“… serov understood my character, gave me a relaxed pose, very characteristic of me, and it seemed that success would be complete. Once during a session, diaghilev flew in and immediately attacked serov, began to laugh at him for painting a lady in a décolleté in daylight. This was so unexpected and at first glance so bold that serov was embarrassed and, succumbing to its influence, immediately lit an electric lamp with a yellow lampshade. This change in lighting gave me a yellow reflex on my face and completely killed the successful coloring of the portrait. But, despite the yellowness of the face, i still liked this portrait very much, and when it was ready (in 1898), i hung it in my husband’s study in his absence. Returning and seeing it, my husband was so indignant that he ordered it to be taken out and again made the most difficult scene for me, saying that he preferred to see oleographs on his walls than such caricatures. When serov, having seen the prince and not having received a single kind word from him, himself invited him to talk about the portrait, the prince answered him very dryly: - allow me not to speak out. When a person is silent, it means that he does not want to say anything unpleasant. From then on, serov became my inveterate enemy, despite the fact that i personally always appreciated his talent and greeted him warmly. He could never forgive my husband for his words and, in a completely unchivalrous manner, took them out on me…". Date: 1898.
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