Bashkirtseva Mary K.
(1860-1884)

MK Bashkirtseva was born into a noble and wealthy family. The girl was very painful, and in the age of ten, her mother took her to Nice. Since then, it only three times in a short time came to Russia, living permanently abroad and a lot of traveling in Europe.

 In 1877 she attended the Academy of R. Julian in Paris. In 1879, she was awarded a gold medal at the competition of students' works and from that time regularly exhibited his paintings, invariably met with warm reviews of French newspapers and magazines.

 Her work remained a little, almost all of them were killed in the First World War. The era of democratic sentiment is reflected in her paintings, "Jean and Jacques" (1883), "Meeting" (1884), which was acquired by the Luxembourg National Museum.

 Among the most famous paintings - "Rain umbrella", "Three Smiles", "Autumn" (all 1883), which are now in the State Russian Museum. In their workshop painting significantly influence teachers Bashkirtseva - French artist Jean Bastien-Lenazha, but the choice of subjects and motifs image shows the individuality of the artist.

 While her work is highly evaluated Zola and Anatole France, the home of creativity Bashkirtseva received very mixed reviews. Bashkirtseva refers to the artists whose fate has attracted almost more than their creativity. It featured a young age, the desire for fame and success. She was very beautiful, she knew six European languages, playing the piano, guitar, harp and mandolin, had a superb soprano.

With thirteen years until his death Bashkirtseva kept a diary, which with remarkable frankness enters all the events of his life, his thoughts and feelings. "I say everything, everything, everything," - she wrote, intending to print your diary. "The Diary of Mary Bashkirtseva" was first published in France in 1887, and in 1893 it ran through several editions in French, was published in Russian. He embodied the image of women artists, to pursue happiness, freedom and creativity, which had to do this, it would seem, all the possibilities, but have not had time to realize.

 This gifted artist died of tuberculosis before the age of twenty-four years. First exhibition of Bashkirtseva held in Paris in 1885, and since then, interest in her work and personality is not quenched.