in 1901-1909,
Representative of the Republican Party, laureate Nobel Prize world for 1906

Theodore Roosevelt was the sixth cousin of his colleague, Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
and Franklin's wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, was Theodore's niece.

In 1895 he was appointed chief of police of the city of New York.
Since 1897, Deputy Secretary of the Navy in the administration of President W. McKinley.

Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt 1898

IN 1898 during Spanish-American War took part in military operations in Cuba,
commanding the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment "Rough Riders".
For his bravery he was nominated for the Medal of Honor.
but the award was approved only in 2001
And Roosevelt, posthumously, became the first and only president
awarded his country's highest military honor

October 14, 1912 when Roosevelt was on the campaign trail
was about to give a speech to a crowd in Milwaukee,
someone shot him John Schrank.
The bullet hit the chest, first piercing the glasses case and what was lying in the inner pocket
a thick 50-page manuscript containing the speech Roosevelt intended to give.

As an experienced hunter with an understanding of anatomy, Theodore concluded,
that since he is not coughing up blood, the bullet did not penetrate his lung;
refusing help, he made the planned speech,
while the blood spread across his shirt, and spoke 90 minutes.

Roosevelt began with:
“Ladies and gentlemen, I don’t know if you realize that I just got shot;
but you can’t kill a moose that easily.” (the moose is the symbol of Roosevelt's Progressive Party).

As they found out later, the bullet entered the chest, but did not penetrate the pleura,
and it would be more dangerous to remove it than to leave it as is.

Roosevelt carried this bullet in his chest for the rest of his life.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Jr.
(August 17, 1914, Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Canada - August 17, 1988, Poughkeepsie, New York).
The cause of death was lung cancer.

Son of a famous American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt
And Elinor Roosevelt (who were also the parents of one daughter and four more sons)

US politician.
Elected to the Liberal Party, he became a Democrat on January 3, 1951.
Peer Chairman of the Employment Opportunities Commission (1965-66)
US Undersecretary of the Department of Commerce of Commerce (1963-65)
American Congressman, awarded the Purple Heart and Silver Star

Harry S Truman (Harry S. Truman), his middle name was simply the initial C "S"
given in honor of the names of the grandfathers - after the father of Anderson Shipp (Shipp) Truman
and by the mother of Solomon Young;
(May 8, 1884, Lamar, Missouri - December 26, 1972, Kansas City, Missouri) -
US statesman.

33rd President of the United States in 1945-1953, from the Democratic Party.

Mason. February 9, 1909, was dedicated to Masonic lodge Belton, Missouri.
In 1911 he took part in the establishment of the Grandview Lodge,
where he became her the first "Worshipful Master".
In 1959 he was awarded honorary award in honor of 50 years of service to the Masonic Order

Truman did anti-Sovietism in the official US policy
in relations with the socialist camp. Author of the concept of containing communism
through cold war.

Truman believed that Roosevelt made too many concessions to Stalin at the Yalta conference
on issues of the post-war division of Europe.

On July 24, 1945, Truman notified Stalin that The USA created the atomic bomb
without saying it directly. He hoped that the war with Japan would be over before
how the USSR will declare war on it.
In his Potsdam diary, Truman wrote:
« We have developed the most terrible weapon in the history of mankind...
These weapons will be used against Japan...
so that military installations, soldiers and sailors are the targets, not women and children.
Even if the Japanese are wild - merciless, cruel and fanatical,
then we, as leaders of the world, for the common good cannot
drop this terrible bomb on either the old or the new capital».

IN August 1945 Truman was the initiator atomic attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
After this, US troops occupied Japan.

Was a supporter of the creation NATO military bloc ,
to stop expansion Soviet Union in Europe.

November 1, 1950 two Puerto Ricans, Griselio Torresola And Oscar Colazzo
tried to kill Truman in his own home.
However, they were unable to enter his house - Torresola was killed, and Colazzo was wounded and arrested.
The latter was sentenced to death penalty in the electric chair
However, at the last moment, Truman commuted his execution to life imprisonment.

