Poltava

Marie Bashkirtseff (born Maria Konstantinovna Bashkirtseva, Russian: Мария Константиновна Башкирцева; 11 November 1858 — 31 October 1884) was a Ukrainian-born Russian diarist, painter and sculptor.

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Born Maria Konstantinovna Bashkirtseva in Gavrontsy near Poltava, to a wealthy noble family, she grew up abroad, traveling with her mother across most of Europe. Educated privately, she studied painting in France at the Académie Julian, one of the few establishments that accepted female students. ...

We all look at the buildings surrounding us. We admire frescos, paintings, and other works of art. Most often, however, we see only a ready product. Seldom do we recall the people in whose heads the images originated.

Any work of art occupies two lifetimes--the period of its creation and the time the completed work exists. Many people encounter great works during the second phase, but few of us are lucky enough to share the ...