Shestyorkin Mikhail Ivanovich

Mikhail Ivanovich Shestyorkin was a Russian painter and graphic artist at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, an organizer of the artistic environment, a teacher, and an art critic; he was also the secretary of the Moscow Society of Artists.

Biography

Origin and early years. Born in 1866. Son of Ivan Ivanovich Shestyorkin — the head of the Moscow Meshchanskoye Society and the publisher of the newspaper “Moskovskaya Letopis” (1884–1885).
Professional activity. Became a painter and graphic artist. Was one of the founding members of the Moscow Association of Artists (1893) and its permanent secretary. Organized the Society of Graphic Arts and the Society for Mutual Assistance of Artists, Architects and Sculptors.
Participation in artistic life. He participated in exhibitions of the Association of Itinerant Art Exhibitions (TPKhV). He ran a private art studio in Moscow, where he taught painting and drawing.
Critical work. He worked as an art critic for the magazine “Vesy” under the pseudonyms “Arbalet” and “A‑t”.
Personal life. He was married to Anna Alexandrovna (née Stepanova); they had three children: Vsevolod, Elena, and Nina. For some time, he lived and worked in the Dedeshino estate near Moscow.
Death. He passed away in 1908.

Creativity and legacy

Famous works. Among the notable paintings are “The Stonecutter” (depicting a stonecutter) and “The Homeless” (two hungry boys sitting on a bench on the boulevard). Also known is the reproduction of the painting “The Entry of Emperor Alexander I with His Allies into Paris in 1814”.
Collections and storage of works. Shestyorkin’s works are housed in the State Tretyakov Gallery, the Solnechnogorsk Historical and Local History Museum, and other museums in Russia. His works were collected by the patron of the arts Sergei Ivanovich Zimin — some of the paintings were exhibited in the foyer of his theatre, “Opera S. Zimina”. In addition, the artist’s works were reproduced on postcards.
Place of work and residence. For some time, he lived and worked in the Dedeshino estate near Moscow.