Swedomsky brothers (Pavel and Alexander Svedomsky)

Overview

Two Russian painter brothers in Rome, whom Marie writes «Swedomsky». They are almost certainly Pavel Alexandrovich Svedomsky (1849–1904) and his elder brother Alexander Alexandrovich Svedomsky, academic painters who settled in Rome in 1875 and later worked together on the murals of St Vladimir's Cathedral in Kiev (Wikipedia, "Pavel Svedomsky"; Sotheby's catalogue note, Russian Paintings 2011, lot 131). Identification confidence 0.85: Marie gives no first names, but the surname, the date and the Russian artists' circle of Rome fit. Mon Journal t.7 index: «Swedomsky (M.), peintre» and «Swedomsky (M.), frère».

Relevance to Marie

Part of the Russian artists' circle in Rome through which Marie hoped to find painting company: «Je sais cela par M. Swedomsky, un peintre que nous avons connu par Botkine» (055/1876-03-04). The two brothers call in the evenings (055/1876-03-16, «les deux artistes Swedomsky frères»; 055/1876-03-21), one of them falls ill with smallpox (056/1876-04-03), and in December 1876 they come to her box with Katorbinsky (068/1876-12-26).

References in Diary

• First mentioned: 1876-03-04 (055)
• Key entries: 1876-03-16, 1876-03-21 (055); 1876-04-03 (056); 1876-12-26 (068)

Related

• Botkine, Katorbinsky

Sources

• Wikipedia, "Pavel Svedomsky": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavel_Svedomsky
• Mon Journal t.7, index p.365