Valentin Alexandrovich Serov (1865–1911) is one of the most brilliant Russian portrait painters who voluntarily or involuntarily penetrated so deeply into the inner world of his models that some were afraid to order their portraits to him. The gaze of his eyes frightened even his own mother that she even asked her son not to look “like that”. And the little boy did not even pay attention to how they look at him. It was Mika Morozov. Serov's painting captured him for centuries.
The Morozov family
Mikhail Abramovich Morozov came from a wealthy family of Moscow merchants.
But he did not engage in family affairs. After graduating from high school, he entered Moscow University. He was attracted to history and philology. He married at the time when he was completely young and still studying. Mikhail Abramovich was only twenty-one years old, the bride, a dowager, was only eighteen. Her name was Margarita Kirillovna Mamontova. She also came from a well-known merchant family.
This was the most beautiful girl in Moscow. On November 10, 1891, a wedding sacrament was held in a church on Bolshaya Nikitskaya. The wedding was celebrated noisily at the Hermitage Restaurant. In the evening, the young left for St. Petersburg.
The honeymoon was held in the northern capital. Six years later, they will have a son - Mika Morozov.
After wedding
Then there were Paris, Nice. Monte Carlo. They had extraordinary neighbors. Queen Victoria, for example, or the morganatic widow of Emperor Alexander II, Princess E.M. Yurievskaya. Six months later, the Morozovs returned to Russia and bought a mansion in Moscow.
Their house was, as they say, a full bowl. At the balls or receptions, 200 guests came to them. They had a house in Paris. They loved to travel around Europe and North Africa. In the Kaluga province, they had a charming Turliki estate in a pine forest near the Protva river.
A frequent guest of their home, a brilliant artist would later write their son. It will be Mika Morozov. Serov’s painting will fall into the most prestigious gallery of Russian painting.
Mikhail Mikhailovich Morozov
In such an open family to all modern trends, Mika Morozov was born on a February February 18, a bland day. He was a minion of fate from childhood. He received a good education, improved English in Britain. Just like his father, he graduated from Moscow University. Despite its origin, fate kept it from repression. In the USSR, he peacefully studied the history of the theater. He made translations, wrote a book from the series “The Life of Wonderful People: Shakespeare”. He laid the foundation for the scientific Shakespeare studies in our country. Prepared and published "Hamlet" in English with detailed comments.
He was often invited to theaters as a consultant. He was the chief editor of News magazine, which was published in English.
Unexpected death
In 1952, preparations were underway for a meeting in the Kremlin with Russian industrialists, such as the Ryabushinsky, Girshman, Eliseev, Mamontov and others. For their meeting, they proposed the candidacy of a hospitable host - M.M. Morozova. He himself comes from a merchant family and is fluent in European languages and is quite trustworthy, even if a person is non-partisan.
Mikoyan outlined the tasks facing him, and at the same time found out that for an insignificant salary in a communal apartment he would not be able to adequately receive guests. Therefore, it was brought to his attention that he would be provided with decent clothes, he would have a prestigious position with a high salary, a decent apartment on Kutuzovsky or on Frunzenskaya embankment. In a state of shock, he was brought home in a government car. Neighbors and relatives were simply stunned. And Mikhail Mikhailovich lay down to rest. He was thrilled and very tired. And then a heart attack happened. His heart did not suffer such shocks, and Mika Morozov died.
Portrait painted by Serov
Before us is a charming child who, in appearance, went to an angel-like mother - Mikhail, and at home Mika Morozov. He is four years old. The kid crouched on the edge of a chair tall for him. It seems that another moment, and it will blow off like a wind. He will run on his important boyish affairs. The gaze burns, the red lips of the beautiful drawing are half open, the curly mop of hair on the head is difficult to comb, the pink cheeks are burning with anticipation of the joys of the new day.
Snow-white clothes are completely simple and do not hamper the movements of a mobile little boy. This is what Mika Morozov looks like. The picture of Valentin Serov shows him in full view. A flock of boys was growing up near him. The interior of the painter is not interesting. He does not emit anything - neither a chair, nor dark walls, everything just serves as a backdrop to this young ray of light, which is Mika Morozov. And all the attention is focused on the task that the painter set himself. The viewer should imagine a clean and youthful being. In the portrait we see Mik Morozov. Serov, with a minimum of funds, masterly coped with his task.
Composition "Mika Morozov"
In 1901, Valentin Serov, in whose work portraits occupied a very large place, watched the son of the famous philanthropist M.A. Morozova. He painted a portrait of little Mika Morozov. He was only five years old. This is one of the best children's portraits in Russian painting. Now he is in the Tretyakov Gallery.
As always, the artist conveys the state of mind of his model, her inner world through painting. The liveliness and mobility of little Mika, his desire not to linger on the spot is conveyed by a pose that is all directed forward. In addition, the baby does not sit comfortably on the chair, it is on its edge. He is ready at any moment when they are allowed to jump in and run. Impatience, curiosity come even from a motionless figure of a child. The white color of the shirt reflects Mika's cleanliness and innocence. He also emphasizes his dark-skinned, delicate skin touched by a light tan, a flush on his cheeks, bright half-opened lips, light curly gold-tinted hair. The whole appearance of Mika contrasts with the chosen neutral background, so that nothing distracts the viewer from the depicted boy. Serov amazingly precisely stopped the moment of a happy childhood. On this you can finish the composition of "Mika Morozov."