Portrait of V.I.Repina, the artist’s daughter, in childhood Ilya Repin (1844-1930)

Description of Ilya Repin’s painting "Portrait of V. I. Repina, the Artist’s Daughter".

Ilya Repin met his first wife, Vera, when he was nineteen years old and his future wife was nine. They married a decade later, and in this marriage four children were born. The eldest daughter was also named Vera; she was the favorite of the artist. After the divorce of her parents, the girl, unlike her younger offspring, remained with her father, and as an adult she served for several years at the Alexandrinsky Theatre, then moved to her father in Finland, in the Pens.

There are several portraits of the artist’s eldest daughter, made at different times, but the most famous is undoubtedly the portrait of little Vera in a gilded armchair. The little girl is depicted in a feminine hat with a flower; if it were not for the hat, she, with her short haircut, could easily be mistaken for a boy. The child’s pretty, concentrated face is very serious; the girl poses diligently for her father, apparently at his urgent request. Vera is holding toys, a ball and a wooden horse, which she clutches tightly.

The girl is wearing an elegant dress, black with white stripes, white sleeves and collar; white tights and black shoes complete the picture. The neat and obedient girl in ceremonial dress in this painting is simply the model of the "ideal child. The portrait is photographically accurate; looking at later works by the artist depicting the same model, we can see how the artist’s daughter grew and transformed.

Despite being constantly busy, Ilya Efimovich tried to give his children as much attention as possible. He even tried to teach them painting; but only Vera succeeded in drawing, diligently imitating her father. The girl has grown into a cheerful, energetic girl and, according to contemporaries, it was she who was the soul of the Repin family. Only with her Ilya Efimovich could talk on an equal footing, as an adult.