Painter, graphic artist, stage designer and book illustrator. Master of portraits, compositions on mythological themes, retrospective paintings and animalistic genres. The son of the famous composer A.N.Serov, he grew up surrounded by art. His father died when he was young, after which his mother, V.S.Serova, a talented pianist took up the talented boy’s education. From the age of nine, Serov attended classes given by I.E.Repin. His second family was the Abramtsevo circle of S.I.Mamontov, an art patron, which provided an excellent environment for the early development of his talent. Between 1880-1885 he studied at the Academy of Arts under P.P.Chistyakov. He taught at the MSPSA (1887-1909). He was a member of the STAE (1894-1899) and the World of Art group (from 1889). A full Member of the Academy of Arts from 1903. Serov left the Academy in protest at the shooting of demonstrators in 1905. Serov’s creativity and the scale of his ideas and their refinement places him on a par with the great masters of the past. Serov is one of the best Russian portrait painters. His creative method was a brilliant combination of tradition, innovation and influences from Russian art masters (D.G.Levitsky, V.L.Borovikovsky) and from past European artists (Velasquez, Titian, Ingres and Raphael). Serov’s portraits are distinguishable by their multidimensionality and distinct characteristics, using the environment and subtly in the painting and the treatment of the image. Turning to stylization, the artist sometimes enriches it with subtle hues of irony. His creative work combines the gifts of a painter and graphic artist. Serov was influenced by various stylistic trends, such as realism, Impressionism and Art Nouveau, always mastering any movement with his brilliant individual manner. Serov’s creative work evolves through three periods: the second half of the 1880s is the period of plein air and Impressionist experiments in painting (Girl with Peaches, 1887, Girl Bathed in Sunlight, 1888). During the 1890s he painted portraits of his artistic and creative contemporaries who he respected and felt an affinity with (portraits of K.A.Korovin, 1891; I.I.Levitan, 1893). Finally in the 1900s he took up the style of Art Nouveau (Portrait of H.L.Ghirshman, 1907, Тне Rape of Europa, 1910). Serov was always looking for something new during his creative life. With the courage of a genius he denounced his previous influences and strove for unexpected themes and plasticity solutions. Teaching at the MSPSA (1897-1909) he influenced numerous experimental artists. Serov’s creative work won international recognition. As a member of the patronage board at the Tretyakov Gallery he played an important role in developing its collection.