This familiar "Stranger" I. N. Kramskoy. With whom the artist painted his picture.

Russian artist Kramskoy, Ivan Nikolayevich (1837 - 1887) widely known throughout the world.

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First and foremost, the painting "Christ in the desert" 1872.

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Here is what he wrote Kramskoi about his painting.

Nothing he doesn't feel a bit cold and doesn't feel like he has all the members as if already numb from the long and fixed seat. Nowhere and nothing stirs, only the horizon black clouds are sailing from the East, and a few hairs in the air are horizontal from the wind. And he thinks, all think. Will be scary. How many times have I cried in front of this figure! Well after that? Is it possible to write?.. I can tell it was written in tears and blood...

This painting was bought by Pavel Tretyakov for 6000 RUB. In those days quite a lot of money.
The picture was one of the most beloved of Pavel Tretyakov.

This work was not unequivocally welcomed by the public. Not surprising. So Jesus is not portrayed one.

But in the artist's collection there is another, no less famous picture.
It's "Unknown" 1883.

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Now what about the girls depicted in the painting writes Wikipedia.

"Unknown" still remains a mystery artist. Neither in the letters nor in the diaries he left no mention of the person is unknown.
There is an unconfirmed legend that the prototype of the heroine of the picture was the girl Kursk peasant Matrona Savvichna who married a noble Bestuzhev

In my opinion a very crazy theory.

But maybe it's worth to look at other Kramskoy paintings?
For example this written in 1882.

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Or at this picture, 1880.

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On them the artist has depicted his daughter, Sofia Ivanovna Kramskaya (1866 - 1933).
From Kramskoy had several children, but daughter like one and probably favorite. Ivan Kramskoy often painted his daughter. Here is another picture.
"Portrait of Sofia Nikolaevna and Sophia Ivanovna Archaeology wife and daughter of the artist". 1875

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About the love story of Ivan Kramskoy and his wife Sophia Nikolaevna, it is necessary to write separately.

In the painting "Girl with cat" 1882 , is also easily guessed Sophia Kramskaya.

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This painting was painted after the rupture of the engagement between Sophia and Sergey Sergeevich Botkin and his marriage to her friend.
In life, Sophia was still a lot of hard moments. In Wikipedia about it is no information.
But words, the papa said shortly before his death, proved to be prophetic.

Girl, and as strong as master. Think sometimes, and I get scared... personal life threatens to turn into tragedy.

Sophia Kramskaya lived a life full of events and was arrested in 1930. In 1832 she was rehabilitated and released.
This is due to the efforts of Catherine Pavlovna Peshkova, the wife of Maxim Gorky, which was headed from 1922 to 1937, the human rights organization "Help to political prisoners".
A year after the release of Sophia Kramskaya died from the prick of a fish bone