Hitler polishes his oratorical skills (late 20s or early 30s)

Adolf Gitler And Count Ciano , on the balcony of the chancellery in Berlin.
Gian Galeazzo Ciano (Gian Galeazzo Ciano), Count of Cortelazzo and Buccari;
Italian politician and diplomat of the fascist period.
Mussolini's son-in-law.

Erwin Eugen Johannes Rommel (Erwin Eugen Johannes Rommel),
November 15, 1891 - October 14, 1944) - German Field Marshal (1942)
and commander of the Axis forces North Africa.

In July 1910, he began serving as a fanen-junker (officer candidate) in an infantry regiment.

In 1911 he graduated from the Danzig military school.

In January 1912 he received the rank of lieutenant.

During World War I he served in the Alpine Battalion on the mountain border with Italy.
and Romania. During the battles near Mount Caporetto, Rommel captured important strategic positions,
forcing the surrender of superior Italian forces and capturing
a large number of captured weapons.
For this brave maneuver the young officer received Germany's highest military award
Order of Pour le Mérite.

Was wounded, received Iron crosses second (September 1914) and first (March 1915) classes and 7 other orders. In October 1917 he was promoted to captain.

Since 1938 - head of the Theresian Military Academy.

Since February 14, 1941, Lieutenant General Rommel commanded the Afrika Korps
with the task: to push British troops back to Egypt, and thereby improve the situation
Italian troops in North Africa, which were virtually defeated by British forces.

The first thing Rommel did was order the construction of tank models,
installing fake guns on Volkswagen in order to deceive the British,
making them think that he had a tank army, which he did not have.

Most shining moment military career fell on June 20, 1942,
when Rommel was in command battle of Tobruk , the most fortified fortress in Africa.
It was believed that it was impossible to take it. This was the main Allied beachhead and,
although it had been blocked before, stormed many times, knocking out the defenders
It was not possible from the fortress.
On the morning of June 20, Ju-87 Stuka dive bombers dropped bombs on a minefield,
sappers cleared the passage and hundreds of tanks rushed into the hole directly at the defense lines.
During the night and morning of June 21, the last pockets of resistance in remote areas of the city went out.
After Tobruk was taken, the situation changed in favor of Germany,
and Erwin Rommel hit the pages of British newspapers.

John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy with his wife Jacqueline.

Kennedy is the only US President to be Catholic.
the first president born in the 20th century.

Kennedy's nearly three-year presidency, interrupted by his mysterious assassination,
commemorated Cuban missile crisis ; serious steps for equal rights for blacks ;
the beginning US space program Apollo .

Under Kennedy, there was an increase in US involvement in the Civil War. in South Vietnam ;
in 1961 he sent the first regular units to South Vietnam armed forces USA
(before that, only military advisers served there).

Killed November 22, 1963 in Dallas (Texas).
As the presidential motorcade passed through the city streets, shots were heard.
The first bullet hit the president in the back of the neck and exited from the front of his throat,
the second hit the head and caused destruction of the skull bones in the occipital part,
as well as brain damage.
President Kennedy was taken to the operating room, where, half an hour after the assassination attempt,
his death was confirmed.
In addition, Texas Governor Connolly, who was riding in the same car, was seriously injured.
One of the passers-by was also slightly injured.

After the death of John Kennedy Jacqueline married Aristotle Onassis,
Greek shipowner and billionaire.

John F. Kennedy watches the launch of a Polaris ballistic missile,
produced from a nuclear submarine from a submerged position in the Cape Canaveral area,
Florida, November 16, 1963.

Such famous portraits as "Portrait of a Lady in Blue" T. Gainsborough, "Young Man with a Basket of Fruits" Michelangelo Merisi de Caravaggio, “Self-Portrait” by K. P. Bryullov, etc. today have become the standard of excellence in fine art.

