The book includes stories about paintings and artists of Russia of the XIX century. These stories are different, as the artists referred to here are different in their creative appearance. But if you love painting, if you are interested to know how Repin's Zaporozhtsy, Surikov's Boyarynya Morozov, the sea in Aivazovsky's paintings, Levitan's modest landscapes were born; if you know nothing about the life of an artist like Vrubel, about the dramatic fate of other Russian artists of the 19th century, then you will be happy to read the stories of this collection.