Secrets of the Tretyakov Gallery: How did it happen that Ilya Repin "dressed up" a secular lady in the clothes of a nun.
In the art of painting X-rays allow you to learn a lot of interesting facts about old paintings. Opening the secret veil, they help forgotten heroes find their true names, expose fakes, and also reveal unknown paintings under famous masterpieces. So, for example, X-ray analysis of the canvas "The Nun" by Ilya Repin unexpectedly showed that when it was created, the posing girl was dressed in a ball gown, and instead of a rosary, she had a fan in her hands, which was revealed under the top layer of paint thanks to x-rays. How did a secular woman end up in a black monastic outfit? This fascinating story and several others no less interesting are further in the review.
Last year, the Tretyakov Gallery hosted an exhibition entitled "Secrets of Old Paintings". The exhibits of the storerooms, containing legends and mysteries, aroused considerable public interest, and the exhibition itself was a huge success.
Prehistory of the first version of the painting by I.E. Repin "The Nun" (1878).
https://static.kulturologia.ru/files/u21941/0-tretyakovka-0012.jpg" alt=" "Portrait of Sofia Alekseevna Repina, nee Shevtsova". Kiev National Museum of Russian Art. Author: I.E .Repin." title=""Portrait of Sofya Alekseevna Repina, nee Shevtsova." Kyiv National Museum of Russian Art.
As an aspiring painter and student at the Academy of Arts, Repin lived next door to the family of the architect A.I. Shevtsov, who had two daughters. Many believed that Repin was carried away by the eldest - Sophia, but in 1872 Ilya married the youngest - young Vera.
https://static.kulturologia.ru/files/u21941/0-tretyakovka-0008.jpg" alt=""Portrait of Sofya Alekseevna Repina". / "Nun". (1878). Author: I.E. Repin." title=""Portrait of Sofya Alekseevna Repina". / "Nun". (1878).
In confirmation of the veracity of the words of the memoirist, the x-ray of the picture made showed this on the lower layer, which was not cleaned off by the author. And what is interesting: the true relationship between Sofia Shevtsova and Ilya Repin remained a mystery. As well as Sophia's reaction to the act of the artist. It remains a mystery of time whether Pavel Tretyakov, who acquired it for his collection, was aware of this portrait.
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"Nun" 1878 and her X-ray." border="0" vspace="5">
I.E. Repin.
"Nun" 1878 and her X-ray.
"The Nun" in 1878, in all likelihood, a small revenge of the artist. For what? This we will never know. This is how human relationships change the fate of the picture.
The second version of the painting by I.E. Repin "The Nun" (1887).
After a decade, in 1887, a painter who respects biblical subjects and religion in general, as if in his own defense, will paint a real portrait of a church minister. And he will call him the same as the previous one - “Nun”. Only unlike the first picture, before us the artist will present the true appearance of the novice. Almost the same background space, the same angle, only the heroine is real.https://static.kulturologia.ru/files/u21941/0-tretyakovka-0002.jpg" alt=""Portrait of an unknown man in a cocked hat." (Early 1770s). State Tretyakov Gallery. Oil on canvas 58 x 47. Author: Fedor Stepanovich Rokotov." title=""Portrait of an unknown man in a cocked hat." (Early 1770s). State Tretyakov Gallery. Oil on canvas 58 x 47.
For about two centuries it was believed that this is a portrait of Count A.G. Bobrinsky - the illegitimate son of Catherine II and her favorite Count Orlov. But the x-ray showed that under the upper artistic layer is the original image of a young woman, whose face Rokotov left unchanged in later painting.
It is reliably known that this portrait belonged to the Struisky family and depicted the first wife of Nikolai Eremeevich, Olimpiada, who died in a difficult childbirth. In all likelihood, before the second marriage, in order not to arouse the jealousy of the newlywed, Struysky asked Rokotov to disguise the portrait of his dead wife as a male image.
V.V. Pukirev "Unequal Marriage" with its secrets and legends
https://static.kulturologia.ru/files/u21941/0-tretyakovka-0003.jpg" alt="Painting "Unequal Marriage". / Sketch "Unequal marriage". Author: V.V. Pukirev." title="Painting "Unequal Marriage". / Sketch "Unequal marriage".