For a connoisseur of beauty, famous portraits today are not just canvases that art critics write about and that cost fabulous amounts of money.

For every connoisseur painting is, as it were, the “soul” of the artist - an expression of the worldview, aesthetic credo, the painter's manner of execution. Famous portraits (“Portrait of E. N. Arsenyeva” by V. L. Borovikovsky, “La Gioconda” by Leonardo da Vinci, etc.) are so expensive because they evoke something special in the viewers’ souls. This is that unique feeling called the feeling of beauty.

Gioconda beautiful in her gaze - it seemed to combine soft femininity and a grin, somewhat similar to a man’s. It is not without reason that many who have seen the real painting by da Vinci claim that if you look at “La Gioconda” from afar, it seems as if in front of you is a meek, gentle woman. But, if you get closer to the picture, you are convinced that the canvas depicts a man with an almost devilish, almost cruel grin. Famous portraits are so famous because they have their own uniqueness, “zest”.

Portraits of famous artists

Portraits of famous artists are also remarkable. Since their own paintings is a reflection of their worldview, then even in the gaze of the painters one can read something special, characteristic of them and their paintings. It is a special thing when portraits of famous artists are created by them themselves.

Famous portraits sometimes appear as depictions of the appearance of their author. In a self-portrait, the artist can express his own vision of his appearance. Eg “Self-portrait” by I. I. Levitan, created in the 1890s. The painting depicts Isaac Levitan in full dress. The artist himself is depicted in a completely relaxed pose, but his figure is surrounded by a gray-brown haze, as if foreshadowing something bad, fatal. And his other self-portrait, dating from 1880, appears completely different. Shown here is young and Beautiful face painter, smiling slyly. Here Levitan’s figure is against a blue background, cheerful and positive. The influence of the painting on the viewer often depends on the artist’s assessment of his own appearance. Portraits of famous artists give a person the opportunity to look at the genius who created this or that painting. Who didn’t want to look at the face of the one who portrayed the Demon from the work of M. Yu. Lermontov? Or look at the man who created image unfortunate Alyonushka, who lost her brother?

Portraits of famous women

Portraits occupy a special place in the galaxy of great paintings famous women. Famous portraits of women most often tell the story of the beauty of those depicted. But it also happened that a woman was a painter herself, and could give an interpretation of her own appearance (self-portrait) and the appearance of those around her.

Famous painting Louise Vigée-Le Brun "Self-Portrait with Daughter"shows not only the charm of its creator, but also Louise’s affection for her daughter: they hug each other so tenderly. Louise's brush includes a series of portraits depicting Marie Antoinette. Great portrait painter A. G. Warnek (1782–1843) created magnificent portraits of famous women. These were such famous portraits as the Portrait of E. M. Olenina in Priyutino, the hostess of the literary solon. The master’s brushes also include such paintings as “ portrait Kolosova Evgenia Ivanovna" - famous ballerina, one of the hundred great ballet masters. The painting shows a young beautiful girl, with his hair tied up, and with a quiver of arrows in his hands. The woman in such portraits became equal to the man.

Portraits of famous people

Portraits famous people allow descendants to see the real appearance of writers, musicians, politicians, etc. For example, a portrait of the famous Soviet writer A. N. Tolstoy, made by P. D. Kokorin gives us not only an image of the writer’s face. The picture conveys Tolstoy’s thoughtfully gloomy gaze, turned to the side. IN right hand pictured holding smoking pipe, but the fingers tightly grip the wooden surface, which indicates the concentration of Alexei Tolstoy. Portraits of famous people can convey the main point activities depicted.

