Rzhevskaya Antonina (1861-1934)

The life and creative life of Antonina Rzhevsk (Popova by birth) are interesting to us for many reasons. It is known that after the abolition of serfdom in the country (1861), many noble families, especially those from small estates, losing some material may be starting to lead a life of hardship and deprivation. It is in such a family in a village in the province of Tver and future artist was born. The situation is especially complicated by the Popov family after his father died, and a mother with three children moved to Tver. Young Antonina, which still in high school called "artist", was forced to the printers for correction of material support himself and his family.

In 1880, she moved to Moscow, while continuing to work, it becomes volnoslushatelnitsey the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. Her financial situation has improved only after her mentor VE Makovsky began to find her students, whom she gave private lessons in drawing and painting.

Moving Rzhevsky family in the dead of the province (at the place of her husband's life) complicated the artist has not yet held their favorite thing. Yet since the early 1900s, its simple, no subtext paintings on household plots have become a regular feature in the exhibitions of the Moscow Society of Arts. Even before she became an exhibitor of the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions, XXV exhibition made a great success of AP Rzhevsk: it was shown full of humor, kindness and skillful execution painting "Merry minute", which has yet to show acquired PM Tretyakov for his gallery. We also note that AL Rzhevskaya was one of the first artists, members of the association. There are other wizard: "Let my prayer," "Late Night," "Autumn," "The window", "Music". She writes subtle, poetic portraits, enjoys the scenery. During the First World War, the artist moved to Tarusu, where he lives, paints in oils and watercolors until the last hours of his life.