Maria Konstantinovna Bashkirtseva (1858 - 1884)

Maria Konstantinovna Bashkirtseva

Maria Konstantinovna Bashkirtseva (Russian: Мария Константиновна Башки́рцева) was a Russian artist of the second half of the 19th century. She is known as a master of domestic and portrait genres. Most of Bashkirtseva's paintings are in a realistic style.

In her short 25-year life Maria Bashkirtseva managed to gain recognition - her works were regularly exhibited in the Paris salons and received awards. But the artist became widely known after her death through the publication of her diaries. The famous "Diary" by Bashkirtseva immediately became a European bestseller. At the beginning of the XXI century on the basis of the original manuscripts of the author found in the National Library of France the complete 16-volume version of the diary was issued.

Much of the artist's work was lost during World War II. The few surviving masterpieces are now kept in museums in Ukraine, Russia, France and the USA.