Portrait of N. F. Savichev
Taras Shevchenko. Portrait of Nikita Fedorovich Savichev. Colored paper, Italian pencil, white (22.5 × 21 cm). [Novopetrovsk fort]. [VI 1852]. West Kazakhstan regional historical museum in Uralsk, inv. 938.
Lower left in pencil date by author's hand: 1852, bottom right signed: Drawn Sh.
Lower left inscription by other hand: Novoaleksandrovsk fort.
On the back above the inscription: This portrait drawn in June 1852 in Novoaleksandrovsk fort by Taras Shevchenko. Below is another inscription: Portrait of Nikita Fedorovich Savichev in the rank of cornet. Gifted to the military museum by Pavel Ivanovich Obrotnev (1909).
In his memoirs "A short acquaintance with Taras Grigorevich Shevchenko" N. F. Savichev wrote:
"He begin my portrait, close one window to front, and the other leaving only the light on the top half. By lunchtime, was made the outline and laying. We slept great, and then Shevchenko at morning shaded work, clean contours and the portrait was ready. He kept me up to this day" [newspaper "Cossack messenger", Novocherkassk, 1884, № 53 – 54, " Literary Journal", 1939, № 2].
Storage areas: property of N. F. Savichev, P. I. Obrotnev, Ural Military Museum.
V. O. Sudak
After publication: Taras Shevchenko Complete Works in 10 volumes. – Kyiv: ed. Academy of sciences of UkrSSR, 1964, Vol. 9, № 29 (image), p. 20 – 21 (note).