This is how another portrait was made - portrait of F. I. Chaliapin(1905. Canvas, charcoal, chalk) made by V. A. Serov. Here the sad look of Fyodor Chaliapin is fully expressed. Chaliapin is wearing a tailcoat, but the wings of his nose rise excitedly, as if famous singer I just finished another aria.
Perhaps only Strong woman will be able to be the wife of an artist: endure his ups and downs, experience his failures as if they were her own. Portraits of women by famous artists, painted by the painters themselves, serve as proof of love and gratitude. One of these strong, but at the same time soft women was Nadezhda Ivanovna Zabala-Vrubel. It was famous Opera singer, which Mikhail Vrubel, the creator of the famous “Demon,” fell in love with at first sight. It was Nadezhda Zabela who served as the prototype for the famous character in the film Vrubel "The Swan Princess".

She was a beautiful woman who loved her husband, even despite the fact that Mikhail Alexandrovich had a very bad character. Among the great portraits of women by famous artists is the series of paintings of Gala, painted by Salvador Dali. In 1929, Gala (Elena Dyakonova), together with her first husband Paul Eluard, visited the young Catalan painter Salvador Dali. Salvador and Elena fell in love with each other immediately, even despite the fact that Dyakonova was ten years older than the artist and had a daughter from her first marriage, Cecile. Gala (as Dali called her) became the first and only love, muse and wife. She built the artist’s work schedule and became his “producer.”

Such famous portraits were painted from Elena Dyakonova as: “Portrait of Gala with two lamb ribs”, “Gala in the image of Leda”, etc. Salvador Dali wrote about his beloved in a dedication in his biography “The Diary of a Genius”: “I I dedicate this book to my genius, my victorious Gala Gradiva, my Helen of Troy, my Saint Helen, my brilliant as sea ​​surface"Gale Galatea Serene."

Famous portraits of women

Even the most famous female portraits cannot be compared in importance and fame with Leonardo da Vinci’s painting “La Gioconda”. This painting struck many with its dissimilarity to other famous portraits. It became so famous also because there was an opinion that Leonardo himself depicted himself in it. And indeed, as mentioned above, some art critics think that Gioconda’s smile is truly masculine. Famous portraits of women are sometimes symbols of femininity and beauty.

These are such famous female portraits as “Portrait of N. N. Pushkina” A. P. Bryullov(Watercolor, 1831), and a portrait of “Nina Chavchavadze” by N. Iankoshvili. Both young girls are shown in the prime of their youth and beauty. Both of them are the spouses of great Russian writers. Both of these girls have something bright, pure, sublime; they are depicted as muses of A. S. Griboedov and A. S. Pushkin. The girls are dressed in light gauze dresses, as if sparkling in the rays of the innocent beauty of their owners. These are famous portraits of not just women, but inspirations of writers.

The most famous portraits

The most famous portraits are, perhaps, those that made the greatest impression on viewers. Such famous portraits attract attention either because of the unusual colors, the originality of the plot, etc. The portrait of A. S. Pushkin, made by Orest Kiprensky, is perceived as such.

The artist's style, distinguished by plastic expressiveness of form and truthfulness, was able to convey, to one degree or another, the unique appearance of the poet. “Portrait of A. S. Pushkin” at one time caused a lot of controversy. Some viewers (Pushkin's contemporaries) spoke about the amazing similarity, others said that there was no such similarity. Here, rather, everything depended on how Pushkin was known by his contemporaries. The most famous portraits are so great also because they make the viewer feel the reflection of the soul of the person depicted. We can feel the aura of a person who died many years ago, feel his gaze on us. Perhaps even the most beautifully taken photographs will never be able to convey the enchanting magic of famous portraits. In the most famous portraits there is always something from their author – the artist. Two people participate in the creation of a portrait - the artist and the character in the picture, one gives the canvas his appearance, and the painter, no matter how realistic the picture is, always brings into it an echo of his soul.

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We first of all know two things about the painting: its author and, possibly, the history of the canvas. But we don’t know much about the fates of those who look at us from the canvases.

website I decided to talk about women whose faces are familiar to us, but their stories are not.

