Kromskoy - detail Mysterious Woman

Kramskoy was the leader of the group of 13 who left the Academy and the secure life as an artist in order to obtain the freedom to paint according to his own artistic preferences. He established the Society of Travelling Exhibitions in 1868 that took art to the people. The book includes 45 of his masterful portraits.

Ilya Repin, Portrait of Pavel Tretyakov

Pavel Tretyakov was a collector and financial supporter of the Itinerants. Along with art critic V. V. Stasov, he was responsible for the success of the group. His massive collection became the base for the Tretyakov Museum.

Valentine Serov, Girl with Peaches

Serov studied with Repin in St Petersburg, was a contemporary of John Singer Sargent, Anders Zorn, Bastien Le Page and Joaquin Sorolla, and a member of the Itinerants. His portraits, 38 shown in the book, are intimate, reflect heartfelt feelings and especially emphasize spontaneity when painting children.

Mikhail Nesterov, Portrait of Elizabeth Kruglikova

Nesterov, a member of the Itenerants, was a religious symbolism painter who turned to portraiture after the Bolshevik Revolution. Over 30 of his portraits are included in this book. The subject portrait requires no definition.