In the sketch preceding the painting, in the image of a young man standing behind the bride with his arms crossed on his chest, Pukirev initially depicted Sergei Varentsov. And he, having learned about this, was offended by the artist, who wanted to make his story of unhappy love the property of the public. And the painter had no choice but to paint himself on canvas as a best man.
https://static.kulturologia.ru/files/u21941/0-tretyakovka-0014.jpg" alt="P.M. Varentsova. State Tretyakov Gallery. Artist V.D. Sukhov, 1907" title="P.M. Varentsova. State Tretyakov Gallery. Artist V.D. Sukhov, 1907" border="0" vspace="5">!}
A marriage of convenience did not bring the girl either happiness or money: Praskovya Matveevna ended her days in the Mazurinskaya almshouse.
I.I. Brodsky. What secret was hidden by the painting "Park Alley" (1930).
Alleys" the artist created the painting "Roman Park", which for many years was considered missing. The researchers of the Tretyakov Gallery took a closer look at the "Alley", took an x-ray and found out that this painting is the missing "Roman Park". Brodsky painted over the statues, redrawn the audience and now - a new one a painting without a touch of bourgeoisness, but the beauty of the painting has not changed: the artist's unique manner of depicting shadows in space is amazing in his performance.
"Portrait of Elizaveta Petrovna in a man's suit" by an unknown artist.
In the storerooms of the Tretyakov Gallery, a “Portrait of Elizabeth Petrovna in a men's suit” was found, where she is depicted at the age of the princess. This canvas by an unknown artist is notable for the fact that it is painted on a thin canvas, which was completely unusual for Russian painting of that time, through which oil and varnish leaked and formed a mirror portrait on the back.
Avant-gardist and realist Ivan Klyun (Klyunkov)
https://static.kulturologia.ru/files/u21941/219418650.jpg" alt=" "Girl with a tambourine". (1853). State Tretyakov Gallery. Author: N.M. Kozakov." title=""Girl with a tambourine". (1853). State Tretyakov Gallery.
The history of painting is interesting not only for the mysteries of its creation, but also for such phenomena as. An interesting selection of such paintings can be viewed
Secrets of the old paintings of the Tretyakov Gallery August 13th, 2016
Here people are now breaking into the State Tretyakov Gallery for an exhibition of paintings by Aivazovsky. But right now, right here in Tretyakov Gallery, in the Engineering building, a unique exhibition Secrets of old paintings. When you look at the back of the picture and find out that on the other side of the canvas, it turns out that there are also interesting puzzles. When else will you be shown what is hidden under the main layer of the picture in x-rays? When else will you see sketches of famous paintings in which the plots and faces can be completely different?
Let's start with the famous painting by Vasily Pukirev"Неравный брак". Обратите внимание на молодого человека с бородкой, который стоит за невестой. Это сам Василий Пукирев и считалось, что это история его несчастной любви, когда его невеста вынуждена была выйти за Алексея Марковича Полторацкого, который был предводителем тверского дворянства.!}
But ... Let's look at the sketch of the picture and what do we see? Did you pay attention? Behind the bride is a similar, but slightly different person.
02.
This is Pukirev's friend Sergei Mikhailovich Varentsov. He was in love with Sofya Nikolaevna Rybnikova, who was married to Andrei Aleksandrovich Karzinkin. And Varentsov was present at this wedding
03.
04. But what else do we see when analyzing the picture and history? It turns out that Andrei Karzinkin from the second version was only 37 years old at the time of the wedding, while Alexei Poltoratsky was quite an old man, which we see on the sketch "The Head of an Old Man", which was painted for the picture. Although there are versions that the head was written off from Prince Pavel Tsitsianov or from the cook Vladimir Ivanovich, who served with the Varentsovs 
05. And here, many years later, in 1907, a joker appears - a pencil drawing by V.D. Sukhov. And there is an inscription on it: "Praskovya Matveevna Varentsova, with whom 44 years ago the artist V.V. Pukirev painted his famous painting "Unequal Marriage". Mrs. Varentsova lives in Moscow, in the Mazurinskaya almshouse." So the mystery of the picture was solved 
Go ahead. Here is a picture of Isaac Brodsky "Park Alley", painted in 1930. It would seem that this is unusual? Park with walking Soviet people. But the researchers drew attention to the trees, the crown of which was not very typical for Soviet parks.
06. 
