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A Master of Portraiture and Genre Painting
 
Konstantin Makovsky’s Artistic Legacy
Konstantin Egorovich Makovsky (1839-1915) left a remarkable and extraordinary significant artistic legacy. He was a versatile artist, known for his expertise in genre painting, history painting, and landscape art. However, it was his portraiture that truly defined his oeuvre. His son, the renowned Silver Age art critic Sergei Makovsky, once remarked that his father’s collection of portraits exceeded the combined works of Kramskoi, Repin, and Serov.
The Allure of Makovsky’s Female Portraits
Makovsky’s oeuvre is adorned with captivating portraits of women, particularly those from high society. These gala portraits not only showcased the graceful appearance of the sitters but also the opulence of their surroundings. At Makovsky’s solo exhibition in St. Petersburg in 1897, the female portraits and heads stole the spotlight, as critics marveled at their “eternally female” essence.
Painting Loved Ones
Makovsky had a special affinity for painting the women he held dear. His first wife, Elena Timofeevna, shared a brief seven-year marriage with the artist before her untimely death from consumption in 1873. In 1875, Makovsky married Iulia Pavlovna Letkova, celebrated as the most beautiful woman in St. Petersburg at the time. He created several portraits of Iulia Pavlovna, two of which are now housed in the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg.
The Influence of Loved Ones on Makovsky’s Art
Iulia Pavlovna’s distinct “facial type” also found its way into Makovsky’s historical paintings of the 1880s, as well as his depictions of mythological and allegorical figures. In 1889, Makovsky met Maria Alekseevna Matavtina in Paris and once again fell in love. This led to his divorce from Iulia Pavlovna in 1892 and his remarriage in 1898. He lived with Maria Alekseevna. She was his junior and was younger to him by thirty years, until his death in 1915.
A New Family and Continued Inspiration
Makovsky and Maria Alekseevna’s love resulted in three children born prior to their marriage (Konstantin, Olga, and Marina), who were subsequently legitimized. Their youngest, Nicholas, was born in 1900. Notably, there was a striking physical resemblance between Makovsky’s second and third wives, Iulia Pavlovna and Maria Alekseevna. Both were exceptional beauties with perfectly proportioned features.
Muse and Model: Maria Alekseevna
From the 1890s onwards, Maria Alekseevna became the artist’s constant muse. Her likeness graced numerous portraits exhibited by the St. Petersburg Society of Artists. She took on the role of Juliet in Makovsky’s painting “Romeo and Juliet” (1895, Odessa Art Museum), and her features were unmistakably present in his later rendition of “Ophelia.”
Konstantin Makovsky’s artistic journey was not just a visual exploration but also a testament to the profound impact that the women in his life had on his work, leaving a lasting mark on the world of art.
French:
L’HĂ©ritage Artistique de Konstantin Makovsky
Konstantin Egorovich Makovsky (1839-1915) a laissĂ© un hĂ©ritage artistique considĂ©rable. C’Ă©tait un artiste polyvalent, reconnu pour son expertise en peinture de genre, en peinture historique et en art du paysage. Cependant, c’est dans le portrait qu’il a vraiment excellĂ©. Son fils, le cĂ©lĂšbre critique d’art de l’Ăge d’argent, Sergei Makovsky, a un jour fait remarquer que la collection de portraits de son pĂšre dĂ©passait les Ćuvres combinĂ©es de Kramskoi, Repin et Serov.
L’Attrait des Portraits FĂ©minins de Makovsky
L’Ćuvre de Makovsky est ornĂ©e de portraits captivants de femmes, en particulier celles de la haute sociĂ©tĂ©. Ces portraits de gala non seulement mettaient en valeur l’apparence gracieuse des modĂšles, mais aussi l’opulence de leur environnement. Lors de l’exposition personnelle de Makovsky Ă Saint-PĂ©tersbourg en 1897, les portraits fĂ©minins et les tĂȘtes ont volĂ© la vedette, les critiques s’extasiant sur leur essence “Ă©ternellement fĂ©minine”.
Peindre les Ătres Chers
Makovsky avait un attachement spĂ©cial pour la peinture des femmes qui lui Ă©taient chĂšres. Sa premiĂšre femme, Elena Timofeevna, a partagĂ© un bref mariage de sept ans avec l’artiste avant son dĂ©cĂšs prĂ©maturĂ© dĂ» Ă la tuberculose en 1873. En 1875, Makovsky a Ă©pousĂ© Iulia Pavlovna Letkova, cĂ©lĂ©brĂ©e comme la femme la plus belle de Saint-PĂ©tersbourg Ă l’Ă©poque. Il a crĂ©Ă© plusieurs portraits d’Iulia Pavlovna, dont deux sont maintenant exposĂ©s au MusĂ©e russe de Saint-PĂ©tersbourg.
L’Influence des Ătres Chers sur l’Art de Makovsky
Le “type facial” distinct d’Iulia Pavlovna s’est Ă©galement retrouvĂ© dans les peintures historiques de Makovsky des annĂ©es 1880, ainsi que dans ses reprĂ©sentations de figures mythologiques et allĂ©goriques. En 1889, Makovsky a rencontrĂ© Maria Alekseevna Matavtina Ă Paris et est tombĂ© Ă nouveau amoureux. Cela a conduit Ă son divorce avec Iulia Pavlovna en 1892 et Ă son remariage en 1898. Il a vĂ©cu avec Maria Alekseevna, qui Ă©tait sa cadette de trente ans, jusqu’Ă sa mort en 1915.
Une Nouvelle Famille et une Inspiration Continue
L’amour de Makovsky et de Maria Alekseevna a abouti Ă la naissance de trois enfants avant leur mariage (Konstantin, Olga et Marina), qui ont Ă©tĂ© lĂ©gitimĂ©s par la suite. Leur benjamin, Nicholas, est nĂ© en 1900. Il convient de noter qu’il y avait une frappante ressemblance physique entre la deuxiĂšme et la troisiĂšme Ă©pouse de Makovsky, Iulia Pavlovna et Maria Alekseevna. Toutes deux Ă©taient des beautĂ©s exceptionnelles aux traits parfaitement proportionnĂ©s.
Muse et ModĂšle : Maria Alekseevna
Ă partir des annĂ©es 1890, Maria Alekseevna est devenue la muse constante de l’artiste. Son image a ornĂ© de nombreux portraits exposĂ©s par la SociĂ©tĂ© des artistes de Saint-PĂ©tersbourg. Elle a incarnĂ© le rĂŽle de Juliette dans le tableau de Makovsky “RomĂ©o et Juliette” (1895, MusĂ©e d’Odessa), et ses traits Ă©taient incontestablement prĂ©sents dans sa version ultĂ©rieure d'”OphĂ©lie”.
Le voyage artistique de Konstantin Makovsky n’Ă©tait pas seulement une exploration visuelle, mais aussi un tĂ©moignage de l’impact profond que les femmes de sa vie ont eu sur son travail, laissant une empreinte indĂ©lĂ©bile dans le monde de l’art.
