Girl with peaches full picture. Girl with peaches
In a spacious, sunny room, a girl sits at a large dining table, holding a golden peach in her hands. Her unruly dark hair is disheveled, her brown eyes are calm, but there is a sly twinkle hidden in them. Before us is a painting by the talented painter V.A. Serov “Girl with Peaches”. This is a portrait of twelve-year-old Verusha Mamontova, the daughter of a Moscow merchant and philanthropist. Seeing the lively and restless girl at the moment when she came running from the garden with a peach in her hand, the artist invited her to pose. Although at first glance it seems that the painting was created in a fit of inspiration, the work took more than three months. It was this work that brought Serov fame.
A dark-skinned girl with burning eyes, dark as coals, gazes intently from the canvas. There is something sparkling and mischievous in this look, as if she was planning some kind of prank. Her lips are tightly compressed, she tries to look serious, but a joyful laugh bursts out. From the slightly flared nostrils, disheveled hair and light blush on her cheeks, it becomes noticeable that the girl was frolicking in the garden just a couple of minutes ago. The girl’s pose expresses barely restrained impatience, as if she had only sat down at the table for a minute, and is about to break loose like a butterfly and run off to play. She is full of life and energy, so she cannot sit still for long. The artist managed to accurately capture the moment and capture it on canvas. The picture is imbued with an atmosphere of lightness and carelessness that only happens in childhood.
The artist painted the details with special attention, depicting the life of the noble estates of that time. A tablecloth neatly laid with the edges up so that they do not hang down indicates that the family has Small child. On the lapel there are ripe large peaches, an elegant knife and a pair of maple leaves. One can imagine that Verusha got it all to treat everyone present. Hospitality and cordiality were considered the rule good manners. The furnishings in the room are cozy, so there is no doubt that a happy, cloudless childhood is taking place here.
The gentle blush appearing on the cheeks harmoniously combines with the color of the peaches lying on the table. Thin fingers grasped the fruits with velvety skin. They are depicted so realistically that you will want to eat them. Elements of still life and landscape expand the standard concept of portraiture. The artist uses contrasting colors against the background of a general pastel palette. The heroine with dark curly hair is dressed in a pink blouse with a large black bow decorated with a scarlet carnation, and dark wood chairs are placed around.
Soft sunlight pouring from the windows fills the entire space with colorful reflections. It shines iridescently on the walls, furniture, on the snow-white tablecloth covering the dining table, and on the silver knife. The reflections glide across the tanned face main character, shimmer like mother-of-pearl on her blouse, filling her entire figure. The whole picture seems to be permeated with clean air, lightness and lightness. Outside the window it is the last days of summer or autumn is just beginning, as there is a lot of green foliage on the trees.
The painting “Girl with Peaches,” painted more than a century ago, captivates with its unique warmth and light. The artist managed to show all the beauty and serenity of a wonderful time - youth. One has only to look at the portrait, and a feeling of joy and peace arises in the soul.
Painting: 1887
Canvas, oil.
Size: 91 × 85 cm
Description of the painting “Girl with Peaches” by V. Serov
Artist: Valentin Aleksandrovich Serov
Title of the painting: “Girl with Peaches”
Painting: 1887
Canvas, oil.
Size: 91 × 85 cm
V. Serov grew up in a creative environment where the talent of his composer-father A. Serov flourished. By the way, the parent himself loved to stand at the easel, and the boy had the opportunity to take painting lessons from I. Repin himself. The atmosphere of creation and the constant presence of the “stars” of art of that time in the house were familiar to the future artist, so he did not even dream of fame, because he was used to it.
The father had the opportunity and means to send his son to master the intricacies of painting in Paris, and later in Abramtsevo. There, in the estate of the philanthropist and industrialist Savva Mamontov, delicious peaches grew, his daughter Vera played, and such artists as Polenov, Repin, Vasnetsov and Ostroukhov visited.