The same picture by Brodsky from the Italian cycle "Park Alley in Rome", written in 1911, was known. She was considered lost. And so the researchers decided to illuminate the picture "Park Alley" with X-rays. And what did they see? They saw the same painting "Park Alley in Rome", which was considered missing. Imagine the year 1930. The flywheel of repression begins to spin. And a picture. praising bourgeois Italy could bring the artist big problems. And Brodsky, changing the figures of people a little, makes a Soviet park out of an Italian park. But, thanks to X-rays and the tireless researchers of the Tretyakov Gallery, we can see the painting "Park Alley in Rome". Can compare
07.
08. "Portrait of an unknown man in a cocked hat" by Fyodor Stepanovich Rokotov. It would seem that it is unusual? Well, it looks like a woman's face. But more like nothing. It was believed that this is a portrait of Count Bobrinsky. 
09. But no. X-ray revealed to us a woman's face, presumably the wife of the landowner Struysky Olimpiada Sergeevna Balbekova. She passed away at the age of 20 
10. "Portrait of Elizaveta Petrovna in her youth" by an unknown artist also seems to be a classic portrait of the middle of the 18th century. This is a copy of the picture of the court painter L. Caravak "Portrait of Tsesarevna Elizaveta Petrovna in a men's suit" 
11. But looking at the reverse side of the picture, we see a mirror portrait of Elizabeth with the inscription "Her Imperial Highness Gdrni tsesarvna in Her young years, that the post was the most radiant Empress Elisabeth Petrovna". It is interesting that the portrait is painted on the thinnest canvas. This is the only such job in the world. 
12.
13. A curious story is connected with the painting "The Nun" by Ilya Repin. This is Sofya Repina, who married the artist's brother. But why is she depicted as a nun? 
14. The fact is that, according to the memoirs of the artist's niece L.A. Shevtsova-Spore, Repin and Sophia quarreled, and the artist freaked out. Well, a creative person, it happens. He took it and remade a light portrait of Sophia in a lace dress into a monastic one. 
I, perhaps, will stop at this and will no longer reveal the secrets of the rest of the old paintings. Must be a mystery to you. And, believe me, there are still a lot of secrets of various famous paintings that can be unraveled. Therefore, go, run urgently to this unique exhibition. It runs until August 21st. You still have time to catch it.
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At least in order to see with your own eyes the paintings “Girl with Peaches”, “Rooks Have Arrived”, “The Appearance of Christ to the People”, “Morning in a Pine Forest” and many other works of Russian fine art, familiar even to all people who are far from painting from candy wrappers and Internet memes.
website rummaged through the collections of an art museum and chose 10 paintings with an interesting history. We hope they will inspire you to visit the Tretyakov Gallery.
"The Apotheosis of War" Vasily Vereshchagin
The picture was painted in 1871 under the impression of military operations in Turkestan, which struck eyewitnesses with their cruelty. Initially, the canvas was called "The Triumph of Tamerlane", whose troops left behind such pyramids of skulls. According to history, once the women of Baghdad and Damascus turned to Tamerlane, who complained about their husbands, mired in sins and depravity. Then the cruel commander ordered each soldier from his 200,000-strong army to bring a severed head of lecherous husbands. After the order was executed, 7 pyramids of heads were laid out.
"Unequal Marriage" Vasily Pukirev
The painting depicts the wedding process in the Orthodox Church. A young dowry bride marries an old official against her will. According to one version, the painting depicts a love drama of the artist himself. The prototype in the image of the bride depicts the failed bride of Vasily Pukirev. And in the image of the best man, depicted at the edge of the picture behind the bride, with his hands folded on his chest, is the artist himself.
"Boyar Morozova" Vasily Surikov
Giant in size (304 x 586 cm), Vasily Surikov's painting depicts a scene from the history of the church schism in the 17th century. The painting is dedicated to Morozova Theodosia Prokopievna - an associate of the spiritual leader of the supporters of the old faith, Archpriest Avvakum. Around 1670, she secretly took the veil as a nun, was arrested in 1671, and in 1673 sent to the Pafnutev-Borovsky Monastery, where she was starved to death in an earthen prison.
The painting depicts an episode when the noblewoman Morozova is being transported around Moscow to the place of imprisonment. Next to Morozova is her sister Evdokia Urusova, who shared the fate of a schismatic; in the depths - a wanderer, in whose face the features of the artist are read.
