Emily Shanks, also known as Emiliya Yakovlevna Shanks (; 1 August 1857, in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

– 13 January 1936, in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

), was a British painter living in Moscow. She was the first woman to be elected to the Russian Society for Travelling Art Exhibitions or

Peredvizhniki Peredvizhniki (, ), often called The Wanderers or The Itinerants in English, were a group of Russian realism (arts), realist artists who formed an artists' cooperative in protest of academic restrictions; it evolved into the ''Society for Trave ...

Early life

Emily Shanks was born in Moscow, the second daughter of

James Steuart Shanks James Steuart Shanks, (1826–1911), second son of the coachmaker F & R Shanks, Robert Shanks was a British merchant living in Moscow. James studied at Leiden University and he came of age in 1845 at which point he inherited from his uncle Robe ...

and Mary Louisa Schilling. James arrived in Moscow in 1852 where he went into partnership with Swede Henrik Conrad Bolin to found Shanks & Bolin, Magasin Anglais (The English Shop). The shop was financially successful and the Shanks family led a comfortable life allowing the daughters the time and means to engage with the Moscow intelligentsia. Emily's older sister Louise Shanks married

Aylmer Maude Aylmer Maude (28 March 1858 – 25 August 1938) and Louise Maude (1855–1939) were English translators of Leo Tolstoy's works, and Aylmer Maude also wrote his friend Tolstoy's biography, ''The Life of Tolstoy''. After living many years in Russi ...

and translated Tolstoy's novels into English; these translations were published by the

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...

and were considered the best translations of their day. Emily's younger sister Mary was a friend of Tolstoy's eldest daughter Tatyana; the visitor book records that both Emily and Mary were visitors to the Tolstoy family home. Emily commenced her studies at the

Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture The Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (), also known by the acronym MUZHVZ, was one of the largest educational institutions in Russia. The school was formed by the 1865 merger of a private art college, established in Moscow ...

around 1882 where she was instructed by prominent members of the

Vasily Polenov Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov (; 1 June 1844 – 18 July 1927) was a Russian landscape painter associated with the Peredvizhniki movement of realist artists. His contemporaries would call him the “Knight of Beauty” as he embodied both European a ...

Vladimir Makovsky Vladimir Yegorovich Makovsky (; – 21 February 1920) was a Russian painter, art collector, and teacher. Biography Makovsky was the son of collector, Egor Ivanovich Makovsky, who was one of the founders of the Moscow Art School. Vladimir ha ...

and

Illarion Pryanishnikov Illarion Mikhailovich Pryanishnikov (; – ) was a Russian painter, one of the founders of the Peredvizhniki artistic cooperative, which broke away from the rigors of their time and became one of the most important Russian art schools of t ...

. In 1890 she was awarded a "large silver medal" by the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture for her painting ''Reading a letter''. She graduated that year with the rank of 'artist'.

The Peredvizhniki and the Polenov circle

Shanks formed a friendship with the Russian painter and designer Yelena Polenova and her brother

. Emily and her sister Mary would regularly paint together with the Polenovs, this is particularly well documented in the Polenov letters from the winter of 1891–1892. In 1891 Emily’s painting ''Older Brother'' (Старший брат) was accepted by the Peredvizhniki for exhibition. On 7 March 1891 Vasily Polenov wrote to his wife Natalia Polenov that this painting had caught the attention of the Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna who expressed interest. In 1892 Shanks's painting ''New Girl at School'' was accepted by the Peredvizhniki for exhibition. The painting was lauded by

Ilya Repin Ilya Yefimovich Repin ( – 29 September 1930) was a Russian painter, born in what is today Ukraine. He became one of the most renowned artists in Russian Empire, Russia in the 19th century. His major works include ''Barge Haulers on the Volga' ...

and subsequently sold to

Pavel Tretyakov Pavel Mikhaylovich Tretyakov (; 27 December 1832 – 16 December 1898) was a Russian businessman, patron of art, collector, and philanthropist who gave his name to the Tretyakov Gallery and Tretyakov Drive in Moscow. His brother Sergei Tre ...

and is still owned by the

Tretyakov Gallery The State Tretyakov Gallery (; abbreviated ГТГ, ''GTG'') is an art gallery in Moscow, Russia, which is considered the foremost depository of Russian fine art in the world. The gallery's history starts in 1856 when the Muscovite merchant Pavel ...