The painting “Girl with Peaches” appeared from Serov’s brush, completely by accident, like everything unique. Verochka Mamontova was the favorite not only of her relatives, but also of numerous representatives of bohemia, taken under the wing of her father. He was a lively, restless and sociable child, whose spontaneity was difficult to resist. But even then Serov was treated ambiguously. Some said that his work was not creativity at all, but PR for Mamontov, who knew his father, some argued that his canvases were too traditional and realistic, but later critics and art historians started talking about an innovative approach that rejected the routine laws of painting of that time.
No matter what anyone thinks, Serov painted the portrait of Vera Mamontova at the age of 22. He was only 10 years older than the heroine of his picture, and all the people who visited Savva were simply surprised how he managed to keep the girl in place. The work was named simply and succinctly - “V.M.” and became a discovery at the 1887 exhibition, which amazed absolutely everyone. The public today still cannot figure out who the artist portrayed - a captivating woman or a precociously matured girl, because this portrait was already considered impressionistic - there is too much light and unconscious half-childish freshness in it. It is the latter factor that has kept viewers captivated for more than a hundred years; it is the garden filled with clean air and Vera’s restlessness that attracts fans from all over the world.
The most difficult thing in Serov’s work was keeping Vera in one place. He recalled that he worked on the painting for a very long time, trying to write out the details, but it seems to the viewer that it was painted in a few seconds. A pink blouse of a dark-skinned girl with a black bow, a white tablecloth and peaches accidentally thrown on the table create a feeling of the immediacy of what is happening. You probably immediately thought of Repin's "Dragonfly", and this is no coincidence - the artist took only the best from the master. The furnishings of an old manor - clocks, chairs, windows - seem not just part of the interior, but part of the summer day outside the window. The delicate color of Verochka’s pink blouse is distinguished by lightness and freedom - it seems to be made of the smallest cobwebs. The tablecloth on the table is white only at first glance, because if you look more closely, you will see shimmers of blue, gold, and even dark shades. The light of the sun outside the window not only invigorates, but also fills the room with joy, falls from the windows and fills the entire volume of the room. Its glare glides across the girl’s face, which is why the shimmer of mother-of-pearl appears on the blouse and on the tablecloth.
The entire canvas is a source of everyday life and an example of the education of noble children of those times. The tablecloth was wrapped and neatly placed on top so that the edges did not hang over the chair. This was usually done if there was a child in the family - it was difficult for him to grab the tablecloth with his hands and pull it towards himself. This lapel was filled with peaches, a knife and several maple leaves. Most likely, Vera got hold of these things: you can cut fruit with a knife, and maple leaves are quite capable of replacing plates. There are a lot of peaches - there are always a lot of people in the house, but everyone needs to be treated. The latter is a rule of good manners that was instilled in girls from intelligent families with their mother’s milk.
Vera’s face cannot be called a traditional Russian type. It intertwines unusual oriental, or even gypsy features with the typical manner of looking forward, characteristic of Russians. The latter is not surprising - the girl’s mother had Italian roots, and her father, until recently, was distinguished by truly Moscow business acumen. However, Elizaveta Mamontova (Vera’s mother) was not distinguished by beauty, but her daughter in the picture is sheer charm and spontaneity. Looking at her tousled dark hair and eyes directed to the side, we can say that this girl is an informal leader among the children. It seems that she only dropped into the dining room for a moment to give Serov the opportunity to make a few sketches of the portrait and, grabbing peaches, rush off into the yard. This living child with glowing black eyes, tanned in the Abramtsevo sun, seems to affirm life itself.
The impressionistic motifs of the painting can be traced not only in the airy purity of space and the fleetingness of the moment, but also in the play of sunlight, which is strangely combined with a thoughtfully completed composition. Verochka’s figure fits well into the dining room setting; she seems quite natural, and light and air fill not only the dining room, but also the world outside the window.
The picture does not leave anyone indifferent - its color is fresh, its image is harmonious, and artistic images surprisingly combined with the truth of life. Among the techniques of impressionism in painting, Serov used free, vibrating strokes - this is how the play of chiaroscuro was conveyed.
