Mika Morozov: stop, moment, you are fine!

Valentin Aleksandrovich Serov (1865-1911) - one of the most brilliant Russian portrait painters, who voluntarily or unwittingly penetrated so deeply into the inner world of his models that some were afraid to order his portraits. The look of his eyes frightened even his own mother, that she even asked her son not to look "that way." And the little boy did not even notice how he was being looked at. It was Mika Morozov. Painting Serov captured him for ages.

Family of Frost

Mikhail Abramovich Morozov came from the richest family of Moscow merchants. But he did not engage in family business. After graduating from high school, he entered the Moscow University. He was attracted by history and philology. He married at that time, when he was quite young and still studying. Mikhail Abramovich was only twenty-one, a bride, a non-dowry, turned eighteen. Her name was Margarita Kirillovna Mamontova. She also came from a famous merchant family. She was the most beautiful girl in Moscow. November 10, 1891, the sacrament of the wedding was held in the church on Bolshaya Nikitskaya. Celebrated the wedding noisily in the restaurant "Hermitage". In the evening the young people left for Petersburg. Honeymoon passed in the northern capital. In six years they will have a son - Mika Morozov.

After the wedding

Then there were Paris, Nice. Monte Carlo. They had extraordinary neighbors. Queen Victoria, for example, or the morganatic widow of Emperor Alexander II, Princess EM. Yuryevskaya. Six months later the Morozovs returned to Russia and bought a mansion in Moscow. Their house was, as they say, a full cup. At balls or receptions they were visited by 200 guests. They had a house in Paris. They loved to travel around Europe and North Africa. In the Kaluga province they had a charming Turliki manor in a pine forest near the Protva river. A frequent guest of their house, a brilliant artist will later write their son. It will be Mika Morozov. Painting Serov will fall into the most prestigious gallery of Russian painting.

Mikhail Mikhailovich Morozov

In such an open to all modern trends the family was born on a blizzard February day of 1897 by Mika Morozov. He was a darling of fate since childhood. He received a good education, improved English in Britain. Just like his father, he graduated from Moscow University. Despite his origin, his fate kept him from reprisals. In the USSR, he peacefully engaged in the history of the theater. He made translations, wrote a book from the series "The Life of Remarkable People: Shakespeare." He initiated the scientific Shakespear studies in our country. He prepared and published Hamlet in English with detailed comments. He was often invited to the theaters as a consultant. He was the chief editor of the News magazine, which was published in English.

Unexpected death

In 1952 preparations were being made for a meeting in the Kremlin with Russian industrialists, such as Ryabushinsky, Hirschman, Eliseev, Mamontov and others. For their meeting, the candidacy of the hospitable host was proposed - M.M. Morozov. He himself comes from a merchant family and is fluent in European languages and is quite reliable, even though he is a non-party person.

Mikoyan outlined the tasks facing him, and at the same time found out that he would not be able to receive guests with worthless wages in a communal apartment. Therefore, it was brought to his attention that he would be provided with decent clothes, he would have a prestigious post with a high salary, a decent apartment on Kutuzovsky or on the Frunzenskaya embankment. In a state of shock, he was brought home by a government car. Neighbors and relatives were simply dumbfounded. Mikhail Mikhailovich lay down to rest. He was excited and very tired. And then there was a heart attack. His heart did not suffer such shocks, and Mika Morozov died.

Portrait written by Serov

In front of us is a charming child, who turned out to look like an angel-like mother - Michael, and in the home Mika Morozov. He is four years old. The Kid sat down on the edge of a chair high for him. It seems that another moment, and it blows away like a wind. He will run for his important boyish affairs. The glow burns, the scarlet lips of the beautiful drawing are half open, the curly hair of the hair on the head hardly gives in to the comb, the pink cheeks burn with anticipation of the joys of the new day. Snow-white clothing is quite simple and does not hamper the movements of the moving little boy. This is how Mika Morozov looks. Painting Valentine Serov shows it as in the palm of your hand. He had a flock of boys. Interior painter is not interesting. He does not distinguish anything - no chair, no dark walls, everything just serves as a background for this young ray of light, which is Mika Morozov. And all attention is riveted to the task that the painter has set for himself. The viewer must imagine a pure and young creature. On the portrait we see Mika Morozov. Serov with a minimum of money masterfully coped with its task.

Composition "Mika Morozov"

In 1901 Valentin Serov, in whose work the portraits occupied a very large place, watched the son of the well-known philanthropist M.A. Morozov. He painted a portrait of little Miki Morozov. He was only in his fifth year. This is one of the best children's portraits in Russian painting. Now he is in the Tretyakov Gallery.

As always, the artist through painting conveys the spiritual state of his model, its inner world. The liveliness and mobility of the little Mika, his desire not to linger on the spot are conveyed by the pose, which is all directed forward. In addition, on the chair the baby does not sit comfortably, it is on its edge. He is ready at any time, when allowed, to jump up and run. Impatience, curiosity comes even from the immovable figure of the child. White shirt color reflects the purity and innocence of Miki. He also emphasizes his dark complexioned skin, tanned with a light tan, a blush on his cheeks, bright half-opened lips, light curly hair that gleams with gold. The whole image of Mika contrasts with the chosen neutral background, so that nothing distracts the viewer from the depicted boy. Serov strikingly accurately stopped a moment of happy childhood. On this you can finish the composition "Mika Morozov".