. In 1894 Shanks was elected to membership of the Peredvizhniki for her the painting ''Inkspot''. She became the first woman to be elected as a full member of the Peredvizhniki. From 1891 to 1915 Shanks exhibited with the Peredvizhniki at 19 of their exhibitions. Shanks also exhibited with The Moscow Union of Artists and the Moscow Society for Lovers of the Arts and the Moscow Lemercier Gallery

Exile from Russia

At the outbreak of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

Emily and most of the Shanks family moved back to London. The family business and home were lost during the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution, social change in Russian Empire, Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia Dissolution of the Russian Empire, abolish its mona ...

. In 1916 and 1918 she exhibited her work at the summer exhibition at Royal Academy of Arts. She showed two paintings: 1916 ''A bit of Moscow'' and 1918 ''Peaceful Moscow''. Shanks died on 13 January 1936, aged 78 years, at Holland Road,

Kensington Kensington is an area of London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around west of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensingt ...

Paintings

File:Emily Shanks Nanny.JPG, ''Nanny'' (ca. 1900), oil on canvas – private collection File:Shanks 001.jpg, '' 'In the colors (Portrait of the daughter of

), (between 1890 and 1900), oil on canvas – private collection File:Emily Shanks The Girl.jpg, ''Girl'', (between 1880 and 1915), oil on canvas – private collection File:Emily Shanks A girl picking up cucumbersl.jpg, ''Girl picking cucumbers'', oil on canvas – private collection File:Emily Shanks Newcomer at School.jpg, ''New Girl at School'' (1892), oil on canvas –

State Tretyakov Gallery The State Tretyakov Gallery (; abbreviated ГТГ, ''GTG'') is an art gallery in Moscow, Russia, which is considered the foremost depository of Russian fine art in the world. The gallery's history starts in 1856 when the Muscovite merchant Pavel ...

File:Emily Shanks Employing a Governess.jpg, ''Employing a Governess'', oil on canvas – Tyumen Regional Museum of Fine Arts File:Emily Shanks Scene in a Russian Hospital The Ear Inspection.jpg, ''Ear Inspection'', oil on canvas – Chelmsford Museum Other paintings: *''The Lesson'' (1887), privately owned *''Older brother'', exhibited with the Peredvizhniki in 1891, location unknown *''The Challenge'', location unknown *''Inkspot'', exhibited with the Peredvizhniki in 1894, location unknown *''My Favourite Doll'', unknown owner and unknown date * Work in th
Syzransky Museum

Samara Samara, formerly known as Kuybyshev (1935–1991), is the largest city and administrative centre of Samara Oblast in Russia. The city is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Samara (Volga), Samara rivers, with a population of over 1.14 ...

*''Double Portrait of

and Stella Meldrum'',''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography's'' entry for Maude privately owned *''A Bit of Moscow'', exhibited

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

1916 *''Peaceful Moscow'' exhibited

1918 *''Portrait of Aylmer Maude'', privately owned *''Portrait of Nial McLeland'', around 1895, privately owned *''Portrait of Natalia Vasilievna Polenova (1858 – 1931)'', wife of Vasily Polenov, 1894, Polenovo museum *''Tsarina's Golden Chamber'', depicts the

Tsarina's Golden Chamber The Tsarina's Golden Chamber (, ''Zolotaya Tzaritsyna Palata'') (alternatively spelled as "Czarina's") is the official reception room of the Russian tsarinas, where they held formal celebrations of Russian monarchs' weddings, meetings with Russ ...

, privately owned

Notes

* Shanks' Russian name ''Yakovlevna'' or ''Jakovlevna'' is a

patronymic A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (more specifically an avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor. It is the male equivalent of a matronymic. Patronymics are used, b ...

from her father's name, James.

References

External links

Yulia Tulinova, ''Emily and Mary Shanks. Russian-Born Englishwomen Among the Peredvizhniki'' in Tretyakov Gallery Magazine #3 2022 (76), Special edition

Shanks Family History

W A Bolin

Harkness, Kristen M. (1991) ELENA POLENOVA, MARIIA IAKUNCHIKOVA. AND THE EMERGENCE OF MODERN ART IN RUSSIA
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shanks, Emily 1857 births 1936 deaths Painters from Moscow 19th-century women painters from the Russian Empire 19th-century painters from the Russian Empire Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United Kingdom 20th-century British painters Peredvizhniki Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture alumni 20th-century British women painters