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Taras Shevchenko

Encyclopedia of the life and works

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Portrait of N. A. Severtsov

Taras Shevchenko. Portrait of N. A.…

Taras Shevchenko. Portrait of Nikolai Alekseevich Severtsov. Colored paper, an Italian and a white pencil (29.8 × 28cm). [St.Petersburg]. 27.III 1859. Taras Shevchenko National Museum, inv. g – 1666.

Right below the portrait – author's date and signature in white pencil: 1859 // 27 march // Shevchenko.

N. A. Severtsov was acquainted with Shevchenko from late October 1858. On the meeting N. A. Severtsov with Shevchenko in St. Petersburg writed his daughter-in-law – L. B. Severtsova:

"He knew well Mey, Maikov, Polonsky, and especially close N. Scherbina and Taras Shevchenko, had just rescued from exile due to the tireless efforts of Tolstoy. He knew well the famous tragedian Ira Aldridge and Shevchenko, who drawn in his studio portrait of Aldridge. In 1859, Shevchenko drawn a small but perfectly formed portrait of Nikolai, all the time hanging in Alexis' office over his desk" [L. B. Severtsova, Alexei Nikolaevich Severtsov, Moscow – Leningrad, USSR Academy of Sciences, 1946, p. 36].

Vividly characteristics of portrayed correspond memories E. F. Junge on N. A. Severtsov that describes his appearance:

"Nikolai really was not beautiful, and the wounds received while taking him prisoner, further disfigured his face deep scars. He always kept his head down and looked through the glasses… I love his expressive face lit insightful and intelligent eyes" [E. F. Junge, Memories, M., "Sphinx", [s. a.], p. 200 – 201].

Storage areas: property of N. A. Severtsov, A. M. Severtsov, S. O. Severtsov, A. J. Severtsova.

V. Ja. Tkachenko

After publication: Taras Shevchenko Complete Works in 10 volumes. – Kyiv: ed. Academy of sciences of UkrSSR, 1963, v. 10, № 34 (image), p. 23 – 24 (note).