Zhanna Samari
Auguste Renoir, Portrait of the Actress Jeanne Samary, 1877

Actress Jeanne Samary, although she could not become a stage star (she played mainly maids), was lucky in something else: for some time she lived not far from the studio of Renoir, who painted four portraits of her in 1877-1878, thereby making her famous much more than it could do her actor career. Zhanna played in plays from the age of 18, at 25 she got married and gave birth to three children, then even wrote a children's book. But this charming lady, unfortunately, did not live long: at the age of 33 she fell ill with typhoid fever and died.

Cecilia Gallerani
Leonardo da Vinci, "Lady with an Ermine"
1489-1490

Cecilia Gallerani was a girl from the noble Italian family, who at the age of 10 (!) was already engaged. However, when the girl was 14, the engagement was broken for unknown reasons, and Cecilia was sent to a monastery, where she met (or it was all set up) with the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza. An affair began, Cecilia became pregnant and the Duke settled the girl in his castle, but then the time came to enter into a dynastic marriage with another woman, who, of course, did not like the presence of her mistress in their house. Then, after Gallerani gave birth, the duke took his son for himself, and married her to the impoverished count.

In this marriage, Cecilia gave birth to four children, ran almost the very first literary salon in Europe, visited the Duke and enjoyed playing with his child from his new mistress. After a while, Cecilia’s husband died, war came, she lost her well-being and found shelter in the house of the sister of that same Duke’s wife - it was in such wonderful relationships that she managed to be with people. After the war, Gallerani returned her estate, where she lived until her death at the age of 63.

Zinaida Yusupova
V.A. Serov, “Portrait of Princess Zinaida Yusupova”, 1902

The richest Russian heiress, the last of the Yusupov family, Princess Zinaida was incredibly beautiful, and, despite the fact that her favor was sought, among others, by august persons, she wanted to marry for love. She fulfilled her desire: the marriage was happy and brought two sons. Yusupova spent a lot of time and effort on charitable activities, and after the revolution she continued it in exile. Her beloved eldest son died in a duel when the princess was 47 years old, and she could hardly bear this loss. With the outbreak of unrest, the Yusupovs left St. Petersburg and settled in Rome, and after the death of her husband, the princess moved to her son in Paris, where she spent the rest of her days.

Maria Lopukhina
V.L. Borovikovsky, “Portrait of M.I. Lopukhina", 1797

Borovikovsky painted many portraits of Russian noblewomen, but this one is the most charming. Maria Lopukhina, representative count's family Tolstykh, depicted here at the tender age of 18. The portrait was commissioned by her husband Stepan Avraamovich Lopukhin shortly after the wedding. Ease and a slightly arrogant look seem either normal posture for such a portrait of the era of sentimentalism, or signs of a melancholic and poetic disposition. The fate of this mysterious girl turned out to be sad: just 6 years after painting, Maria died of consumption.

Giovanina and Amacilia Pacini
Karl Bryullov, “Horsewoman”, 1832

Bryullov’s “Horsewoman” is brilliant ceremonial portrait, in which everything is luxurious: the brightness of the colors, the splendor of the draperies, and the beauty of the models. It depicts two girls who bore the surname Pacini: the eldest Giovanina is sitting on a horse, the younger Amatzilia is looking at her from the porch. The painting was ordered to Karl Bryullov, her long-time lover, by their adoptive mother, Countess Yulia Pavlovna Samoilova, one of the most beautiful women Russia and the heiress of a colossal fortune. The Countess guaranteed a large dowry for her grown-up daughters. But it turned out that by old age she was practically bankrupt, and then adopted daughters Giovanina and Amazilia collected the promised money and property from the countess through the court.

