ZINAIDA SEREBRIAKOVA with the toilet
a self-Portrait. 1909. Oil on canvas. 75 x 65
Source: tretyakovgallery.ru

"In her art, so many sweet, tender charms, it is essentially close, so simply and directly speaks to the heart and mind that it is difficult to be completely objective when talking about him, — wrote to her uncle, Alexander Benois. —, It is far too captivating, too captivated. And how many years is it since that day, when she was struck by his remarkable self-portrait, which became the decoration of the Tretyakov gallery, and still her art remains as fresh, immediate and redeeming".

125 years ago was born Zinaida Evgenievna Serebriakova — artist, representative of the neoclassical trend of Russian art Nouveau, a participant of the Association "World of art". One of the first Russian women that entered the history of painting.

Zinaida Evgenievna Serebriakova was born 10 (22) December, 1884 at the family estate of Neskuchnoye near Belgorod. Maternal grandfather — Nikolay Leontyevich Benois — was a Professor, academician, Chairman of the St. Petersburg society of architects, his son Alexander Benois, "uncle Shura", — famous artist, the founder of the "World of art", father, Evgenii Aleksandrovich Lansere, — famous sculptor.

Women's gymnasium, art school of Princess M. K. Tenisheva, Studio of the portraitist O. E. Braz... In the beginning of the XX century thanks to the efforts of artists "World of art" in the cultural Treasury of Russia has returned the names of Russian artists of the past: Rokotov, Levitsky, Borovikovsky and Venetsianov. The works of Venetsianov has influenced the work of Zina Lanceray, and despite the craze for creative youth of that time, French impressionism, and then cubism and surrealism, she has since been faithful to the Russian realist tradition.

In 1905 she married a student-путейца Boris Serebryakov, they met in Neskuchny: the house of Life was not far from the house of Lancer. Honeymoon and plenty of time after young held in Paris. Here Serebryakova perfected his artistic skills.

self-Portrait At the dressing-table at the exhibition of artists "World of art" in 1910 was loud for a modest 25-летней the artist's success. "Self-portrait Serebryakova undoubtedly the most joyous thing Here... complete spontaneity and simplicity: a true artistic temperament, that-то voiced, young, laughing, Sunny and clear,-то artistic..." — wrote Alexander Benois. But even he, "uncle Shura" does not suggest that the paintings niece will be purchased by the Tretyakov gallery. Zinaida Serebriakova becomes the spiritual center of the artistic dynasty Kavos — Lancer — Benoit, Dating back to eighteenth century France.

"I decided to stay with the children in a cheerful, but on the farm where the house was small and it could be heated in the winter is easier than large high... My husband Boris Anatolievich was on a business trip, in the winter that year came early, everything was covered with snow — our garden, fields around, drifts everywhere, can not go. But in the house on the farm warm and cosy, and I started drawing myself in the mirror...", — remembered Zinaida Evgenievna about the history of the writing of this self-portrait.

In 1911 Zinaida Serebriakova wrote the portrait "Girl with a candle". From the picture looks, half turned, happy, loving girl, almost a girl — young, spontaneous, quivering, glowing soul of the artist herself.

During the revolution of 1917 house in Neskuchny burn — together with a library, a set of drawings and canvases. And in 1919 at the hands Serebryakova will die from typhus Boris Anatolievich. Alone with four small children and an old mother Ekaterina Nikolayevna... it Seemed like a good house, the family house collapsed... this time the saddest of paintings by Serebryakova — "house of Cards": Sasha, Tanya, Katia, Zhenya — four orphaned children — put fragile, liable to break in a moment a house of cards. But this family, this house is -- the house, the feeling of family warmth, hearth — for Serebryakova were the most important pillars in life and in art.

In 1924, "uncle Shura" helps the niece to go to Paris, the children remain with her grandmother in St. Petersburg. Some time later, with the help of the red cross can smuggle across the border son Sasha and daughter Katya. Zhenya and Tanya stayed with Lanusei grandmother in Russia.

And then — exhibitions in France, Belgium, England, and a terrible painful duality — fragmentation of family, home. Until 1940, Serebriakova remained a Soviet citizen and hoped for reunification with children left in Russia. During the occupation of France Hitler had to choose between a French passport and a concentration camp. Soviet citizenship had to be abandoned, the connection with the Homeland was lost for many years.

In Russia Serebryakov remembered after the war: during the thaw Zinaida Evgenievna finally-то, after 36 years of separation, were able to visit daughter Tatiana (who became the artist-декоратором in the Moscow art Theater). Due to the increasing interest in Russian art of the Silver age managed to arrange a personal exhibition of Serebryakova in Moscow, Kiev and Leningrad. The success in Soviet Russia in 1965 exceeded the most joyful memories of youth — Serebryakov put on a par with Botticelli and other great masters. 80-летней the artist were not able to visit the Homeland, but she felt the all-Russian recognition, the recognition of her home, her Russia.

And in a foreign land, where, as the saying goes, and the stars are made of tin, Zinaida Yevgenievna has retained the feeling of home...

She died on 19 September 1967 and was buried in the Orthodox Church at the Russian cemetery of Saint-Женевьев-де-Буа.

Source: tvkultura.ru, artinvestment.ru