A little about the artist
Valery Iosifovich Khabarov was born on August 4, 1944 in the village of Zavoronezhskoye. His mother worked as a nurse, her husband died in the war, so the boy was raised without a father. Grandparents devoted a lot of time to their grandson.
Valery showed an ability to draw from an early age. At school age he was accepted into a circle in the city of Michurinsk. The leader also highly appreciated the student’s abilities. The founder of the city’s first art school also noticed this. It was he who persuaded Valery’s mother to send the child to a special school.
Khabarov successfully graduates from the educational institution, after which the young man goes into the army. In 1967, he returned and entered the Surikov Institute . There he learned the art of easel painting. His mentor was E. A. Kibrik and it was he who noted the student’s high abilities, comparing them with the masters of the Early Renaissance.
When Valery graduated from college, he went on an internship at the Academy of Arts. He painted his first works using tempera and gesso. After successfully completing his studies, the artist began actively drawing portraits.
His most famous work is “Portrait of Mila”. Mila Holdevich posed for him. Other paintings by Khabarov are also popular among collectors. He had exhibitions in different countries and at one time he painted icons for the Elias Church in the city of Michurinsk.
The biography of the artist Khabarov contains various moments from his life. It allows you to better understand Valery's personality. Currently he lives in Moscow and continues his creative activity.
Features of work
The exact history of the creation of the painting “Portraits of Mila” is unknown. The artist painted it in 1970 and accurately conveyed the spirit of the era. The rectangular canvas was not chosen by chance, as it allowed the bright blue chair to be placed in the center. The blonde girl is reading a book enthusiastically and not paying attention to anything.
The artist Khabarov hid many interesting details in the painting . In “Portrait of Mila” the description of the girl’s appearance can be seen in detail:
- loose, light-colored hair;
- skin white;
- Slim physique.
Mila sits in a chair with her legs crossed, her hands tightly holding a book, and her face tense and thoughtful. She can't wait to read to the end. She was in such a hurry to indulge in her favorite activity that she forgot to take off her slippers. The girl is wearing regular trousers and a white T-shirt. Mila is a typical child who lives a carefree life.
It was not for nothing that the artist chose certain colors to create the painting. A large blue round chair immediately attracts attention. The parquet floor sparkles, reflecting in the electric rays. And two white spots - a lamp on top and white skates on the bottom - set off the warm shades of the room and emphasize the contrast of the blue chair.
The bright girl shines in a special way against a dark background. She is presented as a serene, passionate and touching person. Khabarov, through his painting, wanted to capture a certain time period when children loved to read. “Portrait of Mila” conveys a cozy atmosphere, a homely environment, calm and tranquility.
With verse
In V. Khabarov’s painting “Portrait of Mila” a reading girl is depicted. Mila sits in a chair, legs tucked up, and looks at the book with interest. Let's take a closer look at her face. It is focused, thoughtful. The reader has a beautifully shaped nose. Lips slightly parted. Brown hair, scattered over the shoulders. Mila sits in a round blue chair, near which there are skates. She probably came from the skating rink. The girl is wearing a white T-shirt with yellow and blue stripes on the sleeves. Blue trousers. Looking at Mila’s portrait, I felt how warm and comfortable she was at home. Undoubtedly, her friends find it interesting to be with her, because she is a well-read girl. I even wanted to write a poem about her:
Mila managed to do everything in a day, After all, she is smart with us: She made friends with the cat Sima, sat by the window. I called all my girlfriends, invited them to dance, play, have fun and not get tired at all. Clean the house, cook dinner, wait for Mom and Dad. Our Mila didn’t forget to take the book and read it.
(an essay based on the painting was written by a 7th grade student, Russian).
Rough plan
Children can write essays both in class and at home. The text should be divided into three parts - introduction, main block and conclusion . The introduction should not be long, 2-3 sentences are enough. Approximate design: “In front of me is a painting by Valery Iosifovich Khabarov “Portrait of Mila.”
In the main part you can talk about the details of the picture. In the foreground is a girl sitting with her legs crossed in a blue round chair. She reads a book enthusiastically and is not distracted from this activity. You can pay attention to the details of the picture, its color scheme.
The background is described below. In Khabarov’s painting, this is a small sconce; white figure skates lie on a brown parquet floor. Light walls and warm colors highlight the girl's figure, emphasizing her bright image.
In the main part, you can examine in detail the details of the picture that the author of the essay highlights. For example, a book is in Mila’s hands. Its title is not visible, but the brown cover, frayed corners, and yellowish pages indicate that the work has been read many times by others.
The girl is concentrated, her face is thoughtful, and her fingers are tightly holding the book. She has almost read the entire text and can't wait to find out the ending. Mila reads of her own free will, and she likes it - this is evidenced by the fact that she did not take off her slippers and sat down in the chair. She couldn't wait to continue reading and find out how it all ended.
The color scheme is discussed separately in the essay. Cold and warm shades play their roles in the painting and with the help of them the artist expresses different ideas. The girl is painted with light colors and this emphasizes her childish image. It especially stands out against a dark background.
In conclusion, the author writes about what he liked about the film. There is no need to be afraid to express your own opinion. At the end, you can describe what the artist wanted to say with his work.