“The Girl with Peaches” got married, gave birth to three children, her marriage seemed successful, and her future life seemed happy, but... A year before her mother’s death, Vera fell ill with pneumonia and died. She was only 32. The greenhouses where Mamontov’s gardeners grew delicious fruits were dismantled in 1926, and the estate itself went under the hammer. On the ruins of the building, which saw the greatest creative people of its era, they began to build a bright communist future. The portrait of Vera Mamontova, written by V. Serov, however, continues to sing the hymn of youth and purity to this day.
But I don’t want to end the post about such a life-affirming and joyful picture “Girl with Peaches” on a sad note. After all, there are still the main characters of the picture - peaches. The appetizing ripe peaches lying on the table in front of the girl grew in the greenhouse of the Abramtsevo estate. The greenhouse was a source of special pride for the owners. They built it in Abramtsevo in 1871, shortly after acquiring the estate. The decision came to the owners spontaneously: greenhouse plants were being sold on a neighboring estate, and the Mamontovs bought fruit-bearing peach and plum trees for almost nothing. It was for them that two greenhouses were built and an old gardener, Mikhail Ivanovich, was invited from a neighboring estate. Transplanted with the light hand of Mikhail Ivanovich, the peaches and plums in the Mamontovs’ greenhouse regularly produced a harvest. - About this from the letters of Savva Ivanovich, one of which is dated February 28, 1873: “Yesterday I went to Abramtsevo... At Mich. Iv. (just a golden old man) such order that you couldn’t wish for better, the peaches were blooming in the first greenhouse, they were blooming in the second, there was such an air in the air that I was simply delighted. There will be a lot of fruit, peaches and plums, as long as the stomachs are in order.”
Serov wrote “Girl with Peaches” during all three summer months of 1887, while he was visiting Savva Mamontov in Abramtsevo. I wrote with difficulty: firstly, I barely persuaded Savva’s daughter, 12-year-old Verochka Mamontova, to pose, and secondly, she had trouble sitting at the table for hours in the heat without moving. Serov completed work on the portrait in September. The yellowing leaves outside the window and on the table are evidence of the girl’s long patience. In addition, autumn maple leaves next to summer peaches seem to remind you: life is fleeting, and you should be happy while you are young and the sun is shining.
Vera Mamontova. Abramtsevo, 1890s.
Sometimes it's better not to know the life history of prototype characters famous works. The girl with the peaches actually lived only 32 years (she died of pneumonia), her husband never remarried, and three children remained. The future in the eyes of the heroine of Valentin Serov’s film cannot be read. It is not even clear from her that she is the daughter of a wealthy industrialist.
1 GIRL. The mischievous character of Vera Mamontova can be read both in her sly gaze and in the fold of her lips - you’ll laugh at any moment. Disheveled hair, a blush all over her face, and a glowing earlobe indicate that she has just been running around the yard. And in a minute he will jump up and run further. However, this was her first experience of posing for a long time. Art critic Eleanor Paston says: “It is believed that Vrubel gave her external features to “The Snow Maiden,” “The Egyptian,” and Tamara in the illustrations for “The Demon.” Vera Savvishna was eventually nicknamed the “Abramtsevo goddess.” Vasnetsov also painted her portraits (“Girl with a Maple Branch”, “Hawthorn”).
2 BLOUSE. Vera is wearing casual clothes, although decorated with a bright bow. The loose blouse seems a little baggy and too childish for an 11 year old girl. The fact that she does not change clothes specifically for posing emphasizes the spontaneity of the situation and the simplicity of the relationship. The pink blouse becomes the brightest and most festive accent of the picture, and it seems that the light comes not only from the window, but also from the heroine.
ROOM 3. The scene is the Mamontovs’ dining room in the Abramtsevo estate, one of the enfilade rooms.
4 TABLE. A lot of people always gathered around the large extendable table - family members and friends. Eleanor Paston says that Serov often worked here.
