Лев и львица

summer 1888

“The Girl Illuminated by the Sun” is bought by Tretyakov

In the summer of 1888 at Vladimir Derviz’s estate of Domotkanovo Serov painted “The Girl Illuminated by the Sun”, a portrait of his cousin Maria Simonovich; Pavel Tretyakov bought the painting for 300 roubles.

1888

The Moscow Society prize for “Girl with Peaches”

At the competition of the Moscow Society of Art Lovers “Girl with Peaches” (shown as “Portrait of V. M.”) won the only prize in the portrait category, 200 roubles. There “The Overgrown Pond”, shown as “Twilight”, lost out to Levitan’s landscapes but was bought by the Yakunchikovs.

29 January 1889

Marries Olga Trubnikova

On 29 January 1889 in the Semyonovsky Regiment cathedral in St. Petersburg Serov married Olga Trubnikova; he asked Sergei Mamontov to be best man and invited Repin to be a witness.

1894

Elected a member of the Peredvizhniki

In 1894 Serov was elected a member of the Peredvizhniki, to which he belonged until 1900; his portrait of S. A. Tolstaya and the landscape “In the Crimea” were shown at their 22nd exhibition.

early 1896

A commission for a watercolour of the coronation of Nicholas II

In early 1896 Serov received a lucrative commission for the watercolour “The Anointing of the Emperor” for the art album of the coronation of Nicholas II; it gave him the right to attend the coronation on 26 May in the Dormition Cathedral, and the work was due by 1 May 1897.

23 March 1898

Awarded the title of academician

On 23 March 1898 the general meeting of the Academy of Arts, on the proposal of Mathé, Repin and Chistyakov, awarded Serov the title of academician.