Each part of the essay plays its role and therefore you need to follow the plan for writing the essay. After writing, the finished work must be read again and then submitted to the teacher.
Planning
The presentation of thoughts should be logical. A plan will help make the text structured. Compiling it will not take much time, but will allow you to write consistently. It is useful to write down points in a draft and mark those that have already been reflected in the work. This way you can avoid semantic repetitions.
For the essay “Portrait of Mila” you can make the following plan:
- Introduction.
- Main part: the girl’s appearance; description of the situation; interior; color rendering.
- Conclusion.
For any written school work, it is important to clearly identify 3 main parts. But the second points can be rearranged.
Introductory part
The hardest thing is to start. It is important to indicate what will be discussed (name of the artist, title). Otherwise, the following options are possible:
- A short story about the artist. This technique must be used with caution. The essay should be about the painting, and not about V.I. Khabarov. You need to talk about what is important for understanding the work. For example, the date of creation, where and how the master worked.
- Write a little about “Portrait of Mila”. This is an unusual piece. The girl does not look at the artist. The viewer sees a frozen moment, but the creator managed to show dynamics. The pose is tense. It seems that Mila is about to scream in surprise or turn the page impatiently.
- Talk about the genre of the canvas and its features.
It is important to remember that the introduction is the smallest part of the essay. Don't stretch it to a whole page.
Main content
The description begins with the central object. The main person in the portrait is the man. What can you tell about the hero of the picture? This is a girl of about fourteen with blond hair and a slender figure. She is wearing home clothes. There is a book in my hands. What is it about? Perhaps this is an adventure novel, or perhaps a twisted detective story. Or a volume of poetry? Her mouth is slightly open - Mila is so immersed in the story. The book doesn't look new. Perhaps this is not the first time the girl is reading it.
Mila loves to read. A cozy chair, a lamp behind her - everything says that the girl spends a lot of time with books.
There are skates under the chair. This means it's winter outside. It is evening, and the room is illuminated by the dim light of a lamp. These details give the picture a cozy feel. You immediately imagine how dark and cold it is outside the window, and Mila is sitting in her favorite chair, warm and comfortable .
An armchair stands out in the picture. Blue is the color of calm and harmony. Against this background, the girl’s face is especially impressive. The slightly open mouth and attentive gaze immediately catch the eye.
Moments in custody
In the last paragraph, as a rule, it is written about emotions and thoughts caused by what he saw. When you look at Mila, you want to re-read your favorite book. Perhaps the picture surprised us in some way: the teenage girl preferred reading to walking and skating. You can write why you liked the picture: perhaps the scene is familiar, and the author of the essay also likes to spend his evenings reading?
Recommendations for teachers
Class work involves several stages. The first is getting to know the picture. It is advisable to show the children the original, but this is only available to residents of Moscow or St. Petersburg. Therefore, we have to use reproductions.
The second stage is a story about the artist. Students must not only look at the picture, but also imagine the person who was able to draw it. A small amount of information about the creator allows you to better understand the place of work in creative activity.
During the lesson, a conversation is held based on the painting. The teacher’s task is to correctly construct the sequence of questions. You need to start with what emotions the portrait evokes, what mood appears from viewing it and the first associations from what you see. Next, you should pay attention to the details of the picture. The description of “Portrait of Mila” should begin not with the characteristics of the girl, but with the important features of the work:
- There are figure skates under the chair, but Mila is so passionate about reading that she doesn’t want to skate on them.
- The book is more than half read and the girl will soon finish reading it.
Students must not only describe what exactly is depicted in the picture, but also their own feelings. They can imagine themselves next to a girl, try to put themselves in her place. The success of the conversation depends on several factors:
- Sequences of questions and their wording.
- Taking into account the individual characteristics of students.
- Contents and genre of the painting.
- Environment and mood in the classroom.
An essay based on paintings can be written not only in Russian language lessons, but also in fine arts. The teacher’s task is to teach children to draw up a short outline of the text that will allow them to write the work correctly. In the future, you can use paintings by other artists, for example, Valentin Serov. The teacher can offer different topics for work and use not only portraits, but also landscapes and still lifes.
Another option for work is an essay in the form of a dialogue. Then the student needs to imagine that he is talking with the heroine of the picture. This is an unconventional approach that will require the child to show creativity. Writing a paper may take a long time, but writing it will help develop your imagination.
Preparing for an essay
In front of a schoolchild, V. I. Khabarov “Portrait of Mila.” Descriptive essay in 7th grade is a difficult task. Picking up a pen and notebook right away is not the best solution. At the first stage, neither one nor the other will be needed. You should look at the picture and answer the questions:
- What is the theme of the image?
- Who or what is at the center of the plot?
- What attracted the artist's attention to the scene? Why did he decide to immortalize this moment?
- Is the picture different from others of the same genre?
In the picture there is a chair in which a teenage girl is sitting with her legs up. She is the main character. The first thing that catches your eye is the face. Mila is focused on reading. Typically, portraits are painted to order, choosing a spectacular setting and pose. Here is an everyday scene: a moment in the life of an ordinary child. What makes Mila special is her emotions. You want to admire such a face.