5 PEACHES grown in the Mamontov greenhouse. The family bought trees for her from the Artemovo and Zhilkino estates in 1871. The peaches were grown by an Artemovsk gardener, whom the Mamontovs invited to their place after he sold them the trees.
6 MAPLE LEAVES. Serov completed work on the portrait in September. The yellowing leaves outside the window and on the table are evidence of the girl’s long patience. In addition, autumn maple leaves next to summer peaches seem to remind you: life is fleeting, and you should be happy while you are young and the sun is shining.
7 GRENADIER. The toy wooden soldier in the left corner is a product of Sergiev Posad artisans. According to Elena Mitrofanova, Deputy Director for Science at the Abramtsevo Museum-Reserve, the Mamontovs bought the toy from the Trinity-Sergius Lavra in 1884. The figurine was unpainted; Serov painted it. The Abramtsevo Museum even has a sketch of the painting made by the artist. The Grenadier still stands on the nightstand in the same corner.
8 RED LIVING ROOM. The neighboring room, part of which is visible on the left, is the so-called Red Living Room, where writers and artists, friends of the Mamontovs, gathered. There they read by role the works of Pushkin, Gogol, Turgenev, played music, and discussed.
9 CHAIRS. The Mamontovs inherited good-quality mahogany chairs from the Aksakovs, along with the tradition of artistic gatherings. Those two that stand by the window - with lyre-shaped backs - were very fashionable in early XIX centuries, and at the end of it they already turned into antiques. A Jacob style chair is visible in the Red Drawing Room. Similar furniture with strict straight outlines, with gilded brass inserts, appeared in Russia under Catherine II. In Abramtsevo both the lyre chairs and the Jacob, which still stands in the Red Drawing Room, have been preserved.
10 WINDOW The dining room, like the terrace adjacent to the Red Living Room, opens onto Abramtsevo Park, onto the alley named Gogolevskaya in honor of the writer who loved to walk here. It is clear that the window frames are far from new; the paint on them has peeled off in some places. This adds naturalness to the picture and a feeling of that coziness that can only be experienced within the “native walls”.
11 PLATE. Savva Mamontov was fond of applied arts. In 1889, he even opened a pottery workshop at the estate, in which ceramic products were created using the majolica technique. In particular, Vrubel was involved in this. The fate of the plate, depicted by Serov two years before the opening of the workshop, is unknown, but it fits so harmoniously into the interior that later another majolica plate, this time from the Mamontovs’ workshop, appeared on the same wall. It still hangs in the dining room in this place.
On an August day in 1887, 11-year-old Vera Mamontova, distracted from street games, ran into the house and sat down at the table, grabbing a peach. Her cheerful appearance impressed Valentin Serov so much that he invited the girl to pose. The artist knew the model from infancy. He often visited and even lived for a long time at the Mamontovs’ Abramtsevo estate, which they bought from the daughter of the writer Sergei Aksakov in 1870. Even under the Aksakovs, the estate was the center of Russian cultural life. Under the Mamontovs, the traditions continued. Turgenev, Repin, Vrubel, Antokolsky stayed here... Abramtsevo was both a “house of creativity” and a place where friends gathered in a homely atmosphere.
Abramtsevo - estate museum
Visiting Savva Ivanovich Mamontov. 1889
V.A. Serov, K.A. Korovin, I.E. Repin, V.I. Surikov, M.M. Antokolsky
Easter table in the Mamontov family, 1888
From right to left: Andrey, Alexandra, Sergey and Vsevolod Mamontov. Late 1880s
Serov was first brought to Abramtsevo by her mother-composer in 1875. He grew up with the older Mamontov children, constantly enduring their pranks. The younger Vera also made fun of young Serov. Everything changed in 1887, when the 22-year-old artist returned from Italy, inspired by sunny landscapes and Renaissance masterpieces. Then Serov, according to his recollections, was in a daze in his head and the desire to “write only what is gratifying.” Until recently, the artist was an involuntary participant in Vera’s games, and now the one whom until now no one could force to sit still, posed for him for hours every day for almost two months. On the girl’s part, it was a tribute to close family relationships. And the painting was “a kind of gratitude from Serov to the warmth and comfort of the Mamontovs’ house, which became a second family for the artist,” says Doctor of Art History, Senior Researcher Tretyakov Gallery Eleanor Paston.
