Valentin Serov

The name of the great Russian artist—an outstanding portrait painter and one of the largest masters of European painting in the 19th century—Valentin Alexandrovich Serov is, without exaggeration, known to everyone.

His famous “Girl with Peaches” and “Girl, Illuminated by the Sun” are among the most significant works in the Tretyakov Gallery’s collection. It was precisely from these paintings that the history of Impressionism began in Russian art. Hardly can one name another artist whose achievements had such a large significance and influence on all subsequent Russian art.

In the audiobook “Serov,” Igor Emmanuilovich Grabar—a painter, art historian, and art theorist—shares his memories of this outstanding Russian painter. He personally knew Serov and began working on the book while Valentin Alexandrovich was still alive, with his direct involvement.