"They didn't expect" Ilya Repin
The second picture, painted in 1884-1888, depicts the moment of the unexpected return home of a political exile. The boy and the woman at the piano (apparently his wife) are happy, the girl looks wary, the maid is incredulous, in the hunched figure of the mother in the foreground one feels a deep emotional shock.
Currently, both paintings are part of the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery.
"Trinity" Andrey Rublev
The Tretyakov Gallery has the richest collection of ancient Russian paintings of the 11th-17th centuries, including works by Dionysius, Simon Ushakov and Andrei Rublev. In the 60th hall of the gallery hangs one of the most famous and famous icons in the world - "Trinity", painted by Andrei Rublev in the first quarter of the 15th century. Three angels gathered around the table on which the sacrificial bowl stands for a quiet, unhurried conversation.
The "Trinity" is stored in the hall of ancient Russian painting of the Tretyakov Gallery, in a special glass case, which maintains constant humidity and temperature, and which protects the icon from any external influences.
"Unknown" Ivan Kramskoy
The place of action of the picture is beyond doubt - this is Nevsky Prospekt in St. Petersburg, Anichkov Bridge. But the image of a woman is still a mystery of the artist. Neither in the letters nor in the diaries did Kramskoy leave any mention of the unknown person. Critics connected this image with Anna Karenina of Leo Tolstoy, with Nastasya Filippovna of Fyodor Dostoevsky, the names of famous ladies of the world were called. There is also a version that the painting depicts the artist's daughter, Sofia Ivanovna Kramskaya.
In Soviet times, Kramskoy's "Unknown" became almost a Russian Sistine Madonna - the ideal of unearthly beauty and spirituality. And hung in every decent Soviet house.
"Bogatyrs" Viktor Vasnetsov
Vasnetsov painted this picture for almost twenty years. On April 23, 1898, it was completed and soon bought by P. M. Tretyakov for his gallery.
In epics, Dobrynya is always young, like Alyosha, but for some reason Vasnetsov portrayed him as a mature man with a luxurious beard. Some researchers believe that Dobrynya's facial features resemble the artist himself. The prototype for Ilya Muromets was the peasant of the Vladimir province Ivan Petrov, whom Vasnetsov had previously captured in one of the studies.
By the way, Ilya Muromets is not a fairy-tale character, but a historical person. The story of his life and feats of arms are real events. Having grown old and finished his labors in protecting the homeland, he became a monk of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery, where he died in 1188.
"Bathing the Red Horse" Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin
The painting “Bathing the Red Horse”, which amazed contemporaries with its monumentality and fatefulness, brought world fame to the artist Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin. The red horse acts as the Destiny of Russia, which the fragile and young rider is unable to hold. According to another version, the Red Horse is Russia itself. In this case, it is impossible not to note the visionary gift of the artist, who symbolically predicted the “red” fate of Russia in the 20th century with his painting.
The horse Petrov-Vodkin wrote from a real stallion named Boy. To create the image of a teenager sitting on a horse, the artist used the features of his student, the artist Sergei Kalmykov: “For the attention of the future compilers of my monograph. On a red horse, our dearest Kuzma Sergeevich portrayed me. ... In the form of a languid young man on this banner, I am depicted in my own person.
"The Swan Princess" Mikhail Vrubel
The painting was painted in 1900 based on the stage image of the heroine of N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan based on the plot of the fairy tale of the same name by A. S. Pushkin. Vrubel designed this performance, and the part of the Swan Princess was performed by the artist's wife, Nadezhda Zabela-Vrubel. “All the singers sing like birds, and Nadia - like a person!” Vrubel spoke about her.
In the summer of 2016, one of the most interesting exhibitions, Secrets of Old Paintings, was held at the Tretyakov Gallery. Not even an exhibition, but a collection of detective stories. 17 mysterious stories - 17 masterpieces of the museum with their stories, riddles and secrets.
We shared the secret of "Unequal Marriage" by V. Pukirev. Today we will tell you about the secret of the painting by I. Repin - "The Nun".
First, I suggest you look at the picture. Presentation video from the Tretyakov Gallery:
The painting "The Nun" was painted by Ilya Efimovich Repin in 1878. The girl in the picture is Sofya Alekseevna Shevtsova, the daughter of the famous St. Petersburg architect A.I. Shevtsova, the elder sister of the artist's wife. The artist met the Shevtsov family while studying at the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg.
