Russian beauty Konstantin Makovsky (1839-1915)

Description of Vladimir Makovsky’s painting "Russian Beauty".

Vladimir Yegorovich Makovsky was one of the greatest artistic figures of his time. He was born in 1846 into the family of the founder of the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. Since childhood, the future artist was surrounded by art in all its manifestations: the family arranged theme nights, to which famous artists were invited.

In addition to Vladimir in the family was another four children, three of whom went into art, and her sister was destined for the fate of the singer. Such an upbringing has left its mark on the subsequent work of Makovsky. He worked on a number of paintings, sustained in a particular style. One of these projects were paintings with images of Russian girls.

The attributes of the Russian national beauty, as a rule, included a luxurious kokoshnik, shimmering bright colors, as well as the presence of jewelry on the clothes of the heroines of paintings. Such works glorified the native beauty of the young ladies, highlighting their naturalness and charm. Hair, eyes, blush, smile - all these elements the artist traced carefully, emphasizing the importance of every detail in the image of the girls. One such work was "Russian Beauty."

The picture depicts a young lady with long hair, neatly arranged in a braid, on her head a wreath of an ensemble of flowers, and her neck is decorated with rows of colorful beads. The expression of the girl’s face is decorated with a modest smile, and she herself is looking into the distance. In this way, the artist managed to convey the delicate nature and ambition of the fair sex.

Her delicate facial features emphasize the refinement of character and depth of soul, which undoubtedly attracts and conveys the mood with which Makovsky carefully applied element by element to the canvas. The Russian land has always been famous for the beauty of women, and this painting is proof of that.