Artwork
The artist's sister-in-law
The artist's sister-in-law is an oil painting by Marie Constantine Bashkirtseff. It is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts Alexandrine Patchenko, who in 1880 married Paul Bashkirtseff, the brother of the artist Marie Bashkirtseff.
The painting depicts Alexandrine Patchenko, who in 1880 married Paul Bashkirtseff, the brother of the artist Marie Bashkirtseff. She is shown seated on a sofa holding a book in her right hand, an attribute emphasizing domesticity and literate refinement. The work remained unfinished at the time of the artist’s early death in 1884.
Executed in 1881 and signed with the monogram “MB / 1881,” the portrait reflects the period’s ideals of feminine virtue and cultured leisure within a familial context.
Technique & Style
The painting is executed in oil on canvas, with the artist’s monogram and the date “MB / 1881” inscribed at the lower right. The composition depicts the sitter seated on a sofa, holding a book in her right hand, rendered with loose, visible brushwork that leaves passages unfinished. The palette is subdued, relying on earthy tones and restrained modeling to convey the figure’s presence while emphasizing the tactile quality of the fabric of her dress.
The work remains in an incomplete state, as noted by the visible underdrawing and areas of bare ground, particularly around the hands and book. The canvas support measures 92.5 cm in height by 73 cm in width, and the handling reflects the period’s academic realism tempered by an emerging impressionist sensibility in brushstroke and lighting.
History & Provenance
The portrait The artist's sister-in-law was created in 1881, as indicated by the monogrammed and dated inscription ‘MB / 1881’ in the lower right corner.
The sitter is identified as Alexandrine Patchenko, who married Paul Bashkirtseff, the brother of the artist, in 1880. The composition depicts her seated on a sofa holding a book in her right hand, and the work remains unfinished.
Ownership of the painting passed to the Rijksmuseum in June 1902 through a gift from the artist’s mother, Maria Stepanovna Bashkirtseff (née Babanina), who resided in Nice at the time.
The painting is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. It entered the museum's holdings in June 1902 as a gift from the artist's mother, Maria Stepanovna Bashkirtseff, who was residing in Nice at the time. The work depicts Alexandrine Patchenko, the sister-in-law of Marie Bashkirtseva, and bears the monogram and date 'MB / 1881' in the lower right corner.
No specific exhibition history or inventory accession number is provided in the available sources.
Context
Marie Bashkirtseva painted The artist's sister-in-law in 1881, depicting her sister-in-law Alexandrine Patchenko seated on a bench while holding a book. The work is an unfinished oil portrait on canvas, signed and dated 'MB / 1881' in the lower right corner. It entered the Rijksmuseum collection in June 1902 as a gift from the artist's mother, Maria Stepanovna Bashkirtseff, who lived in Nice at the time of the donation.
Legacy
The painting was later acquired by the Rijksmuseum and entered the collection in 1902 through a donation by the artist’s mother, Maria Stepanovna Bashkirtseff, who presented it while residing in Nice. The work, left unfinished, depicts Alexandrine Patchenko seated on a settee holding a book in her right hand, and is signed and dated 'MB / 1881' in the lower right corner. It remains part of the Rijksmuseum’s holdings as a portrait from 1881.
Overview
Created in 1891, The artist’s sister‑in‑law is an oil on canvas portrait by Marie Bashkirtseff, a Russian‑born painter who spent her professional years in Paris. The work portrays a seated woman, rendered with a strong sense of materiality through thick paint application. It is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Marie Constantine Bashkirtseff
Marie Bashkirtseff, born Maria Konstantinovna Bashkirtseva (Russian: Мария Константиновна Башкирцева; 24 November 1858 – 31 October 1884), was an émigré artist who was born into a noble family on their estate near the city of Poltava.