From the memoirs of the niece of Repin's wife, L.A. Shevtsova-Spore:
“When the nineteen-year-old Repin first appeared within the walls of the Academy of Arts, my uncle, Alexander Shevtsov, the son of the St. Petersburg architect Alexei Ivanovich Shevtsov, a student of the same Academy, found himself there with him. The young people met, and Repin began to visit us. He met all the children of the architect: Sophia (later - the wife of the artist's brother, Vasily), Alexei (my father) and Vera, his future wife.
Young Repin was a very amorous person, he showed signs of attention to both Sofya and Verochka. The people around believed that Repin was more passionate about his older sister, but in 1972 the artist married the younger, 16-year-old young Verochka, who was 10 years younger than the artist.
By the way, the first portrait in the Shevtsovs' house was dedicated to Verochka. At that time she was only 9 years old.
Portrait of V.A. Shevtsova, later the artist's wife, 1869. State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg 
Portrait of V.A. Repina, the artist's wife, 1876. State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg
However, Repin repeatedly painted portraits of Sofya Alekseevna. Once one of them - "Portrait of S.A. Repina, nee Shevtsova" attracted the special attention of art historians and restorers. A reproduction of this portrait is today in the Kiev National Museum of Russian Art. In what year it was written today is unknown.
So, the appearance of Sophia Shevtsova in the portrait with amazing accuracy resembled the appearance of an unknown "Nun" (1878 State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow). Compare these two portraits. On the first - pretty Sophia with a slightly coquettish hairstyle of highly gathered hair. On the second - the same face, the same look, but here are just the sensations that the image of a church servant appears before us - it is not there.
"Who exactly did the artist depict in the portrait" - this mystery was solved thanks to the memoirs of the niece of Repin's wife L.A. Shevtsova-Spore. It turned out that Sophia once posed for Repin in the ballroom, but at some point the master and the model quarreled, and Repin turned the elegant lady into ... a nun.
It was possible to confirm the veracity of the words of the memoirist thanks to the x-ray of the painting, which shows the underlying layers of painting that were not cleaned off by the author. A light dress with lace is hidden under a black veil, the girl's hair is gathered in a high hairstyle, the model has a fan in her hand.
I.E. Repin. Painting "Nun" 1878 and its radiograph Svetlana Usacheva, exhibition curator:
“During the work they had a fight. Since Repin was an emotional, flammable person, he turned her into a nun, although she had never been to a monastery, she was never going to be a nun. It was a surge of emotions of the artist. He probably wanted to show her something in this way.
"The Nun" of 1878 - a little prank of the artist, or perhaps a little revenge? We will never know about this.
Nothing is known today about the relationship between Sofia Shevtsova and Ilya Repin. As well as about Sofya Alekseevna's reaction to the parodic image of a nun. It is also unknown whether P. Tretyakov was aware of this portrait, in whose collection it ended up.
It is only known that almost ten years later, in 1887, an artist who is serious about biblical subjects and religion in general, as if justifying himself, will depict the real appearance of a church servant. And he will call this portrait the same as the previous one - “Nun”. Only unlike the first portrait, we see the true appearance of the nun, and not her image ...
Nun, 1887. Kiev National Museum of Russian Art, Ukraine Almost the same background, angle, only the heroine is real.
Presumably, the painting depicts Repin's cousin (by father) - Emilia, a nun of a convent in Streletchina, between Kharkov and Belgorod. Emilia is a name in the world (Repin called her the Olympics). The spiritual name of Emilia was Eupraxia. It is known that Repin respected and loved his sister and already in the post-revolutionary period helped her (it is known for sure that once in Kharkov a money transfer was received from Finland to Emilia.
The nun is dressed in a black cassock with a beautiful headdress. Unlike the first portrait, her hair and hands are hidden. Before us, without a doubt, is a nun and the artist does not need to convince us of this by adding (as in the first portrait) a well-known religious accessory - a rosary.
The slightly lowered head and the penetrating look of the nun emphasize genuine humility. The nun is no longer young, and several wrinkles appear on her face. Her eyes are sad, partly they reveal the whole life of a nun. The picture evokes sadness, a sense of melancholy and routine.
