Serov Valentin Alexandrovich

Valentin Alexandrovich Serov (1865–1911) was a prominent painter, master of realistic portraiture, landscape artist, illustrator, and educator. He studied under K. Köpping, I. E. Repin, N. I. Murashko, and P. P. Chistyakov. He worked for Savva Mamontov's Private Opera, the Mariinsky Theatre, and Sergei Diaghilev's enterprise. He was a member of the 'World of Art' (Mir Iskusstva) and the Union of Russian Artists. In 1900, he received the Grand Prix at the World Exhibition in Paris for his portrait of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich. In 1905, he resigned from the Academy of Arts in protest against the shooting of the January 9 demonstration.