Konstantin Egorovich Makovsky

Beginning in the 1880s, Makovsky found himself captivated by the imagery of the Russian Boyars. The Boyars were a privileged class of rich landowners in Medieval Russian society; they served as the closest advisors to the prince, later the Tsar, and filled the highest roles in civil administration and the armed forces.  From the 15th to the 17th century, they formed an elite aristocratic class drawn from approximately 200 families of foreign aristocrats as well as the descendents of former princes and Boyars. Makovsky produced many studies and portraits of Boyars, and he maintained an extensive collection of traditional costume, fabric, and jewelry, which he used as props for his compositions.