Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 141 works by Vladimir Makovsky in our catalogue
In short
Of all the originals Vladimir Makovsky left, the most famous is I will not! (1892). Close behind it come Verdict (1882) and Goodbye, Papa (1894). Our catalog holds 141 works by Vladimir Makovsky; the gallery has kept the 100 the world admires most, each shown with its date, its museum and its story.
The scene unfolds within the oil painting titled "I will not!", a work that captures a fleeting moment of human interaction. This piece is the creation of Vladimir Makovsky, an artist who brought the realities of his era to the canvas. He lived from 1846 until 1920, leaving behind a body of work that reflects the shifting social landscapes of his time. Born in Moscow, Russia, Makovsky grew up immersed…
The oil painting depicts a group of figures gathered in a room characterized by heavy wooden furniture and architectural lines. A large, dark wooden table occupies the foreground, its surface reflecting a diffused light that illuminates the scene from an unseen source. At the center of the arrangement, a woman holds an infant. She wears garments of blue and white, which contrast against the darker, muted tones of the surrounding…
In this 1894 oil on canvas, a young woman and an older man are positioned in a close, physical connection. The woman wears a white dress and a veil that covers her head and shoulders. She holds the hand of the man, who is dressed in a dark suit. Their bodies are oriented toward one another, creating a central focus of contact amidst a quiet setting. To the left, a…
In this 1886 oil painting, two figures occupy the immediate foreground of a wide landscape. A woman and a young girl stand facing one another, positioned in a way that suggests a private conversation. The woman is dressed in a dark skirt paired with a lighter-colored blouse, while the girl wears a dress made of the same dark fabric as the woman's skirt. Their clothing is characteristic of traditional peasant…
The scene before us is titled From the rain, a work that emerges from the brush of the Russian painter Vladimir Makovsky. Created in 1887, this oil on canvas captures a specific, fleeting moment of life. The artist, born in Moscow, Russia, brings a sense of lived reality to this composition, grounding the viewer in a particular era of his homeland.
The air feels heavy with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves. Sunlight filters through a dense canopy of intertwining branches, casting long, soft shadows across a forest floor carpeted in moss and fallen foliage. In this quiet, wooded clearing, two figures are caught in a private exchange. A man in a military uniform stands poised, his presence commanding yet still, facing a woman whose long dress flows around…
The canvas presents a study titled Study to ''January 9, 1905 on Vasilyevsky island'', a work that captures a specific, heavy moment in time. Created about 1907, the painting emerges from the hand of Vladimir Makovsky. He approaches the scene with the practiced eye of a man who understands the weight of a single, frozen instant. The brushwork holds a quiet tension, as if the air itself is waiting for…
In this oil painting from 1905-1906, a quiet domestic breakfast is suddenly fractured by an unexpected arrival. The scene unfolds around a dining table draped in a white tablecloth, set with the familiar items of a morning meal. The stillness of the room is broken by the presence of a woman who has just entered, her appearance marking her as a stranger to this well-to-do household. She wears a dark…
In this quiet genre painting, titled Grandma's Instruction, we encounter a private moment of domesticity captured by the Russian artist Vladimir Makovsky. Created in 1869, the work reflects the early period of a career that would eventually define much of the realist movement in Russia. Makovsky was a man of many roles—a painter, a teacher, and an art collector—whose life was deeply embedded in the artistic traditions of Moscow.
The artwork titled Lover of of antiquity was created by the Russian painter Vladimir Makovsky. This piece dates to about 1869, a year marking the conclusion of the artist's formal studies at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture. The work emerged during a period when Makovsky was establishing his presence within the Russian art scene, specifically through his involvement with the Association of Travelling Art Exhibitions.
