Actress Marguerite

The portrait of the woman, at whose feet Niko Pirosmani threw a million scarlet roses, was executed on black oilcloth, like many works of the Georgian self-taught artist. The history of the Actress Marguerite painting is widely known. It was about Pirosmani that Andrei Voznesensky wrote, and Alla Pugacheva sang "A Million Scarlet Roses".

Marguerite de Sevres was a French singer and dancer at café-concert. Pirosmani saw her performance in the Tiflis dukan (tavern) and lost his head. However, Marguerite got used to completely different gentlemen ... When huge bouquets of flowers were brought to her room day after day, she decided that she had conquered the local rich man. The thin, emaciated, and passion-tormented artist who painted the signs of the dukans did not interest her at all. Moreover, even the broadest gesture - the huge number of flowers that Niko Pirosmani sent to Marguerite on her birthday - did not soften her heart. However, according to one of the legends, for this he was rewarded with a single kiss.

Marguerite left Tbilisi without saying goodbye to Niko. According to rumors, she ran away with a visiting military. They did not see each other again. But the story had an amazing continuation. In 1969, the Actress Marguerite painting was exhibited at the Louvre. And day after day, an elderly woman came to stand or a long time in front of the picture. Later, the woman admitted that she was Marguerite de Sevres. An examination was carried out, which confirmed that she was most likely depicted in the portrait. The love letter has reached the addressee ...

Pirosmani rarely portrayed women. And if he painted them, they turned out to be practically devoid of sexual connotation, like the half-naked women in the artist’s Ortachal Beauties diptych. Although it is known for sure that the fallen women posed for the artwork. The session took place in Eldorado, the amusement garden of the Tiflis rich man Titichev. Subject to the format - posture, chest, naked body, barely covered with a cape - the beauties did not meet the client's requirements for "something erotic". It is a different matter that Titichev already knew the value of Pirosmani's works well then, so he gladly accepted everything he painted.

Woman with a Mug of Beer picture was a rare case when the artist actively used red. The sitter was depicted in a bright red dress, with her lips emphatically scarlet lips. All attributes of sexuality were kept. However, the picture emanated calmness, but not a sexual appeal.

Likewise, Actress Marguerite is devoid of any sensual subtext. The formalities of the "low genre" were also observed: a bold neckline with a playful edge, rather short skirt, which was permissible only for a café singer, striped stockings, bare arms and shoulders. Most likely, the actress performed in a similar outfit. However, in Pirosmani's painting, it lost all frivolity.

Marguerite is painstakingly painted in white, as if she resists the darkness from which she was created, above her is a shining blue sky. Moreover, she looks like a ray of light. This is not a cafe dancer, this is innocence itself. This interpretation is confirmed by the memoirs of the artist Kirill Zdanevich, thanks to whom the world learned about Pirosmani: “Niko considered the white color the color of love, kindness, a symbol of spiritual purity. White Marguerite came to life on a black background. Feelings of anger and revenge were alien to Niko. He forgave Margarita the harm she had done to him. "

Written by Alyona Esaulova