Valentin Serov, self-portrait
“There are creations of the human spirit that outgrow many times the intentions of their creators... Among these... we must include that amazing Serov portrait. From the sketch of “a girl in pink”... it has grown into one of the most remarkable works of Russian painting.”, - artist Igor Grabar wrote about the painting.
Valentin Serov gave the painting to Vera's mother, Elizaveta Mamontova, and for a long time the portrait was in Abramtsevo, in the same room where it was painted. Now a copy hangs there, and the original is exhibited in the Tretyakov Gallery.
What was the fate of the girl?
Verochka Mamontova, late 1880s.
Nine years after “Girl with Peaches,” Viktor Vasnetsov painted another portrait of Vera, promising to give it to her only if she marries a Russian.
"Girl with a Maple Branch." V. Vasnetsov, 1896In the same dress, Vera married A.D. Samarin
Soon the gift was already hanging above her husband’s desk: Vera married Alexander Dmitrievich Samarin, the future chief prosecutor of the Holy Synod (Minister for Church Affairs) and leader of the nobility of the city of Moscow.
His popularity among Orthodox Muscovites was so great that when a metropolitan was elected in Moscow in the summer of 1917, among the candidates were: Archbishop Tikhon of Yaroslavl (later elected Patriarch) and layman Alexander Samarin.
Vera Savvishna and Alexander Dmitrievich Samarin, 1903. Italy, Rome, honeymoon.They got married in Moscow on Povarskaya in the Church of Boris and Gleb - this was the parish of the Samarins, who lived nearby. Later the church was destroyed by the Bolsheviks, now there is a chapel on this site - right next to the exit from the Arbatskaya metro station.
Everyone was happy for them - the young people had loved each other for a long time, but they were able to get married only after the death of Alexander Dmitrievich’s father, who for many years did not consent to his marriage with Vera.
The newlyweds settled on their estate near the village of Averkievo, Pavlo-Posad district. And in April 1904, the Samarins had their first child, Yurochka.
In August 1905, a daughter, Liza, was born, and in May 1907, a second son, Sergei.
And on December 27, 1907, Vera Savvichna suddenly died from transient pneumonia. It burned down in three days. The whole family was going to Abramtsevo for Christmas, we stopped while passing through our Moscow house on Povarskaya and...
Memorial service for Vera Savvishna, 1908.
She was buried in her beloved Abramtsevo, near the Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands. Vera was only 32 years old.
Her sister Alexandra Savvishna took upon herself all the care of the children. Here she is in the photo, first on the left. Nearby are Savva Mamontov with Vera’s children - Seryozha, Lisa and Yuri. Italy, 1910.
Alexander Dmitrievich outlived Vera by 25 years. He never married again. In memory of his beloved wife, Samarin built the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in the village of Averkievo, not far from their estate.
Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in the village of Averkievo, architect Bashkirov.
In the 30s, the temple was closed and looted and throughout the years of Soviet power it was used as a utility room, including for storing various chemical fertilizers. Now, thanks to the efforts of parishioners, sponsors and patrons of the arts, the temple has almost been restored.
A.D. Samarin with his daughter Lisa in Yakut exile, 1926.
Alexander Dmitrievich himself died in the Gulag in 1932.
His daughter, Lisa, spent all the years of Yakut exile with him.
Plot
One summer day, Valentin Serov, who was visiting the Mamontovs in Abramtsevo, saw 11-year-old Vera, excited about playing Cossack robbers, run into the dining room, take a peach and sit down at the table. Amazed, the artist began to persuade the girl to pose for him. Vera hardly suspected that Serov would write it for more than a month and she would have to sit motionless for several hours every day while summer flew by outside the window.