Literary reading1866
12
Buddies1878
13
Study of the Head of an Old Man1883 · Cleveland Museum of Art
14
Maid with children1883 · Yekaterinburg Museum of Fine Arts
15
Ukrainian girl1882
16
The Peddler1880 · Metropolitan Museum of Art
17
The secret1884
18
Two pilgrims1885
19
A letter1883
20
The Prisoner1882
21
A portrait of E. I. Makovsky1880
22
In the hall1884
23
Date1883
24
Portrait of I. E. Tsvetkov1890
25
A portrait of E. S. Sorokin1891
26
Dilettante1896 · Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University
27
Painter's family1893 · National Art Museum of Azerbaijan
28
Jesus Christ1894
29
An optimist and a pessimist1893
30
Arrival of a School Mistress in the Countryside1897
31
In the birch forest.1905 · National Museum in Warsaw
32
Ukrainian peasant girl1902
33
A conversation.1910 · National Museum in Warsaw
34
Portrait of a boy1908
35
Violinist1908
36
At the sexton1915 · Yekaterinburg Museum of Fine Arts
37
At the kitchen1913
38
At the Boulevard1887
39
Guitar player1879
40
Declaration of Love1891
41
A boy selling brew1861
42
A deacon1871
43
Knuckles1870
44
A gypsy lady1875
45
Waiting1875
46
Dinner (Farmer's Market in Moscow)1875
47
A Private Conversation1878
48
Making Jam1876
49
Making Jam1876
50
Visiting a poor people1874
51
The Meal1875
52
Fans of nightingales1873
53
Congratulations1878
54
A girl with geese1875 · Nizhniy Tagil State Museum of Fine Arts
55
Brew seller1879
56
Fishing1884
57
Moscow types1879
58
Peasant boys1880
59
Reprimand1883
60
Two ukrainians1882
61
Organ grinder1879
62
Fair1882
63
At the village school1883
64
Old man with a pipe1881
65
Politicians1884
66
The Collapse of a Bank (study)1880
67
At Noon1879
68
The Condemned1879
69
The Collapse of a Bank1881
70
In Search of Medicine1884
71
In a Country School1883
72
The Village Children1880
73
Midday Sun1881
74
Sergey Korovin1892 · National Museum in Warsaw
75
Old couple1889 · Nikanor Onatsky Regional Art Museum in Sumy
76
Crimean seashore1889
77
Wandering fiddler1886
78
Over the chips1892
79
The first coat1892
80
His First Suit1892
81
Prayer service at the farm in Ukraine1886
82
Miracle at Cana1887
83
Easter Te Deum1888
84
Easter Mass1888
85
The Doss House1889
86
Hunters at Rest1887
87
Fisherwomen1886
88
Don't Go!1892
89
Morning tea1891
90
Portrait of Alexei Ivanovitch Strelkovsky1889
91
Peasant children1890
92
Grandmother and granddaughter1895
93
Summer1896
94
Summer1896
95
Summer1896
96
Summer1896
97
At Volga1897
98
Two sisters1893
99
At the porter's room1893
100
To crown (Farewell)1894
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 8 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Vladimir Makovsky | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Yekaterinburg Museum of Fine Arts |
Yekaterinburg | 3 | Grandma's Instruction, Maid with children, At the sexton |
 National Museum in Warsaw |
Warsaw | 3 | In the birch forest., A conversation., Sergey Korovin |
 Cleveland Museum of Art |
Cleveland | 1 | Study of the Head of an Old Man |
 Metropolitan Museum of Art |
New York | 1 | The Peddler |
 Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University |
New Brunswick | 1 | Dilettante |
 National Art Museum of Azerbaijan |
Baku | 1 | Painter's family |
 Nizhniy Tagil State Museum of Fine Arts |
Nizhny Tagil | 1 | A girl with geese |
 Nikanor Onatsky Regional Art Museum in Sumy |
Sumy | 1 | Old couple |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
In this quiet genre painting, titled Grandma's Instruction, we encounter a private moment of domesticity captured by the Russian artist Vladimir Makovsky. Created in 1869, the work reflects the early period of a career that would eventually define much of the realist movement in Russia. Makovsky was a man of many roles—a painter, a teacher, and an art collector—whose life was deeply embedded in the artistic traditions of Moscow.
The oil painting titled Buddies by Vladimir Makovsky depicts a domestic scene within a modestly furnished room. The work, created about 1878, portrays four men gathered around a table. One man in the group plays an acoustic guitar and sings, while the others sit as his audience. In the background, a young woman stands near an open doorway, observing the interaction from the threshold. The scene captures a moment of…
The oil painting depicts a group of figures gathered in a room characterized by heavy wooden furniture and architectural lines. A large, dark wooden table occupies the foreground, its surface reflecting a diffused light that illuminates the scene from an unseen source. At the center of the arrangement, a woman holds an infant. She wears garments of blue and white, which contrast against the darker, muted tones of the surrounding…
The scene unfolds within the oil painting titled "I will not!", a work that captures a fleeting moment of human interaction. This piece is the creation of Vladimir Makovsky, an artist who brought the realities of his era to the canvas. He lived from 1846 until 1920, leaving behind a body of work that reflects the shifting social landscapes of his time. Born in Moscow, Russia, Makovsky grew up immersed…
The air feels heavy with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves. Sunlight filters through a dense canopy of intertwining branches, casting long, soft shadows across a forest floor carpeted in moss and fallen foliage. In this quiet, wooded clearing, two figures are caught in a private exchange. A man in a military uniform stands poised, his presence commanding yet still, facing a woman whose long dress flows around…
is an oil painting by the Russian artist Vladimir Makovsky. Created about 1910, the work captures a quiet social interaction within a dimly lit interior. The composition focuses on the intimate dialogue between two seated figures positioned across a small, cloth-covered table.
