Emily Shanks - The Peredvizhniki and The Polenov Circle

The Peredvizhniki and The Polenov Circle

Emily Shanks formed a friendship with the Russian painter and designer Yelena Polenova and her brother Vasily Polenov. 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 March 7, 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 Emily’s painting ‘New Girl at School’ was accepted by the Peredvizhniki for exhibition. The painting was lauded by Ilya Repin and subsequently sold to Pavel Tretyakov and is still owned by the Tretyakov Gallery. In 1894 Emily Shanks was elected to membership of the Peredvizhniki for her the painting "Inkspot". She becomes the first woman to be elected as a full member of the Peredvizhniki. From 1891 to 1915 Emily exhibited with the Peredvizhniki at 19 of their exhibitions. Emily also exhibited with the ‘The Moscow Union of Artists’ and the ‘Moscow Society for Lovers of the Arts’ and the Moscow Lemercier Gallery