Serov was able to convey Vera’s mischievous character: it can be read in the sly look, and in the fold of her lips, which seem ready to laugh, and in her disheveled hair, and in her blush. In the girl’s pose, in her clothes, there is no tension of the poser. It seems that this captured moment is like a ray or a butterfly - once, and it flies away.
Vera Mamontova, photo from 1888 (the year after the creation of “Girl with Peaches”)
The trees are green outside the window. This is Gogol Alley in Abramtsevo Park, where Nikolai Vasilyevich loved to walk. On the table are peaches grown in the Abramtsevo greenhouse. Savva Mamontov bought trees from the Artemovo and Zhilkino estates in 1871.
The figurine of a wooden soldier in the corner was purchased from the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. The grenadier, originally unpainted, was painted by Serov. By the way, the figurine still occupies the same place in the Abramtsevo Museum. Just like the plate pictured on the wall. Savva Mamontov loved ceramics, and even opened a pottery workshop at the estate.
“Girl with Peaches” was conceived spontaneously
Having completed the portrait, Serov gave it to the girl’s mother, Elizaveta Mamontova. The painting took its place in the same room where it was painted. Eyewitnesses said that thanks to the canvas, the spacious, bright room seemed to be illuminated with even brighter light. The artist Mikhail Nesterov wrote that if the canvas had been presented in Paris, Serov would have become famous that same day. But in Russia the public was not yet ready for impressionism, and therefore it was better to leave the work in Abramtsev’s canteen and not show it publicly - otherwise they would call it crazy.
Context
“I painted for more than a month and tortured her, poor thing, to death,” Serov recalled, “I really wanted to preserve the freshness of the painting while being completely complete—like the old masters.” Shortly before starting work on “Girl with Peaches,” the painter returned from a trip to Italy. He was amazed by the works of the Renaissance masters, impressed by the country itself, its strength, and atmosphere. Arriving in Russia, the 22-year-old artist was determined to paint only joyful things. And the very first picture became the personification of this desire.
Vera Mamontova was called the “Abramtsevo goddess.” It was written not only by Serov, but also by Vasnetsov. It is also believed that Vrubel gave Tamara her features in the illustrations for “The Demon,” “The Snow Maiden” and “The Egyptian Woman.” At the age of 27, she married the Moscow provincial leader of the nobility Alexander Samarin, and they had three children. At 32, Vera Savvishna fell ill with pneumonia and died. In the 1920s, Samarin was exiled to a camp, and his daughter Lisa went with him. In 1932 he died in the Gulag.
The fate of the artist
Serov grew up in a house where creative chaos reigned. Mother Valentina Semyonovna was a convinced nihilist. Father Alexander Nikolaevich was a popular composer at that time. By the way, the age difference between the spouses was 26 years: 43-year-old Alexander Nikolaevich married his 17-year-old student.
Self-portrait of Serov. 1885
Nihilists and revolutionaries came to my mother, writers, sculptors, musicians, and artists came to my father. After the death of his father, when the boy was seven years old, his mother gave him to Repin as a student. The boy spent so much time with the teacher that he was practically considered a member of the family.
Valentin Serov grew up in the family of a nihilist and composer
Valentin also knew the Mamontovs from early childhood. He spent a lot of time at their house. As the older Mamontov children recalled, all their games and pranks were certainly connected with Anton - that’s what they called him because Serov did not like the name Valentin. Even little Vera made fun of him. Savva Mamontov subsequently found the first customers for the young artist. These were mainly bourgeois and aristocrats. Over time, Serov acquired a reputation as a portrait painter with a “sharp” brush: he did not portray his respectable models in the most favorable light, which, although they did not particularly like it, was accepted because it was a fashionable and almost obligatory measure of provocation.
And although the artist was ordered and paid for portraits, of all his works he most valued the frankly impressionistic “Girl Illuminated by the Sun.” Shortly before his death - at the end of 1911 - looking at this canvas in the Tretyakov Gallery, he said: “I painted this thing, and then all my life, no matter how I tried, nothing came of it, I was completely exhausted.”
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