Apparently, the portrait of the nun was painted while working on a reduced copy of the painting "Nicholas of Myra", intended for the monastery where his cousin was. The painting was completed in 1890 and differed slightly from the 1888 original.
By the way, the original painting, which is now in the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, was intended for the monastery. And the reduced copy, which was later donated to the monastery, is only its less successful repetition.
Original: Nikolai Mirlikisky saves three innocently convicted from death, 1888. State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg. From the memoirs of the writer and historian Dmitry Yavornitsky:
“While working on the painting “Cossacks”, Repin often put it aside and took on others. Once, when I went to see him, I saw in his studio the painting “Nicholas the Wonderworker Stops the Execution of the Innocently Convicted”. In the executioner, I recognized the Odessa artist Kuznetsov, and in the convict, kneeling in front of everyone, the Kharkov artist Blinchikov.
Who inspired you to paint such a picture?
Do you know the Nikolayevsky Convent in the village of Strelechie, Kharkov district?
Even he was in it.
So, my cousin is a nun there. I once went to visit her, and the abbess, having learned about it, approached me: “Write, our dear countryman, for us a small icon of our patron, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker!” I promised her, and when I arrived in St. Petersburg, instead of an icon, I painted a whole picture. Yes, the tsar had already bought this painting at the exhibition, and I took it to the workshop for a while, in order to go over it a little more with a brush.
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"Portrait of Sofya Alekseevna Repina-Shevtsova". Kyiv National Museum of Russian Art. / "The Nun" (1878). State Tretyakov Gallery. Author: I.E. Repin. In the art of painting, X-rays make it possible to learn many interesting facts about old paintings. Opening the secret veil, they help forgotten heroes find their true names, expose fakes, and also reveal unknown paintings under famous masterpieces. So, for example, an X-ray analysis of Ilya Repin’s painting “The Nun” unexpectedly showed that when it was created, the posing girl was dressed in a ball gown, and instead of a rosary, she had a fan in her hands, which was revealed under the top layer of paint thanks to x-rays. How did a secular woman end up in a black monastic outfit? This fascinating story is further in the review. Last year, the Tretyakov Gallery hosted an exhibition entitled "Secrets of Old Paintings". The exhibits of the storerooms, containing legends and mysteries, aroused considerable public interest, and the exhibition itself was a huge success. Prehistory of the first version of the painting by I.E. Repin "The Nun" (1878).
"Nun" (1878). State Tretyakov Gallery. Author: I.E. Repin. The portrait dates back to 1878, looking closely at it, you can see the discrepancy between the outfit and the expression on the girl's face. Her humble nun can hardly be called.
"Portrait of Sofya Alekseevna Repina, nee Shevtsova." Kyiv National Museum of Russian Art. Author: I.E. Repin. As an aspiring painter and student at the Academy of Arts, Repin lived next door to the family of the architect A.I. Shevtsov, who had two daughters. Many believed that Repin was carried away by the eldest - Sophia, but in 1872 Ilya married the youngest - young Vera.
"Portrait of the artist's wife - Vera Alekseevna Repina." (1876). State Russian Museum. Petersburg Author: Ilya Repin. Sophia, ironically, became the wife of his brother, Vasily, a student at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Ilya painted portraits of Sofia Alekseevna more than once, one of which is kept in the Kiev National Museum of Russian Art. From the memoirs of the artist's niece, it is authentically known that there was another portrait of the sister-in-law, who posed for the painter in a ball gown, and that during one of the sessions, Sophia and Ilya had a strong quarrel. And the artist, being emotionally unbalanced and flammable, in one fell swoop turned the elegant heroine of his canvas into a nun. Under a black robe, he hid a magnificent hairstyle, a lace ball gown and a fan. It was a surge of emotions that overwhelmed the artist.
"Portrait of Sofya Alekseevna Repina". / "Nun". (1878). Author: I.E. Repin. In confirmation of the veracity of the words of the memoirist, the x-ray of the picture made showed this on the lower layer, which was not cleaned off by the author. And what is interesting: the true relationship between Sofia Shevtsova and Ilya Repin remained a mystery. As well as Sophia's reaction to the act of the artist. It remains a mystery of time whether Pavel Tretyakov, who acquired it for his collection, was aware of this portrait.
