Russian Art
Altman, N. I.
"Portrait of Anna Akhmatova". 1914
Notes: Portrait of Anna Akhmatova (1889-1966), born Gorenko, poetess
This portrait of the poetess Anna Akhmatova (pseudonym of Anna Andreyevna Gorenko), 1889-1966, reflects Altman's familiarity with early twentieth-century French painting, particularly Cubism, which the artist studied while attending the Acad?mie Russe in Paris (1910-1911). Akhmatova began writing at the age of 11 and as a young woman crafted a style known for its clarity and simplicity. Her first collections of poetry, "Vecher" (Evening), 1912 and Chyokti" (Rosary), 1914, brought her early fame, but she was to lead an exceedingly difficult and at times terrifying professional and personal life due to the vagaries of communist taste. Akhmatova is now considered the greatest woman poet in Russian literature.