I will not! (1892). Verdict (1882) and Goodbye, Papa (1894) come next.
46 years old: I will not! dates from 1892, and Vladimir Makovsky was born in 1846.
I will not!, Verdict, Goodbye, Papa, Mother and daughter, From the rain, Before explaining the (Date), Study to ''January 9, 1905 on Vasilyevsky island'', Two mothers. Native mother and stepmother., Grandma's Instruction and Lover of of antiquity. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 141 works by Vladimir Makovsky, dated from 1861 to 1915.
Mostly in Yekaterinburg Museum of Fine Arts (Yekaterinburg), National Museum in Warsaw (Warsaw) and Cleveland Museum of Art (Cleveland). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1880s: 40 of the 100 works on this page were made then, Verdict among them.
On this page, the earliest is A boy selling brew (1861) and the latest At the sexton (1915).
Man (16), Woman (13) and Children (11), across the 100 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas, for 31 of the 100 works on this page.
Realism, judging by the originals on this page.
Grandma's Instruction, Maid with children and At the sexton: the Yekaterinburg Museum of Fine Arts, Yekaterinburg holds 3 of the works on this page.
Vladimir Yegorovich Makovsky (1846-1920) stands as a pivotal figure in the history of Russian realist painting, serving as a profound voice for the Peredvizhniki movement. Born into a family where art was not merely a profession but a way of life, his early years in Moscow were steeped in creative tradition. As the son of Yegor Ivanovich Makovsky, a renowned collector and founder of the Moscow Art School, Vladimir was raised within an environment that prioritized artistic excellence and social responsibility. Alongside his brothers, Nikolai and Konstantin, he became part of a formidable artistic dynasty that would fundamentally reshape the landscape of Russian fine art by moving away from academic idealism toward a more honest, unvarnished depiction of reality.
His formal journey began at the prestigious Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture, where his technical mastery was forged. Upon graduating in 1869, Makovsky did not seek the hollow comforts of the imperial academies; instead, he joined the Association of Travelling Art Exhibitions. This decision was transformative, as it placed him at the heart of a movement dedicated to bringing art to the people and using the canvas as a mirror for society's struggles. His work became characterized by an uncanny ability to blend rustic humor with deep, often poignant, social observation. Through his eyes, the viewer is transported into the intimate corners of 19th-century Russia, witnessing both the quiet dignity of the peasantry and the subtle ironies of urban life.
Makovsky’s oeuvre is a masterclass in genre painting, where every brushstroke serves to illuminate the human condition. He possessed a unique talent for capturing fleeting moments—a shared glance, a momentary respite from labor, or the quiet tension of a social encounter. In works such as “The Grape Juice Seller” and “Fruit-Preserving,” he utilizes a delicate balance of light and texture to evoke the atmosphere of rural life, infusing his scenes with a gentle irony that prevents them from becoming mere sentimentality. His technique allowed him to navigate between the broad, expressive strokes required for atmospheric landscapes and the meticulous detail necessary for psychological portraiture.
Beyond the charm of his more lighthearted scenes, Makovsky was a courageous chronicler of social inequity. He used his art as a powerful conduit for commentary, confronting the viewer with the uncomfortable realities of his era. His paintings often explored themes of:
The historical weight of Vladimir Makovsky’s contribution cannot be overstated. As a leading member of the Wanderers, he helped dismantle the monopoly of academic art, paving the way for a more democratic and socially engaged form of expression. His ability to weave together the mundane and the monumental allowed him to create a visual language that resonated with both the intelligentsia and the common people. Even in his most personal works, such as his Self-portrait, there is a sense of the larger world pressing against the individual, a reflection of the turbulent historical shifts occurring in Russia during his lifetime.
Today, Makovsky’s legacy lives on through the enduring power of his imagery. He remains a master of the "truthful" gaze, reminding us that art is at its most potent when it refuses to look away from the complexities of life. His works continue to be studied and admired not just for their technical brilliance, but for their profound empathy and their ability to capture the very soul of a vanished era.
