Unknown portrait of Taras Shevchenko and Ira Aldridge
 

Unknown group portrait of the Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko and the world famous American actor Ayry Aldridge of Louis Picard will be one of the top lots of the upcoming auction Ketterer Kunst. Estimated € 8000-12 000 in the picture will be put up for sale in the auction Ketterer Kunst Modern Art in Munich on June 19

Painting Picard, dated 1900, has no name. Thanks to the efforts of experts of the auction house revealed that it shows the great Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko (1814-1861) and the famed black tragedian Ira Aldridge African American (c. 1805-1867) - the best performer the role of Othello in the middle of the XIX century. Starting from June 11, work will be exhibited in the pre-auction exhibition Ketterer Kunst.
IA "The Russian Antique"

40 years after the death of Shevchenko wrote?
And a 30-after Aldridge?

Cyril Syzransky, I also noticed this ...
certainly very interesting story of his writing!

Did Shevchenko drew sketches of costumes for the show?
What could unite these characters?
Why did the artist drew them together?

uriart, we must look tour of the actor. When I was in Russia, could meet with Shevchenko, so if this meeting had a resonance that after half a century frantsezsky artist depicted the scene of this meeting?
Ira Aldridge in 1850. made long tours of Europe, which had great success, the representatives of the Russian intelligentsia, including M. Schepkin P. Sadowski, gave him a triumphal reception. (c)
By the way, I know one artist Louis Picard, he was born just in 1861, the year of death of Shevchenko, and died in 1900. Does this interesting?
And this is where? I'm talking about theater costumes seen.

uriart, this meeting was actually in 1858. When Aldridge was on tour in St. Petersburg. Here are recollections of Catherine Junge:
"Mr. Chaly said at the workshop visits Aldridge Shevchenko, who painted his portrait:" He was Aldridge, the room was locked with a key, and God only knows what they're saying. "However, I know a few myself, so as always present during this and willing to share my s readers. we come to three Shevchenko: Aldridge, my ten-year sister, whom Aldridge, after she said that although he and the Negro, but she went to marry him, called his «little wife», and myself. tragedian seriously sat down to the place and sat for some time solemn and quiet, but lively nature it could not stand, he began to make faces and joke with us, took comically frightened when Shevchenko was looking at him. We all the time laughing. Aldredge received permission to sing and prolonged melancholic, and original negro melodies, or poems old english love songs, completely unknown to us. Taras listened and listened, and pencil idly fell to his knees. Finally, Aldridge would jump up and indulged dance some «gig , to the delight of my little sister. Then we all went with us to tea. Despite the originality of these sessions, the portrait was soon finished, signed by the artist and model, and is now at me. "
  EF Junge, Recollections of Shevchenko, the European Journal, 1873, № 8, p. 837-842.

Somehow this picture looks unserious. He is my reason asssotsiiruetsya with book illustration 30-40-year-old - especially against the background of such wonderful memories and a portrait of himself Shevchenko.