The most famous portraits are known even to people who have never been to a museum. The fate of the authors of these paintings is different, but they are united by original craftsmanship and a lot of research on their work.
Jan Vermeer - author of "Girls with a Pearl Earring"
Portrait "Girl with a Pearl Earring" can be called a classic of Dutch painting. There are many secrets associated with the picture. For example, it is not known who was the customer of the portrait, and which girl served as the model for the painting. According to one version, Vermeer portrayed his eldest daughter, according to another - a maid. The portrait is unusual in that movement is conveyed here. The girl seems to be looking back at the viewer, attracted by a hail or unusual sound.
Vermeer himself was a fairly famous artist. He received many orders and had patron patrons. However, he did not take up writing paintings so often, which indicates a source of alternative income. Vermeer had 15 children, 11 of whom survived to adulthood. The artist had great authority in the field of painting, but after the war with France, his position was shaken, and he died in debt.
Ivan Kramskoy - author of "Unknown"
The painting, depicting a young woman in a carriage, was painted by Russian painter Ivan Kramsky in 1883. The name of the portrait speaks for itself - almost nothing is known about its prototype. It is only clear that the model was a woman of a noble family. She is dressed in the latest fashion, in rather expensive and elegant clothes, and travels in her own carriage. The woman looks down at the viewer, as if captivating with her regal posture and manner of holding.
Ivan Kramskoy served as a clerk in his hometown of Ostrogozhsk. His good friend, artist and photographer M. Tulinov, taught Kramskoy to retouch photos using watercolors. The future artist became interested in new activities and soon began to create his own portraits. Due to the nature of the training, Kramskoy's portraits are very photographic. The artist painted realistically, paying attention to the smallest details of the picture.
