Woman in bed

Taras Shevchenko. Woman in bed. [1839 – 1840. St. Petersburg].
Watercolour. 23,1 × 19,1 cm.
Taras Shevchenko National Museum, № g – 757.

Right below the author's signature in ink: Chevchenko. On the back in the bottom right corner of the inscription in ink: Number 72 in pencil: 150 and illegible signature.

The figure shows likely Maria noted in the memories by I.M. Soshenko about his residence along with Shevchenko at the apartment of Maria Ivanovna, – there

"lived her niece, an orphan, the daughter of Vyborg mayor, Maria, beautiful German […] and I loved she from the soul and even a sinful man, thought about marriage with her. But Taras broke all my plans" [Chaly M. Ivan Maksimovich Soshenko. – Kiev, 1876. – p. 41; Memories on Taras Shevchenko. – K., 1982. – p. 56.].

According to information found by P.V.Zhur, Vyborg mayor in 1816 – 1821 was Jacob Evropeus, and Maria was his daughter [Zhur P. Shevchenko's Petersburg. – K., 1972. – p. 79]. Her pronunciation of Shevchenko's last name as "Chevchenko" artist recreated with a certain sentiment in the author's signature below the figure. Maria was the prototype of the Pasha of the story "Artist.

An earlier version that depicted person was Amalia Ivanovna Kloberg, also described in the story "Artist", expressed by M.S. Shahinyan [Shahinyan M. Taras Shevchenko. – M., 1941. – p. 173], now might considered erroneous.

Tentatively dated by the time Shevchenko move in late 1838 to Soshenko and comparison of painting style in watercolors 1839 – 1840, including "Dream of grandmother and granddaughter", and interior design elements and props in pictures 1840 – Odalisque" and "Maria".

For the first time as a part of the exhibition reproduced in 1934 [Product brush creativity T.H. Shevchenko, exhibited in the gallery. – X., 1934. – p. 18]. Separately reproduced for the first time in 1941 by M.S. Shahinyan [Shahinyan M. Taras Shevchenko. – Between the p. 144 – 145].

Storage areas: collection of S.P. Yaremych; 1925 donated by him in Ukrainian History Museum (Kyiv); 1933 – Gallery of pictures by T.H. Shevchenko (Kharkiv), from 1948 – State Museum of T.H. Shevchenko (Kyiv).

Exhibitions:

1929. Kyiv. Exhibition of Ukrainian art [Ukrainian painting XVII – XX centuries: Explore the exhibition / Edited and with an introductory essay by Theodore Ernst. – K., 1929. – p. 57. – № 329];

1964. Kyiv – Moscow. Shevchenko Jubilee Exhibition [Jubilee art exhibition on the 150-year anniversary of the birth of T.H. Shevchenko: Product. – Kiev, 1964. – p. 6].

N.M. Klimenko

After publication: T.H. Shevchenko Complete Works in 12 volumes. – K.: Naukova Dumka, 2003, v. 7, p. 58 – 59 (image), p. 373 – 374 (notes).