Simonetta Vespucci
Sandro Botticelli, "Birth of Venus"
1482–1486

The famous painting by Botticelli depicts Simonetta Vespucci, the first beauty of the Florentine Renaissance. Simonetta was born into a wealthy family, at the age of 16 she married Marco Vespucci (a relative of Amerigo Vespucci, who “discovered” America and gave the continent his name). After the wedding, the newlyweds settled in Florence and were received at the court of Lorenzo de Medici, which in those years was famous for its magnificent feasts and receptions.

Beautiful, at the same time very modest and friendly, Simonetta quickly fell in love with Florentine men. The ruler of Florence, Lorenzo, himself tried to court her, but his brother Giuliano sought her most actively. Simonetta's beauty inspired many artists of the time, among whom was Sandro Botticelli. It is believed that from the moment they met, Simonetta was the model for all Madonnas and Venuses painted by Botticelli. At the age of 23, Simonetta died of consumption, despite the efforts of the best court doctors. After this, the artist depicted his muse only from memory, and in his old age he bequeathed to be buried next to her, which was done.

Vera Mamontova
V.A. Serov, “Girl with Peaches”, 1887

The most famous painting The master portrait of Valentin Serov was painted in the estate of the wealthy industrialist Savva Ivanovich Mamontov. Every day for two months his daughter, 12-year-old Vera, posed for the artist. The girl grew up and turned into a charming girl, married out of mutual love to Alexander Samarin, who belonged to a famous noble family. After a honeymoon trip to Italy, the family settled in the city of Bogorodsk, where three children were born one after another. But unexpectedly in December 1907, just 5 years after the wedding, Vera Savvishna died of pneumonia. She was only 32 years old, and her husband never remarried.

Alexandra Petrovna Struyskaya
F.S. Rokotov, “Portrait of Struyskaya”, 1772

This portrait by Rokotov is like an airy half-hint. Alexandra Struyskaya was 18 when she was married to a very rich widower. There is a legend that for her wedding her husband gave her nothing less than a new church. And all my life I wrote poetry to her. It is not known for certain whether this marriage was happy, but everyone who visited their house paid attention to how different the spouses were from each other. Over 24 years of marriage, Alexandra bore her husband 18 children, 10 of whom died in infancy. After her husband's death, she lived for another 40 years, firmly managed the estate and left her children a decent fortune.

Galina Vladimirovna Aderkas
B.M. Kustodiev “Merchant's Wife at Tea”, 1918

Kustodiev’s “Merchant’s Wife at Tea” is a real illustration of that bright and well-fed Russia, where there are fairs, carousels and the “crunch of French bread.” The picture was painted in the post-revolutionary famine year of 1918, when one could only dream of such abundance.

Galina Vladimirovna Aderkas, a natural baroness from a family that traces its history back to one Livonian knight of the 18th century, posed for the merchant’s wife in this portrait-picture. In Astrakhan, Galya Aderkas was the Kustodievs' housemate, from the sixth floor; The artist’s wife brought the girl to the studio after noticing the colorful model. During this period, Aderkas was very young - a first-year medical student - and in the sketches her figure looks much thinner. After graduating from university and working for some time as a surgeon, she left the profession and Soviet years she sang in a Russian choir, took part in dubbing films, got married and began performing in the circus.

Lisa del Giocondo
Leonardo da Vinci, "Mona Lisa", 1503-1519.

Perhaps one of the most famous and mysterious portraits of all times and peoples - this is the famous Mona Lisa by the great Leonardo. Among the many versions about who owns the legendary smile, the following was officially confirmed in 2005: the canvas depicts Lisa del Giocondo, the wife of the Florentine silk merchant Francesco del Giocondo. The portrait may have been commissioned from the artist to commemorate the birth of a son and the purchase of a house.

Together with her husband, Lisa raised five children and, most likely, her marriage was based on love. When her husband died of the plague and Lisa was also struck by this serious illness, one of the daughters was not afraid to take her mother to her place and left her. Mona Lisa recovered and lived for some time with her daughters, dying at the age of 63.