Натурщик

1874–1886 · Formazione

Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture

summer 1883

Meets Maria Martynovskaya

Nesterov spent the summer of 1883 in Ufa, where he met Maria Ivanovna Martynovskaya, his future wife. Back in Moscow he studied in Vladimir Makovsky's class.

from 1884

History painting, and illustration for a living

From 1884 Nesterov painted historical subjects — “Reception of the Ambassadors” (1884), “The Jester's Caftan. Boyar Druzhina Andreevich Morozov before Ivan the Terrible” (1885) — and earned his living drawing for magazines and books published by Alexei Stupin, including a collected Pushkin, fairy tales and byliny.

summer 1885

Marries Maria Martynovskaya against his parents' will

In the summer of 1885, against his parents' wishes, Nesterov married Maria Ivanovna Martynovskaya; after the wedding he went on earning his living by illustrating Pushkin, Gogol and Dostoevsky.

1885

Awarded the title of Free Artist

For the painting “The Calling of Mikhail Fyodorovich Romanov to the Throne” Nesterov received the title of Free Artist; a year later “Petitioners to the Tsar” earned him the title of Class Artist and the Large Silver Medal. By the late 1880s he was known for his pictures of pre-Petrine Russia.

May 1886

Daughter Olga is born; his wife dies

In May 1886 Nesterov's daughter Olga was born and his wife Maria Ivanovna died. He later carried the image of his beloved wife into many of his works.