Serov V.A., (1865-1911), Artist

Categories / Art/Fine Arts/Personalia
SEROV Valentin Alexandrovich (1865 - 1911, St. Petersburg) painter and graphic artist. Son of A. N. Serov. He studied at the Academy of Arts under I. E. Repin and P. P. Chistyakov in 1880-85; he became a member of the Academy in 1898, a full member of the Academy of Arts in 1903; he left the Academy of Arts in protest of the shooting of the demonstration on 9 January 1905). He was a member of the Fellowship of Travelling Art Exhibitions from 1894 to 99, the World of Art from 1899, and of the Union of the Russian Artists from 1903. He mostly lived in Moscow from 1889, but he often came to St. Petersburg, participating in the artistic life of the city. He was acknowledged to be an outstanding portraitist. His best works of the early period are portraits-paintings Girl with Peaches (1887) and Girl Lit by the Sun (1889) - both are in the State Tretyakov Gallery - in which he expressed his images with features of impressionism. In the 1890s, his use of colour became reserved, and his artistic decision takes on a laconic character in their composition and broad brush stroke. He created portraits of workers of art, including A. Masini, 1890; F. Tomanio, 1891-93; K. A. Korovin, 1891; I. I. Levitan, 1893; N. S. Leskov, 1894; all are in the State Tretyakov Gallery), he executed commissioned gala portraits of aristocrats including the Grand Prince Pavel Alexandrovich (1897), exhibited in the State Tretyakov Gallery, Prince F. F. Yusupov (1903), Princess O. K. Orlova (1911), both in the State Russian Museum. He executed one of the best portraits of Emperor Nicholas II in 1900, which was subsequently destroyed in 1917, a copy is held at the State Tretyakov Gallery. Principles of the Art Nouveau style were developed in his late creative works of Ida Rubinstein and Kidnapping of Europe, both painted in 1910, the State Russian Museum. St. Petersburg's past is depicted in the historical canvases of the 1900s, Peter the Great, 1907, the State Tretyakov Gallery. He decorated the opera Judith by A. N. Serov for Mariinsky Theatre in 1908. He was born at 8 Fifteenth Line of Vasilievsky Island and lived there until 1871, in 1880-90 he lived on 23 Kirochnaya Street (intermittently), in 1883-84, he lived at 9 Tenth Line of Vasilievsky Island, which was the workshop of M. V. Vrubel.

References: Валентин Серов в воспоминаниях, дневниках и переписке современников: В 2 т. Л., 1971; Грабарь И. Э. Валентин Александрович Серов, 1865-1911: Жизнь и творчество. 2-е изд. М., 1980; Валентин Серов в переписке, документах и интервью: В 2 т. Л., 1985-1989; Чугунов Г. И. Валентин Серов в Петербурге. Л., 1990; Лапшин В. П. Валентин Серов: Последний год жизни. М., 1995.

O. L. Leikind, D.Y. Severyukhin. Chistyakov Pavel Petrovich
Nicholas II, Emperor
Orlova Olga Konstantinovna
Pavel Alexandrovich, Grand Prince
Repin Ilya Efimovich
Serov Alexander Nikolaevich
Serov Valentin Alexandrovich
Vrubel Mikhail Alexandrovich
Yusupov Felix Felixovich, Duke
10th Line of Vasilievsky Island/Saint Petersburg, city, house 9
15th Line of Vasilievsky Island/Saint Petersburg, city, house 8
Kirochnaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 23
Валентин Серов в воспоминаниях, дневниках и переписке современников: В 2 т. Л., 1971
Валентин Серов в переписке, документах и интервью: В 2 т. Л., 1985-1989
Грабарь И. Э. Валентин Александровия Серов, 1865-1911: Жизнь и творчество. 2-е изд. М., 1980
Чугунов Г. И. Валентин Серов в Петербурге. Л., 1990
Лапшин В. П. Валентин Серов: Последний год жизни. М., 1995 Academy of Arts
Academy of Arts
Travelling Art Exhibitions, Society for
World of Art, Association
Russian Museum, State
Mariinsky Theatre