10 MAIN paintings by Valentin Serov (PICS)

Valentin Serov was born in St. Petersburg to a family of musicians. His mother was the first Russian professional female composer. Having lost his father early, his family moved to Germany and he spent his childhood abroad. 

Self-portrait, 1880s

In Paris, he began studying art with famous Russian realist painter Ilya Repin. “Even as a boy, Serov did not miss a single motif of living reality to grab it with the weapon of the artist,” Repin recalled about his pupil. Thanks to Repin, Serov spent the whole summer in the Abramtsevo Estate outside Moscow that was owned by art patron and wealthy entrepreneur Savva Mamontov. Abramtsevo was a kind of art residence where Mamontov invited the most talented artists to for lengthy stays and work. It was there that Serov's genius was formed and he went on to become the most fashionable portraitist of the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.  

1. ‘The Girl with Peaches’ (1887)

Many celebrities, including the tsarist family members, commissioned portraits by Valentin Serov. But, his most famous work is a portrait of Savva Mamontov's 11-year-old daughter Vera. He tormented the girl, who posed for him almost two months every day, but, in the end, he was able to achieve the desired – an incredible freshness, which “you always feel in nature and do not see in paintings”, as the artist said. 

The painting is also considered one of the first Impressionist works in Russia.

2. ‘At the Window’ (1886)

In summer, Serov used to live in Abramtsevo, but he spent the fall and winter in St. Petersburg. It was there in 1880 that he met his future wife Olga Trubnikova. They had a long and sensitive correspondence. And the budding of his feelings resulted in a small, but touching sketch.

3. ‘A Girl in the Sun’ (1888)

The artist's cousin Maria Simonovich is depicted in this portrait. Serov worked on this canvas at strictly defined hours, so as to catch the same light. Collector Pavel Tretyakov bought the painting from the author, pushing the trend for such sunny portraits in plein-air.

4. ‘In the Summer’ (1895)

Just like 'A Girl in the Sun', this portrait was painted in Domotkanovo, the estate of Serov's friend in the Tver region. And almost in the same place. The model this time was Olga Trubnikova, who had already become the artist's wife.  The painting delighted contemporaries with its vividness and effulgence.

5. ‘Coronation. Confirmation of Nicholas II in the assumption Cathedral’ (1896)

In 1893, a young Serov was commissioned to paint a group portrait of the family of Alexander III. However, only some sketches for that work remain to our days. Not only Serov painted portraits of members of the tsar's family. And, in 1896, he was ordered to paint a watercolor for the coronation album of Nicholas II. The artist painted the scene of the anointing and, for this purpose, he was allowed very close to the altar of the Moscow Kremlin cathedral.

6. ‘Portrait of Emperor Nicholas II’ (1900)

Serov painted several portraits of the emperor, but this work turned out to be special, as it is not a ceremonial, but a chamber, even intimate portrait. Nicholas II commissioned Serov to paint it as a gift for his wife. At first, the artist was offered to draw from a photograph, but he flatly refused, so, the monarch posed for several sessions in his everyday uniform of the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. However, the empress did not like the work. She pointed out the “unfinished” places. Offended, the artist gave up working with the tsar's family afterwards.

7. ‘Portrait of Princess Zinaida Yussupova’ (1902)

The Yusupovs, the wealthiest family in St. Petersburg, hired the fashionable artist for a whole series of portraits. Serov submitted several portraits of Princess Zinaida Yusupova, but this one was especially famous. Reflecting the aristocratic beauty and grace, it was recognized as a standard of salon portraiture. “Serov was especially pleased when he succeeded in painting the smile of my mother, which he loved very much,” Felix, the son of the princess, recalled.

8. ‘Portrait of Maria Nikolayevna Yermolova’ (1905)

Serov painted a whole series of portraits of fellow artists, musicians and other creative people. One of the most famous portraits depicts actress Maria Yermolova, a star of the Moscow theater scene.

9. ‘Portrait of Ida Rubenstein’ (1910)

In Paris, Serov painted one of his most famous (and, at the same time, scandalous) portraits. The huge canvas shows French dancer Ida Rubinstein, star of Sergei Diaghilev's ballet 'Scheherazade', in the nude. The portrait became a recognized masterpiece of Art Nouveau art.

10. ‘Abduction of Europe’ (1910)

The artist had long nurtured the idea of creating a painting based on a Greek myth. For inspiration, he traveled to Greece, where he was captivated by the view of the Parthenon and the ruins of the Palace of Knossos in Crete. Serov created several versions of this painting, but did not show it even to his friends. People only got to see it after the author's death. 

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